In Fitting Fashion

This week we're continuing with our fitting knits series so today I want to share some information you can use regarding bust adjustments. You'll find several bust adjustment tutorials on my website already but in this video I'll share some tips on how to translate that information to knit garments.

In order to create a good fit over the bust in any garment, the front pattern piece must be longer and wider than the back pattern piece. This extra length and width allows the garments balance lines  to hang level as the fabric travels over the projection of the bust. The resulting excess length at the side seam is then taken up as dart volume so that the front and back side seams can be made the same length and stitched together. 

In most knit patterns, the bust dart is eliminated due to the ability of the fabric to stretch and mold over the bust projection but if you are larger than a B cup or you prefer looser fitting styles, this isn't sufficient to achieve a good fit, so...

This month I've turned the focus to fitting knits. I have covered the topic to some extent previously so if you want more information on this topic, just click on the "fitting knits" category in the sidebar of the tutorial section of my website inhousepatternsstudio.com. If you're already on my website, just look to the right and you'll see the topic category there.

As you likely already know, I believe that understanding the balance of a garment on your body is the key to achieving good fit. I've shared this rather extensively in The Perfect Fit Guide as well as in all of my online courses and workshops. While I usually talk about this in relation to woven garments, it is a useful tool in assessing fit in knits as well, so last week I showed you how to find the balance lines on the In-House Patterns Jenny tee in the hope of helping you understand how to assess the fit of the pattern.

Since we've already determined the position of the balance lines on the pattern, I thought we could...

If you're familiar with my fitting methods and have downloaded your copy of The Perfect Fit Guide, you already know that understanding the balance of the garment on your body is the key to making a pattern fit you. As a result I get asked this question all the time:

"How do I find the balance lines on a sewing pattern?"

I do give you some general guidelines about finding these important lines on other sewing patterns in this video but since we're talking about knits this month, let me show you how to find them on the In-House Patterns Jenny Tee.

I'd love for the Jenny Tee to be your go-to t-shirt pattern and I know achieving a perfect fit is the key to making that happen. If you already have a copy of the pattern, I hope you'll follow along because locating the balance lines on the pattern and transferring them to your sample will give you the guidance you need to assess the fit and solve any issues that may arise. Watch the video for all the details.

Next week we'll...

Last week we talked about bust adjustments on a t-shirt pattern, this week I'd like to address how to handle back contour shaping. Age and posture can take a toll on the body and sometimes can result in more rounded shoulders and back. In order to achieve a good and comfortable fit in your garments you'll likely need to make a pattern adjustment to accommodate this body shape so today we'll cover the upper-back and mid-back contour shape adjustments.

Watch the video now to see how it's done.

If you'd like to learn about stretch fabric pattern making, I invite you to look into my online course The Custom Stretch Knit Bodice. You'll learn how to draft a basic T-shirt using your own body measurements. I'll leave a link for you on this page.

If you're not interested in drafting your own T-Shirt I have a pattern you can use. It's called the Jenny Tee and you can find it at inhousepatterns.com. For more information about how the Jenny pattern fits take a look at this video: Fitting...

This week I'm putting the spotlight on the Cool Cowl tank.  It's a quick and satisfying project designed specifically for knit fabrics and a D bust cup size. This top features a front cowl neckline and sleeveless styling; perfect for warm summer days or under a jacket for Fall. 

I've made a couple of versions of this top and in some fabrics the neckline hangs pretty low (see the orange rayon jersey version above). This is called "drop" and happens with drapey knit fabrics without a lot of stretch recovery. Basically it means gravity and the weight of the fabric take its toll on the garment and make it longer over time. This week, I'm going to help you pre-empt this issue by giving you the pattern alteration to raise the front neck drop on this style and eliminate the need to wear a cami underneath.

In the video I show you how to establish the balance lines on this pattern and share the secret to knowing how much you can reduce the neck drop on this style...

