The professional fitting method you need to assess fit and make pattern adjustments independently, with confidence and skill.
You've been sewing for years but...
➤ Sewing a pattern straight out of the envelope no longer works.
You make adjustments, but instead of improving the fit, each change introduces new fitting issues.
➤ You're spending precious sewing time searching for fitting solutions.
Despite books, videos, and workshops, the information is fragmented. You understand individual techniques, but not how they fit together into a clear process.
➤ How to "Read the Wrinkles" is a mystery.
You know wrinkles contain information, but translating what you see into correct pattern changes remains difficult.
➤ "Fast and Easy" and "Fit as You Sew" techniques are hit and miss.
Without a defined starting point or order of adjustments, it’s hard to know what to change first and why.
It's Clear.
You need more than tips or quick fixes.
You’re ready to stop guessing and start working with a structured fitting method.
Fitting Essentials will give you the step by step framework, knowledge, and skills to confidently create garments that fit.
At In-House Patterns, fitting is taught as a system, not a collection of fitting fixes.
Fitting Essentials provides a complete, step-by-step method for analyzing the body, evaluating patterns, and applying adjustments in a logical, repeatable order so that you can diagnose fitting issues independently with confidence.
"Viewing fitting as a system and starting to understand the dynamics of the interplay has been the major eye opener for me. Realizing the steps and the importance of the process and the fitting order have been most enlightening."
Pat R.
When you implement the Fitting Essentials framework you'll be able to:
➤ Make a strategic sizing choice.
➤ Solve for the most obvious fitting issues before you sew.
➤ Assess sample fit using balance lines.
➤ Confidently create garments that fit.
Fitting Essentials is for experienced garment makers who are ready to build lasting fitting skills.
[Raise Your Hand if That's You!]
Fitting Essentials is Perfect for You if...
You have solid sewing experience and are comfortable working with garment patterns.
You want a clear, structured method for understanding fit rather than relying on trial-and-error adjustments.
You are ready to follow a defined process and work through fitting in a logical order.
You want to develop the ability to assess fit issues independently and make informed pattern fitting adjustments.
You value precision, consistency, and long-term skill development over quick fixes.
Here's What You'll Accomplish Inside Fitting Essentials
WELCOME
YOUR FITTING SUCCESS FOUNDATION
By the end of this module you'll have all your getting started information and begin to understand why most standard size sewing patterns don't fit you.
You'll discover the the fitting framework that will take you from a frustrated home sewer to a confident and accomplished garment maker.
SIZING ANALYSIS
STRATEGICALLY CHOOSE YOUR PATTERN SIZE
By the end of this module you'll be able to choose your best pattern size to start with (from any size chart) and begin planning your pattern fitting adjustments.
You'll be able to:
Take the right body measurements, determine the optimal ease in the pattern and develop your personal fitting plan.
PATTERN ANALYSIS
DEVELOP YOUR PERSONAL FITTING PLAN
Understand exactly what is needed to adjust the pattern to fit your body measurements.
You'll be able to:
Prepare the sewing pattern for analysis, measure the pattern and calculate the optimal ease and outline all the fitting changes you'll need to make to the pattern.
INITIAL PATTERN ADJUSTMENTS
SOLVE THE MOST OBVIOUS FITTING ISSUES BEFORE YOU SEW
By the end of this module you'll have solved for the most commonly misdiagnosed fitting issues before you see your first sample.
You'll be able to:
Make your initial pattern adjustment plan, perform the initial pattern adjustments you need on your pattern and check and refine your altered pattern for trouble free sewing.
SAMPLE ANALYSIS
TAKE THE MYSTERY OUT OF READING THE WRINKLES
By the end of this module you'll have a sample of your garment and know exactly how to assess the fit all on your own.
You'll be able to:
Cut, sew and prepare for your fitting assessment, assess personal fit issues without a fitting buddy, understand how to Read the Wrinkles and have a step by step plan to Making Your Own Fit Assessment.
PATTERN REFINEMENT
ALTER THE SEWING PATTERN LIKE A PRO
By the end of this module you will have transferred all your fitting changes to the pattern and learned how to solve for a multitude of fitting issues in ways you won't find in any conventional fitting book.
You will be able to:
Transfer fitting changes from the sample to the pattern, manage pattern shape in unconventional ways and finalize your pattern for fitting success.
FITTING SUCCESS
COMPLETE THE FITTING ESSENTIALS METHOD
By the end of this module you will apply the complete method to recognize, assess and resolve fitting issues independently.
You will have:
A pattern that fits you, the confidence to approach any fitting project using the Fitting Essentials process and the ability to begin creating style variations on your pattern.
