ACHIEVING THE RIGHT FIT

Your custom body shape + flattering fabric combined with the right pattern fitted to scale and proportion = fitting success.

The key to making clothing that fits well begins with choosing pattern lines, fabric color, weight, and texture all properly proportioned to one another to complement the scale of your figure. The fabric should correspond to the style of pattern you are sewing. Instead of using the standard pattern size, you might need to make few custom modifications so that the pattern will match your custom body contours.

Visualizing how a silhouette will look on your own figure can be difficult. We all have our favorite garments that make us feel and look great, which is an ideal place to start to look for ideas when sewing your own clothes. Choose a pattern that emphasizes your good features while drawing attention away from any problem areas. For example, an empire waistline nicely accentuates a small bust and trim shoulders, but it also can help conceal a prominent bottom. Pleated and gathered skirts can pad out hips that are slim, but they make heavy hips even more noticeable; instead, choose a sleek A-line silhouette.

Once you choose a style, buy the pattern that most closely matches your measurements. The ideal is to measure the fullest part of the bust for upper body designs and the full hip for the lower body. Your ordinary dress size is not a reliable guide to the correct pattern size, because women’s sewing patterns are not reflective of ready-to-wear clothing sizes. By following some basic instructions illustrating how to custom fit the pattern to your body (page 74) and create a fit sample (page 91), you will ensure that your finished garment is as comfortable and flattering as possible.

Adjusting the Length Vertically

1. To help visualize the area you are adjusting, draw a white vertical pencil line from the top to the bottom of the area of measure. In this example, the area to adjust is the shoulder to apex.

2. To lengthen, draw a blue horizontal adjustment line in the center of the area being adjusted.

3. Draw a vertical line down the center of a separate sheet of pattern paper slightly longer than the area you are adjusting. Normal printer paper or kraft paper works well and is inexpensive.

4. Cut the pattern along the adjustment line. Tape the cut-apart pattern so that the vertical lines are aligned and the pattern pieces are separated by the exact amount the section is to be lengthened. Connect the edges of the pattern and trim away excess paper. Your pattern should now match your body measurement of that area.

The following examples are vertical adjustments to the areas of measure as illustrated on the measurement chart featured on page 73.

Front Shoulder to Apex

This is one of the simplest areas to measure, wearing a correct fitting bra with good support, lift, and natural shape. Compare your body measurement to the pattern. Lengthen if necessary. When adjusting this area of a pattern, the armscye (armhole) may temporarily be affected. Once you finish your adjustment, simply raise the underarm by the amount you lengthened and blend into the arm opening. This will be further refined in the muslin fit sample.

Apex to Waist

This area will give you the lower length of a torso pattern. Areas of fit affected by this measurement include the bust darts, the waist darts, and the transition from the full bust into the contour of the natural waist. If you are very busty, lengthen closer to the apex so the bust dart area is affected more. If you are smaller busted, adjust toward the center of the area of measure. Another area of fit that further refines the accuracy of bodice fitting is the bust curve.

Troubleshoot: A Loose Inset Sleeve Shoulder

Symptoms (A):

• The shoulder seam of the dress muslin stands up above natural shoulder line.

• Crossways creases appear on the bodice along the armhole.

Refitting the shoulder seam (B):

1. Remove the stitching around the armhole and take out the sleeve.

2. Starting at the armhole and working toward the neck, pull the shoulder seam straight up and pin the front and back shoulder, taking more fabric from one than the other if necessary, until they lie smooth and meet along the center of your shoulder.

3. Pin the new shoulder seam, tapering it evenly from the armhole to the neck. Take off the muslin.

4. Measure along the new shoulder edge and make the changes on the paper pattern.

Adjusting the pattern (C):

1. Trace the original armhole and shoulder seam lines and other markings of the front bodice pattern on a sheet of tracing paper.

2. Draw the new seam line on the pattern making the reduction. Draw a new cutting line 5/8" (1.5cm) outside the new seam line and parallel to it.

3. Slide the tracing of the armhole under the pattern and align the shoulder seam line of the tracing with the new shoulder seam line on the pattern, matching the side seam edge of the tracing to the side seam of the pattern.

4. Following the line on the tracing paper, draw a new armhole seam line, complete with pattern markings, lower than the original one, on the bodice front pattern. Then draw a new cutting line 5/8" (1.5cm) outside the new seam line and parallel to it.

5. Repeat steps 1–4 on the bodice back pattern.

6. Using the revised armhole seam and cutting lines, re-cut the armhole of the dress muslin and baste the sleeve into the revised armhole.