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Ourlette vs Tailornova: which pattern maker is right for you?

Tailornova builds made-to-measure patterns from 3D design templates by subscription; Ourlette drafts them from a photo. How they compare and who should pick which.

Published October 8, 2026

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The short answer
Feature by feature
How does Tailornova work?
How does Ourlette work?
When is Tailornova the better choice?
When is Ourlette the better choice?
What are the limits of both?
Can you switch or use both?
Frequently asked questions

The short answer

Choose Tailornova if you want to design your own styles from its templates, or need technical flats, CAD formats such as DXF, or a commercial license to sell patterns. Choose Ourlette if you want to start from a photo or a description, print on any paper size or a projector, and sew with a guide you can ask questions; at the time of writing, Ourlette's paid plans also cost less per month.

Feature by feature

Ourlette vs Tailornova: which pattern maker is right for you?
Feature	Ourlette	Tailornova
Starting point	A photo, screenshot, link or description	Design templates you combine and adjust
Made to measure	Yes, from your measurements, or a standard size	Yes, from a 3D fit model set to your measurements
3D preview	Yes, on a mannequin with your measurements, in your picture's print	Yes, a 3D sample on a customizable fit model
Garments covered	36 tested catalogue garment types, each with options; anything else drafted by its AI pattern maker on the Maker and Atelier plans (new, untested designs)	Template categories such as dresses, tops, pants, jackets and coats
Printing options	A4, US Letter, A3, Tabloid, A0, 36 × 48 in and projector (paid plans)	PDF to print at home or plot; PLT and DXF on commercial plans
Instructions	A guide for your version, with an AI that answers questions	Step-by-step sewing instructions generated for each design
Extra outputs	Cutting layouts and fabric quantities	Technical flats as vector files
Commercial use	Sell what you sew; pattern files are for personal use	Commercial plans include a license to sell patterns
Price model	Free plan; paid from $7.99 a month or $59 a year	Monthly or annual subscription, personal and commercial tiers
Platform	Web app, plus ChatGPT and Claude	Web app

Tailornova and Ourlette both make made-to-measure sewing patterns with a 3D preview, but they start from different places. Tailornova is a web-based 3D fashion design platform: you build a design from its templates and get a custom-fitted pattern, technical flats and instructions. Ourlette starts from a photo or a description of the garment you want and drafts the pattern for you. Designers and small labels will often prefer Tailornova; home sewists who copy looks they see will often prefer Ourlette.

How does Tailornova work?

At the time of writing (October 2026), Tailornova describes itself as a web-based 3D fashion design platform. You choose a smart design template and change its features (length, silhouette, neckline, closure, sleeve length and style), and Tailornova shows the result as a 2D technical flat, a made-to-measure pattern and a 3D sample on its FitModel, a body you customize to your measurements, height and shape. Its templates cover categories such as dresses, tops, pants, jackets and coats.

Patterns download as PDF to print at home or plot, with step-by-step sewing instructions generated for each design. Commercial plans add PLT, DXF and DXF-AAMA files for CAD software, unlimited downloads, grading and a license to sell. Tailornova is sold as a monthly or annual subscription: a personal tier with a monthly allowance of pattern downloads, and commercial tiers aimed at designers, boutiques and manufacturers.

How does Ourlette work?

Ourlette begins with the garment you have in mind. Upload a photo, paste a screenshot or a link to a public Pinterest pin, Instagram post or shop page, or describe it. The AI recognizes the garment, its silhouette and details (length, neckline, sleeves, fullness, closure, pockets) and the colors and print of the fabric, then uses the matching garment type from Ourlette's catalogue with the right options, or, on the Maker and Atelier plans, has its AI pattern maker draft a new pattern piece by piece (on the Free plan, Ourlette suggests the closest tested models and Community patterns to start from). A drafting engine draws every piece from flat-pattern blocks with your measurements and the right ease; changing an option or a measurement afterwards redraws the pattern instantly, without the AI.

