Q & A series — In the Folds

Printed patterns are not available for purchase through our website at this time. To purchase one, checkout our stockist list.

Q&A - patternmaking

ISSUE 149 - RESOURCES FOR PLUS SIZE SEWING

THE Q & A SERIES

Resources for plus size sewists

Hi again,

Could you talk more about your process of expanding your size range? It's really exciting to see your sizing expand!

A common challenge for plus size sewing is a huge lack of resources around how to draft patterns for larger sizes. It seems this is a problem on an industry level in fashion, schools, etc, as well as for home sewists and indie pattern companies.

Clearly knowledge exists, as clothing and patterns have been made in larger sizes. And more and more RTW and home sewing companies are putting out more sizes.

As far as I am aware, there is no book or central resource explaining how to draft larger sizes. As far as I can tell, it seems like indie sewing companies either have people who have figured out their own plus size block / drafting system and/or have access to industry biometric data. But this assumes they either have specialised knowledge already or access to professional resources that are not available to the average home sewist. Ie. it seems like there's a bit of an information desert.

Did you run into this challenge finding useful information in your size expansion process? Did you come across any useful resources? I am so curious about the process.

Thanks kindly,

Claire

Note: This is the second part of my answer to Claire’s questions. You can read part one here.

Hi Claire, 

Unfortunately, you’re right - there isn’t a lot of information about drafting patterns for larger sizes that’s easily accessible for the home sewist. As I mentioned in the part one of my answer, there’s not even much that’s easily accessible for pattern designers! 

The indie pattern design industry has significantly contributed to expanding the available resources, so hopefully in time there will be more. In the meantime, here’s what I recommend.

CREATE A PATTERN CAPSULE

The concept of a pattern capsule is one that really excites us at In the Folds, and is part of the foundation of our monthly project subscription, Curated by ITF. 

Similar to a capsule wardrobe, a pattern capsule is where you have a small number of base patterns that you fit to your specific body shape and measurements and then adapt to your taste and style to create new designs.

If you select a pattern from a company that has drafted their patterns specifically for plus sizes, there will be less work for you to do in creating your pattern block. The main thing to remember when looking for a pattern to use as a base is that the pattern must fit you. It may not fit you perfectly straight out of the packet or off the printer (which is the case for most humans), but you don’t want to be grading up or amending issues with the pattern that are unrelated to fit. 

If you’re interested in finding base patterns to start with, this list will be helpful:

  • We recently extended our pattern sizes to a hip measurement of 184cm (72.5”) and are releasing all our new patterns in this extended size range. We are also working to update our whole portfolio to include the new size range, but you can view what’s available now here.

  • The Curvy Sewing Collective have collated a list of plus size pattern makers and also have a fantastic list of resources for pattern adjustments, fitting tips and pattern reviews. 

  • Jess, from Broad in the Seams has a list of plus size patterns. 

  • The Fat Friendly Pattern Club has a list of beginner friendly patterns. 

  • Muna and Broad patterns are specifically drafted for plus size sewists.

Printed page from the Barkly skirt Fit Kit.

LEARN HOW TO FIT GARMENTS

Learning to fit our own clothes might be daunting at first, but the great thing is that we often need the same adjustments with each garment we sew. So, once you’ve identified the alterations you need to make it gets easier! 

For example, you may find for your body measurements and shape that you need to add length and do a full tummy adjustment, so each time you start on a new pattern you know to specifically check these areas first.

Learning how to fit the clothes you’re making doesn’t have to be an ordeal - there’s lots of resources that can help you do this.

To start with, our Fit Kits help identify the adjustments you need to make to a garment, and then show you how to do each one through illustrated tutorials. For example, our Barkly skirt pattern is available in our full size range and has the Barkly skirt Fit Kit that runs through the most common fitting alterations required for skirts.  (I should also mention that although it was created alongside the Barkly skirt pattern, the tutorials can be applied to most skirt patterns.) 

Ahead of the Curve from Cashmerette is a fantastic book that is described as ‘the first sewing book to empower curvy and plus size sewists to feel body confident by sewing a wardrobe that fits.’ It includes lots of photos that help plus-size sewists identify which adjustments they might need to make to a pattern.

Now that you’ve made the fit alterations on the pattern blocks and you don’t have to worry about doing them over and over again each time you sew a new garment I recommend transferring your base patterns onto card for safekeeping, and then you can move on to the fun part - pattern hacking!

Printed page from the Barkly skirt Hack Kit with scissors, notcher and measuring tape.

LEARN HOW TO PATTERN HACK

Learning how to sew is simply a matter of skill-building. You learn and practise one skill, and then once you’ve figured it out, you move onto the next skill. Pattern hacking is no different. Once you’ve learned how to fit clothes, learning how to hack patterns into something new is just the next step! It’s just a matter of finding the resources to support you as you learn the skill (which I realise is the problem we’re addressing, but hear me out!).

The methods for hacking patterns into new designs are basically the same, regardless of the size of the intended wearer. Because of this, plus size sewists can make use of the many free online tutorials related to pattern hacking, including those on the In the Folds website.

Because we want our customers and members to become confident sewists we have also created Hack Kits specifically for some of our patterns. In our Curated by ITF membership, we’ve seen how these pattern hacking resources empower sewists to experiment with a range of styles that they may not have considered before, because they’re supported by a resource they can refer to when they have questions.

For example, our Barkly skit Hack Kit includes a range of different skirt styles with lots of techniques relevant to drafting skirts. The added benefit for our Curated by ITF members is that if/when they hit a snag during this process or need clarification about something, they can ask as many questions as they need in our online community and we (or our very clever and supportive community!) will provide the answers.

Thanks for your questions, Claire. I know you’re not the only person who has been frustrated by the lack of size inclusivity in the sewing industries, so I hope this post helps you find some plus size pattern drafting and fitting resources to support you in your sewing journey. Of course, this support can most definitely be found in our Curated by ITF community.

And if you have any further questions, please leave them in the comments section and we’ll help as much as we can.

Happy sewing,

Emily 

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • More information about our monthly sewing subscription, Curated by ITF, can be found here.

  • Read Part One of this question here - Q&A 148: Our experience in extending our pattern size range.

  • The Barkly skirt pattern, Fit Kit and Hack Kit can be purchased as a bundle here.

  • How to transfer patterns onto card - read the tutorial here.

  • The Curvy Sewing Collective resources can be found here.

  • Broad in the Seams list of plus size patterns can be found here.

  • The Fat Friendly Pattern Club list of beginner friendly sewing patterns can be found here.

  • Muna & Broad plus size patterns can be found here.

  • Ahead of the Curve by Cashmerette can be found here.

  • View all In the Folds patterns currently in available in our extended size range in our new Skills Library here and view our sizing chart here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 148 - OUR EXPERIENCE IN EXTENDING OUR PATTERN SIZE RANGE

Black woman wearing a printed Whitlow robe in brown linen. Text reads: Our experience in extending our pattern size range.

THE Q & A SERIES

Our experience in extending our pattern size range

Hi again,

Could you talk more about your process of expanding your size range? It's really exciting to see your sizing expand!

A common challenge for plus size sewing is a huge lack of resources around how to draft patterns for larger sizes. It seems this is a problem on an industry level in fashion, schools, etc, as well as for home sewists and indie pattern companies.

Clearly knowledge exists, as clothing and patterns have been made in larger sizes. And more and more RTW and home sewing companies are putting out more sizes.

As far as I am aware, there is no book or central resource explaining how to draft larger sizes. As far as I can tell, it seems like indie sewing companies either have people who have figured out their own plus size block / drafting system and/or have access to industry biometric data. But this assumes they either have specialised knowledge already or access to professional resources that are not available to the average home sewist. Ie. it seems like there's a bit of an information desert.

Did you run into this challenge finding useful information in your size expansion process? Did you come across any useful resources? I am so curious about the process.

Thanks kindly,

Claire

Hi Claire,

This is a fantastic question. You’re right - there is definitely an information desert when it comes to resources about drafting patterns in larger sizes. 

When we decided to extend the In the Folds size chart, this was by far the biggest hurdle.

I remember spending hours and hours googling everything I could think of to try and find the resources I needed to extend our size range. Or to find someone who could help us to do it.

the limitations of my fashion design degree with regards to grading for larger sizes

Although I have a Bachelor of Fashion Design and spent 4 years learning patternmaking, we unfortunately learned very little about extending the sizing of patterns. We learned to draft patterns using size 10 pattern blocks and size 10 mannequins.

We briefly learned to manually grade patterns, but never had to use the skill outside of that one lesson. The grading we were taught was an even grade - which means the pattern gets bigger or smaller by the same amount for each size. Although this works to an extent, there is a limit to how many sizes you can grade in this way. For example, if our base is a size 10, we can’t continue to grade the pattern with an even grade up to a size 36. 

Lilli wears the Kealy T-shirt in a heart-print stretch fabric.

the hurdles of extending a size range

To extend our size chart, what we needed to do was create a new base pattern or block, in a larger size. Then the pattern would be graded from there - which would ensure accuracy because the pattern was actually designed for a larger body, rather than just a smaller size pattern getting larger. 

