Fitting Archives - Patterns for Pirates

P4P University- Adjusting a Top Pattern for Height

July 21, 2021

P4P University- Adjusting a Top Pattern for Height

Today’s P4P University is all about adjusting a top pattern for height. We will take a look about the best practices for adjusting a pattern’s length, and how to create the best fit for your height.

Patterns for Pirates patterns are drafted for average height. That means in women’s patterns, they’re drafted for someone with the height of 5’5″. In this post, we will show you how to subtract or add length to a women’s top pattern to create the perfect fit.

DECIDING HOW MUCH TO ADD OR SUBTRACT TO A TOP PATTERN

When adjusting for height in a top pattern, it can feel a little daunting deciding how much to adjust by. But really, it’s just a little simple math. As a general rule of thumb, in women’s top patterns, you will want to add or subtract .5 inch for every inch you are off of the base of 5’5″. In our example today, we are making a Favorite Tee for someone measuring at a size XS, and is 5’1″. To determine how much length to subtract from the pattern, we simply find the difference between 5’5″ and 5’1″. That difference is 4 inches total. Now, keeping in mind our rule of thumb that for every inch difference in the wearer’s height from 5’5″, we take away .5 inches from the pattern, we will multiply 4 times .5 to get a total of 2 inches subtracted total.

Here it is written out:

5″5″-5’1″= 4″

4″ x .5 = 2″ subtracted from the pattern’s length

Conversely, if you are above the average 5’5″ the pattern is drafted for, you will find out how much to add to the pattern’s length by finding the difference in height, multiplying by .5 and ADDING it to the pattern’s length. It’s as simple as that!

WHERE TO SUBTRACT FROM/ ADD TO THE PATTERN

A common misconception is that one can simply add or subtract length to the bottom of a top to account for a difference in height. This is not usually the best course of action, as it can very often change the overall shape and intended fit of the garment. The most important thing to do is to spread the changes you make throughout the length of the bodice. This can be done to suit your preferences, but four good places to start are at armscye, just under the bust line, just under the waistline, and just above the bottom hemline.

Adding throughout the pattern like this helps to ensure that the bust, waist, and hip of the garment stay where they actually are on the wearer’s body. Patterns for Pirates uses a standard side waist length of 8″ and a waist to hip length of 8.25″, so if you know your specific length measurements between those points, you will want to add/remove the exact amount in those areas. For our purposes today, we are equally spreading our change in length throughout the pattern.

Take both your front and bodice pattern pieces, and mark with a line where you will be adding or subtracting length, such as we have, pictured below:

The next step is to cut the pattern pieces along those lines, so that these pieces can either be shortened or lengthened, depending on your fitting needs.

ADJUSTING THE TOP PATTERN PIECES TO EITHER LENGTHEN OR SHORTEN

In our example today, we will be subtracting length across the cuts in our pattern pieces to create the perfect fit for our wearer. Because we will taking away length in FOUR places (armscye, under the bustline, under the waistline, and just above the hemline) we will be dividing our total amount to be taken from the pattern’s length by 4.

2″ total needed to be taken from the pattern’s length

2″ divided by 4 = .5″

Therefore, we will be subtracting .5″ from the four different places in the pattern mentioned above. To do this, we will reposition our pattern pieces to overlap by .5″ each, and tape in place. Remember: you will want to do this to both the front and back bodice pieces of your top pattern.

If you are adding length to a pattern, you will want to spread your pattern pieces by the required measurement to create more length. When you are done re-taping, you will have two new bodice pieces adjusted for your height!

SEW UP YOUR TOP AS USUAL

Now that we’ve adjusted the front and back bodice pieces of our top, we can go ahead and sew as usual. Using your newly adjusted pattern pieces, cut your fabric and sew away.

And it’s as simple as that! Keep in mind that every body is different, and it may take a little practice to get the perfect fit when adjusting for height in a top. But with these simple beginning steps and general rules of thumb, we hope that you can adjust your patterns easily to create that perfect fit every time!

P4P University- Pants and Their Wrinkles

May 14, 2019

We get a lot of questions about fitting, wrinkles and pull lines and how to fix those when sewing for different body types. Pants seem to cause a lot of anxiety for some sewists when it comes to the crotch area and the lines they can see there, but it isn’t too complicated as it seems.

First, lets talk about wrinkles and pull lines in general. You will never have a garment that will never have any in any position. Meaning a garment is drafted and fitted to look great in one main position (usually standing up straight with feet slightly apart for pants). So, if you’re only getting wrinkles or pull lines when moving a certain way don’t worry! A garment can’t be perfectly drafted and fitted to every movement you’re going to be in. I often see that sewists are worried about this though… “I have wrinkles when I sit” is a very common plea for help… but the truth is you should! You need that extra length when you’re standing and it will wrinkle or bunch when you’re not using that length when sitting.

But, if you’re fitting pants and you’re having wrinkles or pull lines when just standing straight then you’ll want to alter the pattern for a better fit. Lets go over some wrinkles and pull lines and what you would need to do to fix them. I have the issue on the left, followed by how you would alter the pattern in the middle, and to the right what your new pattern piece will look like against the old one (old pattern in pink and new altered in black).

When you have wrinkles this indicates that you have too much fabric somewhere and it is bunching up. Pinching out the excess will show you exactly where the extra fabric is coming from usually and if it is horizontal, vertical, or both that needs to be taken out.

When you have pull lines this indicates that there is not enough fabric somewhere and it is straining. If you’re unsure you can unpick to let the tension out and see if the lines go away. The gap that your seam spreads would be the amount your pattern needs to not strain. You can unpick along the side seam to check for horizontal pulling or along the top waistband for vertical. You might need both as well if you’re getting bias pulling.

