Half drop pattern design tutorial. Making a seamless repeat.

I have been asked to explain my method of making a half drop seamless repeat. This is the way I was taught as a textile design student before computers existed and dinosaurs roamed the earth.

1, the first thing you need to do is to design the elements in your design and think about how you want them to appear. This design started with doodles.

2. Decide on the size of your repeat and the kind of repeat you want, this one is going to be half drop. This means that the design repeats at half way intervals to the side.

Mark registration corners on your layout paper using simple crosses. This will determine the size of repeat.

3. Trace a piece of your design making sure you mark the crosses at the corners.

Transfer the design onto your layout paper and repeat, matching up the crosses.

4. Begin to grow the design sideways to meet up with the repeat.

Now repeat your new area accordingly.

5. Now start to fill in the areas above to meet up with the repeat, and repeat!

6. Continue filling in all the gaps until you have a seamless repeat, keep going, nearly there!

7. Carry on until all the elements are joined. Now you have your final tracing, complete one full repeat in colour adding more details as required. 

8. Give yourself a round of applause! and repeat !!