One of the reasons I started The Sewing Hive is because I remember being so frustrated with finding beautiful material, mostly when I traveled, and a great-looking pattern, but never having the garment fit me after all the work I had put into sewing. With a busy corporate sales job, I did not have much time to devote to understanding what was wrong, but over the years, I attended many workshops and seminars to learn what I was doing incorrectly.

What I learned was that the patterns I was sewing were 2-4 sizes too small for me and that a purchased pattern is just a starting point. I needed the skills to grade and alter the pattern to fit me. I hear this frustration often, so we are on a mission to allow you to sew garments that fit!

Let’s talk about how to create a great fitting pattern:
Rule #1: DO NOT PURCHASE THE PATTERN BASED ON THE SIZE YOU PURCHASE IN A STORE BOUGHT GARMENT….. pattern sizing is not the same as Ready To Wear! Sorry, it seems as though I just yelled. (I can wear a size 6 or 8 in pants purchased from a store, but in a pattern, I’m a size 12….) This is a common frustration with beginning sewers.
The first step is to get a good set of measurements, and we can help with that and understanding how to read a pattern’s size chart. Three major measurements are listed on most patterns: bust, waist, and hips. You’ll need to have these measurements before you purchase a pattern. What type of garment you are making determines which of those measurements you should use to pick the pattern size; For a top or dress, use your bust measurement, and for a skirt or pants, use your hip measurement.
You will most likely be grading the pattern between sizes, as commercial patterns use standardized sizing. They get larger and smaller proportionally. As the bust measurement gets larger, the shoulder seams are farther out, and the waist and hips get larger.

Unless you find a pattern with multi-cup bust sizing, remember that most patterns are based on a 2” difference between your full bust measurement and your chest wall measurement, also called a High Bust measurement. If your bust measurement is more than 2 inches larger than your chest wall, you may need to learn how to make a Full Bust Adjustment. Once you learn how to do this, you can apply this new skill to any pattern you choose. Once you learn what adjustments to make, you can apply them to all your patterns, each time getting easier!

If you want to learn how to fit a pattern, please sign up for a Pattern Fitting class and bring your pattern. Your measurements will be taken, and you will learn how to apply your measurements to the pattern!
The second important lesson I learned was that the fabric needed to fit the pattern’s intended drape……but I’ll save that for next time. Time to get sewing!

Last week I heard from a customer that they were having trouble deciding which of three classes she should register for. Knowing that if one person is having problems, so are others, I decided time to tackle the questions.

Bust Adjustments Vs Pattern Fitting Vs Master Pattern Workshop????

Bust Adjustment: Since most patterns are scaled on a B cup, and unless you are a B Cup, or have a pattern that specifically states it has cup size variations, you may need to adjust the pattern to your cup size. Add to that the cup size in RTW is different than in patterns and maybe that’s why your garments are not fitting well. Also, how the dart is placed on your body will affect the fit: too high, too low….. If the rest of the pattern sizing just involves altering between sizes that you are confident doing, then this is a good class for you. We’ll show you how to do this adjustment, so that you can do it confidently with any pattern you select in the future.

Pattern Fitting: This is a good session if you have one pattern that you would like tissue fitted before making a test garment. We discuss designer ease from the finished garment measurements on the pattern, and alter the pattern as needed. This may include a bust adjustment, but we are doing more than explaining. We’ll work on all aspects of fitting: lengthen or shortening, sleeve and cuff length, altering between sizes and adjusting to personal preferences. If you bring fabrics you are considering we can advise on how each one will work with the pattern. We can cover a lot in 2 hours. When you leave you will be ready to sew a wearable test: Paula’s term for a muslin that you wear to really live with a garment and tease out the details of what you like and dislike before cutting into your beloved stash fabric.

Master Pattern Workshop: This is a good workshop for those that are interested in being able to take details from RTW and incorporate them into a basic pattern. This is a fast paced workshop. We alter, cut out and machine baste a muslin from a fitting pattern. Then we drape in the details for a custom fitting bodice front and back, and skirt with only wearable ease.( meaning you can move in it.) Once all are happy, then the muslin is marked, disassembled, and then drawn on to heavy paper. We encourage you to bring in a pattern you are interested in making and we can show you how to lay your block on the pattern to compare your fit to the pattern fit. If you need help in the future adding details from RTW onto your basic pattern, then you can just come to us on an hourly basis. We do have a class for those that have taken any block, toile, master pattern class in which you create a classic shift dress with facing from your block. Kind of gets your hands dirty…..

Any other questions….ask, ask, ask……..then sew, sew, sew…..studio@sewinghive.com

Best,
Gail