The same goes for booty with wrinkling vs pull lines and vertical vs horiztonal. But, I wanted to touch on a common fit issue I see asked about, which is pulling under the bum. This is generally when your booty is a bit lower then the pant is drafted for. Lowering the booty curve will help elevate that straining and pull lines.

Pants aren’t all that scary 🙂 Once you learn the basics you can alter the pattern for your perfect fit easily! Good luck!

P4P University- Ease

September 23, 2017

Ease is a term using to describe how much extra fabric there is around your body after the garment is sewn up. In sewing and pattern groups you often see the question, “Does this run big/small/true to size?” And most the time the same pattern and size will have an array of answers! Confusing right? The truth is the pattern is designed with a certain amount of ease the designer has picked based on the size chart.

So, when the designer like me drafts a pattern they decide how much ease they want for the intended fit. They use not only the listed body measurements, but an entire book of standard/average measurements for each part of the body to give the pattern a certain amount of ease everywhere along the body. I try to give the most important measurements in the measurement chart and finished measurements to help you pick the perfect size for your preference of fit. I usually have more measurements in the tutorial than on the listing pictures so that when you’re ready to pick a size for that certain garment you can see if you need to modify, grade between sizes on that particular pattern. Here is the size chart within the tutorial for the Peg Legs:

Some ease is needed for certain garments. Woven/non-stretch fabrics require much more ease since they don’t stretch. A body requires ease to move, bend, breathe, etc comfortably. Designers use the recommended amount in general for guidelines and can add more if they want a looser fit. Knit garments can, and often do have negative ease. Negative ease means the garment finishes smaller than your body and much stretch to fit on to your body as well as when you move.

There is a very wide span of “what fits” within a single garment. For a knit shirt using a stretchy fabric- lets pick cotton spandex with about 75% stretch) you can have up to about 50% negative ease and still move and breath, this would be what most would call “skin tight”. You can also have a few inches of ease for a looser fit, what most would call relaxed or baggy. And within that range, everything technically “fits” because you have enough ease for movement. The rest is up to the designer to create the design ease they have in mind. When the question is asked, “Is it true to size?” it really can’t be answered. It is true to the designer’s intended fit with the amount of ease they drafted into the garment. Whether it is how much ease you prefer personally for that garment depends on if your personal preference is the same as the intended fit. I’m always surprised to see someone post in our FB group “this is huge” or “it’s too tight”, I try very hard to show intended fit through listing pictures, use the best describing words in the listing and give a good description in the tutorial along with the measurements. But, what one person with the exact same measurements and fabric choice finds “too snug” another might describe as “huge”. It’s all personal preference!

Lets think about what a big range that is… I’m going to go down to 30% negative ease since this is a pretty tight standard athletic/swim amount of ease, most clothes wont be tighter unless we’re going to add in compression fit/slimming undergarments. I will do hips at 40 (top end of the medium). So you could easily have a well drafted pant pattern with a finished full hip measurement of anywhere from 28″ all the way to 45″ depending on the intended fit and suggested fabrics. Most knit pants can easily range from 28″-42″ depending on the kind of knit they’re drafted for.

Woven pants don’t have quite the range, since you take away the option of having negative ease and using stretch for the movement ease needed. But, A woven pant for a 40″ full hip can still range from about 42″ up to 46″ depending on the intended look of the design. We very often get the question if you can sew a knit pattern with a woven non stretch fabric. The answer is mostly no. Most knit patterns depend on the stretch of the fabric to give some, if not all, of that movement ease you HAVE to have for your body to comfortably move, bend, breathe, get the garment on and off, etc. If you would like to know how much wearing ease you need to get the slimmest possible woven garment there are ways to measure that. For your full hip you can place the measuring tape around your full hip-mine is about 40″. Keep the tape carefully in place, but loosen your grip at the front. Very slowly sit down, or bend/squat. You will notice that the tape will pull and need more room. This is called your “sitting spread”. Lovely name right 😉 , but it is how much you “spread” when you sit/squat. You need this much ease or extra fabric around your hip in any woven garment to be able to move comfortably. There are tighter dresses out there with less ease there, but you aren’t sitting cross legged on the floor in that tight woven pencil skirt. You probably aren’t even sitting comfortably in it. The hip is the easiest measurement to check your ease need. But, the same concept can be a check for bust, arms, thighs, etc. putting the tape measurer around and moving and breathing, letting the tape slide to the biggest range you use while moving. If you check this sitting/moving measurement against the finished measurements of the pattern you will know if you can use a non-stretch fabric and still move comfortably.

I did a quick video about measuring your needed “wearing ease” here:

A designer’s job is to choose how much ease they want for a certain intended fit and look. Lets take one of my patterns The Pumpkin Spice Dolman. It is a looser cut with a quite a lot of ease through the bust and about 0 ease at the full hip. I intended it to be a loose, slouchy fit and works best with fabric that has a soft drape. Some might find the design ease I added too much if they don’t like the loose, slouchy look. It doesn’t mean the pattern “runs big” since that is exactly the amount of ease intended for the look I was after. It just means you prefer a tighter fit that intended.

A slimmer cut shirt like the Slim Fit Raglan or Layer Me Up has negative ease at the best and less ease through the body. Again, this doesn’t mean the pattern “runs small” it is meant to be smaller and tighter as designed.

Lets take another pattern, this time a fitted one, the Peg Legs. The Pegs are a traditional tight fit legging with negative ease. The standard ease used in athletic wear is usually 20-30%. The Pegs are right in the middle through legs and up at the higher end at 30% at full hip and high hip. Since they do not have elastic I preferred the tighter end of normal to help them from inching down. We’ve seen them compared to others with less negative ease and neither are wrong, just a different preference on how fitted the designer had in mind.

