Designing Patterns

Dear users, dear authors,
There’s plenty of space here for all your questions about designing patterns. Have fun!

Does anyone else have anything to add?

Designing patterns so that even a beginner can understand them isn’t as easy as you might think. Because something I’ve often noticed about patterns is that, no matter how hard they try, the person following along simply can’t read your mind. That’s why you should write down every step as clearly as possible and then include it in the pattern—otherwise, all that work goes to waste. Personally, I always start with *Adam and Eve* ;-) when I write sewing instructions, because otherwise the reader often won’t know what I mean—especially since there are many technical terms that, while familiar to me, the reader often doesn’t know what to make of. I also have my oldest daughter proofread every pattern I make; she’s a seamstress too and can spot right away if anything is missing or hasn’t been described correctly. Pictures in a pattern are helpful too—they often explain what you mean without needing many words—but that doesn’t mean you should skip including a caption for the pictures.

Best regards, Inge