Pattern cutting · From a photo
A sewing pattern from a photo of a garment
We can't sell to the United Kingdom yet. Love a garment and want to sew it in your size? Send us its photo and your eleven body measurements: the photo gives the style, your measurements make the pattern. Our studio reads the cut, drafts the pattern to your measurements and checks it with its sewing instructions before sending it to you. What it can't draft, it turns down.
The principle
A photo and your measurements, never one without the other
A photo shows a cut, a length, a neckline, sleeves. It says nothing about your body. That is why our studio also asks for your eleven body measurements: without them, there would only be a silhouette, not a pattern. Your measurements are entered once in your profile and reused after that.
Nor is it a rub-off of the garment. Copying a pattern from an existing piece reproduces its own size; here, the garment in the photo is the model, and your body gives the dimensions. The piece doesn't even need to be yours: you can use a photo from a magazine, a catalogue or your own wardrobe, for your personal use.
To understand the method in detail, read our guide to making a sewing pattern from a photo.
And if you would rather copy a piece you love yourself, our journal explains how to copy a garment without taking it apart.
The drafting
What our studio does with your photo
A clear front view lets us recognise the design. A back view and a close-up of the finishes refine the reading, especially for a structured garment. Then:
- our studio reads the photo: the garment family, the cut, the length, the neckline, the sleeves, the fastening;
- it chooses the matching pattern block, from those it knows how to draft;
- it drafts the pattern to your measurements, seam allowances included, notches and grainlines marked, to print at home at 1:1 scale;
- it checks the pattern and its sewing instructions before sending them to you. The instructions say what is reproduced from the photo and what isn't.
Where we stop
What we refuse to draft
Our studio does not draft these yet: bustiers, halterneck tops, wrap dresses, dressing gowns and kimonos, kaftans, ponchos, pleated skirts, wrap skirts, corsets, lingerie, swimwear, wedding dresses and formal occasion or haute couture pieces. If your design can't be drafted, no credits are deducted.
The answer comes before the drafting: if our studio can't draft your design, you know before a single credit is deducted.
We don't promise a garment identical to the photo: we promise a pattern that is accurate to your measurements, and an honest list of what differs. A pocket, a seam line or a fastening that the drafted block doesn't include is written in your instructions.
Questions we're often asked
Frequently asked questions
Do I need anything besides a photo?
Yes. You need the photo and your eleven body measurements: the photo gives the style, your measurements make the pattern. To get started, a standard size is possible, but made to measure starts with your measurements.
Which photo should I send?
A clear photo of the whole garment, front-on, in good light. A back view and close-ups of the finishes help for a structured garment. Without a photo, Guided design lets you put the design together step by step.
Can I copy a garment I already own?
Yes: take a photo of it. The pattern doesn't copy its dimensions; it takes its cut and drafts it to your measurements. That is useful when you like a piece but it doesn't quite fit you.
What if you can't draft my design?
If our studio can't draft your design, it tells you before drafting, and no credits are deducted. We would rather say no than deliver a pattern that is only roughly right.
Should I make a toile?
Yes, a toile (test garment) is recommended: cut it from an inexpensive fabric that behaves like your good fabric, or from a knit with similar stretch for a knit garment. It confirms that the pattern drafted from the photo has the look and ease you were expecting.
Get started
Your favourite garment, to your measurements
Start from the garment you love and give us your measurements: our studio drafts the pattern and checks it, with its sewing instructions, before sending it. Pay-as-you-go credits, no subscription.
Create my pattern from a photoPay-as-you-go credits, no subscription · See all pattern families