Senior Creative Pattern Cutter / Drafter

James Maciver Costumes Ltd; Olney; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20 days annual leave

Bank holidays

Up to 5 extra days via loyalty scheme

Birthday early finish

Free parking

Career development

Job summary

James Maciver Costumes Ltd in the United Kingdom seeks an experienced Senior Creative Pattern Cutter / Drafter to translate designers' visions into production-ready patterns for a variety of costumes, from fitted garments to corsetry and stretch wear. You will collaborate with Designers and Production teams across diverse projects, maintaining detailed documentation and contributing to planning.

We offer a dynamic studio environment with opportunities to work on high-profile events and

Qualifications

• Experience as Pattern Cutter or Pattern Drafter.
• Excellent knowledge of garment construction and pattern development.
• Experience with a wide range of fabrics and construction methods.
• Strong understanding of proportion, fit, shape and silhouette.
• Ability to translate sketches, photos and measurements into production patterns.

Responsibilities

• Translate costume designs into production-ready patterns.
• Draft patterns from measurements, photos and design references.
• Create toiles and samples for fittings and approval.
• Adapt and amend patterns as projects evolve.
• Work with stock patterns and develop new styles from blocks.
• Collaborate with Designers, Lead Pattern Cutters, Technical Leads and Production teams.
• Draft patterns across woven, knit, chiffon, lycra and stretch fabrics.
• Produce specialist costume patterns including corsetry and stretch garments.
• Maintain technical documentation and project records.
• Manage own workload and contribute to project planning and delivery.

Skills

Pattern cutter

Pattern drafting

Garment construction

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Independent and collaborative work

Costume/theatre experience

Job description

Salary: £30,000 - £36,000 per annum (Dependent on Experience)

Hours: 37.5 Hours Per Week, Monday to Friday (Flexi start and finish)

What do we do at James Maciver Costumes? Create Costumes. Solve Challenges. Bring Ideas to Life.

At James Maciver Costumes, we're passionate about transforming creative concepts into extraordinary costumes for clients across the UK and internationally. As our business continues to grow, we are looking for an experienced Senior Creative Pattern Cutter / Drafter to become a key member of our Creative Studio team.

This is not a standard pattern-cutting role.

We're looking for someone who can take a costume designer's vision, whether that's a sketch, photograph, mood board or concept, and turn it into an accurate, well-constructed pattern ready for production. You'll be working on a huge variety of projects throughout the year, creating everything from fitted garments and stretchwear to corsetry and bespoke costumes for high-profile events and productions.

No two projects are ever the same, making this the perfect opportunity for someone who enjoys variety, creativity and technical problem-solving.

What You'll Be Doing

• Translating costume designs, illustrations and concepts into production-ready patterns
• Drafting patterns from measurements, photographs and design references
• Creating toiles and samples for fittings and approval
• Adapting and amending patterns as projects evolve
• Working with existing stock patterns and developing new styles from block patterns
• Collaborating closely with Designers, Lead Pattern Cutters, Technical Leads and Production teams
• Drafting patterns across a wide variety of fabrics including woven fabrics, knits, chiffon, lycra and stretch materials
• Producing specialist costume patterns including corsetry and stretch garments
• Maintaining technical documentation and project records
• Managing your own workload and contributing to project planning and delivery

About You

You'll be a confident and experienced Pattern Cutter who enjoys combining technical expertise with creativity.

You will ideally have:

• Professional experience as a Pattern Cutter or Pattern Drafter
• Excellent knowledge of garment construction and pattern development
• Experience working with a wide range of fabrics and construction methods
• Strong understanding of proportion, fit, shape and silhouette
• Previous work experience creating patterns from sketches, photographs and measurements
• Excellent attention to detail
• Strong organisational and communication skills
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Experience within costume, theatre, fashion or bespoke garment production
• A positive, adaptable and solutions-focused approach

The Pattern Team

We currently have a team of 4 pattern drafters which include 2 Lead Pattern Makers, 1 Senior Pattern Maker and 1 Junior Pattern Maker.

Why Join James Maciver Costumes?

We are a dynamic and expanding team of 35 creative professionals producing bespoke costumes for clients throughout the entertainment and hospitality sectors.

Our projects span the entire year, including:

• Christmas productions
• Pride celebrations
• New Year events
• Hospitality experiences
• Bespoke costume commissions

We encourage our team to develop their skills, take ownership of projects and grow their careers within the business.

Our Values

At James Maciver Costumes, our PASSION values guide everything we do:

P

A

S

S

I

N

20 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Up to 5 additional days annual leave through our loyalty scheme

Birthday early finish

Free parking (subject to availability)

Tea, coffee and milk provided

Comfortable break room and kitchen facilities

Bereavement leave

Career development opportunities within a growing business