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McGrew Studios

McGrew Studios

Specialty costume, prop, decor, design & fabrication for the entertainment industries.

Appointments and Info:
801-596-2210
info@mcgrewstudios.com
Our workshops are based in Northern Utah.
Projects available across the USA - and the Universe!
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Services: Patterns, Prototypes, Pattern Grading, Tech Packs

We help other designers and product developers!

As our region’s premiere workroom, we can develop your samples, prototypes, patterns and tech packs. We can also broker your factory contracts and production runs once you are fully financed and ready to scale up. Our specialty equipment and expertise enable us to develop a wide array of items. Nothing’s been too weird or challenging yet!

Please call 801-596-2210 for 2019 rate sheet and info about our newly added equipment.

Dog hoodies in development. Prototypes and patterns for a startup specializing in pet products.

Patterning, prototyping and development usually follow these steps:

Three basic sample types usually figure into most design & development projects. Your project might require one or more sample types, depending on what you want to do and how or where you plan to manufacture your product.

Muslin sample:
an initial muslin drape or toille made for basic fitting and sizing check on you, your actor or your fitting model.

Fabric sample:
can be made with inexpensive fabrics that mimic the weight and drape of the fabric you’ll eventually want to use in your production line.

High-end fabric sample:
is made with your actual fabric, leather, etc- it might be a more expensive silk, outdoor or decorator fabric. It’s important to make one or more of these samples to accurately pre-visualize and establish the look, fit and details of a finished item you plan on manufacturing. Crucial for sending along with your pattern to the factory when you go into mass production.

Patterns and samples for an outdoor company’s fleece pullover, based on their design and tech pack. Our early variations on the left and final version on right. Instead of using the company’s expensive, high-end performance fleece in these fitting samples, we used a less expensive, readily available consumer fleece. At this development stage, we use neutral gray fabrics to keep the client’s focus on basic fit, sizing and placement of details.

PATTERNS:

We can create usable paper patterns made to the sizes you specify, ready for digitizing (if you plan to manufacture at a factory), based on the images or tech pack you provide.

You will likely need both patterns and samples. Both are necessary for fine-tuning your patterns and clothing item(s) before you start any large production run through a factory.

Our shop owns a collection of more than 1500 stock patterns, including some interesting vintage items. We often pull from these, then change features, mixing and adapting to achieve your specialty pattern, prototype or costume. We can also drape or flat-draft your pattern from scratch.

We can also make samples using patterns that you provide, whether these are commercially bought or if you created them, etc.

Muslin toille of a custom vest BEFORE we cut any of the expensive leather.
Finished version of vest in a high-end fabric. In this case, crocodile embossed leather!

PATTERN GRADING AND SIZE RANGES:

We can create a run of patterns and fitting samples based on sizes you specify. You need to find and declare a baseline fitting model (which means a person you want to try on the sample) as your starting point.  You should base this person’s size generally on the commercial clothing sizes that fit him/her. Perhaps you’d like to use yourself as a baseline.

You can call your own size whatever you wish!  As you probably know, high-end manufactured brands tend to use more fabric, enabling the wearer to wear a smaller size. This flatters the consumer’s ego.  An expensive brand’s size 6 can fit the same as a less expensive brand’s size 8 or 10, etc.  You can also tell us if you’d like your clothing line to fit the same way a specific brand fits.  For size samples, plan on selecting your fitting models in a variety of different sizes to do your test fittings.

Ready to go to several national hardware shows on great looking models: Custom Spartan tunics, belts and capes. Linen, jute, fun trims and brooches
In different sizes and ready to go to several national hardware shows on great looking models: Custom Spartan tunics, belts and capes. Linen, jute, fun trims and brooches

FACTORY PRODUCTION OF YOUR ITEMS:

We can broker your larger productions. We can negotiate and set up your contracts with factories that have the capability to produce large runs of your item(s). Our shop specializes in prototypes and one-of-a-kinds. Although our shop isn’t a factory, we can often schedule time and equipment to produce small runs and sample sets for you, depending on our other ongoing deadlines.