After much googling, I found a company that could help me with extending our sizing. I had a few very interesting and inspiring conversations with the Director there and felt like her and her team really knew what they were doing.

Their team had a set of Alvanon mannequins and used professional 3D pattern drafting software to draft patterns and check them on 3D avatars. But they mainly worked with ready-to-wear brands, so their final products were patterns that would be sent off for commercial use, rather than home sewing.

Commercial patterns are very different to home sewing patterns

After some back and forth with the business we got our first pattern back, and at face value it looked pretty good. We conducted a fitting and there were a few minor issues that I wanted to discuss with the graders. When I started that conversation with the company, I realised that because they didn’t work within the home sewing space, it was difficult to communicate what I needed. For example, the term ‘Full Bust Adjustment’ is standard in the home sewing world, but this is not a commercial term. In industry, patterns are made in set sizes so there is no need for terms like this. Our plan was always to include a larger cup size in our extended range, so being able to articulate this in a way that would translate to our customers, was very important. 

Following some discussion, I realised that we needed to go back to the drawing board and work with a patternmaker that had experience in the home sewing space. Of course, I was disappointed that the first attempt to extend our sizing had been unsuccessful and quite costly, but it gave us a chance to get clear about what we wanted to do and what was most important to us.

I am a perfectionist and do my best to create patterns that are as close to perfect as possible, so it was important that when we eventually did release patterns in our new size range, the quality and accuracy that our customers have come to expect ran through the extended size range too. 

Tegan wears the Barkly skirt pattern in green.

Plus size patternmaking is a specialist skill

My assistant, Alys, had previously worked with a patternmaker who specialised in plus size drafting and grading and I decided to try working with her. I sent off the same pattern as I had done with the other company and explained what we were trying to achieve. I could instantly tell that she understood our vision, but also had the background and technical skills to carry it out. She then sent back an altered pattern to fit our new size chart and it was time to do a fitting! 

Our patternmaker has now become our most helpful resource when it comes to extending the size range of our patterns. The skills required for this particular part of patternmaking are very niche and it is hard to find a specialist in this area who also has an understanding of the home sewing industry. Her knowledge and experience of plus size patternmaking is what has allowed us to continue to extend the sizing of the patterns in the In the Folds catalogue. 

Checking the fit: model or human?

The next step was to find a fit model to check the patterns on, which also proved difficult. I started researching whether we should be investing in an Alvanon mannequin, but at the end of the day knew this would never replace the need for a fit model.

We have a size 10 mannequin that we use for draping patterns and checking things as we go, but this never replaces the need for checking the fit of a pattern on an actual person. We tried to find a fit model with our size 24 measurements through modelling agencies in Sydney, but didn’t have any luck.

Then, we decided to look to our own network and advertised through our Instagram profile and mailing list, but of course received very few applications as most people who sit at the higher end or outside our current size range had no interest in hearing from us.

We had hoped to find someone we could work with in Sydney, but soon realised we were going to need to cast our net wider and put the call out internationally.

Thankfully, we found someone with our exact sample size measurements who was willing to try fit modelling remotely. We all knew it would be a work in progress and we would need to fine tune the process as we went. And I’m happy to say, this part of the process turned out to be a great success and we now have a fantastic relationship with our fit model. She sews the garment and photographs it on her body and answers questions about the fit.  The main thing we have learned is that it’s important to communicate exactly what we are looking for and the questions we have about the fit of the pattern. Being able to work with the same person each time means things remain consistent and we can compare feedback between patterns.

Karina wears a green Gibson Loungwear dress.

the advantages of a plus size fit model

The main advantage of using a fit model, instead of just a mannequin, is that a fit model can provide context. They can tell you how a garment feels to wear, but can also compare it to other garments (both in ready-to-wear and garments they have made themselves). This was particularly important when extending our size range. For example, our fit model could say “I often find bicep width to be a problem in ready-to-wear, but I don’t have that problem in this sample.” This kind of feedback helps us know exactly what to look for and where plus size grading sometimes goes wrong, in both ready-to-wear and sewing patterns.

an overview of our plus size pattern grading process

The process of grading for our extended size range looks like this:

  1. We send our largest size from our size A-J range (size 24) to our patternmaker. She alters the pattern to fit our size 24 block (with D cup bust).

  2. We receive the altered pattern back and send it to our fit model to sew and fit. Sometimes we go back and forth a couple of times to make sure we’ve answered all our questions about how the garment fits.

  3. We consolidate the feedback and either proceed of send feedback and alterations back to our patternmaker.

  4. If required, our patternmaker alters the pattern. If the alterations are large scale, we send the updated version back to our fit model. If the changes are minor, the pattern is altered and then goes straight for grading into the full range.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

For designers looking to extend their size range, Alex from @adifferentstitch has a great resource which covers pretty much everything you need to consider. 

You can also see all the patterns currently available in our extended size range here in our new Skills Library!

As I wrote this, I realised your question had two parts to it - what our process was for extending our size range, as well as where to find resources about drafting patterns for larger sizes. This week I’ve covered our process and in the next Q&A instalment I’ll give you some tips on drafting patterns for larger sizes.

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • Opportunity Knocks: Tips for Inclusive Patterns by Alex of Fat Sewing Club - read the post here, and follow Alex on Instagram here.

  • View all In the Folds patterns currently in available in our extended size range in our new Skills Library here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 146 - EMILY’S MATERNITY WEAR SUGGESTIONS

THE Q & A SERIES

emily’s maternity wear suggestions

Hi Emily,

I’d like to know if you have any suggestions about how to adjust patterns for maternity wear?

Thanks,

Ivy

Walsall, UK

Hi Ivy,

This is great timing to receive this question as I have recently had a baby!

Maternity clothing has been a new part of my life since pregnancy last year and the arrival of bub in December. And, I’d love to say I sewed up a beautiful maternity wardrobe to get me through pregnancy and the postpartum months, but the reality was that I was very unwell throughout the first trimester and had very little energy to do anything.

When I was lucky enough to get a boost of energy in my second trimester, the reality (and panic) of running a small business and needing to take time off to have a baby set in and I spent the rest of the pregnancy preparing the business for taking time off.

I wear a lot of loose-style garments and had just hoped I could get through without buying or making anything. I didn’t like the idea of having clothing that was only useful for a specific purpose and then would no longer be needed. But, it turned out that I was a bit naive, and definitely needed some maternity-specific clothing as my bump got bigger, so this is something I can definitely shed some light on now.

MY FAVOURITE MATERNITY WEAR GARMENTS

Maternity jeans

I love wearing jeans and found that I was uncomfortable around the waist early on in pregnancy, particularly because I normally wear high waisted jeans. I bought a pair of maternity jeans and I loved them. They really got me through and I wore them for the majority of my pregnancy and continued to wear them for a few weeks postpartum while everything was still very tender.

If you are up for making some jeans or maternity pants, I think you could definitely give it a go with a pants or jeans patterns you already have. The key is to add the seam for the stretch band very low. I was surprised when my maternity jeans arrived how low the seam is where the jeans join to the jersey waistband. But this was exactly what I needed with my growing bump.

The pair I bought had the front pockets lowered so that they were under the bump band, but if I were to make some I would just leave off the front pockets. To me they were a bit awkwardly placed as they were so low down, so I didn’t really use them and they didn't look great. I did use the back pockets though.

I bought my jeans early on and the bump band was too big, so I took in the sides of the stretch sections with a zig-zag stitch and then let them out as I needed to throughout the pregnancy. If I were to make my own, I’d do the same thing. Make the waist section with plenty of space and then just adjust it as you go, as you don’t know how big your bump will get.

This is a bonus of being able to adjust your clothes! I recommend using a jersey fabric that has good retention so they sit nice and firm and don’t slip down. I think you could definitely make some maternity pants from an elastic waist pant pattern too - and they would potentially be a bit cooler for the summer months. I also think you could use the same concept for a skirt - basically just an elastic waist skirt but with a big belly band at the top. 

I know some people like wearing clothes under their bumps, but I found it much more comfortable wearing things over, as the things that go under just slipped down constantly. This tutorial from Hey June Handmade gives you an idea of how to go about sewing a maternity band on pants or skirts.

Emily wearing a pair of denim overalls, standing in her studio.

Overalls

The other thing I wore a heap was overalls. I bought a style that was quite large in the waist and they got me through most of my pregnancy. This is something you could make - just be sure to choose a loose fitting style. I made sure mine were big enough to wear while pregnant, but also something I could happily wear post pregnancy.

In the Folds Collins top

The In the Folds Collins top

As for tops, I have a lot of baggy / billowy tops that worked well with jeans and hid my bump until I was well into the second trimester. I've got a number of Collins tops that were in heavy rotation until they became a little short in the front. But even then, they still worked with something high-waisted and adjustable underneath (like the Wrap skirt that I wore a lot).

