Garment pattern making is a complex activity in which the aesthetical principles are interpreted and transposed in different contour lines, by taking into account the properties of the fabrics and the shape of the human body. Each shadow and line from the fashion sketch must be very well understood and used in the design process, in order for the final product to have similar aesthetical characteristics with the initial sketch. Patterns are designed either by 2D or by 3D process, manually or by using CAD modules. The traditional method used in 2D pattern making is the flat one, in which the contour lines are drawn in a block after some calculations have been made. The structure and the complexity of the mathematical relations used to determine the dimensions of the constructive segments are influenced by: the position of the constructive segment onto the body, the shape of the body or the geometry of the outline boundaries, the constructive and aesthetical properties of the model for which the patterns are designed and the experience of the designer in "reading and interpreting" the sketch. In the 3D pattern making process, the patterns are generated from a 3D form. The draping method is one of the oldest methods used to generate the garment pieces by molding, cutting and pinning fabric to a mannequin or an individual person. The style lines and the construction details of the drape are carefully marked and removed. The fabric pieces are then laid flat over the pattern paper and traced. This method is used to develop intricate garment styles or unusual fabrics. The pattern making course delivered at the Faculty of Textiles, Leather and Industrial Management from Iasi, Romania aims at providing strong knowledge concerning the principles of designing apparel products by taking into account the body shape outlines (posture, conformation or other particularities), the properties of the fabrics and the characteristics of the model. The students have different rhythm in working and understanding the information taught by the teacher and for this reason it is necessary to develop alternative teaching and assessment methods during classes.
The paper presents a set of online tests concerning the self-assessment of pattern making principles. The tests have been developed by using the Quiz Creator program, which offers flexibility in creating various types of questions, and provides an area to insert images and video files, with or without audio support. The program allows the automatic results to be sent to the teacher/ tutor. The users have the possibility of checking their answers one more time in case of a wrong choice, without being warned by the computer. At the end of the test, one can check the answers of the whole test, compared to the right ones.