"Understanding how to use balance lines to assess how the garment hangs and to see the impact of adjustments was a game changer."
Deborah S.
Fitting Essentials was developed out of necessity and professional practice.
After years of sewing and working in the fashion industry, I experienced firsthand how unreliable standard pattern sizing becomes as bodies change. Trial-and-error fitting methods were inefficient and inconsistent, even with experience.
Using my background in fashion design and technical fitting, I developed the Fitting Essentials method to bring structure and logic to the fitting process. The goal was not quick fixes, but a repeatable system that makes it possible to assess fit, interpret what you see, and apply pattern adjustments in a clear order.
Fitting Essentials teaches that method in full. It is designed for experienced sewists who are ready to approach fitting with intention, consistency, and independence.
— Alexandra Morgan
"You are my gold standard for pattern fitting. I’ve learned more from you than from any other fitting or pattern instructor or book I’ve tried."
Laura P.
Inside Fitting Essentials you'll get the perfect fitting project, the Kayla shirt pattern.
I've specifically designed the pattern for this course so that you can follow along with the video lessons demonstrating each of the steps in the fitting process.
As you move through the lessons, you'll take the Kayla Shirt from it's standard size to your size following the fitting essentials method laid out for you.
You might be wondering...
What's it like to learn fitting as a step-by-step process, rather than relying on a collection of fixes?
You’re not learning standard pattern adjustments, quick fixes, or searching for a single “magic” solution. Instead, you work through a clear sequence that helps you analyze your body, the pattern, and the fitting sample so you can anticipate your fitting needs, make informed pattern adjustments, and refine the fit methodically.
As you repeat the method, fitting solutions become easier to recognize. You spend less time second-guessing and more time working with intention. Your confidence develops through understanding and repetition, not guesswork.
As a Bonus You'll also Receive...
Live Sessions with Alexandra
With one 60-90 minute session each week for 9 weeks, these sessions are designed to support your understanding and application of the Fitting Essentials method.
These sessions focus on:
-
interpreting fitting information using balance lines
-
demonstrating how to evaluate fit logically
-
working through selected examples to illustrate common decision points
Questions are submitted in advance and sessions are structured around concepts and scenarios that help reinforce the fitting essentials method.
All sessions are recorded so you'll never miss out on these valuable bonus training sessions.
The Fitting Essentials Community
As a member of FITTING ESSENTIALS you'll get exclusive access to a private community group consisting of only you and your course mates.
You get an entire year to share your progress with, and gather insight from a group of friendly, knowledgeable and fun loving sewing enthusiasts that are working through the same project as you.
📍 You also have the opportunity to ask me your questions on the weekly Call for Questions post. I'll be answering questions 5 days a week for 9 weeks inside the community forum.
The Fitting Essentials community is a space for observation, discussion, and shared learning as members work through the method.
The primary purpose of the community is to:
- observe how others apply the fitting process
- compare pattern analysis and fitting decisions
- reinforce understanding of the method
The community is yours to use as a resource to observe how others apply the method and reinforce your own understanding.
Your Fitting Landscape: How to Assess Your Fitting Needs
This bonus gives you the best possible starting point for understanding your personal fitting needs. You'll determine your personal fitting grid and define your proportion, shape and symmetry so you're prepared to develop a strategic fitting plan for your unique silhouette. You'll finally understand why most standard sewing patterns don't fit you.
The Basic Sleeve Draft
This bonus gives you the step by step instruction to drafting a sleeve for your individual armhole size. I'll show you how to measure the armhole and prepare your draft calculations, walk you through each step of the drafting process, and also show you how to refine the draft so that it fits into your armhole perfectly.
THE 7 DAY COMMITMENT GUARANTEE
Fitting Essentials is a comprehensive, method-driven course designed for experienced sewists who are ready to approach fitting systematically.
During the first 7 days, you’ll receive access to the Fitting Essentials Project Plan, the course community, the first module of the program, and the Fitting Landscape bonus.
This allows you time to review the structure of the course, familiarize yourself with the pattern, complete the fitting landscape exercise, and decide if the method is right for you.
If, within the first 7 days, you decide that Fitting Essentials is not the right fit for you, simply contact us to request a refund.
Join Fitting Essentials Today!
[currency conversion: $497CA = approximately $360 US]
"I now approach fitting more methodically and can identify the source of issues more easily."
Kerry O.
QUESTIONS SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS ASK
BEFORE ENROLLING IN FITTING ESSENTIALS
Fitting Essentials teaches you how to fit, independently, from start to finish. Rather than offering individual techniques or fixes, the course walks you through a complete fitting method that you can apply repeatedly to your own garments. It reflects the process I’ve developed and refined over more than 15 years of fitting experience with experienced home sewists.
