Thoughtful pattern development, with real bodies in mind.
Freelance pattern development, fit and technical support for indie fashion brands and sewing pattern designers.
Need an experienced extra pair of hands with your next design, collection or sewing pattern launch?
Alongside designing the Cinnamon Daisy sewing pattern collection, I work behind the scenes with independent fashion brands and fellow sewing pattern designers - helping turn ideas into patterns, solve fit problems and take some of the development work off already very full plates.
Maybe you've got a sketch you want to bring to life, an existing pattern that needs tweaking or simply more ideas than hours in the day, I'd love to help!
An extra pair of hands when you need them
Hi, I'm Emma, the pattern designer behind Cinnamon Daisy.
I've spent years developing size-inclusive sewing patterns, solving fit problems, working with different cup sizes, refining construction methods, creating instructions and, most importantly, thinking about how clothes actually feel on the bodies wearing them.
I also know exactly what it's like to run a small creative business.
Sometimes you don't need an agency, a permanent employee or someone to take over your whole process.
You just need someone experienced who can jump in, understand what you're trying to achieve and help you get it done.
That's where I come in.
"It was fantastic to have her expertise and skills on board, and I’m so pleased with the finished design. I’d definitely recommend Emma to anyone looking for an experienced and talented pattern cutter."
— Rose, Plum & Pigeon
Indie fashion brands
Maybe you're designing and sewing everything yourself. Maybe your brand is growing and pattern development is becoming the thing holding everything else up. Or perhaps you've got an idea for your next collection but need some technical help getting it out of your head and onto the cutting table.
I can work alongside you on individual styles or simply step in when things get busy.
I can help with:
Pattern cutting and development
Developing a garment from a sketch, reference or idea
Pattern amendments and style changes
Fit development and troubleshooting
Size-inclusive pattern development
Size range expansion and grading
Cup-size development
Digitising and cleaning existing patterns
Toiling and sample development
Construction development
CLO3D development and visualisation
Technical sewing and construction problem-solving
Tech pack creation for factories and manufacturers
Extra development support during busy periods and launches
Sewing pattern designers
Sometimes even pattern designers need another pattern designer!
I offer freelance support to other independent sewing pattern businesses, whether you need someone to take on a particular part of development or simply need another experienced pair of eyes on something you've been staring at for far too long.
I can slot into your existing process rather than taking it over.
I can help with:
Pattern development and amendments
Pattern checking and troubleshooting
Fit development
Interpreting toile and tester feedback
Size range expansion
Cup-size development
Digitising and pattern clean-up
Grading
Construction development
Sample/toile sewing and feedback
Sewing instruction development
Technical illustrations
CLO3D visualisation
"Our clothes should fit our bodies.
Our bodies shouldn't have to fit our clothes."
— Emma HorsmanThat idea sits at the heart of Cinnamon Daisy and it's something I bring to every pattern I work on.
From idea to actual garment
You don't need to come to me with a perfect tech pack.
You might have a sketch (a scribble will do!), a Pinterest reference, a rough toile, an existing pattern you want to turn into something different or you might simply have an idea in your head and need someone to help figure out how on earth we're going to construct it.
1 - YOUR IDEA
Tell me what you're trying to create or what isn't currently working.
2 - DEVELOPMENT
We'll agree what support you need and I'll get to work on the pattern, fit or development.
3 - REFINE
We'll review, toile, fit and make any agreed refinements.
4 - HANDOVER
You'll receive the agreed final files/pattern ready for the next stage of your process.
Selected freelance work
A little look at some of the independent fashion brands and sewing pattern designers I've worked with behind the scenes.
Plum & Pigeon
Pattern development • Fit adjustments • Grading • CLO3D • Production-ready files
I refined an existing bodice pattern to improve the fit before grading it to Plum & Pigeon's size chart. I also developed a completely new garment from an inspiration image, using CLO3D to develop, fit and grade the design before providing labelled A0 pattern files ready for printing, along with finished garment measurements.
Imperfectly Perfect
Pattern digitising • Grading • CLO3D fitting • Home-print layouts • Sewing pattern development
I digitised Imperfectly Perfect's original drafted pattern before grading it to their size chart and using CLO3D to assess and refine the fit across the range. I then created the print-ready pattern files, including layouts for home sewists, and provided finished garment measurements ready for the final sewing pattern product.
