In Dressmaker , the most common reason players run out of shop funds early on is purchasing excessive fabric bolts or leaving awkward scrap margins on the cutting table. Every dress silhouette requires a precise surface area plus a 4% to 20% seam allowance and cutting margin. By rotating pattern pieces and adopting a nested tessellation layout, you can fit an entire tea-length or A-line gown onto 2 bolts instead of 3, saving 45 to 110 coins per commission. Leftover scraps exceeding 25 square units should always be preserved for "off-the-rack" secondary garments rather than discarded. Use the interactive fabric calculator below to model your exact garment components, bolt counts, and commission profit margins.
Dressmaker Garment & Fabric Specification Matrix
Reference benchmarks for core garment silhouettes, baseline piece surface areas, optimal bolt counts, and town customer price tolerance:
| Garment Silhouette | Base Area | Optimal Bolts | Average Material Cost | Target Sale Price | Common Client Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Day A-Line | 180 Units | 2 Bolts | 90 Coins (Cotton) | 175 – 210 Coins | Baker, Florist, Apprentice |
| Vintage Tea-Length | 240 Units | 2 – 3 Bolts | 160 Coins (Silk) | 320 – 380 Coins | Schoolteacher, Librarian |
| Victorian Corset Ballgown | 420 Units | 3 – 4 Bolts | 345 Coins (Velvet) | 650 – 750 Coins | Mayor, Visiting Aristocrat |
| Pinafore & Tunic | 140 Units | 1 – 2 Bolts | 45 Coins (Linen) | 110 – 140 Coins | Farmhands, General Store Clerk |
| Cathedral Bridal Gown | 540 Units | 4 – 5 Bolts | 400 Coins (Satin + Lace) | 850 – 1,100 Coins | Town Heiress, Special Occasions |
The 2D Bin-Packing Strategy: How to Cut Patterns Without Wasting Bolts
Standard unrotated pattern placement burns up to 25% of bolt area in border gaps
Placing pattern pieces straight up and down on your cutting mat leaves large, unusable trapezoidal gaps between flares and sleeves. This frequently pushes an order into requiring an unnecessary extra bolt, slashing net profit in half.
Flip complementary pieces by 180° to nest bodice darts against skirt tapers
Rotating the back bodice piece upside down allows it to nest directly into the curve of the skirt panel. This reduces edge waste to under 5% and enables you to fit multi-piece outfits onto fewer bolts while leaving clean, rectangular off-cuts.
Townsperson Commissions: Client Satisfaction vs. Deliberate Sabotage
- Understanding Client Hidden Triggers: Each customer in Dressmaker possesses unspoken style affinities (Steam Community Discussions). For example, older traditional townsfolk react negatively to plunging necklines, while young socialites dock satisfaction scores if synthetic cotton blends are substituted for pure silk.
- When to Deliberately Sabotage an Order: Certain NPC questlines require you to creatively sabotage an order (such as crafting an ill-fitting, garish gown for a rude town rival). Choosing an incompatible, itchy fabric or reversing bust dart measurements satisfies the story prompt without bankrupting your atelier.
- The "Off-The-Rack" Monetization Loop: Never discard fabric scraps larger than 25 units. Use your shop's side mannequin to craft quick accessories (cravats, sashes, collars) to sell to passersby on non-commission days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many square units are in a standard fabric bolt?
In the full Steam release of Dressmaker, standard fabric bolts contain 150 area units of usable cloth. Seam allowances and cutting margins reduce effective layout space to approximately 135–142 units depending on your nesting efficiency.
Can I undo a cut if I place a pattern piece incorrectly?
Once scissors have cut through the fabric mesh, the cut is permanent for that cloth sheet. However, you can reposition pattern templates as much as you like before pressing the shears tool.
What is the most profitable dress to sell on the side mannequin?
The Vintage Tea-Length dress made from silk scraps or surplus cotton offers the highest return on investment. It commands a 140% markup over base material costs while requiring minimal extra embellishment.
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