Pattern Cutting Step-by-Step

book on patterning and clicking

edited by Frank G. Jones

published by Noble Footwear

ISBN 1-873905-01-7

based on Michael Sharp’s earlier Pattern Cutter’s Handbook

1. Pattern Cutting?

• book uses the last taping method
• last form and mean form defined
• standards
• grading defined
• “All allowances should be kept the same on all sizes.”
• “restricting” some allowances, e.g. underlay margin
• standard last length defined

2. Forme Cutting

• flattening from 2D to 3D causes distortion
• for example, springing the toe
• {{Under-Recording} and Over-Recording
• the more curvature, the more distortion
• more demands from Strobel and string lasting increased popularity of last taping method

Last Taping

• strip down back of backpart
• strip down middle of forepart
• lengthwise strips from back to front
• downward strips, starting at front of cone, continuing back around the backpart, finishing back at the front of the cone
• crosswise strips over the forepart
• draw lines down strips of tape, then lay them on for center lines down forepart and backpart
• mark points
  • Vamp Point three quarters of SLL, taken from the counter point around the side of the last to the center line
  • counter point one fifth of SLL, from up from the seat at the back
  • recommends measuring by marking points on a strip of paper, then measuring between points
  • warning: cut tape with last resting on the bench
• flattening
  • cut slits around bottom of toe before flattening
  • flatten from V down toward the ball
  • flatten the backpart from above the breast to back above the seat to preserve the lengths of lines from CP to the toe and S to the toe
  • can slash the instep/cone if needed
  • marks: inside or outside, last number, size, date, name

Slotted Paper

• favored by some bespoke and orthopedic
• uses tacks
• tends to spring the toe

Vacuum

• little used
• Aside: “shell” used in the US for “standard” in the UK

Mean Formes

• align vamp points and toes
• pivot at vamp point so counter points align
• average lines, except bottom
• Aside: Don’t take back cone shapes from lasts. Design them.

3. Court Shoe

Standard

• want a tight topline
• designing mostly “on the flat”, rather than on the last
• using size 5 as example
• counter point at one fifth of standard last length up from the seat point
• back height is ¼″ or 6mm above the counter point
• more traditionally, back height is ⅕of standard last length plus ½″, a bit higher
• V ¾ of standard last length from the counter point, across the form
• A, a reference point for where the topline stops continuing straight and begins to curve up to the vamp point
  • 6/10 of of standard last length from the back height point
  • 1⅝″ up from bottom edge of outside form
  • varies with style
• center line AKA crease line AKA fold line: from the vamp point along highest part of form over toe
• create topline by joining the vamp point, topline reference point A, and back height point with a concave curve
• must be 90° to the center line at the vamp point
• lasting allowance
  • 15mm in seat and waist
  • 12mm in forepart
  • blended between
  • thicker in seat and waist due to thick insole board and less lasting pressure there
• stiffener allowance: 2mm back from S
• continue the back curve through the lasting allowance, rather than as a straight line

Sectional Patterns

• example: folded topline, sewn-in counter lining, three-quarter cut, closed seam
• line for the quarter seam (Q) at ½ of standard last length from the back point along the topline
• 5mm fold allowance
• 1.5mm closed seam allowance
• v-cut the vamp at front of toe
• scallop the lasting allowance in the heel seat, or make one large v-cut at the very back
• 3mm trimming allowance to topline around the heel
• draw a straight fold line from the back point down to the seat point
• create the seam line for the lining 14mm behind the line for the quarter seam
• make an 8mm reduction to the lining around the forepart
  • allow cement to directly bond the insole to the toe puff
  • reduce the thickness of the lasting margin over the featherline
• v-cut the front of the lining, to match the vamp

4. Oxford Shoe

5. Gibson Shoe

• example: Size 8, 4-eyelet

Quarter Curve

• mark F halfway along a line from the vamp point down to the bottom line, at 90° to the crease line
• mark C one quarter of the way along a line from the instep point down the bottom line, running parallel to the line down from the vamp point
• connect F to C
• no formula given for the curve, just instructs to “sketch” it or use a French curve (Page 44)

Tongue

• continue crease line from vamp
• pointer to further discussion in monk chapter

Cap

• one third of way vamp point to toe point
• 10-inch or 300mm radius
• center of circle on crease line

Closing Sequence

• tongue to vamp lining
• vamp to tongue and vamp lining assembly

6. Monk Shoe

7. Derby Boot

• vamp point at 7/10 of standard last length, rather than the usual three quarters
• instep point at 1/4 of standard last length up from the vamp point
• marks positions of widest parts of joints on the bottoms, may be averaged
• marks a ground line in order to mark heel pitch
• Does not give a method or strict formula for the facing curve. Merely instructs the reader to “design” the curve, passing 3mm down and back from the instep point on its way to the point marking the top of the shaft over the shin. Then instructs to draw a second, parallel curve 3mm behind the first.
• gives an alternative drafting method based on a line running up the center of the lower leg, especially for higher-legged boots

8. Trainer

9. Basketball Boot

10. Aerobic Shoe

11. Veldtschoen Shoe

12. Pull-On Boot

…

• vamp must be "sprung down"
  • recommends creating “intermediate half-vamp pattern” and working from that, rather than the standard
  • side curve must not change
  • position of side curve relative to crease line must not change
  • original and sprung side curve lines must be same length
• other springing method when crease line even higher
  • spring the “tab” [cowboy boot: “bell”]

…

13. Strobel-Stitched Casual

14. Moccasin

15. Bottom and Other Patterns

• mostly same pattern for same last across models
• exceptions: sandals, open-toed shoes
• insole patterns versus bottom patterns
  • insoles beveled
    • especially ladies lasts
    • from behind joint around heel to just behind other joint
  • insole seat may be made symmetrical to match heel component
• flaps for knock-on and Louis heels
• socks

16. Grading

• old style linked pantographs: one for length, one for width
• computer grading started in 1970s
• proportional grading aka “normal grading”
• not graded
  • underlay margins
  • folding allowances
  • buckle straps
  • zipper slots
• group grading
  • e.g. wingtips
  • e.g. back heights for backpart molds
  • e.g. trainer eyestays and tongues
  • …
  • each group has model size

17. Additional Notes

• instead of draping, can check forms by comparing measurements to those of the last
• an also produce mean forms by aligning toes and heels, but this distorts the differences between inside and outside in the forepart
• pivot the inside form, rather than the outside, because appearance of the outside is more important
• can compress more in the waist on the inside
• designing on lasts pros and cons
  • good sense of visual shape
  • have to erase or remove lines for each design
  • vacuum shells can alleviate
    • quick and easy to make many shells
    • can reinsert lasts into removed shells
  • easy to erase pencil marks from smooth plastic last surfaces
• back curves: try a single radius, lists common radii
• some pattern cutters limit differences between inside and outside differences in vamps in order to avoid having separate patterns and dies for inside and outside quarters
• pivot Gibson tongues from their outside corners, not the crease line, which will yield tongues too short
• stagger seams
• always give some facing gap so narrower feet can close the shoes
• for Oxfords, may modify the vamp lines of just the quarter and quarter lining patterns in the centers, near the vamp points, to avoid distortion from lasting pressure
• springing
  • term used with different meanings
  • commonality: distortion
  • motivations
    • fit the last closer
    • enable cutting as one component when center line is curved
    • economy of material