Last week I showed you how to prepare a commercial sewing pattern for fitting using a fairly straight forward shift style dress. Since the dress I used as an example was very similar to a basic block pattern, it was a pretty straight forward exercise, once you understand how to manage the details. If you missed part 1 of this series be sure to watch it. 

This week we’re going to talk about how to prepare the pattern for a flared jacket with a raglan sleeve which you’ll soon see is not nearly as straight forward. Watch the video now to see how to prepare the sewing pattern and find the balance lines on a not-so-basic style.

I hope this example has helped you understand how you can prepare a stylized commercial pattern for fitting and give you the ability to start using the vertical and horizontal balance lines to assess fit. If you’ve tried or used this method to assess fit, share you comments on this page. 

If you want to learn more about balance...

Fitting is difficult. No number of fitting books, classes and guides you’ve purchased with the words Fast, Quick or Easy in the title, is going to change that fact. Fitting is a process that takes time to perfect and a skill that is acquired through study and experience.

I’ve studied fitting for a very long time. It wasn’t until I started using vertical and horizontal balance lines on my garments that I truly began to understand how to make sewing patterns fit me. These markings made it so much easier to understand the origin and nature of fitting issues and eliminated the confusion of trying to “read the wrinkles”. Once I started focusing on the balance of the garment on my body the wrinkles would magically disappear.

When you draft a pattern to your personal measurements, these vertical and horizontal balance lines are the foundation of the pattern, but what do you do if you are using a commercial pattern? Well this month I’m going to share...

Mastering any skill can be a long road so I googled "the path to mastery" and landed on this article. It certainly provided some insight-especially about the 10,000 hour rule. If you're not familiar with that rule it basically states that if you spend 10,000 hours doing any one thing, you'll achieve mastery of that subject, but here's another perspective.

The author of the article makes this statement:

"The number of hours is arbitrary, and what really matters is "deliberate practice" where we are highly focused, have integrated feedback from experts, and work on the correct technique…"

This struck me quite profoundly when considering how most of us approach fitting. In essence this statement defines what the path is made of. The stops we make along the path to mastery are what the author refers to as "stages of competency", of which there are four.

So what stage are you at? You can let me know HERE or HERE.

Next week, I'll share some tips on moving through the stages...

Fitting is generally thought to be a trial-and-error process. There is seemingly no roadmap, no sequence of logical steps to follow and no hope of ever getting a pattern to fit you. I’d like to challenge that thought because there is in fact a sequence of logical steps to follow that will lead to a pattern that fits.

If you want to know what that step by step process is and you have declared 2024 your year of fitting success, here are three things you need to do to get started:

1. Download the Perfect Fit Guide (and read it). It contains the step by step process that will put you on the path to fitting success.
   You’ll find the link in my bio.
    
2.  Take your body measurements.
   You'll find the Pattern Measurement Worksheet inside the guide with directions on what and how to measure.
   Watch this tutorial: How to Measure Yourself
   
   
3.  Choose Your Pattern Size. Choose a simple top or dress pattern to practice on. You may already know your...

In the last video lesson I shared all the pattern refinements for the Bria lounge pants. We altered the waist line, refined the hemline of the shorts and talked about the back crotch extension and how to alter it if you need to. Your draft should now be refined and ready for the addition of seam and hem allowances.

In this video we’ll talk about what seam and hem allowances to use, the steps to assembling the garment and a take a look at the final garment.

Watch the video now to get all the details for finalizing your Bria lounge pants.

I hope you enjoyed the Bria Pattern Design Project! If you've been following along, I hope you'll share your make in the In-House Patterns Studio Facebook group! Join the group HERE!

If you’re looking for more projects like the Bria pattern design project, I invite you to try out Ava. The Ava pattern design project will teach you to develop a new style from your personal bodice block.

For more step by step classes be sure to check...

In the last video lesson we completed the basic draft for the Bria lounge pants. I hope the draft went quickly and easily for you. If things are looking a bit odd, double check your draft calculations, often this is where things get a bit off track.

In this video I want to share some tips on refining the draft before we create the final pattern. We'll alter the waist line, refine the hemline of the shorts and talk about the back crotch extension and how to alter it if you need to.

If you missed getting the Bria drafting instructions, you can get your copy by clicking on the image below.

Once you have completed the pattern refinements, you're ready to add seam and hem allowances. In the next lesson I'll share all the details on what seam allowances and pattern labeling to use, give you a general guide to assembling your Bria's and give you a peak at the final garment.  

While you wait for the next lesson to drop, double check your pattern work. I’ve shared...

Welcome back to the Bria pattern design project. In the last video I showed you how to take the body measurements needed for this draft and shared some tips on how to interpret the draft instructions and make the draft calculations. Hopefully you gave that a try but If you’re new to pattern drafting, you may have struggled a little with understanding how it all works. If that is the case, you’re in the right place because today is drafting day, and I’m going to walk you through the process one step at a time.

If you missed getting your copy of the drafting instructions, just click on the image below.

After you draft your Bria's you'll have the basic shape and size of our lounge pants defined but there are some additional refinements and fitting considerations to make to the draft before we create the final pattern. I’ll be guiding you through those steps in the next lesson.

While you wait for the next lesson to drop, check your draft calculations one...

'Tis the season for cozy evenings, indoor projects and handmade gifts so let's make your evenings extra cozy, your indoor projects extra fun and your gifts extra special by creating made to measure lounge pants for you, your friends and your family.

New PJ's or lounge pants are always a special treat, especially if they are made to measure in the prints and fabrics you love. They also happen to be a great pattern design project for budding pattern makers because they are easy to draft, forgiving on fit, and quick to sew.  

I'm excited to get started on this fun project with you so when you're ready, download and print the drafting instructions and follow along.

Click the image below to get the Bria drafting instructions sent straight to your inbox.

Watch the video with the drafting instructions in hand, I'll share some guidance on what you'll need to get started and show you the best way to proceed to make the draft go quickly and easily.

If this...

An oversized, comfy sweater is always the first thing I reach for on a chilly morning. The Sunny Knit Top by Style Arc is a pattern that I've had for quite a while. I put it on my Fall season wardrobe plan knowing that it was a little too oversized for my liking, so today I'll share how I changed the pattern into one I know I'll be using over and over again and give you two valuable knit pattern making tips that you've likely never seen before.

This week I'm continuing with the series on developing a handmade wardrobe. This is part 3 of the series and I'm featuring the Sunny Knit Top. If you've missed the previous videos, I promise they are very informative, so be sure to watch those next if you haven't already.

This sweater knit fabric from Fabricland is very stretchy with a stretch ratio of 100% but since this an oversized garment, this isn't the most important property. What is more important is to understand how the knit will "drop" when worn. Essentially this means that any...

There is no question that knit garments are comfortable to wear and quick to sew but while most would say they are also "easy to fit", you may have found that it's difficult to determine what the final outcome will be. This week I'm continuing with the series on developing a handmade wardrobe. I'll share some tips on how you can determine the fit of your next knit project before you sew.

In Part 1 of this series I shared the Miranda Skirt by Style Arc. In my wardrobe plan I paired the Miranda skirt with the Debra Zebra Knit Top. As I mentioned in the last video, I'm quite happy with the results. While the skirt required very few fit adjustments, the Debra Knit Top was a little more involved, so today, I'll share with you how I determined the fitting adjustments I needed to fit the pattern before I sewed. If you missed Part 1 of this series, you can see it HERE.

When sewing with knit fabrics it's important to understand its properties. My first step is always to pre-wash the...