This style of loose-fitting top is still working well postpartum as they can easily be lifted for breastfeeding. I normally wear something high waisted underneath, so it doesn’t feel like I’m revealing too much skin and the loose fabric provides some cover. If you’re not comfortable showing this much skin, the other option is to wear a nursing singlet or camisole underneath that allows you to wear any top you like and when you lift it up you have the singlet underneath for coverage.

Woman wearing grey marle jersey dress.

Loose-fitting dresses

I'd say the other thing to think about might be some loose fitting dresses. I had a few in my wardrobe that got me through the whole pregnancy. By the end it was the jersey ones (like the one above!) I was reaching for most as they comfortably fit over my bump and didn’t restrict movement. Unfortunately though, none of these dresses have centre front openings so they’re out of rotation now that I’m breastfeeding.

Everyday dress pattern by In the Folds

If I were to sew some dresses for this period, I’d definitely add a centre front placket so that it could be worn postpartum if you choose to breastfeed. Adding a centre front button closure to the Everyday dress pattern would work well.

Emily wearing an Acton dress with sleeves while pregnant.

I didn’t go out a whole lot during pregnancy, but when I did, it was good to have a couple of things that I knew fit and made me feel somewhat put together! One of these was an Acton dress with sleeves, that you can see me wearing here when I was about 36 weeks pregnant.

Loungewear

Another one of our patterns that would work really well throughout pregnancy and beyond is the Gibson loungewear set. I actually designed this pattern early on in my pregnancy as it was what I imagined I’d be wanting to swan around in when the baby arrived in December (Summer in Australia). But let’s be real, there was no swanning in December. Don’t get me wrong - life was completely magical as my partner and I adjusted to life with a baby, but also completely chaotic!

Technical sketches of Gibson loungewear views.

Now that things have calmed down somewhat, this is exactly the kind of thing I’ve been reaching for, even four months in. I’m still in no rush to put on pants with a fitted waistband, so anything with elastic has been my go-to. The dress and pants views in this pattern make it a versatile maternity wear option!

Robes

Another thing that was in heavy rotation in the early months with bub was my Whitlow robe. As I got the hang of breastfeeding, it was easier not to put a top on and I basically lived in robes (this was possible because it was so warm!). It was also handy to wear in hospital and to throw on when getting up throughout the night for feeds. 

I hope this has been helpful.

It is such a strange time to plan clothes for as everything is changing so fast, but my biggest tip would be to have a few go-to items you can grab and feel good in, and don’t worry too much about wearing the same thing over and over again!

Choose fabrics that launder well and if they don’t need to be ironed, that’s a plus too. Life with a newborn doesn’t leave much time or space for ironing clothes!

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • The Collins top pattern can be found here.

  • The Acton dress pattern and sleeve expansion bundle can be found here.

  • The Whitlow robe pattern can be found here.

  • The Gibson Loungewear set pattern is available as an additional purchase through our Curated by ITF subscription. More information can be found here.

  • The Everyday dress pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.

  • The Jersey dress pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.

  • The Wrap skirt pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

,

ISSUE 141 - HOW TO TRANSFER PATTERNS ONTO CARD

,
Transferring your patterns onto card.

THE Q & A SERIES

HOW TO TRANSFER PATTERNS ONTO CARD

Hi Emily

Thank you so very much for doing this question and answer series.

I would like to know how to make our own patterns that will be used over and over again, and what kind of paper or other substance.

- Cerisse

Hi Cerisse,

Great question!

This month we’re diving into organising our spaces in our Curated by ITF sewing subscription. We’ve covered a range of topics, including storage options for supplies, fabrics and patterns and how we can best set up our spaces to make them easy to use and inviting.

If you’ve sewn with the more common commercial patterns you’ll know how flimsy and easy-to-break sewing pattern paper can be. It doesn’t take much to tear, and if they’re a much-loved pattern, the constant use will quickly lead to damage.

While In the Folds paper patterns are printed on a heavier paper than commercial patterns (and you have the option to choose your preferred paper weight when printing our digital patterns), how you store your patterns is still key to making them last as long as possible.

Transferring sewing patterns onto card is a great way to achieve this.

TRANSFERRING PATTERNS ONTO CARD

When working with patterns you use time and time again, like pattern blocks, it’s a great idea to transfer the pattern onto card. This way the pattern can act as a "master" pattern that you can refer to over and over.

Drawing of a tracing wheel.

There are two ways you can do this:

  1. Use weights and a tracing wheel to transfer the pattern lines onto the card, and then use a pencil and ruler to join the dots.

  2. Glue the paper pattern onto the cardboard and cut it out.

BENEFITS OF TRACING YOUR PATTERN ONTO CARD

As mentioned above, tracing onto card will increase the longevity of your patterns because card is stronger than paper, but there’s other benefits that you should also consider.

When a pattern has been traced onto card it is very quick and easy to trace a new copy. Simply trace around the outside!

Also, if you do it after you’ve made all your alterations and fitting changes, it becomes very clear which pattern is the final version.

A PATTERN TRACING TIP

Depending on what you plan to use your pattern for, you may choose to remove the seam allowance before transferring the block onto card.

Traditionally, pattern blocks do not include seam allowances. This means you can quickly and easily trace a copy and make changes to the design without worrying about seam allowances getting in the way.

Think about what you plan to use your pattern or block for and then decide if having the seam allowance on your card will be helpful for your workflow.

If you’d prefer to use paper, you can find our article about which paper to use, and how to trace patterns here.

Happy sewing!

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • What is a pattern block? Tutorial can be found here.

  • How to trace patterns - Tutorial can be found here.

  • The Organise Your Space resource is currently available with a Curated by ITF subscription for the month of January 2023. More information can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

,

ISSUE 139 - Checking and truing a self-drafted pattern

,

THE Q & A SERIES

How to check a self-drafted pattern

Hi Emily,

I’ve been loving the recent pants fitting and designing content and it’s got me feeling confident to give drafting my own pair of pants a go! I have a design in mind and am about to get started on the pattern. I’m still quite nervous though about everything going a bit awry once I alter the pattern. 

Any tips or words of wisdom to give me some confidence would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Susan

Hi Susan,

I’m so pleased you have been enjoying our Pants series! This is a great question.

Firstly, with the release of our three month pants sewing project, (check them out here: Pants Sewing Skills, Pants Fitting Pattern and Fit Kit, and Pants Designing) our aim has been to ensure makers feel as confident as possible to make the pants they want to wear! This means really breaking down the process into manageable chunks so you can face one thing at a time.

We started out by concentrating on sewing skills that particularly relate to pants. Think fly fronts, welt pockets and slash pockets, among others! In the second month we focused on pants fitting with the release of our Pants Fitting pattern and Fit Kit. This month we’re bringing it all together with our Pants Designing Kit.

I understand that it can be daunting making your first pattern and to feel confident to cut into your precious fabric to sew it up. That’s why we thought sharing some tips of things to keep in mind when going from drafting your own pattern to sewing it up would be a good way to round-out the series.

3 STEPS TO FOLLOW AFTER YOU’VE DRAFTED OR ADJUSTED A PATTERN

How to check and true patterns with straight seams.

Step 1 - Check and true the pattern.

I teach first year pattern making at a local university here in Sydney and one of the first things we teach is how to check and true a pattern.

What this means is that you need to “walk” your seams together as if they have been sewn to check they come together correctly. At first this seems like a bit of a chore, but once you realise how much time (and fabric) it can save you in the long run, it will become one of the most important skills in your tool belt!


We have two tutorials that show you how to check patterns - this tutorial focuses on straight seams, and this one is for curved seams.

Pants toile from Pants Fitting issue of Curated.

Step 2 - Make a toile.

If you’ve only made small adjustments (such as altered the length or added a pocket) and have already made a toile then you may be able to skip this step.

For any larger alterations - such as raising or lowering the waist on a pair of pants or changing the shape of the pants considerably, we’d suggest making a toile to check you are happy with the changes you have made.

If you have only made changes to the upper section of the pants, you may consider making a shorts version as a toile to save on fabric.

If you’ve added panel lines, or made an alteration that doesn’t change the fit of the pant, but you’d like to see what the new design is going to look like, you might be fine just to make one pant leg, rather than a full toile.

When it comes to designing your own patterns, you no longer have the instruction booklet to guide you through every step. In this situation, making a toile gives you a chance to experiment with the best order of construction. We suggest taking notes and photos as you go so you have a record to refer to when you sew up your final pair.

A sampler from the Pants Sewing Skills Kit issue of Curated.

Step 3 - Sew samplers.

For Issue 13 of Curated by ITF we practiced pants sewing techniques by sewing samplers.

What is a sampler?

A sampler is a piece of fabric, or small portion of a design, used to practice sewing techniques. They’re a great way to create a personal reference of techniques that can be referred to again in the future.

Due to their size, they are easy to store and refer to. Consider stapling them to the printed instructions for each technique and putting them in a binder. Alternatively, you can staple folded cardboard to the top of each sampler, punch a hole in one corner and hang on a ring in your sewing space. Consider transferring the pattern pieces to card so they are durable and able to be used again and again.