Now lets talk about how you can use this knowledge to your advantage in sewing for yourself! Once you understand ease and fabric choices you can essentially make the perfect garment fit you every time before even cutting! WHAT? I know, amazing right? Now, this doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something you will come to learn about your preferences over time and experimenting. But, the more you pay attention to both your fabric choices and the design ease the faster you will get there!

Take all the clothes you love and look at them, study them! For that matter take the ones that you think are a little tight or loose too. How much ease does it have to your body? On the bust, waist, hip? What fabric is it made out of (this doesn’t have to be exact, but “thin and drapey or thick and stable categories work well). Now you can apply this to your sewing choices. You will learn if you like a looser fit with those thinner drapey knits- or a tighter fit with those. Maybe you tend to always love thicker stable knits with you do have a more fitted garment. Whatever you find in your “research” try to apply that to your pattern, fabric, size choices. If you know you tend to like at least 2″ of ease at your waist you can know if you want to grade in or out at a waist on any t-shirt pattern. Maybe you only like knit pants with some negative ease on the booty… When you open up a new knit pant pattern you can pick your size off that finished measurement chart and know for certain you’ll like the fit on the booty. If you are just beginning it’s something you will want to make an effort to pay attention to. Eventually it will become second nature 🙂 You’ll be able to open up a new pattern and know just how to use it to create YOUR OWN intended fit if you happen to not love the designer’s intended fit.

Sleeves and Their Wrinkles

March 28, 2017

I’ve scrolled past the question or remark about wrinkling around armpits a ton in sewing groups. I’m here to talk about the #1 cause of armpit wrinkle on the sleeves.

It’s easier to understand why we have wrinkles around the armpit when we know how the sleeve was drafted. Different sleeve types are drafted differently.

Dolman sleeves are also drafted so that there are no wrinkles when we have our arms lifted horiztonally.

Raglan sleeves are drafted so that there are little to no wrinkles when your arms are lifted.

Set in sleeves on knit tees are drafted so that there are no wrinkles when our arms are at a diagonal.

Okay, so what does that mean? When your arms are in other positions than the ones the sleeves are drafted for there will always be wrinkles/extra fabric/pulling. Lets see a few real life picture examples!

Dolman: Shown here: The Sweet Tee Others we have in the shop are: The Pumpkin Spice Dolman and CoCoon Cardigan

Arms up (almost horizontal– I don’t stand with my arms straight out too much for pictures ;)): very little wrinkling or extra fabric and if my arm was up slightly more horizontal it would go away completely.

Arms Down: All the extra fabric is now “bunched”up under my arm when I put them down.

Arms Up:

Arms Down: in this more stable cotton spandex you can really see the difference!

Raglan: Shown here in the pink and grey: Slim Fit Raglan , Shown here in the black and leopard: Relaxed Raglan , and Shown here in youth: Jolly Roger Raglan

Arm Up: (almost horizontal).

Arms Down:

Arms Up: (again it was near impossible to find one all the way up/out but this is close!)

Arms Down:

Arms Raised: higher than horizontal. You can see the wrinkling move from under the arm to on top, it is being pulled since it is higher than the raglan sleeve is drafted at.

And another raglan set courtesy of my Little Guy 🙂

Arms Up: although it’s a close up, you can see his hands are on his hips-so not fully horizontal, but close!

Arms Down: (that look guys! He’s a sassy one for sure…that doesn’t enjoy modeling for mama 😉 )

Set in Sleeves: Shown here: Sweetheart Dress , Shown here in youth: Henley , Shown here: fit picture from testing the upcoming youth tee 🙂 , and also in the shop we have Grandpa Cardigan , Wingman Shirt , Boundless Knit Dress , Buried Treasure Tunic , High Low Tide Top

Arms Diagonal:

One Arm Down and One Arm Extended Up: see the wrinkles are in different spots. My arm that is down creates wrinkle under the armpit area. My arm that is extended all the way up creates them on top of the shoulder. (Also super crazy face I’m making because it was super windy 😉 ).

Arms Diagonal: the only wrinkling going on here is because I’m pulling my arm to the back (pointing my elbow backwards) unnaturally to try to show off the top.

Arms Down:

Here is a few youth examples of set in sleeves as well!

Arms Diagonal:

Arms Down:

Arms Diagonal:

Arms Down:

Arms Diagonal: (no wrinkling)

Arms Down: (wrinkling at under arm)

Arms Extended Up: (wrinkling above arm/shoulder)

If you’re realizing you have wrinkles at the bust, not sleeve we’ve also blogged about those here!

I hope this helps all you wonderful seamstresses out there creating knit garments and trying to make sure you’re getting the fit right 🙂

Pivot and Slide FBA Method`

June 22, 2016

We get a lot of questions about Full Bust Adjustments. Since I draft for a true hourglass, curvy figure lots of our ladies have bigger busts. So here is a quick and easy method for knit tops if you need a FBA.

Do you need a FBA?

I see a FBA suggested A LOT in sewing groups, even though it’s not always the problem/solution for ladies (Especially for a P4P pattern that already drafts for a bigger bust.)

So, how do you know? I began putting both upper/over bust and full bust in my measurement charts to help! (Need a refresher on these measurement terms? Here is our How to Measure Yourself post explaining them.)

If your upper bust is a size smaller than your full bust- you need a FBA. If you don’t have those measurements on your pattern then you will have a neckline and shoulder fitting too large when choosing your size from your full bust measurement.