This week we’re continuing the Fitting Knits video series. If you happen to missed the previous episodes, you can find them HERE.

Today I'm going to address those diagonal draglines at the side of the bust and that excess fabric at the back waist. I think you'll be surprised at how I'd suggest to correct this.

Before we continue on with Robin’s fit assessment, I want to remind you about a free download that I’ve created that will help you with assessing the fit of your own projects. It’s called The Good Fit Checklist. It contains information on how to recognize a good fit, how to diagnose fitting issues and the order you need to work to solve them. Sign up to receive your copy; it’s absolutely free.

Now watch the video to see how to solve a few more of Robin’s fitting issues.

So did I surprise you with that bust adjustment? This is a bust fitting technique I share inside my online course, The Custom Stretch Knit Bodice Block. If...

Remember last week when we talked about how to diagnose knit fitting issues? Well this week we’re going to solve them! We’re going to continue on with Robin’s sample and take the fitting assessment to the next step.

Before we continue on with Robin’s fit assessment though, I want to remind you about a free download that I’ve created that will help you with assessing the fit of your own projects. It’s called The Good Fit Checklist. It contains information on how to recognize a good fit, how to diagnose fitting issues and the order you need to work to solve them. Sign up to receive your copy; it’s absolutely free.

Now watch the video for the solutions to the diagnosis we made on Robin's sample last week.

Did you notice that Robin hasn’t added her horizontal and vertical balance lines on her sample?  If she had, it would be so much easier to assess the amount of change required and the location of the change. This is a fitting...

Welcome to video #2 of the Fitting Knits video series!

Last week you got an inside peak at my online course The Custom Stretch Knit Bodice Block and I showed you how to determine the stretch ratio of your fabric which is an important first step in getting the right fit on your knit garments. This week I’m going to share a few insights on how to diagnose your knit fitting issues.

For this video, I’ve enlisted the help of Robin, who wrote to me in hope of getting some guidance on fitting her knit garment project.

Robin writes:

 Hi Alexandra,

I’ve been having trouble with all the tops I am making and can’t seem to figure out how to resolve them. I have spent hours on Youtube, the internet, books etc. I make my own patterns and have even used a commercial pattern, not to mention that every RTW shirt in my closet has the same fitting problems.

I can’t figure out how to get rid of the diagonal draglines from the back and bottom of the armhole/sleeve. I...

This week I’ve got a special treat for you. This month we’re covering the topic of fitting knits so I thought you might enjoy a glimpse inside my online course The Custom Stretch Kit Bodice Block. This course teaches you how to draft a custom size t-shirt to your personal body measurements using the stretch ratio of your chosen fabric. It’s loaded with valuable information about knits and custom knit pattern making and I can’t resist sharing a piece of the information I know you can all use.

The stretch ratio of a knit is extremely important when it comes to getting a successful fit. In order to eliminate the darts on a knit garment, you must use negative ease and the stretch ratio of the fabric to force the fabric around your body contours. If you’re not using the fabrics ability to stretch, you will be left with draglines and folds that you must become comfortable with or manage in some other way. Over the next few weeks we’re going cover these...

Over the past couple of weeks we've been diving deep into sleeve fitting. In the first video of the series we talked about the armhole shape and size and determined how to assess if it will be a good foundation for your sleeve. In the second video of the series we talked about the sleeve itself and determined how to assess if it will fit into the bodice armhole correctly.

This week I want to demonstrate how to asses and trouble shoot the fit of the sleeve in a "real life" sample so I'm sending a big THANK YOU to Jill who has allowed me to use her photos in this video. I have no doubt that this example will help someone else struggling with fitting sleeves.

While this example is a knit sleeve, it represents the same issues that are found commonly in woven sleeves as well. Watch the video for a demonstration on how to assess the sample for fit and direction on how to adjust the pattern to follow.

Here are the links to the resources mentioned in this week's video:

The...