HOSTING GUEST DESIGNERS AND PRODUCTION CREWS:

Want to shoot your film or do your pre-production in Utah?

Not only can your group take advantage of the Utah Film Incentives, but you can also work from our costume and scene shops. We can design and build your film, or you can. Your cutters, drapers and technicians or ours. Or any combination. And all the machinery, equipment, tables and skilled staff to help you build and assemble your costumes, sets and props, then supervise them on set. Our 2000 square foot shop downtown is located just nine minutes away from the Salt Lake International Airport, plus two blocks away from a stop on the UTA Trax red, green and blue lines. Our scenic/props-shop is also nearby.

As of 2019, we’ve hosted several out-of-state productions and this is a service we’re definitely committed to! Together we can build your creative projects while strengthening our local economy. It’s win-win.

Do preproduction on your film or other projects in Salt Lake City!

CLASSES AND PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION:

Want to build your own costume? Want to get some new skills and use some heavy duty machinery?
We’ve got you covered. You can schedule a special class or a special project. 801-596-2210

SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT & OTHER SERVICES:

Heavy Duty Walking Foot Machines
Our shop workhorses.
We can sew your heavy layers of leather, denim, canvas, upholstery fabrics and more.

Industrial Ruffling Machine
Yes, we can ruffle your fabric. Fabric is cut into strips, finished with hems on one or both long sides, then we run it through our ruffler machine. Preselect your ratio and fullness. Plan on providing extra fabric for contingency (you should have us ruffle a bit more fabric than you’ll need to meet the requirements of your project.) The machine creates a double chain stitch holding your ruffles in place. After you’ve sewn the ruffled piece onto your costume or bedskirt, etc, the chain stitching is removable.

Grommets
We keep these in stock and can punch your holes plus set your grommets in leathers, canvas and more. Our kick-press grommet setter makes fast, accurate work with your items.

Grommet sizes: 0 and 00
0 = 1/4th inch diameter hole
00= 3/16th inch diameter hole
Brass
Antique brass
Nickle
Black
And sometimes other colors- ask us!

Corsets and laced-up wearables typically look best with size 00 grommets.
Larger, size 0 grommets tend to look better on larger items where the larger grommet size doesn’t overpower a typical human size/silhouette.

Grommets have an eyelet and a washer. Stronger than plain eyelets, but we have those, too. Plain eyelets are not recommended for any sort of load-bearing lace up, for example, we do not recommend using eyelets alone on any corset.

Snaps
Heavy duty 5/8″ snaps installed by kick-press setter. These are the industrial, metal pull-the-dot snaps used in leather jackets, automotive work, leather goods, holsters, marine work, military items, tents, awnings, etc. We have plenty of sew-in snaps as well, in many sizes.

Stays and Boning, Cut and Finished to Size
We have the following in stock and can cut these to length, grind the ends and dip them for you to use in your projects.

1/4” spring steel
1/2” spring steel
1/4” spiral steel
1/2” spiral steel
lacing stays (up to 24” long)
Busks cut down to size, ground and tipped.

Corsets and period bodices need boning or stays to fit and look right.

Custom slipcovers, window coverings, etc.
See samples of our custom slipcovers and interior dec work here.

We create custom slipcovers, installations, unusual window coverings, murals and specialty fixtures for architects, interior designers, business owners and private homes.

Alterations and all kinds of sewing-
We love our local clients and are here for you!

Bring us your ripped, your torn, your not-fitting-so-great and we’ll get you looking fine. We’re here for our local community and your favorite outfits, or to create that new outfit of your dreams. Our availability varies, depending on our other projects.

Copyright © 2023 McGrew Studios

  • HOME
  • GALLERIES
  • DESIGN & PRODUCTION SPECIALTIES
  • PRICING
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  • BEHIND THE SCENES
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