I’m passionate about encouraging more plus size women to get sewing and blogging, so I thought one helpful first step might be to let everyone know which patterns could fit them. Now bear in mind, all patterns are alterable – the most common one for me, a Full Bust Adjustment, can add multiple inches onto the measurement of any patterns, and there are others specifically for the waist and hips. However, you need to know where you start.
Three cheers for independents like Style Arc, Cake, and Colette for venturing above the apparently scary heights of a 45 inch bust. And for the others? Well, maybe you should let them know that plus size sewists are out there and we’d love to give them their cash if only they’d accommodate us.
This post was originally published at Cashmerette
*
Hi,I’m from Australia and it’s so hard to buy patten that fit.
I’m a size 28,well think I am.
Bust 61ins/154cm bra size 28
Waist 55in/140cm
Hips 64in/162cm
Dress ,pants and shirts pattens I always have to inlarge by a good 3in.
I make clothes for extra large woman and I don’t know how to draft.
I have to ask the ladies for a old piece of clothing I can cut up for patten.
Some go as high as size 32/34
Help
Tammy
I’ve just made the Sew Me Something Kate dress which comes in UK sizes 8-22. I love it and was thrilled (and amazed) to find that the size 22 fits me straight out of the packet! The largest size is 45.75″ bust, 40″ waist, 49″ hips.
The pattern is also beautifully produced with very clear instructions. I was impressed!
I’m new to sewing garments, and I’m finding it very hard to determine my size. I measure about 45-34-46 currently. I get that I should size by my bust and take the waist in if necessary, but I wonder if I will still need a full-bust adjustment if I choose the closest circumference size. My underbust is about 35 inches, and I tend to wear a UK 34G or 36F bra. I would guess that women with my bust measurement have all kinds of bust/underbust ratios, so does sizing based on circumference even work? I read the comment about only measuring the upper bust for sizing when one is chesty, but I don’t have small shoulders. I am very tall and have a larger skeletal structure than most women. So I probably need the shoulder sizing and length of a larger size anyway.
The last time I attempted to make a dress, I measured closer to 40-27-40. I sewed a size 16 according the charts, and it was large all over. It seems like the amount of ease in the pattern added several sizes, though the dress was meant to be fitted. This was a big 4 patternmaker, and I’ve had the same issues with excess ease in other garments I’ve tried to sew from them. Obviously, I need to learn how to adjust patterns, but it’s tricky to even figure out one’s starting size.
I’d measure my high bust measurement and buy that size range, if I were you, because this is an accurate measure of your frame. It’s most important that your shoulders fit. Then you can adjust the bust and hips of the paper pattern to fit those areas.
I’m older than most of the lovely ladies I’ve seen on this blog but I love Connie Crawford’s original patterns (pre-Butterick) under her Fashion Patterns by Coni label. I’m about a 20-22 RTW and can wear her 2X with very little altering. They aren’t flashy designs but they fit well and can be used as a base for design changes for people with some experience.
AWESOME! Thank you for taking the time to cull and compile this! I love following you all.
You could add Sew Liberated patterns which go up to a size 20, I’m not sure of measurements though & April Rhodes patterns which all go up to a XXL (again not sure on measurements). I’ve only recently found your site & I’m so glad I did. Anywhere where being fashionable & being a big girl are welcomed together is a great place to be!
I have had nothing but trouble trying to choose my correct size. I seem to have pretty small shoulders but DD bust so making dresses to fit my full bust measurement results in gapes everywhere. So my next strategy to try is to cut to my upper bust size and do a FBA, but then I need to grade to a much bigger measurement to cater for my hips. So with my hourglass figure I have to grade from a FBA 16 through to a 20/22 (Big 4). No wonder I have had trouble fitting as a novice dressmaker! I will see how it goes. I’m a bit scared of doing a FBA! Thanks for the fantastic chart and tips.
I have to say Hotpatterns has one of the most complete size charts out there. It even includes across the shoulder width and crotch depths. I wish other companies would offer up this amount of info:
http://www.hotpatterns.com/pages/size-charts.html
The exception would be Jalie…they’d never fit it on the back of their page considering the number of sizes they include in a single pattern. < : )
This is very helpful. Thank you for all the work involved in putting it together.