Sewing a sampler is a great way to learn a new technique or build confidence before sewing a garment. Trying out skills on samplers is far less intimidating than sewing on an actual garment and allows you to slow down, relax and enjoy the process of learning something new. Like any new skill or hobby, getting good at it will take time. By sewing just a small part of a design, you can gain confidence and have something to refer to when you make your pants.

I hope this gives you the confidence to go from drafting a pattern to sewing a garment!

A QUICK REMINDER…

This will be our last Q&A email for 2022 as our little team takes a pause for some much needed rest and relaxation and I start maternity leave. New Q&As will be back in your inbox in the new year, but if you’re worried you’re going to miss learning with us too much, remember that our whole Q&A archive is on our website. So why not take a deep dive into learning something new these holidays?

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • The Pants Sewing Skills Kit, Pants Fitting pattern & Fit Kit and the Pants Design Kit are the first, second and third parts of our Pants Sewing project series, which is available through our Curated by ITF subscription. Past issues are also now available for purchase by subscribers. More information can be found here.

  • How to check and true patterns - tutorials for straight seams and curved seams.

  • How to and why make a toile - tutorial can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

,

ISSUE 138 - HOW TO LOWER THE WAIST ON A PANTS PATTERN

,

THE Q & A SERIES

How to lower the waist on a pants pattern

Hi, 

I love the wide leg Pants pattern but prefer to wear all trousers much lower down, like on my hips, a low rise is it?! 

How can I modify the pattern to sit on my hips? - just below my belly button! ;) 

Really hoping you can help me as I really want to make these!! 

Thanks you so much, 

Janie :)

Hi Janie,

For the last three months of Curated by ITF we have been working on all things pants - sewing, fitting and designing. This includes adapting patterns so they suit your preferences, like lowering the waist.

ALWAYS START WITH A TOILE

If you want to lower where a pair of pants sit on the body, you can use a toile to work out how much to lower the waist by.

We strongly suggest making a toile to check the fit of the original pattern before going ahead and making large-scale pattern alterations. Once you're happy with the fit, you can draw on the toile where you'd like the new waistline and waistband to sit. You may like to refer to a pair of pants in your wardrobe to get an idea of the exact fit.

For your toile, if you’re using the Peppermint Wide Leg pants pattern (or a similar pattern that has pockets), we’d suggest converting the pattern into a block before you get started. This way you don’t have to worry about the pockets. Once you are happy with the fit and have lowered the waist, then you can add the pockets back in. We’ve got a tutorial showing you how to add pockets to a pants pattern in this month’s issue of Curated, but if you’re not a subscriber you can see this tutorial we created about adding pockets to a skirt pattern.

A STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL TO LOWER THE WAIST ON PANTS

Draw desired waistline on pattern.

Step 1

Using your toile as a reference, draw the desired waistline onto the pattern at the point where the pants meet the waistband (not at the top of the waistband). Let's call this line A.

Draw desired waistline on back pattern.

Step 2

Repeat for the back pattern. Let's call this line B. For the example we chose to lower the waist to a point below the dart, eliminating the need for a dart.

Line up side stitch lines.

Step 3
Line up the side seam STITCH LINES of the FRONT [1] and BACK [2] as if they have been sewn together (one on top of the other).

Check that the new waistline flows smoothly between the front and back. Adjust if necessary.

Create new waistband for altered pattern.

Step 4
You will need to create a new waistband for the altered pattern. Draw lines parallel to lines A and B, at the desired height of the new waistband. We recommend a 3-4cm (1¼-1½in) waistband.

Trace waistband and copy. Add fly shield.

STEP 5

a Trace the front waistband shape. Add a grainline to the pattern parallel to the CENTRE FRONT.

b Trace another copy on the reverse side (with the waistband flipped). The reason we trace both sides is because the left and right waistband are not identical (we will add a fly front extension to the left waistband only).

c For the left waistband, add an extension for the FLY SHIELD. The extension needs to be the width of the FLY SHIELD (in this case 4.5cm (1¾in)) and the edge needs to be parallel to the CENTRE FRONT.

Add seam allowances to waistband pieces.

Step 6

Add 1cm (⅜in) seam allowance to the top and bottom edges of the waistband pieces. Add 1.2cm (½in) seam allowance to the CENTRE FRONT and side seam.

You can change the amount of seam allowance to your preferred width, but remember that the lower edge of the waistband should have the same amount as the top of the pants.

Make sure your patterns are labelled "CUT 1 PAIR + BLOCK FUSE" for both the right and left front Waistband.

Trace back waistband piece.

Step 7
Trace the back waistband piece in the same way.

Trace the dart and we will show you how to remove it in the following steps.

Add a grainline to the pattern parallel to the CENTRE BACK.

Cut down and close the dart.

Step 8

a Cut down one of the dart legs.

b Close the dart by moving the cut dart arm so that it meets the uncut dart arm. Tape / glue pattern in place.

Line up centre back of waistband on fold of pattern paper.

Step 9
Fold a piece of pattern paper and line up the CENTRE BACK of the new BACK WAISTBAND with the fold.

Trace a copy of the piece, smoothing out the top and bottom edge where the dart was removed. Label the piece "CUT 1 PAIR + BLOCK FUSE".

Add seam allowance in the same way that you did on the front waistband pieces. Mark a notch at the CENTRE BACK on the top and bottom edge.

Add seam allowances to lines A & B.

Step 10

Take the pants pattern and add 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance to lines A and B. You can choose whether to trace a copy to keep as a draft or cut off the excess.

Alter the fly pieces by lining up the piece on the pattern and shortening to reflect the new rise height. You will also need a shorter zip to fit the new lowered waist.

Happy drafting,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • The Pants Sewing Skills Kit, Pants Fitting pattern & Fit Kit and the Pants Design Kit are the first, second and third parts of our Pants Sewing project series, which is available through our Curated by ITF subscription. Past issues are also now available for purchase by subscribers. More information can be found here.

  • The Wide Leg Pants pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.

  • How to convert a pants pattern into a block - read the tutorial here.

  • How to draft side pockets - read the tutorial here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

, ,

ISSUE 137 - ADDING PLEATS TO PANTS

, ,
Page from Curated resources explaining how to add pleats to pants.

THE Q & A SERIES

How to add pleats to pants

Hello,

I recently tried adding pleats to your Peppermint Wide Leg pants pattern and although I am happy with my results I think that I should have also added a little more width to the back panels. Is there a particular method that you would recommend for this type of pant pattern alteration?

Thank you.

Sincerely, 

Jess

Hi Jess,

Learning how to hack patterns we already have is a wonderful skill to be able to add to your sewing toolbelt, and it’s something we focus on in our sewing subscription, Curated by ITF. This month we’ve been showing our members how to design pants using the pants block we made previously.

Apart from making sewing more economical, knowing how to hack patterns means that we can make clothes that we want to wear, regardless of what fashion trends are in at the moment. It also means our clothes will be unique and we’re not going to walk around a corner and see someone wearing the exact same outfit!

Pleats in pants on form.

What are pleats?

Pleats are made when fabric is folded over on itself. They are a fantastic way to add volume and shaping to a garment - in this case a pair of pants - without the need for darts.

Pleats in pants

There are a range of different pleats you can use when wanting to add fullness to pants. Forward pleats, reverse pleats, double pleats…

A single pleat on each side of the front waist is the most common approach in pants.

If you want to increase the volume at the back of pants, you can add a pleat there as well, but it is important to consider how much volume you want in the pants overall.

My suggestion is to add pleats in the front, and then use the cut and spread technique to add the extra volume you’d like in the back.

WHAT TO keep in mind when adding pleats to pants

Depending on the pattern you’re hacking, adding more fabric into a design may impact areas of the pattern differently. Here’s two things you should keep in mind when adding pleats to pants:

  • If it is too close to the CENTRE FRONT this could add excess volume in the crotch area.

  • If it is too close to the side seam, there may not be room for the volume of the pleat when it is folded in place and could add too much bulk if you choose to include a pocket.

Practice with fabric to determine pleat width.

DETERMINING PLEAT WIDTH & DIRECTION

You will need to have a think about the size of the pleat you want to add to your pattern. This is totally up to you, and depends on the look you are wanting to achieve.

If you are struggling to work out the width you would like your pleat to be, have a play around with some fabric (or even a piece of paper). Fold different sized pleats into the fabric to get an idea of how it will look and how much fabric it will use.

Keep in mind where you intend the pleat to be placed in the garment and how much room there is. This will help you determine the best size for the pleat.

It’s up to you which direction you'd like to fold your pleat - it's just a design decision. If you're unsure, have a look at your pleat sample! We like to fold ours towards the side seam as this avoids excess volume flaring into the crotch area.

How to add volume to pants using pleats

In this example, we only want to add volume in the upper section of the pattern, so we will separate the pattern at the knee.

This allows us to add volume for the pleat, yet keep the hem width the same. You can skip this and add volume through the whole piece, if you prefer.