I do NOT advise “choosing your size based on your upper bust measurement” and doing a FBA for that many inches. Indie patterns like mine are much more “true to size” than traditional paper patterns that tend to have a lot more ease built into them. With traditional paper patterns it is often very easy to size down 1-2 sizes on them and still have enough wearing ease. Most indie patterns are not drafted with that much extra ease. I draft my patterns right from that measurement chart meaning if I picked my size based on my upper bust (34.5) I would choose a size small, but I don’t need a small! Both my upper and full bust fit into a medium on the full size chart. I do not need a small with a FBA becuase my frame/upper body isn’t a small. It’s a medium 🙂 This is why I began adding the upper bust measurement into my patterns, to take out that guess work when I saw this recommendation quite a lot. And while it might work well for those traditional paper patterns with more ease- I do not suggest using this method for P4P patterns-or most indie patterns in general.

Here is my size chart with both upper/over bust and full bust.

Got some wrinkles on the full bust area? A FBA is NOT always the answer 🙂 There are a lot of other reasons you might have some wrinkling there!

Both raglan and dolman style sleeves will naturally have some wrinkling there. No matter who that pattern designer is, who is wearing it, fabric choice, or even gender wearing it! The drafting of these two sleeves lay flat when arms are out, which means when arms are down it naturally creates some wrinkling in the armpit area. No biggie 😉

Length is the armsyce is another reason one might have some gaping or pulling. If you are shorter or taller then the height the pattern is drafted for (P4P drafts for average 5’5″), or if you happen to have a different proportion there. You might need to adjust the length of your pattern from the top of shoulder to the armpit rather than needing a FBA. This is difficult to tell just from a picture. It is however much easier in person to see. If you’re not sure try pinching at the shoulder seam to take out some length if you think it might be too long. If it is too short you will feel like the entire shoulder area is too tight and that armpit seam will be up touching your armpit too tightly. For both it is easy to see if you try on the shirt prior to putting the sleeves in. If it is a tank, remember the bands will pull the armysce in though.

Here my lovely tester and model has a little wrinkling because she is a bit shorter than the drafted height. She would benefit from taking just a touch of length from the armsyce.

Here my lovely tester would benefit from the opposite, a bit more length in the armsyce.

You might have some issues with fit through the armsyce and bust if you are wide chested/through the upper back. You would find your upper bust measurement in a bigger size than your full bust. You would need a Small Bust Adjustment (follow the same method just pivoting and tracing to the smaller full bust size).

Here is a gorgeous tester of mine who has begun to trace off a size larger through the neckline and shoulders and adjust down to her smaller bust. This is prior to doing so. You can see it is a bit tight across her shoulders and upper chest area. but fits well in her full bust.

The last reason you might be having fit issues through the bust is not using the appropriate fabric for the top. If your pattern suggest 50% and you sew up a cotton jersey with only 20% you might have pulling at the chest. The opposite problem would be using a very stretchy fabric like a lightweight rayon spandex with a lot of horizontal and vertical stretch making the armsyce droop lower or even gape.

Here I am in the exact same size, but the feathers are a more stable cotton jersey with very little stretch and the grey is a rayon spandex with a ton of stretch and drape. The armsyce is an 1-1.5″ lower in the drapey, stretchy rayon spandex.

One more thing I see sometimes is the drag lines from bust to waist. This is something you will get naturally with an hourglass figure. You have a large difference from your full bust to waist. If your shirt/dress is semi-fitted then you will see those drags pulling into that smaller measurement at the waist. This isn’t asking for a FBA, it’s asking for a dart 🙂 But, most knit shirts don’t have darts, just curves along the side seams. You can’t get as drastic of a change from full bust to waist without a dart. But that’s okay! It’s the nature of a semi-fitted knit top. It doesn’t mean it is ill-fitting. Here are some pictures showing those drag lines, but I have room for my bust and the armsyces are fitting perfectly for my frame. My side seams aren’t pulling drastically to the front of my body on my bustline and it isn’t too tight across my back at the bustline. I don’t need a FBA for my patterns (yay! I do need them on patterns drafted for a more rectangular figure like traditional paper patterns! Just one reason why I love drafting for a curvy figure).

Okay, now if you’re still with me 😉 and you need a FBA here is my favorite, quick and easy method for a knit top. This only adds a bit of width right at the bust. It doesn’t add length. For most women and most knit tops this is sufficient. If you have 2 sizes difference in your upper and full bust you might also add some length to the front center at the bust line and ease it back into the side seam (making the front center curve down). To give your bust some extra length as well.

Here is one of my favorite testers. She has a smaller size upper bust than full bust. Here she did not do a FBA. You can see she has a bit of pulling pointed right to the apex of her full bust. She is your classic case of needing a FBA 🙂 Her side seam will be pulling towards the front of her body instead of laying more evenly along her side.

Here is the “Pivot and Slide FBA Method”:

Step 1: Choose your sizes based off the measurement chart.

Step 2: Pivot

Step 3: Trace

Step 4: Slide back

Now you have a new armsyce that goes wider at the bust, but the same smaller neckline/shoulder fit as the smaller size.

I hope this helps those out there needing this fit adjustment! Once you’ve got it down it really is a very quick and easy method to adding a bit more room for the ladies 🙂

P4P University:: Grading Sizes

June 20, 2016

Patterns for Pirates grades to a true curvy, hourglass, 5’5″ frame. Often times, one’s measurements may not fit within one size for bust, waist, and hip and in order to keep the intended fit of the garment, grading sizes is needed. Is it always necessary to grade sizes? No, but depending on the fit and ease of the item, it may be worth taking the extra step to custom fit it to your measurements. Unsure if you want to grade? Check out the Shirt Fits Explained post and our post about Ease as they may help you decide if you are comfortable with a different fit. For some of the looser cut tops like the Everyday Elegance and Relaxed Raglan, grading up a size for the waist is likely, not necessary as they are straight cuts from the bust down. But a top like the Layer Me Up, that is very fitted to the body would fit the best if graded to your measurements/size. Be sure to measure yourself prior to sewing! Our measurements tend to fluctuate without us really noticing, so I try to measure myself every couple of weeks to be sure I am still sewing the same size my measurements put me. Not sure where to measure? Read this: How to Measure Yourself. Below is the size chart for reference.

