Tutorials

Introduction to Tutorials

This section of tutorials is not targeted toward people with extensive patternmaking experience. This section is intended to assist users who may be new to the pattern making process and who are using one of the pattern making systems for which Valentina is designed. Valentina provides many useful features but it does not create a pattern without the appropriate input.

For a more detailed instructions to the Valentina program, please see the User Manual

A list of Patternmaking References is available in the User Manual. This tutorial is intended to contain basic tutorials on creating a simple pattern with each system.

Basic Blocks

Skirt Blocks

• Skirt Block, McCunn System

Pants Blocks

• Pants Block, McCunn System

Bodice Blocks

Note : Some patternmaking systems create the bodice front and back as a single pattern piece.

• Bodice Block, McCunn System

Sleeve Blocks

Note : Most Bodice, Dress, Shirt, Jacket, and Coat blocks contain a related sleeve pattern. If you need to change sleeves on existing garments or patterns, you can measure around the armhole of the garment or pattern, then generate an independent sleeve pattern using the arm length and circumference measurements from a standard (multi-size) or individual .vit file. Many variations are possible beginning with a basic sleeve pattern. Some of the ones to be discussed here include

• Sleeve Block, McCunn System

Block Variations and Techniques

Many methods exist to transform a pattern into a different style. This tutorial is not designed to be a textbook on fashion design. What we will discuss in the next few sections are some techniques that are used among many of the reference material on patternmaking and design. Some of these techniques are:

• Changing seam location
• Changing dart location
• Changing darts to seams
• Adding fullness

This is by no means an exhaustive list. The types of variations possible are limited only by the imagination of the designer.

Many women's patterns use darts to shape the garment. Moving the dart can open up possibilities for design variations. Techniques such as slash, spread, and pivot are commonly used in several systems. This section will describe how to use the Valentina Software to implement these techniques.

• Bodice Block variations Some additional variations will be discussed here including the princess seam, curved dart, shoulder darts, shoulder gathers, and the addition of a yoke.
  • Bodice Block, Front variations
  • Bodice Block, Back variations

• Sleeve Block variations
  • Flounced Sleeve
  • Gathered Sleeve Top
  • Gathered Sleeve Cap
  • Leg-of-Mutton Sleeve
  • Puffed Sleeve
  • Bell Sleeve
  • Cape Sleeve

• Skirt Block variations

• Pants Block Variations

• Block Combinations
  • Create a Dress Block from a Bodice Block and Skirt Block
  • Create a Jacket Block from a Bodice Block