In the case of our Pants block, the knee line should be around the same area as the LENGTHEN/SHORTEN LINES. Hold the pattern up to your body to check.

Take care to draw the slash line perpendicular to the grainline.

How to add pleats to pants step 1.

Step 1

Consider where you would like to add a pleat/s. We recommend it be in the middle of waistline so you don’t add too much volume to the crotch or bulk to the pocket area. For this example we will create one pleat, but you can add multiple if you like.

Draw a slash line through the pattern where you plan to place your pleat (or pleats).

How to add pleats to pants step 2.

Step 2

Slide a large piece of pattern paper under your pattern.

Cut along the line from the waist, stopping 1-2mm from the knee line. This should create a hinge in the paper.

Make sure you check that there is room for a pleat this width in relation to the CENTRE FRONT / BACK and side seams (depending on where you have placed your pleat/s).

How to add pleats to pants step 3.

Step 3

Using the hinge, open the pattern by the amount you'd like to add for the pleat, measuring at the waist STITCH LINE. Remember that the amount needs to be double the width of your finished pleat.

Tape / glue pattern in place.

How to add pleats to pants step 4.

Step 4

Fold the pleat in the direction you'd like it to be sewn. Press down at the waist area to form creases.

How to add pleats in pants step 5.

Step 5

When you fold a pleat on a curved edge, you need to adjust the edge of the pleat so that it sits flush with the waistline.

Using a tracing wheel, transfer the waist shaping onto the pleat edge at the waist STITCH LINE. Add seam allowance to the pleat.

How to add pleats in pants step 6.

Step 6

Add FOLD LINES either side of the pleat. Add notches where the FOLD LINES meet the CUT LINE at the waist.

Mark an arrow to indicate which direction the pleat needs to be folded.

How to add pleats in pants step 7.

Step 7

Take the lower section of the pattern which you cut off before you started. Place it back on the top pattern by lining up the side seams at the STITCH LINE.

You will have an excess triangle on your pattern where the two meet - don't worry about this! The inseam and side seam are still the same length and the excess will blend into the pleat once folded.

If you've opened up your pattern a large amount, you can smooth the inseam and side seam at the knee area if necessary.

How to add pleats in pants step 8.

Step 8

Redraw the grainline in the centre of the pleat.

How to add pleats in pants step 9.

Step 9

Measuring down from the waistline on the FOLD LINES of the pleat, mark drill holes the distance down you would like to stitch your pleat.

In industry, these markings would normally be offset from the fold line by 5mm (¼in) so that the holes would be hidden inside the pleat. In the home sewing world we don't mark drill holes with actual holes in the fabric (we use chalk or a tailor's tack) so we are fine to have these markings on the FOLD LINE.

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • The Pants Sewing Skills Kit, Pants Fitting pattern & Fit Kit and the Pants Design Kit are the first, second and third parts of our Pants Sewing project series, which is available through our Curated by ITF subscription. Past issues are also now available for purchase by subscribers. More information can be found here.

  • The Wide Leg Pants pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.

  • Adding volume to a pattern - tutorial for the cut and spread technique can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 136 - HOW TO CONVERT A PANTS PATTERN INTO A BLOCK

How to convert a pants pattern into a block.

THE Q & A SERIES

How to convert a pants pattern into a block

Hi Emily,

I’ve made the Peppermint Wide Leg pants pattern before and decided to use that pattern to work on fit for last month’s issue of Curated. I’m excited to be working on pants designing this month with you and the community, but I’m wondering if there is anything I need to do to the pattern before I get started?

Thanks,

Rachel

Hi Rachel,

This is a great question!

With our Pants Fitting Issue of Curated by ITF, many of our ‘Foldies’ (what we like to call our Curated by ITF community members) decided to use the Wide Leg Pants pattern as they already had it in their stash.

But if you’re going to use the Wide Leg Pants pattern to design other pants, you should convert it into a pattern block before you start. If you’re not sure what a pattern block is, read this post.

The Wide Leg Pants pattern is a sewing pattern for a finished pair of pants, and the design includes elements that a pants block may not, such as pockets. To convert it into a pattern block we need to remove these elements.

Fitting a pattern without pockets is much easier because you remove the need to alter several pieces when making fitting adjustments.

A pocket opening can also change the way pants fit. For example, it might make you feel like you have more room than you do, so we recommend getting the pants to fit right first and then add the pocket in later.

HOW TO REMOVE POCKETS FROM A PANTS PATTERN TO CREATE A PATTERN BLOCK

how-to-make-pants-block-from-pattern-step-1.png

Step 1

Place the POCKET FACING [3] piece onto the FRONT LEG [1], lining up the waist seam, pocket opening and side seam. You can tape or pin in place. I like to use masking tape or magic tape as it's easy to peel off and won't damage the pattern.

How to convert pants to block Step 2.

Step 2

Place the POCKET BAG [4] onto the POCKET FACING [3], lining up the side seam, crotch seam, waist seam and bottom edge of the pocket. Tape or pin in place.

How to convert pants to block Step 3

Step 3

Trace a copy of the pattern onto a piece of pattern paper. To trace a pattern you can either use transparent paper and place it on top of the pieces you are tracing, or use opaque paper under your pattern and use a tracing wheel to trace the lines.

When tracing a pattern, be sure to transfer the STITCH LINE and the CUT LINE, as well as the grainline, notches and any other pattern markings (in this case that means the drill hole on the front crotch).

If you like, you can transfer the pattern onto card for safe-keeping.

Update the pattern markings to reflect the new piece. In the example I have updated the pattern piece name to Wide Leg Pants block.

In the case of the Peppermint Wide Leg Pants pattern, there's nothing else we need to do. The back piece has limited details - just darts - so you can use the back piece as it is with the updated front piece.

Happy drafting,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • The Pants Sewing Skills Kit, Pants Fitting pattern & Fit Kit and the Pants Design Kit are the first, second and third parts of our Pants Sewing project series, which is available through our Curated by ITF subscription. Past issues are also now available for purchase by subscribers. More information can be found here.

  • The Wide Leg Pants pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.

  • What is a pattern block? - post can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 131 - MAKING PANTS USING A PATTERN BLOCK

THE Q & A SERIES

Learning patternmaking using pattern blocks

I would love to make my own patterns but I get so confused. Do you have a basic pants block that is easy to follow?

Lucille
Chatsworth, South Africa

Hi Lucille,

Making your own patterns can be a little bit confusing when you’re getting started, but you’ve got the right idea - using a block helps a lot!

WHAT IS A PATTERN BLOCK

A pattern block is a foundation pattern that patternmakers use as a base or foundation when drafting patterns.

In the US, a block is referred to as a ‘sloper’ so you may see these terms used interchangeably in books and blocks, depending on where the author is from. We have a whole article about pattern blocks and how you use them that you can read here.

Pattern blocks hanging on the wall beside garment samples.

THE IN THE FOLDS PANTS BLOCK

Over the years we have had A LOT of requests for a pants block, so we are excited to say that we’ve just released one as part of our Pants Making Project Series.

This project has been in the works for a very long time. We really wanted to create a pattern that would assist makers to make a pair of pants that fit well, but also one that gave them a base to springboard off when drafting new designs. 

Pants fitting booklet with cream pants and sewing tools.

The problem with pattern blocks is that they are often drafted to be quite fitted, with minimal ease. Although this can be great as an exercise in fitting, makers often find it difficult to then know what to do with the block and how to use it to make the style of clothes they want to wear.

For this reason we designed our Pants Fitting pattern with a comfortable amount of ease in the waist, hip and through the leg. Once you’ve mastered the fit (with the Fit Kit that we released along with the pattern) you will have a solid starting point to design from, without having to think about adding ease… unless of course you want a pant with more volume, and we will show you how to do that too!

Although the shape of our pants pattern isn’t a conventional pant block shape (for the reasons mentioned above), we made sure we stuck with all the other things that make a block handy to use.

The pant has minimal design details - just a back dart for shaping and a shaped waistband. We left out the pockets so that you can quickly and easily do a fitting and then draft the style of pockets you like. We included the fly pieces in case you want them in the future, but when making toiles we suggest you skip the fly so that you can quickly and easily make adjustments.

WHAT DO YOU USE A PATTERN BLOCK FOR?

Once you have altered the pattern to fit your body, you will then be able to use it as a block. It’s a good idea to transfer your pattern onto cardboard for safe-keeping. This will keep it nice and strong and mean you can use it over and over. It also makes it quick and easy to trace a copy onto paper when you’re ready to use it.

 There are two main things you would use a block for as a home sewist:

  1. To check what adjustments you need to make on new patterns. For example, you might be really happy with the crotch shape on your block. When you use another pants pattern you can lay the block onto the crotch to see if you need to make alterations to the other pattern.

  2. To design your own patterns. This is the thing we are really excited about! Once you have a base pattern, there are countless things you can do. Add volume, remove volume, change the leg shape, lower the waist, raise the waist, add panel lines, change the closure type, add any pocket shape you can think of… just to name a few! The options really are endless.

