Good morning! If you’ve already joined in the fun, you know that we’ve already had a lot of lively discussions about curvy sewing over on our Facebook community group since launching the group a few weeks ago:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/curvysewingcollective/
One question came up in a discussion that I thought would make a particularly good jumping off point for a new CSC post, especially given that it’s a topic that we haven’t addressed in a while, and that we’ve added many new readers in recent months: “How do you choose a pattern that will require minimum adjustments?”
We ALL make pattern adjustments; however, sometimes it sure feels like the curvier you are, the more time that you spend adjusting your patterns, as opposed to actually sewing. A recent CSC sizing survey found that 75% of us need to regularly increase the bust size of patterns to get them to fit us! (To read more about the survey, see Results of of CSC Sizing Survey.) The rest of this post will discuss strategies for minimizing your pattern adjustment time so that you can maximize your sewing time.
Choose a pattern drafted for your figure type
The easiest way to minimize the time that you spend working on pattern adjustments is to choose a pattern from a pattern maker whose drafting block is close to your own proportions. For example, if you’re petite in height, choose a pattern from one of the indie pattern companies that specializes in petite patterns or a Burda petite pattern.
About a year ago, Jenny wrote a fairly comprehensive post about which pattern companies draft for various body types. If you’re new to the CSC community, I encourage you to take a look and see if there’s a pattern company that already drafts for your body type:
How to Find Patterns for Your Body Type
If you’re full-busted and have to make a Full Bust Adjustment on most patterns (as many of us do), read through the post that I wrote on pattern cup sizes, which includes a reference of which companies draft for which sizes:
A Guide to Pattern Cup Sizes (and a Handy Reference)
Andie of Sew Pretty in Pink models several of her Cashmerette Pattern creations.
Choose a pattern that’s available in your size
Choosing a pattern that’s available in your size kind of sounds like no-brainer advice, doesn’t it? However, if you’ve ever been captivated by a sewing blogger’s photos of a cute new pattern, and your figure is on the curvy or larger size, there’s a decent chance that you may have experienced disappointment when checking out the size range for that cute new pattern. In previous years, indie pattern companies were notorious for having limited size ranges; anyone with a hip circumference over 43″ (109cm) typically had to learn to grade up patterns. Now, if you want to tackle pattern grading, the CSC has several tutorials that walk you through the steps
Because the process of grading up a pattern can be time-consuming (especially for sewing patterns with a lot of pieces), sometimes it’s easier just to find a similar pattern in your size, and if necessary, morph the details from the smaller pattern onto the larger pattern.
Fortunately, for those of us with larger figures, many more patterns are available in a larger size range than were available a few years ago. In some cases, it’s a new company with a more inclusive size range; however in many cases, indie pattern designers simply listened to customer requests and expanded their size ranges. If you’ve ever been frustrated by the fact that most Big 4 patterns stop at a size 22 (44″/122cm bust), browse through the catalogues of the following pattern companies, all of which offer a more inclusive size range (at least a 50″/127 cm bust) for most of their patterns:
- Blank Slate*
- Cashmerette
- Colette/Seamwork*
- Fashion Patterns by Coni
- Jalie
- HotPatterns
- Ottobre (sewing pattern magazine)
- Patterns for Pirates
- StyleArc
*Expanded size range does not apply to all patterns
Tulip Dress by StyleArc. Available in sizes up to a 58″/148cm bust.
Choose a custom-sized pattern
When I started sewing ~10 years ago, the only way to get a pattern custom-drafted to your measurements was to invest in pattern drafting software. The available software options tended to be very expensive, have a high learning curve, and typically only ran on Windows (much to the annoyance of Mac users like me). Now, however, a handful of companies are offering made-to-measure patterns that are offered on a per-pattern basis.
The two best-known custom pattern makers are Lekala and Bootstrap, both of which use the same licensed software for their base. There is some overlap between the styles offered, but Bootstap is known for having slightly robust instructions. Both companies’ patterns are very reasonably priced. For either company, you enter a series of measurements and have the option to note usual adjustments needed (e.g. a low bust). Once you complete your purchase, a PDF of your custom-sized pattern is emailed to you:
Custom patterns by Bootstrap Fashion
A new option for obtaining a custom-drafted pattern is the Make My Pattern service offered by Joost de Cock. Joost has a limited number of small available for women, for which he’ll hand-draft a custom-drafted pattern according to the measurements that you email him.
