In Fitting Fashion

Have you ever wondered why you have those draglines under the bust on all your T-Shirts? No matter how hard you try, you can never seem to be rid of it!

In some cases this is caused by a need for a full bust adjustment, but if you've already completed your bust adjustment and still have this problem, I've got some insight or you.  In this video, I tell you exactly why it's there and what you'll need to do to eliminate it.

After you've watched the video, let me know if you've had this issue and what you did to solve it. Leave your comments below if you've got some insight to share!

If you missed the demonstration on how to make a bust adjustment on a T-Shirt, watch this video now.

If you are interested in creating your own Custom Stretch Knit Bodice Block, you can explore the online course by clicking the image below.

All My Best,
Alexandra

Hey there! Today I found a few minutes to record this Quick Tip video while I was preparing for The Fitting Fun Workshop I'll be holding in November.  This video demonstrates how to walk your sleeve pattern to ensure that it fits in the armhole after you have completed all of your pattern adjustments for fit.  This video will show you how to walk your seam lines, transfer your pattern marking and how to determine the amount of ease in your sleeve head.

I hope you enjoy the video and learn a few tips along the way.

You can learn more about The Fitting Fun Workshop by clicking the image below. It's going to be really fun and inspiring to see the patterns and projects attendees bring to work on. I'd love to see you there!

If you don't have your copy of The Perfect Fit Guide, you can get it by clicking on the image below!

 All My Best,
Alexandra

On a beautiful sunny Saturday here in Victoria, these ladies and I gathered together for a full day to discuss and practice some practical strategies for recognizing, assessing, and solving fit issues. 

We started out with a review of the Fitting Fundamentals Video Series which sparked great questions for discussion. We talked about how patterns are developed and how we can use that information to help us assess the fit of a garment.

We discussed ten of the most common fitting issues found in woven tops, dresses, and jackets and I demonstrated the pattern adjustments that would correspond with each of the issues. Everyone had the opportunity to practice the pattern adjustments using scaled block patterns so they could take the information home with them and use it long after the workshop.

It was an intense day of learning but so much fun with this dynamic group of experienced and enthusiastic ladies from near and far. 

This was truly a...

This week I have a Quick Tip for you. I get questions about the gaping front armhole often, this issue is so common and often misunderstood even though this is probably the easiest fitting issue to correct.  Watch the video for some insight and let me know in the comments if you've used this method before. 

For further insight about the armhole fitting you can also check out this popular blog post:

Fitting and Pattern Adjustment - The Armhole

If you would like to practice this pattern adjustment using the scaled block patterns featured in the video, you can grab those by clicking the image below.

We've also got a lively group of individuals in the FREE In-House Patterns Studio Facebook Community. If you'd like to join the conversation there, just click below.

All My Best,

Alexandra

In this final video of the Pattern Fundamentals series, we're going to use the basic sleeve block to design the pattern of one of the most popular sleeve styles this year.

If you've missed the previous lessons in the series, I encourage you to watch them.  They are loaded with essential information you'll need for pattern manipulation.

Just click the links below to watch:

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS: Two Essential Skills for Successful Pattern Manipulation

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS: How to True Darts and Manage Dart Volume

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS:  Three Ways to Manage the Back Shoulder Dart

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS:  How to Create and Balance a Flared Skirt

Now let's design the trumpet sleeve pattern. Watch the video to find out how!

As I mentioned in the video, get your FREE Scaled Block Patterns to practice your pattern work. Click the image below to get started!

Click the image to  see the Pinterest Board.

 If you've enjoyed this series on pattern making and...

Here we go with video #4 of the Pattern Fundamentals series!

In the last three videos we've practiced lots of dart manipulations.  Each video building your pattern making skills and hopefully giving you the confidence you need to make pattern adjustments for fit and style.  I guarantee that you'll find something new and inspiring in each one of the previous videos so if you missed any of the lessons,  just click the links below to watch.

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS: Two Essential Skills for Successful Pattern Manipulation

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS: How to True Darts and Manage Dart Volume

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS:  Three Ways to Manage the Back Shoulder Dart

This week we’re going to take everything we’ve learned and apply it to the basic skirt block. I’ll show you how to manipulate waist darts to create flare, how to balance the flare so that it hangs evenly all around the hemline, and talk a little bit about grain lines so you can understand...

Here is the third video from this month's series on Pattern Fundamentals.

In the last two videos I showed you how to rotate darts, how to true them up and how to manage large dart volumes.  If you missed those just click the links below to watch.

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS: Two Essential Skills for Successful Pattern Manipulation

PATTERN FUNDAMENTALS: How to True Darts and Manage Dart Volume

Today's video covers three ways to manipulate the back shoulder dart. We'll cover how to rotate it to the neckline, how to create a yoke seam and how to eliminate it entirely without affecting the fit. If you've already read this popular article, you'll find that this week's video brings it all to life.

Enjoy!

As I mentioned in the video, get your FREE Scaled Block Patterns to practice your pattern work. Click the image below to get started!

Share your pattern work from the Pattern Fundamentals series on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram by posting a photo with the...

I've got a new episode of Pattern Fundamentals for you!

In this week's video, I'm finishing the pattern work we started last week and giving you some inside information about darts. I'll show you how to true darts and determine their dart roof, what direction to press the dart volume and why you might want to break the general rule. I'm also going to show you how you can manage large dart volumes for a smoother fit. 

Watch now so you can put it all into action today!

As I mentioned in the video, get your FREE DOWNLOAD containing a set of scaled block patterns to practice your pattern work. Click the image below to get started!

Share your pattern work from the Pattern Fundamentals series on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram by posting a photo with the hashtag #inhousepatternsstudio. 

See you next week!

All My Best,

Alexandra

Say hello to the month of May and a new series on the blog.  

This month I'm presenting Pattern Fundamentals, a series highlighting the skills you'll need to master in order to manipulate patterns for fit and style.  With fitting adjustments, pattern adjustments follow so in order to understand how to make pattern adjustments correctly, you need to understand how patterns work. Follow along with me this month to learn some essential professional pattern making techniques.

In this week's video, I cover two essential pattern manipulation techniques. Watch now to discover what they are and learn how to do them.

As I mentioned in the video, I have another FREE DOWNLOAD for you!  In this one, you get a set of scaled block patterns so you can work through all the featured pattern making exercises with me. Click the image below to get started!

If you would like to share your pattern work in the FREE Facebook Group, click the image below to join! I'll...

And here it is! The fourth and final video in the Fitting Fundamentals series.  If you've missed the first few, click the links below to get started.

FITTING FUNDAMENTALS:  Why Fitting is Difficult and How to Make it Easier

FITTING FUNDAMENTALS:  Three Fitting Methods to Improve Your Fitting

FITTING FUNDAMENTALS:  The First Fitting Session-How to Prepare Yourself and the Garment

Today's video is all about fit assessment.  I’m going to show you what good fit looks like, how to recognize fitting issues and the fitting order to follow that will keep everything on track.

Watch now to see it in action!

As I mentioned in the video, you can download The Good Fit Checklist absolutely FREE.  Just click on the image below to get started.

I hope this video and the entire series has given you some idea of how to get a successful start with fitting your sewing projects. If you're new to fitting, start with something simple so you can get a "win"...