Now that you have determined your size and if you’d like to grade, how do you do it? Below are a few examples of grading for a larger waist and hip size. Any adjustments should be made to both the FRONT and BACK pieces. Do not be discouraged if your measurements put you within different or larger sizes than ready-to-wear store-bought clothes as pattern sizing does not translate the same. Our bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and we are all uniquely beautiful. The beauty of sewing for oneself is the ability to create an item custom fit to you.

Still need help or have more questions about P4P patterns? Join us over in the P4P Facebook Group and get to sharing!

Different Fabric, Different Fit!

May 22, 2016

Fabric choice can really make or break a garment. Not just the color or pattern, but the kind of fabric you use.

I remember begging my mom to sew a pattern intended for knits with a woven, or a flowy top with ponte roma… of course she would try to explain that it wouldn’t work, but the begging continued!

It’s not until you use the WRONG fabric that you really understand using a fabric other than what is suggested in a pattern that you’re going to alter the final outcome. It will fit and look different than intended. I almost feel like it’s a right of passage to make a few mistakes with fabric choice to really understand how important it can be! But, I will try to help you out before you make those mistakes 😉

There are TONS of fabric types out there… I mean A LOT… too many for most seamstresses to remember. But if you can familiarize yourself with what the fabric will look like made up (how it will drape and fit) then you can really help yourself when picking fabrics for a project. Feeling fabric for the amount of stretch, thickness and drape will help you pair it with the right pattern. Once you get to know the fabrics you like, you can more easily order them online for a bigger variety.

I have sewn up the exact same pattern in the same size, modeled on the same body to help show how different weights and fabric types can affect the fit and look of a garment.

I sewed up a ton of the new P4P release, the Sweet Tee, because it is such an easy, quick sew and has a semi-fitted silhouette so it can take a wide range of stretch and be wearable. So, here we go!

I will start with the fabrics with the most drape. Drape is a term meaning how the fabric falls to the body when worn. Fabrics with soft drape will be fluid and drape towards your body. Think looser fits. They will fall beautifully, and still show off your curves without needing to be tight at all. This is my FAVORITE kind of fabric for myself. I love a little looser fit with a drapey fabric. It means I can feel comfortable (not sucking in all day ;)) with a looser fit, but still not look sloppy or like I’m wearing baggy clothes- I still want to show my curves a little to be flattering. But, this is a very personal preference of course! My sister prefers more stable knits for her tees usually. Think about what shirts/garments you like and how that fabric feels and drapes and it will help you understand what you prefer!

Slub Jersey. One of my favorites to work with, it doesn’t have a ton of stretch (which makes cutting and assembling a bit easier), but has drape because it is thin and lightweight. It is light and airy to wear, but doesn’t cling and show off every lump and bump. Another fabric that fits in here would be a lightweight poly/cotton jersey blend :).

Very thin sweater knit on beige and a lightweight rayon spandex on back. You can see on both these that they drape under my bust towards my body/waist showing off curves. The loose-ness around the hips doesn’t look flared, but just relaxed. Both are a little harder to work with during cutting and assembling. The very thin sweater knit usually needs some extra support in the seams baring any weight (like shoulder seams). You can use a clear elastic to reinforce them so they don’t stretch out with wear. The rayon spandex blends are one of my all time favorites as well- I used to want my mom to make me every thing in it 😉 . It has a slinkier feel because it has such a soft drape and can be difficult to fold on grain and cut without some movement. Rayon blends are also notorious for being “clingy”, because they drape so much they also tend to show lumps and bumps you might now want to show. So, I tend to pick rayon blends for a looser fit I know has plenty of room to not cling. Or a tight fit I know will be showing off everything anyways.

Tissue Jersey on front and rayon spandex blend on back. The tissue jersey is a bit of mix, it is not at stretchy and fluid as the others, but so lightweight that is still has some good drape. But the very thin fabric also showed my bra line a bit in front there as well, so you take the good with the bad sometimes with the thin stuff ;). I like the light airy feel of tissue jersey living in a hot climate.

ITY Knit– Ity knit is a poly blend that is knitted to have a smooth face, soft drape and lots of stretch. It’s commonly used in RTW for maxi dress and skirts b/c its flows so nicely. It tends to not be as “clingy” as a rayon blend and usually a little thicker weights (although all fabrics can be found in different weights). I like an Ity knit, especially for a nicer look. When I taught kinder and wore more professional attire Ity was a great, comfortable fabric that looks a bit dressed up even with a simple tee silhouette.

On to the sweater knits! I love a sweater knit for fall, winter and even early spring! Most sweater knits have good drape, especially light to medium weight sweater knits. They tend to be thicker than a rayon spandex and might do better if you’re worried about the thin fabric showing/clinging to any lumps/bumps/bra lines.

This is a very light weight sweater knit with almost an open weave. Again, a tad see through, I will wear this one with a cami under after seeing the pictures ;). But the looser weave also feels a little looser in fit, so putting on a cami under doesn’t make it feel too tight for me.

Light weight hacci sweater knit. Again, you can see it drapes under the bust towards the waist for a flattering silheoutte. This sweater knit is plenty thick for me to not worry about having to wear a layer under as well and a bit more comfortable that it doeesn’t show quite as much detail on lumps and bumps too.

