10 Free Resources for Fashion Design

Check out some websites, apps, and free tutorials to start creating your own garments

We put together a list of 10 free and useful resources that will help you on your journey into fashion design, whether you are a beginner and want to learn some basics, or you’re a professional who wants to try out some new things. Enjoy!

Pret à template

On this site, you will find printable templates to make sketches of your garments. There are male, female, kids, accessories, and even pets templates. If you download the smartphones and tablet apps, you will be able to draw directly on your device. The subscription gives you access to over 500 templates and patterns.

First View

First View was created in 1995 by two catwalk photographers, Marcio Madeira and Don Ashby. This website allows you to watch 25 years’ worth of fashion shows and more than 8 million pictures and videos to inspire you and for your fashion history research. You can search by date, collection, and designer name.

Cora

Cora is a free app for iPhone and iPad that allows you to carry your fabric stash with you as you browse for materials for new projects. It also shows you news and trends. You can search by quantity, type of fabric, weight, and other filters.

Sew Awesome

This is a similar app available for Android devices. You can carry with you records about your fabrics, threads, sewing machines, patterns, and any other tools. It includes general terminology and sewing machine diagrams.

Sew Organized

This application is for both Android and iOS devices and allows you to organize all aspects of your sewing projects. It saves all measurement records, fabric prices, and patterns. It helps you look for inspiration and keeps track of how long it takes you to complete a project.

My Body Model

Upload your body measurements with this app and then you will be able to create templates suitable for your size. It is free to view and to create images of your body (with watermarks) in PDF and JPG. The paid version lets you download your body model.

Free embroidery tutorial

Señorita Lylo, a graphic designer and embroiderer, shows you her tips for embroidering a simple flower in 5 steps. You can watch the video below:

Free upcycling tutorial

In this video, crochet designer and author Emma Friedlander-Collins, also known as Steel and Stitch, shares 5 simple ways to upcycle old clothing to create a sustainable wardrobe full of pieces with personality.

Free tutorial: how to create an appliqué

To transform your garment or give a unique touch to a piece you are designing, learn to make an embroidered appliqué. You do not need advanced knowledge of needlework, and Ana Maria Restrepo (@anamaria_10) will show you how to achieve it in this video.

You may be interested in:

- Macramé Tutorial: How to Dye a Textile Tapestry.
- Weaving Tutorial: Macramé Carpet Knot.
- Theory of Colour for Textile Projects, a course by Karen Barbé.