You’ll learn how to analyze the style, sizing, and structure of a pattern so you can understand how the intended silhouette is meant to work on the body. From there, you’ll make the foundational pattern adjustments almost everyone needs to align a pattern to their measurements and proportions before sewing a fitting sample.
The course shows you how to prepare and use a fitting sample efficiently, so assessing fit is practical and manageable without relying on a fitting buddy. While wrinkle analysis is covered, you’ll also learn why fitting decisions rely on more than just “reading the wrinkles,” and how to use multiple points of information to evaluate fit.
You’ll then learn how to take fitting changes back to the pattern and work through common fitting challenges in a logical order. The goal is not a single successful garment, but the ability to recognize, assess, and solve fitting issues using a structured process you can apply to any future sewing project.
Fitting Essentials is designed to teach you the process behind fitting, so you’re no longer dependent on instructions, fixes, or external guidance.
Fitting Essentials is not a good fit for sewists who are new to garment construction or pattern work, or for those who prefer quick, improvised fitting techniques rather than a defined process. It is also not designed for anyone seeking personalized fitting diagnosis or one-to-one troubleshooting.
This course teaches a defined fitting method that enables you to independently assess and adjust patterns. It assumes you already understand basic garment fitting terminology and are comfortable sewing garments using a pattern’s instruction booklet. Garment construction techniques are not taught in this course.
You will learn, in detail, how to adjust sewing patterns to suit your measurements, proportions, and shape. To do that successfully, you must be willing to spend time working with a sample garment, assessing fit, and solving fitting issues methodically.
Fitting Essentials focuses on a step-by-step fitting process using a woven shirt pattern. The process is not quick or improvised, but it is thorough. If you are willing to slow down and follow the method, you will gain a deeper understanding of fitting than most sewing enthusiasts ever do.
Fitting Essentials teaches a defined fitting method rather than offering individualized fitting diagnosis or one-to-one troubleshooting.
The primary focus of the course is to help you develop the skills to assess fit, interpret what you see, and make informed pattern adjustments independently using the process taught in the lessons.
During the course period, structured support is provided through the community and weekly question posts, where common questions are addressed in a way that reinforces the method for everyone. From time to time, brief video responses may be used to clarify concepts or decision points when it supports learning the process.
This support is intended to deepen understanding of the method, not to replace independent analysis or provide ongoing personalized fitting solutions.
The goal is to support learning while keeping the focus on developing your own fitting judgment.
Yes.
The Kayla sewing pattern was specifically designed to support the fitting principles and methods taught in Fitting Essentials. It includes structural features that make it possible to assess fit clearly, follow the correct order of adjustments, and apply the method as it is taught in the course. Using a different pattern during the learning phase often makes the process more difficult than necessary.
Once you understand the fitting method and have worked through the process using the Kayla pattern, you will be able to apply the same principles to other sewing patterns that do not include these features. The purpose of Kayla is to teach you how to fit, not to limit what you can work on long term.
If the sizing or style of the Kayla pattern is not appropriate for you, the project can be completed by fitting the garment on another person, such as a friend or family member. While fitting yourself is ideal, fitting on another body is equally valuable for learning how to assess balance, interpret wrinkle patterns, and make informed adjustments.
The Kayla sewing pattern comes in two fit-friendly views. Each view has a two-piece collar, back yoke and front button placket. View A has a darted bodice and three quarter length sleeves while View B has princess seams and short sleeves. The sleeves are completely interchangeable between the two views.
The Kayla pattern is available in two size groupings:
SIZES 2 - 14 [B CUP]
BUST: 33 - 40 1/2" (84 - 103 cm)
WAIST: 25 1/2 - 33" (65 - 84 cm)
HIP: 35 1/2 - 43" (90 - 109 cm)
SIZES 12 - 24 [C CUP]
BUST: 39 - 51" (99 - 129 cm)
WAIST: 33 - 44" (84 - 112 cm)
HIP: 43 - 54" (107 - 137 cm)
[You get both size ranges inside the course]
* If your measurements are within 2" (5 cm) of these measurements, this pattern is still the perfect project. I'll be showing you how to adjust this pattern for your cup size and circumference. You can see the complete sizing guide HERE.
Email [email protected] and I'll be happy to answer your questions.
Fitting Essentials teaches the method. Mastery comes through application and practice.
"Understanding how one adjustment affects another part of the pattern helped me stop chasing problems around the garment."
Frannie T.
Imagine Fitting Fearlessly
If you’re ready to approach fit with structure, clarity, and intention, Fitting Essentials will give you the tools to do exactly that.
It's time to build the skills that will serve you for a lifetime.
— Alexandra Morgan