Final Thoughts
What are your favorite strategies to minimize the amount of time doing pattern adjustments? Or do you just accept making a lot of adjustments as a fact of life? Have you gone so far as to develop a sloper or draft your own patterns to avoid having to adjust every commercial pattern that you sew?
Hey, Michelle!
I no longer live in Seattle proper, but I’m in the area and I’d LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to sew with you!! I need your help so very badly! :,(
Do you ever go to open sew at Quality Sewing or anywhere else? I promise, I’m only slightly stalking you and not a weirdo. Also, I’m a Seattle transplant from the south: Houston, Las Vegas (primarily), Phoenix and Scottsdale, off & on in Los Angeles, but truly a Southern Belle because of my formative years in Texas. In short, I’m polite.
Anyhoo, I’m a true hourglass: 30″ hb, 35″ fb, 25″ waist, 34.5″ hips. I’m 5’5″ and weigh a bit over 100lbs. So, although I’m “skinny”, I am also, in fact, “curvy.”
I read on an old post where a size 8 RTW woman said “…I’m a size 8 and it’s so sad I have to be lumped in with you people.” If that woman is still lurking here, I’m a size 0 or 00 in RTW and I wear a size 24 in designer denim. How about I say I don’t wanna be lumped in with you?! Shame on you and grow up!
Xo
Jenn
Hello Ladies,
It’s Joost from MakeMyPattern.com. Thank you so much for including me in your overview, it’s much appreciated.
I felt compelled to write in because I wanted to clarify something. When you write:
“he’ll hand-draft a custom-drafted pattern according to the measurements that you email him”
That is not at all what goes on. The website drafts the pattern for you, based on your measurements. I don’t come anywhere near it.
What I do is the same as what Lekala and Bootstrap do, with these differences:
– Lekala and Bootstrap license (the same) software to generate patterns, whereas I wrote my own
– They are both commercial companies, I share my work freely
– As a result of that, I have a limited number of patterns, but I’m always working on new ones. (also, I kind of focus on menswear)
Just wanted to clarify that. As I said before, I really appreciate the mention!
love,
Joost
Thanks for the clarification, Joost!
Thanks so much for this Michelle. It’s really helpful to have a bunch of reminders like this for all the great stuff available on the website not just for those new to the CSC but those like me with memories the size of a pea!
As someone who’s one to two sizes larger around the hips than on top this is really helpful and I love the links, found some great new patterns to try, thanks!
I’ve been using Lekala for several years and have a full bust of 124cm/49″. While I agree in part with Betty Parrott above – I find their older patterns, especially, are apt to give me a strange shoulder and armhole fit – their more recent (past couple of years) ones do so only occasionally, and even the old patterns are easier to alter to fit than either Big However-many-it-is-now, or Burda .
Of course, the fact that I am barely 152cm/5ft tall certainly plays a a large part in my difficulty with ‘normal’ patterns! They assume that as one’s circumference in one part increases, so does one’s height, arm length, shoulder width and nape-CB waist length – whereas Lekala/Bootstrap calculates all these things in proportion to *both* height *and* circumference. If Betty Parrott is of average height or above, perhaps that goes some way to explaining the apparent ‘break’ she has found at 122cm/48″?
What also affects the fit, of course, are the many optional measurements and adjustments one in the system, as these quite naturally affect different styles slightly differently.
What works for me is to make full use of the ‘free preview’ facility, to check all measurements and adjustments before plunking down my one pound and sixpence, or whatever it currently works out at when bought with bundle units.
Betty Parrott’s comment is tempting me to order a new preview of my favourite top, with all my previous measurements and adjustments, except for a 119cm/47″ bust instead of 125cm/49″ – and compare it with the one I use and love … and given that Lekala is basically metric, I wonder if the break is at >120cm … I see a project for a rainy afternoon coming up here!
