for indie-sewing pattern and clothing designers/companies.
Hi, I am Omotayo, the designer behind SewExplicit Patterns. I love making patterns and working with others to bring their designs to life. My focus is working with other home sewing pattern designers to develop their women’s wear styles. If you are not a home sewing pattern designer but a clothing brand owner who requires sewing pattern-making, grading and marker-making for your women’s wear designs, I got you too 🙂
Services that I offer include:
- Patternmaking
- Pattern Digitizing
- Pattern Grading
- Technical flat drawing from pictures of sewn samples
- Marker-making (for clothing designers/companies)
- Helping with PDF home sewing pattern packaging tasks which include: Size layering, Fabric Usage Estimates, Cutting Layout diagrams, finished garment dimensions chart, Pattern annotations, adding different line strokes to different sizes, A4/Letter paper size tiling, A0 and large paper format PDF, Projector-compatible file creation.
- File conversion between major types of files used in the clothing industry (STY, GERBER, DXF ASTM/AAMA, Adobe Illustrator etc)
What qualifies me to be your pattern-maker?
My journey in the world of sewing began during a gap year with learning how to cut and sew at a local dressmaker’s workshop. Since 2012, I’ve been keenly self-learning and practising manual technical pattern-making and grading skills. I transitioned to developing sewing patterns using Adobe Illustrator in 2015 and started creating downloadable sewing patterns in 2016. By 2018, I began freelancing for various designers, and since 2021, I have been using the industry-standard pattern-making, grading, and marking software, PADSystem. In addition to self-learning and development, I also have college degrees (Graduate and Postgraduate) in a somewhat related discipline- Industrial Design with a major in Textile Design.
Over the last seven years as a freelancer, I’ve had the privilege of working with sewing pattern designers/companies worldwide, both established and emerging. My tasks have encompassed pattern making, grading, creating technical flats for styles, and packaging patterns into downloadable PDFs for A4/letter, A0, and projector files. I’ve often handled one or more of these tasks, depending on the designer’s needs.
Under my brand, SewExplicit Patterns, since 2016, I have designed and published a few sewing patterns for sale. This includes not only pattern design and grading but also the creation of sewn samples, crafting comprehensive sewing instructions, and managing the pattern testing phase.
I am a careful and fastidious pattern maker who pays attention to details and ensures pattern pieces in all sizes match accurately. I am constantly trying to learn new skills such as 3D prototyping to serve my clients better.
Pricing
Pricing could be hourly or per project. Project-based pricing will be dependent on the number of pattern pieces, the total number of sizes and a few other considerations. Are you thinking of working with me to bring your ideas to life? Then fill out the Google form below to give me an idea of what you require and I will get back to you. You can also email me at sewexplicitpatterns@gmail.com.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Services I Offer
Do you also sew samples?
While I can sew, I do not offer sample sewing as a service. It is expected that you (or someone you find) do the pattern testing and sample sewing.
Can you write and illustrate my sewing instructions?
No, I am sorry. I however can help you create certain aspects that will be useful for the instruction set. Aspects such as your garment tech sketch/ line drawing; finished garment dimensions; Fabric usage estimate, cutting layout/Layplan with diagrams; and pattern pieces diagrams.
What software do you use?
I currently use PadSystem, an industry CAD software to make and grade the pattern while I use Adobe Illustrator for the annotations and PDF file preparation.
In what file formats will the pattern be delivered?
Depending on your requirements:
DXF ASTM/AAMA with graded nest
DXF ASTM/AAMA with Rul file
STY ( Native to PADSystem and StylecAD)
HPGL
PLT
GERBER
AI (Adobe Illustrator native file)
Can I send my hand-drawn pattern to you by post mail to digitize?
No, I work with only scans or pictures of your pattern. While the most preferred format is a scan (actual scan not photograph) of your pattern, I can also work with a photo of your pattern pieces. The scan and picture must contain reference measurements for me to correctly scale your pattern.
If you do not have access to a large format scanner, I will teach you how to go about using a regular scanner to scan your pattern pieces. If you are using a picture of your pattern pieces taken against a gridded mat, be ready to supply some measurements to make this work.
Where are you based?
I am a Nigerian living in Nigeria. I know my country gets a bad rep but darling! I am not going to scam you.