Medium weight sweater knit. This is a super soft ribbed sweater knit- It has tons of stretch and drape. As you can see it looks a bit looser because it has so much stretch and drape. I love this for a cozy sweater-I can’t wait to wear it in the fall (here in the hot south we’re already way past sweater weather!) Even though it is a thicker weight it does show my bra lines b/c it’s so drapey.

Medium weight sweater knit. This feels like an acrylic blend (it was bought from a LA detash page- so I’m guessing on content) so it has a little more body to it and doesn’t drape quite as well as the other sweater knits. It also feels a little tighter, because it doesn’t have quite as much stretch as the others. You can see it still drapes on my deeper curves (like my sway back) but goes more straight down from my bust rather then draping under.

Onto more stable knits 🙂

Cotton Spandex/Cotton Lycra. Lycra is a name brand of spandex, so they are essentially the same fabric (much like tissue is to kleenex). This has good stretch and recovery with the spandex in it, but has much more body. Meaning it will not drape towards your body, but stick out more stiff and hold it’s own shape. I prefer to use cotton spandex on tighter fits, since there is no need for drape. I find it not very flattering on a looser fit because it doesn’t drape under bust as well and will feel a bit tighter due to the thicker, more stable feel. A lot of seamstress love this fabric because it is easy to find in great prints and a wide variety of colors, as well as a bit easier to work with because it is thicker. And I love it for youth, but not for myself. If we can all gang up on the knit companies to print their amazing customs on fabric with more drape I’ll sign the petitions 😉 I just can’t feel great in most cotton spandex shirts. I didn’t even hem this one because I knew it would quickly be cut up into something for baby girl! With that said, my sister likes a cotton spandex tee because she doesn’t like her fabric to drape to her waistline/under her bust. She prefers the more stable knit. Again, all personal prefence and learning to pair it with the right pattern for yourself!

Stretch French Terry. This is a medium weight french terry with good horizontal stretch. French terry is a very popular fabric right now, and I share the love of it! But when using french terry you need to be aware that it doesn’t have great drape. As you can see, it doesn’t fall under the bust to the body, but straight down. And my sway back pooling is much more obvious. It feels tighter on as well even though it has some stretch because it is thicker. Now there are some with rayon in the blend which helps give it drape. But most french terrys are much more stable on the knit spectrum and do better as something that needs a thicker, more stable fabric like pants, shorts, jackets, sweatshirts, etc… I added a cowl on this one for a fall/winter look since french terry is a thicker, warmer fabric.

Liverpool. This is also a very popular fabric right now. It is a poly spandex blend with high horizontal stretch and a texture on the right side. It has a feeling close to scuba/techno/neoprene. It is a more stable knit without much drape. This is better suited for something that needs stretch and stability, like a tighter dress, pencil skirt, ect. It does not have good drape, as you can see it goes straight down from my bust instead of falling toward my body under towards my waist. It also makes the tiny “wings” on the dolman very bulky/poofy. I was sad to cut into this gorgeous liverpool for this example, because I knew it wasn’t a great match for this pattern-but for the good blog post I did it!!! I hopefully still have enough for something that does work well with it! It is also all polyester, so it doesn’t breathe well. So, for me in TX I can only handle a thick poly knit during winter months.

Ponte Roma would also belong in this high stretch, but more stable category. It is a poly, rayon, spandex blend and is great for the same things: tighter dresses, pencil skirts, pants, etc.

Pictures coming soon!

Cotton Jersey. This is a thinner cotton jersey. It doesn’t have a lot of stretch or recovery since there is no spandex in it. It doesn’t have great drape. This is thinner cotton jersey so it has a touch of drape just because it is thin, but anything medium weight is considered more a “t-shirt jersey” without much drape or stretch at all (think traditional t-shirts). I like this best for boys and men. I don’t love drape on a man usually, they’re shirts are cut straight and they are meant to hang pretty straight as well (Unless they have some amzing abs to show off 😉 ). For myself though I don’t love cotton jersey, but I do use it for a traditional t-shirt style from time to time. Notice is looks and feels tighter because it has very little stretch. it also sticks out from bust and booty instead of draping towards body. I have a sway back, which I didn’t alter for here (you can see the pooling of fabric on my lower back) and it is much more obvious in a stable knit then a soft, drapey knit. So if you’re still learning to perfectly alter for your body shape more stable knits are less forgiving to those alterations you may need, including full bust adjustments. I do have some tees in a jersey I love though, I like to pair it with something only semi-fitted throughout the whole body so it doesn’t feel too tight on my chest and doesn’t miss the drape on a looser area.

From top- the more stretch and drape the looser and more flowy it will look – to the bottom–the more stable and less stretch will be more stiff and tighter feeling garment. Keeping this general rule in your mind when pairing fabric to patterns will help you decide what will give you the best look and fit!

This isn’t even close to all the fabric choices that are out there, but I tried to include the most popular knits I see in the shops and being asked about in the P4P group on a daily basis! I hope it helps you when picking fabric to pair with a pattern for the perfect look and outcome!

And remember that practice makes perfect- so if you make a few garments with the wrong fabric choice, use it as a great learning experience and know you’re a better/more knowledgeable seamstress after that mistake 😉

How to Measure Yourself

February 8, 2016

One of the most important things in sewing for yourself is to get accurate measurements! It is also much harder than it sounds. I had my sister take a few quick pictures of me measuring so I could explain and give a few tips.

I took my pictures in a tight tank. I recommend taking your measurements in a thin/tight shirt or even just in the bra you are going to normally wear. (This is especially important if you are going to be making a more formal garment and plan on wearing a different bra for it- think strapless, push up, etc).

I HIGHLY recommend measuring in front of a mirror! This helps you really see where you are measuring and if you are holding it evenly around your body. It can mean a big difference!

