It’s a fairly well known series of patternmaking books from Japan. There are others, too, but what I love about these in particular, is that instead of just giving you the finished pattern to copy, the book explains how to draft it yourself! That way you have the possibility to make all kinds of different versions of your own using the various techniques explained. I first discovered these books during a sewing course. One of the fellow-students had brought the first two books with her in class and we were all leafing through them, amazed by the designs. Of course I then had to get the books myself, too.

Ffareconceafed in a curve Thisdesignmakesyou wonderhow the flarehas beenconcealed. The foldedand layeredlook that hasso much depth is structurallybeautifuland exciting.With that ideain mind, I beganby drawing somecomplexcuryes. Take the pieces of a three-dimensional garment apart and flatten them, to get individual pattern pieces. Easy-to-follow, detailed instructions make it easy to create stunning, sculptural clothes with a couture lookIt’s difficult to say which one is my favorite. Each book has designs that I like. However I’ve done most variations on the pieces from book number 2, so I guess this means that it’s the most inspirational for me. What is Pattern Magic? Here you can find garments inspired by the various geometrical shapes: circle, triangle and square. There’s a chapter on accordion-technique, with examples of that being inserted both in a sleeve and into a bodice. I’ve done a few designs using this technique and I love the way it creates really sculptural shapes. Here’s one. Accordion-sculpture Then there’s a design called ” Like a jungle” where the bodice front is separated with stylelines into slices that overlap each other. I had an idea that I wanted the overlapping area to create a flower-shape in the middle by leaving little holes in between the slices. Well, I’m not too happy with the result, but probably I could make it work by editing the pattern some more. Jungle-flower There’s a dress with a group of knots in the front. What a great idea! The knots create an interesting texture. I made a different version by inserting the knots on the shoulders of a bodice and added some gathering, too. Gathered bodice with knots

All the projects include step-by-step instructions with diagrams and lots of photos. Some are more difficult than others to understand, depending on your experience. Personally, I often use the books as inspiration, even just by looking at the pictures. There isn’t much information to be found about the author Tomoko Nakamichi. I searched on the internet, but I could only find the same information that’s also written in the Pattern Magic -books: She was a professor at Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo and now delivers lectures and holds courses both in Japan and internationally. All the garments in the pictures are actually in half-scale. Nakamichi created them with trial-and-error approach and they served to help her students understand better how patterns work. Basics How about you? Do you have the Pattern Magic -books? Have you made, or planned, any garments with the patterns? Links: If you’ve mastered the basics of pattern cutting, have caught the bug and are eager to experiment with complex 3d designs, you should definitely take a look at Pattern Magic‘ Tilly And The Buttons BlogThe relationship between the flat pattern pieces and the three-dimensional structure of the garment never changes. by cutting and opening out the pattern, but a flare that is subtly concealed on the underside of the fabric. Making a pattern Íor the kakurenbo design with a drawing is easier than you think. I’ve had an explosion of inspiration, and I’m not even an expert in sewing!…I’m sure that many of you, fashion designers or not, can learn a lot from these tutorials’ ImaginativeBloom.com