The Fruit Moth
Pattern development • Grading • Toiling • Fabric efficiency • Production-ready files
Working from the founder's sketches, I developed three new garment designs and graded each one to The Fruit Moth's size chart. I also made physical toiles, created cutting layouts to maximise fabric usage and supplied finished garment measurements alongside fully labelled A0 pattern files ready for printing.
Podgekins
Pattern digitising • Sewing pattern development • Print-ready files
I took Podgekins' hand-drafted sewing pattern and digitised it, turning the original pattern into clean, accurate digital pattern pieces. I then prepared the files ready to form part of the finished sewing pattern product.
Kind words from lovely clients
A few words from the brilliant small businesses I've been lucky enough to work behind the scenes with.
Rose
Emma recently helped me create a pattern for a new dress design for my slow fashion clothing brand, and I couldn’t have been happier with the process.
From discussing my initial design ideas through to finalising the pattern, everything was smooth, collaborative and really enjoyable. Emma completely understood my brief and translated my ideas into a pattern beautifully.
Thanks again, it was a pleasure to work with you!
Meg
"I had a great experience working with Emma. I wanted to convert a pattern I had drawn by hand into a digital pattern, but I didn't have the skills to do so myself, so I contacted Cinnamon Daisy Studio. Emma is so lovely to work with, super friendly, professional, and her skills are top notch! I would highly recommend working with her. Thank you Emma!"
Nicole
“Working with Emma was a dream, she made everything so easy from start to finish. We created three designs together and she kept in touch throughout the process so I could see the progress of each design coming to life. I’d recommend working with her again and again!”
Need something ready to go?
Commercial pattern licensing
As well as developing something specifically for your brand, I'm beginning to make selected Cinnamon Daisy garment designs available for commercial licensing.
This could be a good option if you're a small fashion brand that wants to introduce a new style without starting the pattern development process completely from scratch.
Cinnamon Daisy patterns have already been developed, fitted and tested, giving us a strong starting point that can then be adapted depending on your requirements.
Licensing is quoted individually depending on the design, production quantities, duration, territory and whether exclusivity is required.
If there's an existing Cinnamon Daisy design you've spotted or you'd simply like to know what's available, get in touch!
How much does it cost?
Every project is a little different, so larger development projects are quoted individually once I understand exactly what you need.
But I know it's helpful to have an idea of budget before getting in touch.
Pattern support
From £40 per hour
Perfect for smaller jobs, this could be anything from pattern amendments and fit troubleshooting to digitising, checking files or construction advice. For smaller one-off jobs, I'll give you an idea of how many hours I expect the work to take before getting started.
New pattern development
From £100 per style
For developing a new garment pattern, simple styles can start from £100, with more complex designs quoted individually depending on the number of pattern pieces, construction and development required.
Fit & size development
From £210
For fit refinement, additional cup sizes, grading, size-range expansion or other specialist fit work. Quoted depending on what's required.
Commercial licensing
Bespoke quote
Licensing depends on the garment, expected production quantity, duration, territory and exclusivity.
Not quite sure which one you need? That's completely fine. Tell me about the project and I'll point you in the right direction.
Why work with me?
I develop commercial sewing patterns for Cinnamon Daisy, so pattern development isn't something I occasionally dabble in, it's a huge part of what I do.
Fit focused:
I'm particularly interested in how clothes work on real bodies, including proportions, cup sizing, ease, comfort and bodies that change.
Sewing obsessed
I understand construction as well as pattern cutting, so I'm thinking about how a garment will actually go together while I'm developing it.
Small-business brain
I run a small creative business too. I understand deadlines, launches, budgets and what it's like when there simply aren't enough hours in the day.
Size-inclusive thinking
Inclusive fit is a core part of Cinnamon Daisy and something I can bring to your development process.
Flexible support
You don't have to hand over an entire collection. I can take on a complete project or simply tackle the bit that's currently slowing you down.
Your ideas stay yours.
I know how much trust is involved in sharing a design that hasn't launched yet.
All client projects are treated confidentially, and I'm happy to work under an NDA where required. I won't share photographs, designs or details of your project publicly without your permission.
Got something in mind?
You don't need to know exactly which service you need.
Tell me a little about your business, what you're working on and where you're currently stuck. I'll have a look and let you know whether I'm the right person to help.
Not sure exactly what you need?
That's completely fine. You don't need to know the technical name for the service or have everything figured out before getting in touch. Tell me what you're working on, where you're stuck and what you're hoping to achieve, and we can figure out the next step from there.