    For this month’s issue of Curated by ITF we’re working on pants fitting with the new pants pattern so that next month we can get you patternmaking, because it’s always a good idea to ensure the base pattern fits you well before making design adjustments.

Happy sewing!

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • The Pants Sewing project series is available as part of our Curated by ITF subscription. More information can be found here.

  • What is a pattern block? - read the tutorial here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 129 - THREE WAYS TO ADD A CLOSURE TO THE FLYNN JACKET

THE Q & A SERIES

Three ways to add a closure to the Flynn jacket

Hi Emily,

I got a Flynn jacket pattern and am wondering if there are any ways to add buttons or a zip. Is that possible?

I love the jacket as is but at the same time I would love to close the front when it is cold.

Thank you :)

Manami

Hi Manami,

Great to hear you’d like to give the Flynn jacket a go.

We’re celebrating 12 months of Curated by ITF this month and are celebrating all things skill-building. Being able to alter and adapt patterns (check out all our sewing tutorials to help you do this here!) to better suit your needs is a fantastic skill to have and is something we love supporting our community to do in our Curated community.


You’ve got a few options for adding a closure to the Flynn jacket. You could add an open-ended zip (similar to the Hove jacket), buttons or a hook and eye.

Flynn jacket in View B (on left) with Flynn pattern piece (right).

The first thing that’s helpful is to understand the construction of the Flynn jacket. The front panel wraps around to connect at the centre back neck and creates the collar and the front panel opening. I’ve highlighted it in the photo above so you can see the shape. The front opening meets, but doesn’t overlap.

Before hacking a pattern (read our top tips here!) we suggest making the pattern in its original form. You may make it as a completed garment or just a toile - a test version of a garment. This blog post talks about why you should make toiles.

Having the garment in its original form is a great way to make design decisions, as you will have the garment to refer to and can try it on and use pins to mark points of interest. For example, in this case you could try on the jacket and decide how high up you would like the zip to go. This is more difficult to estimate on the flat pattern than a garment. 

HOW TO ADD A ZIP CLOSURE TO THE FLYNN JACKET

You can use an open-ended zip to create a closure. 

A First, mark the centre front opening on the pattern. You will want to place the zip in the straight section of the opening - which is roughly about the position of the centre notch on the pattern. From this point you can see that the seam starts changing shape, so you won't want a zip going too high up as it would distort the way the centre front hangs.

Measure from the stitch line at the hem up to the point where you’d like the zip to stop. Then look to see if you can get a zip this length. You may need to tweak the measurement (and notch position) a little to get it to line up with a standard zip measurement (unless you’d like to shorten a zip). Here in Australia, 35cm and 40cm open-ended zips are easy enough to come by and both could work well.

B The pattern has a 1.2cm (1/2in) seam allowance along the centre front edge. This is adequate for sewing a zip although it doesn't give you much room to play with. If you would prefer a little bit more room for installing the zip, we suggest extending the seam allowance in the area you will be adding the zip to 2cm (3/4in).

HOW TO ADD A BUTTON CLOSURE TO THE FLYNN JACKET

As mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, the Flynn jacket front pieces meet at the centre front, but do not overlap. We have demonstrated this above (the overlap is just the seam allowance that won’t be there when the garment is sewn).

To create a button closure you will first need to create an overlap, as buttons and buttonholes need to be placed on the centre front of the garment.

Step 1

A Take a piece of pattern paper and tape it behind the centre front opening so you have some room to add the button extension.

Mark in your centre front line (the stitch line on the pattern piece) and extend it up.

Have a think about the size and position of the buttons you would like to use. This is when having the garment in its original form would be helpful as you can lay the buttons on the garment to get an idea of the scale. Alternatively, lay the buttons on the pattern piece. You’ll want to determine where your first button will go and the width of the buttons you plan to use.

B Mark a second line - measuring from the centre front, half the width of your buttons plus 1cm (3/8in). This will allow room for the button, and a little bit of space between the edge of the button and the edge of the opening.

Step 1 Take a piece of pattern paper and tape it behind the centre front opening so you have some room to add the button extension. Mark in your centre front line (the stitch line on the pattern piece) and extend it up. Have a think about the size

Step 2

A Add seam allowance to the edge. We suggest 1cm (3/8in). We have a tutorial on adding seam allowance here.

B Join the bottom and top of the line back to the original pattern. You want the transition between the new section and the original pattern to be nice and smooth.

https://shop.inthefolds.com/products/flynn-jacket-pattern?variant=27955382681702

Step 3

A Consider what shape you would like the top of the opening to be. You may have it come to an angle as demonstrated in Step 2, or you may prefer a curve which is more in line with the original design.

B Once you have determined the shape, cut off any excess paper and mark button position on your pattern.

When sewing the garment we suggest adding a strip of fusing down the centre front opening to support the buttons and buttonholes.

HOW TO ADD A HOOK & EYE CLOSURE TO THE FLYNN JACKET

The other option is to sew a hook and eye on each side of the opening. This is what I've done on one of my Flynn jackets and it works really well because the jacket can be worn open without the hook and eye being seen, and when it’s closed it doesn’t change the design much. The only thing is that a bit more wind can get in compared to using a zip or buttons! So this is something to keep in mind.

Happy pattern hacking,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • The Flynn jacket pattern can be found here.

  • The Hove jacket pattern can be found here.

  • More information about our Curated by ITF sewing subscription can be found here.

  • Our sewing tutorials archive can be found here.

  • We talk about why you should make toiles in this blog post.

  • How to add seam allowance to a pattern - tutorial can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 128 - ALTERING A SLEEVE FOR A FORWARD SHOULDER ADJUSTMENT

ALTERING A SLEEVE FOR A FORWARD SHOULDER ADJUSTMENT

THE Q & A SERIES

ALTERING A SLEEVE FOR A FORWARD SHOULDER ADJUSTMENT

Hi there!

I just made a forward shoulder adjustment to the Rennie dress, but I’m not sure what to do with the sleeve. I know the front and back sleeve is symmetrical, but with the alteration I now need the sleeve head to move forward to line up with the shoulder seam. How do I adjust the sleeve to match with the altered pattern?

Hi Amy,

I’m so glad to hear you’re learning new sewing skills using our Rennie dress pattern!

Sometimes it can be difficult to know what the next step is when making pattern adjustments - which is exactly why we came up with our Curated by ITF subscription - what’s better than having professional garment designers you can go to to ask all your sewing questions, after all!?

But knowing that when you make one change to a pattern it usually means there will be other changes to make is definitely half the battle, and the fact that you knew to ask the question is a big indicator that you have a good understanding of the pattern making process. Well done!

And I’m very happy to be able to help you with a solution to your question.

If you aren’t sure what a Forward Shoulder Adjustment is and whether you need one, check out this tutorial first!

HOW TO ALTER A SLEEVE WHEN DOING A FSA

Technical drawing of Rennie sleeve pattern piece.

Step 1

Extend the grainline so it runs through the whole pattern piece.

Technical drawing of Rennie sleeve pattern piece.

Step 2

Draw slash lines from about 1/3 of the way down the front and back sleeve cap (measuring from the grainline), down to a point on the grainline about halfway down.

Technical drawing of Rennie sleeve pattern piece.

Step 3

Cut through the slash lines, creating a hinge where the lines intersect at the grainline.

Refer back to your pattern to see how far forward you moved the shoulder. Mark this point on the front of the sleeve cap - measuring from the slash line towards the underseam (the seam that joins the two sides of the sleeve). As the Rennie dress (in the size A - J size range) is the same sleeve cap for front and back, you will need to mark one of them as the front.

Technical drawing of Rennie sleeve pattern piece.

Step 4

Use the hinge to move the sleeve cap forward until the stitching line meets the line marked in the previous. Tape in place.

Technical drawing of Rennie sleeve pattern piece.

Step 5

Use a scrap of paper to fill the opening at the back sleeve cap.

Technical drawing of Rennie sleeve pattern piece.

Step 6

True the sleeve cap by drawing a smooth curve over the alterations on both the stitch line and the edge of the pattern. You can now see that the centre of the sleeve cap (along with the shoulder notch) is tilted towards the front to match the altered pattern.

Technical drawing of Rennie sleeve pattern piece.

Step 7

Cut off excess paper and re-draw the grainline by extending the original grainline from the lower section of the sleeve up towards the sleeve cap.

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • Rennie dress pattern - this pattern was released in Issue 12 of our Curated by ITF subscription. It will be available as a standalone pattern in 2023.

  • How to do a forward shoulder adjustment - tutorial here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 126 - Removing dress volume to make a slimmer fit

Woman wearing rust Rennie dress stands in front of grey couch.

THE Q & A SERIES

Removing dress volume for a slimmer fit

Hi Emily,

I just finished sewing the everyday dress as a toile (old doona) hacked into a tunic with a French seam. I’ve made other patterns of yours (Darlow pants, Collins top and Rushcutter dress), which I’ve really enjoyed.

