Tailornova is a software designed to help both sewists and professionals create their own patterns. It is easy to use and it has many functions that can satisfy even the most ambitious sewists. Many people start using Tailornova and make their first free or commercial patterns successful, but it is common that they give up too soon and underestimate the potential of this program. This post will try to shed some light on the things that make Tailornova patterns hard to get started with and what you can do to solve these problems.
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1. The pattern I need is not in the options!
They don’t have all the styles you can imagine, but they have a wide variety of patterns. If you don’t find what you’ve been looking for, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it! You can use the pattern designer to create your own custom pattern in a few simple steps. The pattern designer interface is like a wizard, you select each aspect of your garment as silhouettes, sleeves, necklines, back closure and then they’ll create the pattern showing you all the pieces created in the flat pattern section. It may happen that you don’t find the exact style you want. In this case you need to choose the one closest to your design and it will need some additional steps to transform it into the desired style. If you don’t have pattern making skills or experiences in sewing pattern hacks you should focus on the choices you have. Start with simple garments like a skirt.
2. Trying to make your own patterns without knowing how to use the software and thinking that Tailornova is not working for you.
I’ve seen in Tailornova reviews people saying the program isn’t working for them. But the truth is Tailornova is not a magic wand. If you don’t know pattern making, or don’t have a solid knowledge in sewing and pattern fitting, it may feel complicated to use it. If you’re new to garment construction, I recommend learning about pattern making, basic sewing, and fabric types before trying to create your own patterns or starting with simple patterns. Be sure to study all options and settings for a better result. Maybe you just want to draft a single pattern and think Tailornova doesn’t work for you. Or, maybe you’re already familiar with Tailornova and have some problems. Whatever the reason, here are some of the most common problems that I found Tailornova users face. Tailornova is an advanced software tool. Many users do not take the time to explore its advanced features.
Tailornova loads slowly
As you can see, there are hundreds of garments and styles, so it takes time to load them all. To prevent the software from slowing down, you must use the drop-down menus and select the fabric type, silhouettes, variations and bodice types you want to see so that it reduces the loaded design options. Tailornova will show only the options you selected and the process will be much quicker.
It should be mentioned that thanks to the continuous development of Tailornova it is already much faster than a few years ago.
Pattern pieces don’t fit together!
This problem may have many causes, but you probably did not take into account seem allowances when downloading your patterns. It’s easy to do if you are used to working with other PDF patterns – remember that you don’t need to add seam allowance manually if you can add the seam allowance to 1 cm, 1.6 cm or even no seam allowance at all in the program. When you print the pattern with seam allowance, make sure that the patterns you want to place on the fold have no seam allowance. I recommend you to create a separate copy of your patterns without seam allowance if you want to make more modifications to your pattern.
3. Not using the TailorNova’s 3D view.
Tailornova has a great 3D tool for subscribers and who buys one of their packages. For 15 $ you can download 5 patterns, so it is not a big investment. When you create the pattern you will see what garment made with this pattern would look like on you. The 3D view remains in beta, but can be used with most patterns. You turn around the 3D model and check the fit not only to the front, but all around the body. If you make changes to the setting of the ease tool, you will see them directly on the 3D form. This way you can have an idea of how you can improve the pattern. In my experience it shows quite well the fitting issues, how the different types of fabric and the ease changes the look of your pattern on you. I strongly recommend using this tool.
4. Getting frustrated again and again, because patterns never fit right.
If you have pattern fitting issues you should first check if you have filled the measurement chart perfectly. A small mistake can cause major problems. Tailornova does a very complex job to create the best possible fitting pattern for you, but you need to accept that some of the garments especially those with sleeves might have some fitting problems. It depends on your body type, the measurements and how fitted you want your garment to be. Does it have darts or style lines to help it fit better? Fitted dartless styles with sleeves are the most common to have some fitting problems. First you must identify the problem in your own case to make the most of Tailornova. Once you know what’s going on, you will see the same problems over and over again. So as soon as you hack it, you can easily solve it in other projects.
At the Buddy Positive Pattern Playground I explain step by step to my members the changes they need to make to have the right fit with Tailornova.
The good news is that if all goes well at the end of this year the new version of Tailornova will come out with a completely renewed platform.
5. Failing to understand some basic concepts of pattern making.
You can make pattern adjustments in wrong places because you don’t know where the adjustments should be made If you have never learned to draft sewing patterns and have have no experience in pattern hacking, you can find the fitting process overwhelming. Maybe it’s a good idea to learn how to use Tailornova and other pattern making software correctly to create your own made to measure sewing patterns and gain more confidence. Once you know what you’re doing, it’ll get easier.
Practicing Tailornova will help you in the long run! Don´t give up before you give it a chance.
Tailornova is a very powerful software that can be used to design almost any garment you can imagine. This power comes with a learning curve and it may seem hard to get started with Tailornova at first. With this post I have tried to give you my best tips on how to get started with making your own patterns. Thousands of people around the world use Tailornova, but still there are many people who don’t even know what this software is. It would be great if more people knew about its functions which are waiting for them to discover them!
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