HELEN SHINE - CREATIVE PATTERN CUTTER
I have interviewed many colleagues for this series of blog posts, and thought it was high time to share my journey. It feels strange to be the one answering the questions, but I wanted to shed some light on what I did before starting Dot n Cross. Before moving to Cornwall in January 2019, I worked as a pattern cutter in the London fashion industry for over 10 years for a variety of different brands. I absolutely loved the creativity and variety of working on high end garments, and working with such gorgeous fabrics, on innovative, cutting edge designs.
Since moving to Cornwall, I now teach sewing and pattern cutting classes to home sewers, I am a guest lecturer on the Falmouth University Fashion course, and I freelance for London Fashion brands remotely as a creative pattern cutter.
Can you explain what your job role is?
Since moving to Cornwall in January 2019, I spend half my time creating patterns for private clients and the rest of my time is spent teaching sewing and pattern cutting classes. Before the big move, I worked in London as a Creative Pattern Cutter in the high end fashion industry.
As a pattern cutter I make the paper templates that are used to cut pieces of fabric, which are then sewn together into a sample. I collaborate with the designer, the cutter and the seamstress to find the best way to bring a design to life. We all have different skills that bring something to the finished product. I generally work on Gerber which is a Computer Aided Design (CAD program) to draw the patterns, but I also work manually using a ruler and pencil, or draping on the mannequin. Usually it’s a combination of all of these methods. I will always pin my paper pattern together and try it on the mannequin to check the proportions and balance, and show the designer the rough shape before anything is cut in fabric. The images below show a draped dress with large bow detail at the neck that I worked on at Mary Katrantzou, and the final garment.
Why did you want to be a pattern cutter?
When I was trying to decide what I wanted to study at University, I was seriously considering both Mathematics and Fashion Design. I feel that pattern cutting is a perfect marriage of the two – a mathematical, methodical, precise mind, working in a creative and free way. I always knew that designing wasn’t for me, but when I realised that pattern cutting was a job, I was certain that was what I wanted to do. We are the ones who get to drape fabric on mannequins, pinning and refining all day long until we have something 3D, that resembles a garment, to then discuss with the designer and create a pattern from. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather spend my days doing!
This image shows the full pattern of the black and white dress I made whilst working for Cue in Sydney. I made the pattern entirely on Style Cad, it is a specialist pattern cutting software. Lining pieces are shown in yellow, the main white outer fabric is in pink, and the green represents the black lace that overlays at the front and back bodice. We work sideways on CAD, which takes a bit of getting used to!
“There is so much trial and error and development as a pattern cutter, that you never stop learning.”
How and where did you learn your skill?
I did my Undergraduate Fashion Design degree at The University of Leeds, and specialised by doing the Postgraduate Creative Pattern Cutting course at Central Saint Martins, but really I think I learnt my trade on the job. There is so much trial and error and development as a pattern cutter, that you never stop learning. Each time the designer brings you a sketch is the start of a long process of trying things in fabric to see what works.
How long have you been in the industry and where have you worked?
I have been in the fashion industry for 16 years, the first year was spent interning before I got my first job as a pattern cutter at Victoria Beckham. I have also worked for Karen Millen, Mary Katrantzou, Roksanda, Peter Pilotto, Cue in Sydney and interned at Vivienne Westwood, Aimee McWilliams and Burberry.
Me with Vivienne Westwood when I was very young!
A model on stilts backstage at the Westwood show
The fashion industry is notoriously hard to get into – how did you get your foot in the door?
I did a couple of unpaid internships during my studies on a year out sandwich course and one for 3 months after graduating. Following that I was interning (paid) at Victoria Beckham for a little while until they took me on as a junior pattern cutter. Certainly there was luck involved, it is often a case of being somewhere at the right time. There is also a tremendous amount of privilege involved, as I was able to work unpaid for a year because my parents could afford to support me and I had family in London I could stay with. It seems that the industry is changing (although not fast enough), as unpaid internships are now only legal if the worker is doing an internship as part of their degree. Unpaid internships are a barrier to social mobility, it is inherently unfair that people from a wealthier background can benefit from unpaid internships, while many other people cannot afford to.
What is the best thing you were taught when you were starting out?
To listen to the fabric. A pattern cutting tutor at Central Saint Martin’s said this to us and none of us had a clue what he was talking about. But slowly you realise how a different fabric can completely change the design. Even if they are cut from the same pattern and constructed in the same way, they will drape differently, and move differently. You need to listen to where the fabric wants to hang and how it falls. If you don’t listen, you will end up choosing the wrong fabric for the project or forcing a fabric to hang in an awkward way. And I know it’s tempting, but don’t chose a fabric because of the colour or print, chose based on the type of fabric first and then chose the colour!
“You need to listen to where the fabric wants to hang and how it falls. If you don’t listen, you will end up choosing the wrong fabric for the project or forcing a fabric to hang in an awkward way.”