I have some beautiful hand printed linen with a large scale print and am searching for a pattern. I like the look of the Rennie dress but I need a slimmer fit (no belt), can you comment on fit? 

Margaret

Hi Margaret,

I’m so happy to hear you have been enjoying using our patterns.

You can definitely slim down the shape of the Rennie dress so that you don’t need to wear a belt. The fit of the dress is slightly A-line, so it sounds like a straighter fit is more what you’re looking for. 

What you can do is use the slash and spread technique to reduce volume in the pattern. This technique is often used to add volume to a pattern, but you can also use the same approach to reduce volume from a pattern!

How to use the slash & spread technique on the rennie dress

Pattern illustration of step 1.

Step 1

First, you need to think about where you would like to reduce the volume. Looking at the FRONT pattern piece you can see that the pattern becomes A line in shape from around the waist down. We don’t want to change the fit of the bust, so will draw our slash line from the hem up to the waist on the side seam.

Illustration of step 2.

Step 2

Cut along the slash line from the hem up to the stitch line at the waist. Cut into the seam allowance on the side towards the point you stopped cutting, stopping 1-2mm from the slash line. This will create a small hinge of paper.

Illustration of step 3.

Step 3

Gently slide the cut section across the pattern, removing the desired amount of volume. This is up to you. Remember, this alteration will reduce the finished garment measurement at the hip, so it’s a good idea to work out how much volume you can afford to lose.

Remember, you don’t want the pattern being tight at the hips. You also need ease so you can get the dress on and off, move around and sit. Once you are happy with the amount removed, tape or glue in place.

Illustration of step 4.

Step 4

Re-draw the hem with a smooth line over the alteration. Cut off any excess paper. Repeat process on the back, removing the same amount of volume.

I hope this gives you the confidence to try out the Rennie dress!

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • The Rennie dress pattern is currently only available as part of our Curated by ITF sewing subscription. It will be released as a standalone pattern in 2023. More information about Curated by ITF can be found here.

  • How to add volume to a pattern tutorial.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 120 - Changing a high-low hem to a straight hem

THE Q & A SERIES

Changing a high-low hem to a straight hem

Hello from France,

I want to make the Collins top but I would like the front and back to be the same length. Is it possible? How can I make the changes? Can you help me?

Thank you.

Liliane

At In the Folds it is our mission to help sewists make clothes that will be worn, loved and cherished. A big part of this is empowering makers by teaching them the skills to alter pattern fit and style to better suit their needs.

When altering the design of a pattern, we call this ‘pattern hacking'.

What is pattern hacking?

Pattern hacking means that you use an existing pattern to draft a new pattern.

This could mean just making small changes, such as adding a pocket or changing the neckline. It could also mean making large-scale changes, such as adding a sleeve to a sleeveless pattern or combining multiple patterns to create an entirely new design.

Why pattern hack?

A smiling woman is modelling a white Collins top with dark Darlow pants and white sneakers.

The main benefit of pattern hacking is that it saves time! This is because you can take a pattern that you already know fits you well and create a new design. You don't need to dive back into assessing the fit all over again, as you have already done that work with the original pattern.

For large-scale hacks you may still need to make some fit alterations after checking your toile, but these will be far fewer than if you had started with a new pattern.

Pattern hacking also increases the longevity of a pattern, which ultimately saves you money. For example, you may see a garment style that you like somewhere, and with some pattern hacking skills up your sleeve, you will be able to adapt a pattern that you already have in your stash, rather than buying another pattern.

Another reason you might choose to hack a pattern is that sometimes it is difficult to know what changes you would like to make until after you have spent some time wearing it. You may start to think, 'If only it was a bit longer...' or 'If only it had pockets...' Pattern hacking gives you a chance to make the clothing you want to wear without needing to draft patterns from scratch.

Pattern hacking is also a great opportunity to learn patternmaking skills and build on these skills gradually over time. Like any new skill or hobby getting good at it will take time! Be patient and enjoy the process. After all, that's what it's all about!

In the Folds Collins top

A woman models a blue and white striped Collins top featuring a high-low hem.

The Collins top is a loose-fitting trapeze-shaped top designed for woven fabrics and is perfect for hot summer days!

One of the main features of the Collins top is that it has a high-low hem. This means that the front is shorter than the back. But, with a few pattern hacking skills, you can alter the hem so that it is the same length around the whole top.

You can choose to add length to the front (so that the whole top is the same length as the back) or remove length from the back (so the whole top is the same length as the front). We suggest looking at the product photos to work out your preference. Or, compare the length of the centre front panel pattern piece to a top you already own.

Whatever you decide, this tutorial will show you how to achieve both options.

First steps of changing a high-low hem to a straight hem

Step 1

Due to the panel lines in the top, we first need to put the pieces together as if they have been sewn so that we have a full front piece and a full back piece.

Place the front panels together as if they have been sewn - STITCH LINE on STITCH LINE. (Stitch lines are the grey lines on In the Folds patterns). Tape or pin in place. If taping, use small pieces of tape that can be easily removed (eg. magic tape).

Repeat for the 3 back panel pieces.

Step 2

Place the front and back together at the side seam. You will need to flip the front to do this. Line up the pieces at the top of the side seam.

Rotate the front so that the CENTRE FRONT and CENTRE BACK are aligned. Remember the CENTRE BACK has seam allowance - this is why only the pieces that will be cut on the fold line up.

Measure the length between the front and back hems at the CENTRE FRONT / CENTRE BACK. Record the amount.

Step 3

Flip the front back over and line up the pieces at the side seam STITCH LINE as if they have been joined.

If removing length from the back, move to STEP 8. If adding length to the front, continue to Step 4.


Lengthening the front of the Collins top

Step 4

Tape/glue pieces of pattern paper to the bottom of each pattern piece that will be lengthened (front panels and side back panel). Make sure you’re attaching the paper to each individual piece, as you will be separating the pieces back into panels after making the alteration.

Extend the CENTRE FRONT by the amount you will be lengthening the front by (found in Step 2).

Step 5

Re-draw the hemline with a smooth curve from the new CENTRE FRONT hem point. You want the line to transition back into the original hem around the back panel line. The new hemline needs to meet the CENTRE FRONT at a right angle. This ensures a smooth line when the piece is cut on the fold. It might take a couple of attempts to create the curve you want. Use a pencil so you can erase it and try again if you need to. We suggest drawing curves with broken lines as it makes it easier to get an accurate line.

Step 6

Extend the panel lines onto the attached paper. Be sure to extend the STITCH LINE, rather than the edge of the pattern pieces.

Step 7

Separate the panel pieces and add seam allowance onto the new lines. Cut along the new lines to remove excess paper. 

Due to how much the FRONT SIDE PANEL piece has changed, rotate the piece slightly so that the hem sits closer to a straight line. Alter the grainline to reflect this.

The pattern is now complete and you’re ready to get sewing!

Shortening the back of the Collins top

Step 8

Measuring up from the CENTRE BACK hem, mark the amount to remove from the back length (found in Step 2).

Step 9

Re-draw the hem line with a smooth curve from the new CENTRE BACK hem line. You will want the line to transition back into the original hem around the front panel line.

The new hemline needs to meet the CENTRE BACK at a right angle. This ensures a smooth line when the piece is cut on the fold. It might take a couple of attempts to create the curve you want. Use a pencil so you erase it and try again if you need to. Cut along the new hemline to remove the excess length.

Separate the panel pieces and you’re ready to cut the pattern from fabric.

We hope this tutorial got you thinking about all the different ways you can adjust a pattern to make it your own! 

Happy hacking!

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • More info about Curated by ITF can be found here.

  • Barkly skirt Hack Kit is currently only available with a Curated by In The Folds subscription for the month of July 2022. During this time it can be found here. It will be released as a standalone resource in the future.

  • Collins top pattern can be found here.

  • How to add seam allowance to a sewing pattern tutorial can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 119 - How to raise an armscye on a pattern

THE Q & A SERIES

How to raise an armscye on a pattern

Hi there!

I enjoyed seeing your answer to last week's question and I have a follow-up question. Rather than how to lower the armscye on a pattern, how do I go about raising the armscye?

Thanks,

Jenna

WHAT IS AN ARMSCYE ADJUSTMENT?

We’re happy to hear you found last week’s tutorial interesting!

As we explained in last week's email, an armscye (or armhole) adjustment is where you redraw a sewing pattern to make it fit your body. In this case, we need to raise the armscye to accommodate the unique shape of the body.

How do I know if I need to raise an armscye?

You'll know you need to raise the armscye of a garment if:

  • The armhole sits lower than you would like. In this case you might see the garment sitting lower than the top of your bra.

  • The armhole feels too long - it feels as though there is too much fabric in the armscye.

How to raise the armscye on a pattern

The first question to ask yourself is - how much would you like to raise the armscye by?