Papercut is also starting to update their back catalogue with XLs (la sylphide, for example), in addition to the 2 newer collections having the extra size. And don’t forget Katy and Laney’s tap shorts; I’m on my third pair, and could not be more in love.
Ah OF COURSE! I will update immediately 🙂
This is hilarious. I love how for one company a size 22 has a 44 inch bust and another has a 54″. It’s all just silly. Never have I appreciated my tape measure more.
Thank you for your list! Now I’ve got an idea what I have to consider while entering the world of english/american pattern.
But what means the shortcut “RTW”? I’ve never heard that…
Greeting from the German North Sea coast!
Christin
Hi Christin! RTW means “Ready to Wear” which is sewists way of saying clothes that you buy in the stores 🙂
Thank you!!! 🙂 I just have had a look at your named designers. I will try the Tonic 2 soon
Hi Christin! RTW means “Ready to Wear” which is sewists way of saying clothes that you buy in the stores 🙂
How do you ladies typically choose a size to make? I constantly have problems picking which size to make based on my measurements. And, when I use my measurements, garments will pretty much always end up way to big. I know that for the Big4, I fall under size 26, but if I make a 16 it will fit perfectly. I recently made a Colette Mabel, made the 2XL basec on measurements, and had to take 4 inches out of the waist and hips. Same thing with the size 22 Style Arc Elle pants. I’ve take 4 inches out of the waist, hips and upper thighs. Should I go with my high bust measurement?
Hi Faustina
It’s definitely a tricky one!
– for Big 4 patterns they are famous for having huuuuge amounts of ease, so I instead of looking at the body measurements I would look at the finished measurements and figure out your size from that
– another route is to actually measure the pattern pieces (remembering to remove seam allowances) and compare that to your measurements and /or the measurements of clothes that you like the fit of
– one general tip is if you have a large chest but not large shoulders, it’s often best to use your high bust measurement (measure under your armpits and across he top of your bust, not the fullest part) and do an FBA rather using the size that matches your full bust
Hope this helps!
Park Bench Patterns (Mary Lou Rankin designs them) are quirky and funky and interesting, and designed especially for mature and/or curvy figures. Her website is in the midst of alteration itself, just now, but I recall in sewing many of her designs that it is quite easy to grade up or down while the garment is in production, by the simple expedient of overlapping garment parts more or less to achieve a decent fit. Since the designs themselves are so architectural, fabric choice can let a stitcher choose to make a garment as twee or as sophisticated as he or she likes. Many designs are perfect for fabric artists who like to paint/embroider/embellish, since most designs are already blocked into sections.
Regarding By Hand London: there is a difference in sizing charts between their early patterns (Charlotte skirt and Elisalex dress) and all of their other patterns. Of the two BHL patterns I own the size 16 Anna dress is drafted for 45″ bust, whereas size 16 Elisalex is for 42″.
Size 16 is for 38″ waist on both patterns. My Anna dress was an easy make, I expect some extra work on the Elisalex dress though.
Thanks for posting this. Good reference when pattern shopping. I am amazed by the range of measurements. I really like Style Arc patterns and their sizes go up to 30. Haven’t tried any other independents, but I will look them up.
thank you for posting this page about the varieties of size charts. I am a seller and pattern maker myself and this is where I find the fit to go awry when sizing get larger. I am in the process of creating a plus size chart that sticks to the standard grading while still giving a much larger range for sewers. I can’t wait to list my clothing on etsy.com . when I do I’ll send you the link! I love this blog and I appreciate everyone.
I look forward to seeing it, Jenna!
Thank you very much for the chart. It helps a lot to have a visual. I do not want to push my luck, but would be nice to specify what pattern company draft to what cup size. Like we know Colette drafts for C cup and 4Big do for B cup. I wonder the rest of them. So leaves less guessing for that FBA.
hi! The only other one I know of is that BlueGingerDoll drafts for a D – apart from that, I haven’t found anything out. Does anyone else know the cup sizes each pattern company drafts for?
Jenny, Blue Ginger Doll her most recent patterns now goes up to a 24 with a 52″ hip. I honestly can’t tell you where the bust fails because my bust is in 16 territory with my waist coming in around an 18 or 20. Darn child bearing hips anyway.
Love what the collective is doing to promote awareness and build confidence. Keep it up. g
Thanks, I’ll update it now!