#22 Mark These Balance Lines Before Fitting Knits

How to Find the Balance Lines on a T-Shirt Pattern

If you're sewing with knits and want to improve fit accuracy, marking balance lines on your pattern is a excellent first step. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to identify and mark key fitting lines on the Jenny Tee sewing pattern, including the bust, waist, hip, across back, and bicep lines.

These balance lines help you assess garment proportions, check fabric stretch suitability, and identify where you may need to add or remove length or width, all before you sew. This method works whether you’re using the Jenny Tee or another knit t-shirt pattern.

In this video, you’ll learn how to:

• Find the bust line based on your pattern’s seam lines
• Locate the waist and hip lines for your specific size
• Understand bust shaping and ease distribution in knit patterns
• Draw in the sleeve balance lines to evaluate bicep and elbow fit
• Use the included fabric stretch guide to check if your fabric is suitable

If you've downloaded the Perfect Fit Guide, this is a great way to put it into practice using a knit garment. For best results, be sure to transfer the balance lines to your fabric before sewing your sample.

Recommended resources:

Download the Perfect Fit Guide – It’s free

Shop the Jenny Tee sewing pattern

Next week, we’ll continue with the Jenny Tee and talk about negative ease in knit garments—what it is, how it works, and how it affects fit.