On all measurements breath normally! Most people want to take a big breathe in and then take them— no need! Patterns are drafted with ease to breathe and move normally 🙂 So breathe in and out, then measure. You want to hold the tape snug to your body, but not squeezing.

Here are some common measurements needed for a pattern:

Bust— Full bust is around the fullest/biggest part of your bust. You want the tape as even horizontally as possible.

Over Bust– This is taken around upper back, under arms and over your bust.

Under Bust– This is taken directly under your bust around back. Try to keep your tape as even horizontally as possible.

High Hip– This is taken around your hip bones (this is where I like to wear my pants 😉 and most youth patterns are drafted to hit)

Hip– This is a deceiving name. It is measured around your fullest/biggest part, which is usually your booty. Most definitely my booty is my biggest part 😉 Try to keep your tape as even horizontally as possible (a mirror really helps on this one!)

Waist– This is your natural waistline. Contrary to most belief, it is NOT your belly button or where you wear your pants (even though you might like high waisted pants). It is taken at the smallest part of your mid section. if you don’t have a very defined natural waist there is a very easy way to find it.

Take any kind of stretch trim, fold over elastic, thin elastic, even a strip of knit will work, and tie it snuggly around your mid section. Now MOVE around, bend walk around, sit down, it will naturally settle on your smallest part.

This is your natural waist 🙂

Side Waist Length– Taken from your armpit vertically down to your natural waist. This measurement is vital in any pattern that should hit as your natural waist like the Sweetheart Dress or Boundless Knit Dress. Making sure this measurement is accurate will give you the most flattering fit. If the seam doesn’t hit you at that smallest point then you’re not using it to your advantage 😉

You can see here mine is about 8.75″. For reference the avg is 8″. I’m 5’10” :).

*Updated* I had a few more questions about the side waist length. So I’ve added a couple more pictures— THIS is how much I LOVE my group, I’m willing to put up pictures in my sports bra 4 months after I had a baby!!!! They are cropped very well 😉

Start with your arms DOWN. You want your tape to start where your crease naturally lies— not all the up to your arm. Think where you’d like your shirt to be (if it’s all the way up as tight as possible then it is uncomfortable and you can’t move your arms around).

This was such a hard picture to get! But here are the best we could get to explain… yes, I taped the tape to myself lol!!!

Thigh- Taken around thigh close to crotch, keeping the measuring tape flat horizontally around.

Total Crotch Length- Taken from back center natural waist, under booty, through legs, and up to center front natural waist. You will want the tape pulled taut. The easiest way I think is to tape the center back and then pull through front and read at the front. These are measured with tight, high waisted yoga pants here:

Inseam- Taken from crotch to where you’d like hem of pants. Notice the close up of my ankle here. The difference between ankle height (for skinny leg options like Peg Legs and SOS pants) and a floor length is 3″ on me! That’s a big difference!

Arm length-from armpit to hem of shirt. Most P4P patterns are meant to hit at the base of thumb, so past the wrist. It’s just a personal preference of mine– so if you prefer the traditional wrist length here is where you’d want to measure against the finished measurement in the pattern.

Finished lengths- I will use “inside shoulder to hem” on some shirts and “armpit to hem” on others depending on which is easiest to measure on that particular pattern. Here are both:

Take your time measuring yourself to ensure great fit! It will make a big difference in how happy you are with the outcome!

P4P Shirt fits Explained

December 13, 2015

I get asked a lot how the different P4P shirt pattterns compare fit wise.

So to help those visual people (most of us sewing/creative types are!), I created a little line drawing with the hourglass figure in each shirt.

Remember, P4P is designed for an hourglass figure; so if you have a different body type you will have a different fit unless you follow your measurements and grade between the sizes you are.

Also, “hips” are the widest part of you- usually your booty. So while looking at the line drawings, remember that the widest part is really the booty!

Here is the quick line drawing:

And for more quick overview here I am in every P4P shirt. I was a solid medium at the time of all pictures unless noted.

Layer Me Up: Tight fit through arms and body meant to be layered under other garments. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: Knits with lots of stretch (70% more are my favorite) cotton spandex, rayon spandex, and liverpool knit.

Cross my Heart Cami: Fitted through bust and a closefit through waist and hips. This is a medium here.

Favorite Fabrics: Cotton spandex, rayon spandex, jerseys, poly blends, ity, brushed poly and ribbed knit all work well.

The Basic Tee: Fitted through bust and a semi-fit through waist and close at hips. This is a small/medium here.

Favorite Fabrics: Jerseys, tri-blends, double brushed poly, rayon spandex, cotton spandex, poly blends, ity, ribbed knit, sweater knits all work well.

Essential Tank: Fitted through bust and a close semi-fit through waist and hips. This is a medium here.

Favorite Fabrics: Jerseys, rayon spandex, cotton spandex, poly blends, ity and ribbed knit all work well.

Women’s Henley: Fitted through bust and semi-fitted through waist and hips. (I don’t have many of these since it was drafted and released when I was pregnant 🙂 I made a medium here, but my bust and waist were bigger right after baby girl arrived!)

Favorite Fabrics: thermals, medium weight sweater knits, cotton jerseys, and rayon spandex.

Boyfriend V Neck: Semi-fitted through bust, waist and hips. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: I like to use a cotton jersey, interlock, medium weight sweater knit for a more fitted look. For a looser/slub feel I go for rayon spandex.

Slim Fit Raglan: Fitted at bust and arms, semi-fitted at waist and hips.

Favorite Fabrics: Medium weight sweater knit, rayon spandex blends, cotton spandex, stretch french terry, slub jersey.

Women’s Raglan: Loose fit through bust and waist, semi-fitted at hips- straight cut. Loose on arms. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: More stable knits like french terry, sweatshirt, fleece, interlock, and ponte roma.

