Pattern Grading Class

One To One Grading Class.

(40). This short manual pattern grading course is conducted from our London  studios in Greenwich  SE18.  These are   one-to-one pattern grading classes conducted by  highly experienced graders and  tutors.

This  course provides a short introduction to pattern grading for menswear, ladieswear, or childrenswear.  No experience is necessary, although a basic familiarity with patterns or garment construction is advisable.

The classes can be for anyone considering taking up grading or pattern cutting as a career. Or for someone wanting to learn grading as part of a dressmaking hobby. Or to be able to adjust patterns to fit themselves.

Within the fashion industry, manual pattern grading is still widely used by smaller labels just grading one or two sizes. For anything else, computer grading is far more cost effective. Many brands outsource the grading to specialised digital grading services.

For anyone interested in becoming a professional grader, we recommend our digital pattern grading classes. Just ask for details.

Grading is an important part of the clothing production process. It involves  the  scaling of pattern sizes up and down from the base size, to provide an accurate fit in all sizes. This is a very useful skill both for the fashion professional and the home sewer.

Basic grading is fairly straightforward and  can be learnt quickly. If you are considering learning how to grade via a computer, then it is a good idea to learn manual grading first as you are dealing with real physical patterns, rather than a computer screen.

Grading can  be a useful introduction to pattern cutting, and every pattern cutter should learn how to grade.

It can be very expensive to have patterns professionally graded. Many graders will charge for a minimum of three sizes, so to have just one or two sizes graded can work out prohibitively expensive.

Grading The Bust Dart.

Grading is generally  a very simple and straight forward process, except for the bust dart. Grading the bust dart is also straight forward, but when it is inconveniently positioned it can be really hard to understand. Sometime it is necessary to temporarily reposition the bust dart in order to grade it correctly.

Manual Pattern Grading.

Grading manually is the best way to learn how to grade initially. This way you get a feel for the patterns and how the shape changes as you grade to different sizes. The hands on approach is best.

Our manual pattern grading courses are suitable for beginners or intermediates. In order to learn pattern grading it is useful to have a basic understanding of patterns, but it is not necessary to be an accomplished pattern cutter.

Today most professional pattern grading  is done by computer rather than manually, as it is far more efficient. However, there are  many small companies and individuals that still  grade manually rather than invest in the necessary equipment  for computer grading, or using grading services that can be very expensive.

There are three methods of manual grading – Pattern shifting; slash and spread; stack grading. Stack grading used to be the method used by professional graders in the not too distant past. It was faster than grading individual sizes, but could be hard on the wrist joints.

Pattern Shifting.

The quickest way to  grade by hand is to use the base  pattern, shifting it in a clock wise direction, marking out a different part of the pattern as you go. This replicates the slash and spread method without having to cut the original pattern up.

Some people find it hard to grasp this method, and to visualise it. But it is really easy once you get the hang of it.

Slash And Spread. 

The slash and spread method involves cutting the base size pattern up in order t create the new size. Many dressmakers may use this method, but it is very time consuming.

Stack Grading.

Stack grading used to be used by professional graders as it could be way faster than grading individual sizes. No one really uses the stack grading method today, except maybe digitally.  It involves cutting all the sizes at the same time.

The disadvantages were that it was hard on the wrists, could produce quite rough cutting lines, and it was difficult to double check the grade accuracy – If one size was wrong, then all sizes were wrong.

When grading individual sizes you could then stack one pattern piece on top of the other in order to check the accuracy.

Grading Rules.

Whether you use computer grading or manual grading, it is still necessary to understand the basic rules of pattern grading. These are really quite straight forward for most styles that require only three or four sizes.

While to fully understand pattern grading would take  years of practise and study, the basic rules can be picked up very quickly.

Our pattern grading classes focus on the basics of practical manual grading. This way it is far easier to understand the process and apply it either in manual pattern grading or computer grading. Our qualified tutors will guide you through the processes of grading basic tops, dresses and trousers.

FAQ Page.

Please see our FAQ page for more information on our fashion courses.

 EMAIL   [email protected]