International Journal of Education & the Arts

Citation: Ridder, A. (2024). Patterns for success: Training the next generation of costume technicians in digital garment simulation and pattern drafting software. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 25(si2.7). http://doi.org/10.26209/ijea25si2.7

Pattern drafting for costume design is a complicated skill set that requires access to training, years dedicated to learning, and an unsustainable amount of time in the day to accomplish the work. This essay proposes a solution to these barriers with a case study that introduces digital technology into the pattern drafting classroom. The case study consisted of two parts: first, I taught participants how to draft a pattern using traditional methods. Then I taught the same set of participants a similar project using the digital pattern drafting software CLO. The participants were evaluated on the following criteria: ease of access to the learning materials and equipment, proficiency of skills learned, and speed in accomplishing projects.