This dress with stripe engineering is one of the most favourite garments that I’ve made the pattern for. It was also one of the most challenging, which is interesting because it looks so incredibly simple. Often the most simple things are the hardest to get right and make them look effortless.
So why was it tricky… basically the pattern falls exactly on each stripe. So everything is considered on this garment, we wanted to make sure that all the seaming and shaping finishes on the edge of a stripe. That was easy on the back vertical darts, when you sew a vertical dart, then the stripe is still continuous. But its more tricky in other places, so you can see where the grown on sleeve meets the underarm gusset, so you can see where the sleeve is sewn to the gusset, it is along a stripe on the front and back, on the bust dart it is invisible because the dart is sewn in the centre of a stripe, the edge of the hip pocket is on the edge of a stripe, and the horizontal hip dart. So all of those things were really carefully considered and made on the pattern.
All of this is doable when you are making a one off sample inhouse, but to achieve that in production really goes to show how incredible those factories were, and their attention to detail. Then you also have to think about the grading of this style! The grading was all done in house at Karen Millen. I worked really closely with the grader and it took us days and days to get this right, how we could keep the integrity of this design across the different sizes. We worked out where the grading increments would fall, so it wouldn’t compromise the integrity of the design, so I am really really proud of that dress and that it worked across sizes.
What was the most challenging garment you worked on?
What is your top tip for home sewers to improve their pattern cutting?
Start by mastering the skills to pivot the bust darts to different places on the bodice (called ‘dart manipulation’). Once you understand how this works, you have so many options of bodice designs, with darts and seam lines that pass through/near the bust, or converting the volume to tucks or gathers, to create the required fit and shape.
I also recommend altering a basic dress block to fit you, so that you can use this as your starting point for creating new designs.
What is your favourite tool to use at work?
My Pattern Master. I bought it for my University course as it was on the tools list. I don’t think I knew then how important it would become in my life! I’ve had the same one since Uni, for 20 years! It has a perfectly shaped curve for any line you will need to draw on a pattern (armhole, neckline, hip) and you can apply seam allowance from 0.5cm to 6cm for deep hems. You can draw 45 degree lines and right angles. In short I couldn’t do my job without it.
“Start by mastering the skills to pivot the bust darts to different places on the bodice. Once you understand how this works, you have so many options of bodice designs.”
What is your favourite garment to work on?
Dresses. Always has been and always will be. There’s just something I love about making a well fitted dress with interesting seam lines or a really beautiful piece of draping. Just don’t ask me to make your wedding dress!
I have worked in many different ways to develop patterns, but an interesting method at Mary Katrantzou, was the designer would make a 3D collage on the mannequin from the various bits of print we were using. I would then need to make a pattern from that, using the proportions and layers they had built up, whilst working out how it could be constructed in fabric. I would put the paper block on top and trace through the seam lines, and then put all that onto the CAD system to tidy up, and then send the pattern digitally to the print designers, who would use my pattern pieces as a guide for how the print should lay. We could then get the fabric printed for the toile, so the designer could see exactly how the design would look, not just the shape and silhouette, but also the print. I loved that way of working, the images below show this method and the final catwalk dress, which was fully embroidered.
Final two images, image credit: Vogue.com
“making the pattern for the custom made dress for Cate Blanchett, which I worked on at Mary Katrantzou was probably the most exciting project I’ve worked on.”
What is the most exciting project you’ve ever worked on?
Probably making the pattern for the custom made dress for Cate Blanchett, which I worked on at Mary Katrantzou. It was a huge ballgown, with boning in the skirt to hold the hem out, a high low hem, the skirt was stuffed with tulle layers to add fullness, it was fully embroidered and beaded, the bodice was perfectly fitted to her, with internal corset, bust cups, spiral boning, and a high collar. We only had half an hour to fit the toile, and then the rest was up to us. She looked stunning and it was such an unusual design with the ‘paint by numbers’ print, so half the dress was black and white with numbers, and the other half was ‘coloured in’. I’ll never forget her walking along the red carpet at Cannes, everyone was completely transfixed by her.
I’ll also never forget the night before the royal wedding of Will and Kate, I was working at Victoria Beckhams. There weren’t many people left in the office, but the seamstress had just finished the dress that Victoria was going to wear. She asked if I could try it on so that she could check the hem! Surreal!
What is the best part of your job?
I think the collaborative nature of my job is the best part and the fact that it is so varied. The talented people I have worked with over the years are too many to mention. We learn from each other and we are not afraid to try things out, to sometimes get it wrong, and to keep pushing and refining until we get it to a point where it is finally finished and can go down the runway or be sold in store.
What advice would you give someone that would be hoping to follow in your footsteps?
To become a pattern cutter you need to really arm yourself with knowledge. Get your hands on a variety of pattern cutting books and start working through them. Learn all the techniques in the books, and the ‘rules’ of pattern cutting, and then see where you can start pushing to create something new. Really try to understand what is in a designers head before you start a pattern, but see if you can add something too – don’t be afraid to make suggestions if you have an idea.