(PS- I have a light pink undershirt under the lace one! I didn’t realize that was a mistake until after the pictures! lol)

Favorite Tee: this is fitted at bust and semi-fitted through waist and hip. The side vent hem can give you even more relaxed fit through hip.

Favorite Fabics: You have a pretty wide range of knits you can use on this shirt. I prefer a flowly, drapey knit for the curved hem option like rayon spandex, modal, poly jerseys, ITY. For the banded hem option I love something with a little more structure like a rayon french terry and poly jerseys. The side vent hem can use either of these and look great. For the dress length I prefer something more structured again like double brushed poly, cotton spandex, rayon french terry.

Sweet Tee: this is a slimmed dolman with very small “bat wings” under the arms. It is fitted at bust and semi-fitted through waist and hips.

Favorite Fabics: light to medium weight knits, although it has very small “bat wings” I still strongly prefer a soft drape for any dolman so that your “wings” aren’t puffy 😉 I used tissue jersey, slub jersey, light and medium weight sweater knits, and rayon spandex for my favorites.

Tulip Tee: this is a boxy, relaxed fit dolman. Semi-fitted at bust and hip, but a straighter cut through waist. Although it’s not straight, it is still very loose through waist. The plain option will feel and fit tighter at the waist and hip than the tulip option, which will naturally swing open for a looser feel.

Favorite Fabics: light to medium weight knits. I prefer a soft drape for any dolman so that your “wings” aren’t puffy 😉 I used mostly rayon/modal/ blends for mine personally. I love it in a soft sweater knit for fall/winter as well. You could use a slub knit, poly blend, triblend, ITY all as well.

Pumpkin Spice Dolman: oversized/loose fit through upper arms, bust and waist. Semi-fitted on hips. Tight fit on lower arms. (Medium in the navy/grey and Large in the others- I hit those measurements at the time of sewing/pictures :))

Favorite Fabrics: I like fabric with good drape for this one. Rayon spandex blends, sweater knits (both medium and lighter work), thinner slub jerseys, french terry with rayon in the blend, and ity.

Free Spirit Tank: Fitted at bust, drastic a-line out to give loose fit through waist and hips. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: I like fabric with good stretch and drape for this one. Rayon spandex blends, sweater knits and thinner slub jersey.

Sporty Piko: A very loose, straight cut from the short sleeve juncture. It is loose throughout the body with relaxed sleeves as well.

Favorite Fabrics: It really depends on the look you’re wanting for this one! I love a french terry for the hoodie options, but for an everyday tee it must have a very soft drape. You can use various fabrics depending on how boxy you want the shirt to appear- the more stable the fabric the boxier it will look worn.

Brunch Blouse: Fitted at bust, curves in only a touch at waist, loose on hips.

Favorite Fabrics: Rayon challis, crepe, anything with a softer drape.

Everyday Elegance: Loose fit through bust and waist- straight cut to hips. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: I like fabrics with lots of drape for this one like peach skin, chiffon, rayon challis.

How to Sew “ready to wear” looking Jeans/Denim

June 13, 2015

Jeans can be an intimidating sewing task, but they really aren’t that difficult and it is so great to have well fitting jeans for you or your little ones! No more plumbers crack when bending down!!!!! 😉

With my recent release of the Cpt. Comfort Jeans I wanted to post about how to distress your new denim to look more like ready to wear jeans! I personally LOVE the distressed look! Although a super clean dark denim can look nice as a “dressy” pair of jeans like here:

But for everyday, I just love the little distressed look… something about looking like Daddy gets me every time with my little guy!

So, lets get started on those great store bought look jeans!

You really MUST use a top-stitching thread for all your top-stiching if you want store bought look… I scoffed at my Mom the first time she told me it was a must… BUT she was right, like always!!

You will use this heavier/thicker weight top-stitching thread in the top only and for top-stitching only. You will use regular thread in the bobbin and for all seams sewing the jeans together– yep, you have to rethread a lot ;). But it is absolutely worth it if you want ready to wear looking jeans! I promise!

You will also NEED a bigger needle designed for heavy weight fabric like denim or you will be breaking needles on those thick belt loops!… here is a single and double needle:

Now, I only have one machine, so there is A LOT of switching threads and needles if I use the double needle. So, I will often just sew two lines with my single needle instead of switching to my double needle 😉

Now for the distressing, you will need some sandpaper! To be honest, I’m not sure the BEST kind of sandpaper to use… I asked my husband if he had some and used whatever he handed me 😉 Here is a shot of the kind I happen to use!

The trick to distressing your denim is to do at WHILE you’re sewing the jeans! If you try to do it before it’s hard to gauge where the distressing needs to be. If you do if after you’ve top-stitched them then you will be breaking your top-stitching threads (ask me how I know that one 😉 ) see left top pocket with it’s broken threads :/ oops!

So, I suggest sewing the jeans together with your normal thread, then distressing with sandpaper before you top-stitch. Here is my patch pocket sewn, turned right sides out, and distressed along the edges (and any other places I fancied at the moment). Then I top-stitched.

Some areas are harder to distress before topstitching like back pockets, belt loops, any piece that you are top-stitching closed or onto the jean. But I still follow the same steps. I just fold and press, distress, then top-stitch onto the back piece.

So have fun with a little distressing or A LOT! lol! I like a lot 😉 I end up with a mound of blue fuzz all my sewing room by the time I’m done!

Last is the button! I love to use “real” jeans buttons- and honestly, I always have been lucky enough to take them from my loving mother’s stash! But they are very easy to put on, just line up the two parts and hammer away! Yep, you’ll have sandpaper and a hammer in your sewing room for jeans!!

I’ve always used snaps, which are very common on ready to wear for younger children 🙂