Oh, and I have never, ever – even when I was young, fit and slender – had a better-fitting straight skirt than Lekala’s free pattern, 5088. All I had to do was add a little length (unheard of for me at my height!) and hip ease to suit my preference. Do try it! I’ve recommended it to several people to use as a basic straight skirt and they’ve all been happy with it – and delighted at its price!
Fascinating info, I clicked on the links and read those too. I’m quite a small size with a larger bust and have never made a pattern than I have altered but some less than others, I may have to try custom patterns and love the idea of a sloper.
What an incredibly helpful list! I don’t buy anything that doesn’t come up to my size; I’m happy to make adjustments, but I don’t grade above the largest size available. Haven’t tried custom patterns yet – will look into that!
You bring up an interesting topic, Michelle. Personally I found my sewing improved dramatically when I started sewing mostly from Burda patterns. The draft just tends to fit me. Whether it is more precise drafting, or that they draft for a broader back and tall person, I’m not sure. Perhaps a bit of all three?
There are certainly some patterns out there which don’t seem to be drafted for a human body!
This is a very timely blog post for me. I’ve been very lucky with patterns up until my last make – a New Look top I got with Sew magazine. This top is unwearable, due to gaping arm holes. I think I need an FBA, and I’ll be using this pattern as my first attempt at one. The great information and links in your post will be very useful. Thanks, Jx
The Craftsy class on making a bodice sloper was magic for me. It takes about 2 hours, but now fitting myself is easy, whether I design from my sloper or use it to compare to a commercial pattern.
That’s great to hear! I’ve heard good things about the skirt sloper class, but the bodice sloper class seems to get more mixed results (depending on how close your body is to “industry standards”).
I know what you are talking about. I went so far as to order for myself a sloper pattern for two styles of blouse and a skirt and pants pattern. I was Very disappointed to find that they don’t fit. Had I known then what I know now, I would have saved my self some money. The same with a dress form. Such a waste. But … on a happier note I have learned a lot about fitting and making adjustments for my self on commercial patterns and some Indy patterns. Still don’t have it all down pat but am still working on it and I can actually wear some of the things that I have made. Not to many wadders to throw away. That is a big plus in my books. ‘
Thanks ladies for all of your helpful instructions and hints. I have tried a lot of them.
I think for all of us pattern adjustments just become a way of life 🙂 it’s true some patterns less than others but to be honest not so much. If it fits me in the bust it’s too big in the hips – I always have to do an FBA, forward shoulder adjustment and there probably is a back adjust I should be making but just haven’t gotten there yet 🙂 I can understand honestly why people don’t have a lot of patterns around! It takes so much time to make them fit right why keep reinventing the wheel? 🙂 Having said that – I am a pattern addict and have a bunch of them just waiting for me to work on!
Hi Michelle, I read the email I received today and clicked on all the optional other links within the email. It was full of information for me, being new to CSC.
You mentioned Lekala patterns as being a website that you can input your own measurements and have a pattern drafted for you. I’ve used them many times and have always been very happy with them, and have mentioned them in the FB groups when someone is asking for pattern information,.
I do want to mention that when my full bust went from 47 inches to 48 inches I had difficulty with the pattern fitting. The neck and shoulders were too big, even though those measurements had not changed from the patterns I ordered using the 47 inch full bust. I contacted them and they researched the issue and got back to me letting me know it was caused by the software. It adjusted too much for the neck and shoulders with the 48 inch full bust, and that they had planned to have their IT department rework the software. That was around March of this year. The last contact I had with them I was advised they were working on it. Customer Service is excellent and I do not want this bit of information sway someone from not trying their patterns. I simply went back to the 47 inch full bust and that alleviated the issue with the neck and shoulders being too big. So the purpose of this long post if you’ve read this far is just to advise those of us with a bust larger than 47 inches, to just do the FBA and everything will work out fine.
That’s very interesting to hear about Lekala. I know that some people swear by them but others have been disappointed. I wonder if that 47″ bust limit (when they advertise a much higher limit) has something to do with it.
I purchased software but have never figured out how to use it. I think I would will through my stash in no time if I didn’t have to adjust my patterns!