Dressmaker fabric, colour percentages and grain

Compare more than colour

Cotton, linen, wool, silk and velvet are among the advertised fabric choices. The developers also describe different surface highlights for silk and velvet. Compare the material's appearance as well as its colour.

Check direction and grain

The official cutting screenshot shows grain arrows on the pattern pieces and a Grain Quality readout. Check that feedback when arranging pieces. For a directional print, also picture how the motif will face on the finished garment.

The tutorial asks you to align the grain line horizontally. Grain quality also contributes to the finished dress's quality score; commission scoring uses the customer's fit as well.

The cut panel's own grain direction and bias-cut setting matter. The checked scoring code is more nuanced than a universal “45 degrees is best” rule. Watch the panel's grain feedback: its score is stored when cutting is completed, so later moving a cut piece should not be assumed to improve it.

Do fabric and colour targets count panels?

No. Dressmaker checks the area of each cut panel for fabric-type and colour percentages. A large panel counts more than a small one. When a fabric lists several colours, its panel area is divided equally among those colours for the colour requirement.

Those requirement percentages use whole-dress area. Style scoring gives bodice, skirt, sleeve and collar different shares for fabric style tags; the two calculations should not be mixed.

Keep experiments small

Try one clear design decision at a time: a contrasting panel, a repeated motif, or a different fabric finish. That makes it easier to see what changed and decide whether it helps your design.

Keep the catalog close

Fabrics · Dress pieces · Accessories & trims · Commission requirements

Sources

• Dressmaker — Steam store (English)
• 针影裁梦 — Steam 商店（简体中文）
• April Tea
• Official Steam screenshots
• Dressmaker game-data and version notes