The 3D preview shows the garment on a mannequin built from your measurements, in a plain color or in the print from your picture. It shows silhouette and proportions; it does not simulate fabric drape. On a paid plan you print the pattern at true scale on A4, US Letter, A3, Tabloid (11 × 17 in), A0, 36 × 48 in or as a projector file, with the sewing guide as a PDF.

When is Tailornova the better choice?

You want to design, not copy. Tailornova's templates are a design tool: you build a style from parts and see it as a flat, a pattern and a 3D sample.
You need professional outputs. Technical flats as vector files, DXF and PLT for CAD software and plotters, and grading are on its commercial plans. Ourlette exports print-ready PDFs and a projector file only.
You sell patterns or run a small label. Tailornova's commercial tiers include a license for that. Ourlette lets you sell what you sew, but its pattern files are for personal use.
You design tailored outerwear. Tailornova lists jackets and coats among its templates. Ourlette's catalogue has jackets and coats too, but a tailored blazer with notched lapels comes from its AI pattern maker as a new, untested design and may need adjusting by hand.

When is Ourlette the better choice?

You start from a picture. Ourlette's workflow begins with a photo, a screenshot or a link; you do not have to rebuild the look from templates.
You print at home in different ways. Every pattern prints on six paper sizes and as a projector file, with lettered and numbered pages, a page map, a 5 cm and 2 in test square, and empty pages skipped. Large plain rectangles such as waistbands are given as cutting dimensions to save paper.
You want help while sewing. The guide lists pieces, notions, fabric quantities for 110, 140 and 150 cm (45, 55 and 60 in) wide fabric and cutting layouts, and you can ask it questions about any step.
You sew for yourself on a budget. At the time of writing, Ourlette's paid plans cost less per month than Tailornova's personal plan: Maker is $7.99 a month or $59 a year, and the free plan lets you make, fit and preview patterns before paying.
You work in an AI assistant. Ourlette also runs inside ChatGPT and Claude as an app.

What are the limits of both?

Tailornova relies on the templates its makers have built, so a one-off design detail outside them is hard to get. Ourlette's 36 catalogue garment types are tested; anything else is drafted by its AI pattern maker as a new design that has not been sewn on real bodies yet. Ourlette's 3D view is a preview of proportions rather than a drape simulation, so a toile is still the most reliable test of fit for a close-fitting garment. And both depend on accurate measurements: take them carefully with a tape and check them before drafting.

Can you switch or use both?

Your measurements are what carries over. If you already have a Tailornova fit model, the same tape measurements (height, bust, waist, hip and the rest) go into a Ourlette measurement profile. It can make sense to keep Tailornova for designing your own styles or selling patterns, and to use Ourlette for looks you find on Pinterest or Instagram. If you mostly sew from photos for yourself, Ourlette on its own covers that.

Frequently asked questions

Does Tailornova make patterns from a photo?

At the time of writing (October 2026), Tailornova's published workflow starts from its design templates, which you adjust to match the style you want. Ourlette starts from a photo, a screenshot, a link or a description and sets up the pattern for you, from its catalogue or, on the Maker and Atelier plans, drafted by its AI pattern maker.

Which is cheaper, Tailornova or Ourlette?

At the time of writing, Ourlette's paid plans ($7.99 a month or $59 a year for Maker, $19.99 a month or $149 a year for Atelier) cost less than Tailornova's subscriptions; Maker drafts 3 new designs a month outside Ourlette's catalogue, and Atelier has 12 AI credits a month for them. Ourlette also has a free plan, which prints only 6 easy models. Tailornova's commercial tiers include CAD formats and a license Ourlette does not offer, so compare on what you need.

Can I sell patterns I make with Ourlette?

You can sell the garments you sew from Ourlette patterns, but the pattern files themselves are for personal use. If you want to sell patterns, a tool with a commercial pattern license, such as Tailornova's commercial plans, fits better.

Do both include sewing instructions?

Yes. Tailornova generates step-by-step sewing instructions for each design. Ourlette's guide is written for your version and its options, with notions, fabric quantities and cutting layouts, and an AI answers questions about your pattern.

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