The easiest way to work this out is by trying on the garment. Stand side-on in front of a mirror and lift your arm. Take a ruler and hold the top of it where you would like the bottom of the armscye to sit. Record the distance between the top of the ruler and the original armscye position. You could use a tape measure to do this, but we find it easier to use a ruler as it remains straight - if you have a friend to help you then a tape measure is fine.

It’s also a good idea to visualise how this will change the shape of the armhole, as when you raise the armscye it will also make it smaller. In the illustration above we have marked the new armscye on the garment so you can visualise the alteration before making it.

Make the adjustment on the pattern

Step 1

Take some pattern paper and tape / glue to the front armhole. This is the area we will be raising up and filling in with more paper (which means more fabric when we cut the pattern).

Step 2

Take a ruler and pencil. Extend the side seam stitch line up onto the attached paper. Be sure to follow the angle of the original side seam.

On In the Folds patterns the stitch line is marked on the pattern (the stitch line is the pattern without seam allowance), but if your pattern doesn’t have the stitch line marked, you will need to mark it first.

Step 3

On the line marked in the previous step, measure up from the point where the side seam stitch line meets the armhole stitch line, mark the amount you would like to raise the armhole by (this is the measurement you found when you took the measurement from your toile).

Step 4

Redraw the armscye curve - joining the point marked in STEP 3 to the original armscye stitch line. We suggest joining the armscye about one-third of the way around the curve when measuring from the bottom, although this will depend on how much you are raising the armscye by. If you are only raising the armhole by more than 1.5cm (5/8in), you may need to join the new line higher up the armscye to ensure the transition remains nice and smooth.

This will take a bit of trial and error to get a line you are happy with. Take it easy and use a pencil. A French curve or Patternmaster will come in handy for this.

The line that meets the side seam should be fairly flat by the time it meets the side seam stitch line. This will ensure the armscye doesn’t come to a point under the arm. Get it as smooth as you can, but we will check this again in a moment, so the line does not have to be finalised yet.

Step 5

Repeat STEPS 1-2 on the BACK pattern piece. You need to raise the armscye on the FRONT and BACK by the same amount.

Step 6

Place the FRONT and BACK pieces together at the side seam, stitch line on stitch line, as if the pieces have been joined.

Check that the curve from the front armscye runs smoothly through the side seam to the back and there are no dips or bumps.

Smooth out the armscye if it needs it and use a tracing wheel to transfer the markings to the overlapped section of the pieces.

Step 7

Add seam allowance onto the new armscye stitch lines on the FRONT and BACK. The seam allowance needs to be the same amount that was on the original armscye line. More information on how to add seam allowance to a pattern can be found here.

Cut along the new armscye seam allowance line to remove the excess paper.

Step 8

Move any notches to the new pattern edge. In this case, it’s the seam allowance notches on the side seam and the FRONT armscye notch.

Step 9

To finalise the pattern, make the same adjustment to the armhole facing pieces (if the pattern has facings).

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • How to lower an armscye on a pattern. Tutorial can be found here.

  • How to add seam allowance to a pattern. Tutorial can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 115 - How to add an elastic waist back to the Barkly skirt pattern

How to add an elastic waist back to the Barkly skirt.

THE Q & A SERIES

How to add an elastic waist back to the Barkly skirt pattern

Hi Emily!

I'd like to have a go at making a Barkly skirt, but I'm concerned about putting in a heap of time and effort only to make a skirt that no longer fits me because of my changing waist size. Any thoughts?

Hello!

Sometimes we avoid sewing fitted patterns like the Barkly skirt because we don't want to spend time making an item of clothing that ends up sitting in our wardrobe unworn. 

Fluctuating body measurements is a common experience - so please know that you are not alone! For this very reason, we included how to add an elastic waist back in our latest Curated by ITF project - the Barkly skirt Fit Kit, and I'm so pleased I can share it with you now!

When to add an elastic waist back

Although this is more of a pattern hack rather than a fitting adjustment, we know that for many, skirts without elastic waistbands can cause discomfort, particularly when sitting.

If your waist measurement regularly changes or you have a large difference between your waist measurements when sitting compared to standing, this may be an alteration you would like to try.

With this adjustment, we will be moving the centre back zip to the side seam.

Prepare to make the adjustment

To make this adjustment you will add width to the back panels of the skirt. To determine how much width to add you can do a couple of things:

  • Take your waist measurement when standing and then again when sitting. Note the difference between the two. This is the amount you will need to add to the waist of the pattern.

  • Take your waist measurement a number of times throughout the day or month. This option is good for those of you who know that your waist measurement fluctuates over certain periods of time. Calculate the difference between the smallest and largest measurements. This is the amount you will need to add to the waist of the pattern.

Prepare Barkly pattern pieces to make adjustment.

Step 1
Take the SIDE BACK PANEL [7/16] and CENTRE BACK PANEL [6/15] and attach paper to the upper section of each piece. We won't alter the CENTRE BACK seam so you won't need extra paper there.

Take the amount you need to add to the waist circumference and divide by 2. (We divide by 2 as the pieces are cut as a pair - half is added to one side and the other half added to the other.) Then divide this amount by 3. (We will split the amount to add between the three places - either side of the back panel line and the side seam.) For example, if adding 9cm; 9/2=4.5cm; 4.5/3=1.5cm added per seam.

Extend the waist STITCH LINE by the distance calculated above on each of the seam lines.

Prepare Barkly pattern pieces to make adjustment.

Step 2
a  Join the end of each line marked in STEP 1 to the STITCH LINES (side seam, panel seam) on each piece. We recommend aiming to meet the original STITCH LINE below the upper notch so that you have a nice smooth transition between the lines. 

b  If making a large alteration, you may struggle to create a smooth line when working on the CENTRE BACK PANEL. If this is the case, we suggest re-joining the line at the hem. This will add a small amount to the piece but will ensure the pattern piece does not become distorted. 

Add seam allowances onto new lines.

Step 3
Add seam allowance onto your new lines.

Cut along new cut lines.

Step 4
Cut along the new CUT LINES.

View A: We now need to alter the back waistband piece. Measure the waist STITCH LINE on the altered pieces. To measure a curve, turn your tape measure on its side and follow the curve of the line. Take note of these measurements.

For View B, you will need to re-draft the back facing piece - first finalise the pattern by moving to STEP 6.

Adjust waistband pieces for view A.

Step 5 (VIEW A ONLY)
a Take the FRONT WAISTBAND [8] piece and measure the side seam STITCH LINE. This is the height we need our new back waistband piece to be.

b Take a piece of pattern paper and fold it in half. We will draft the piece on the fold of the paper so we can create a full pattern piece.

Make a rectangle in which the height is the measurement determined above in A and the width is the measurement determined in STEP 4. Label the fold as CENTRE BACK.

c Using the CENTRE BACK PANEL [6] waist measurement, make a notch this distance from CENTRE BACK. This will help when you're attaching the waistband to the skirt.

d Add seam allowance to the top and bottom edges (1cm (⅜in)) and side seam (1.2cm (½in)). At this stage, our side seam allowance is the same as it was originally. It is possible to sew a zip with a 1.2cm (½in) seam allowance, but if you are worried you will find this too difficult, we suggest increasing the side seam allowance before cutting the piece (see STEP 7).

e Cut out the piece. You can pin through the layers of paper to prevent it moving around. Unfold the piece and add a grainline at CENTRE BACK. Cutting instructions are now Elastic back waistband / CUT 2. This piece does not require block fusing. 

Remove centre back seam if desired.

REMOVE CENTRE BACK SEAM (OPTIONAL)

Step 6 (BOTH VIEWS)
As the zip is moving to the side seam, you no longer need the centre back seam. You can keep it if you like the look of the panel line there. To remove it, cut off the CENTRE BACK seam allowance by cutting along the CENTRE BACK STITCH LINE.

Change the grainline to indicate that the piece is to be cut on the fold (use rectangular grainline instead of straight grainline) and alter cutting instructions to CUT 1 ON FOLD.

Increase side seam allowance.

INCREASE SIDE SEAM SEAM ALLOWANCE (OPTIONAL)

Step 7 (BOTH VIEWS)
An invisible zip can be sewn with a 1.2cm (½in) seam allowance, but if you are concerned you will find it difficult to sew with this seam allowance, consider increasing your side seam seam allowance to 1.5cm (⅝in) or 2cm (¾in).

If you choose to do this, you will need to make the alteration on the FRONT SIDE PANEL [2/13], pocket pieces and waistband/facing pieces. Remember to move the notches over to the new CUT LINE after making the alteration. This will mean you will have a larger seam allowance on both sides of the skirt although the zip is only on one side. You could trim it back on one side after cutting, although it's not necessary.

For View B, re-draft the back facing piece.

Adding an elastic waist back to our garments makes our wardrobe less restrictive - the clothes we make fit our bodies as they are, they are comfortable to wear and we can wear them whenever we want.

These are all such important elements of our ethos at In The Folds, and we're happy to be able to help you learn how to achieve this on the garments you make!  

Happy sewing!

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • Barkly skirt pattern can be found here.

  • The Barkly skirt Fit Kit is available exclusively in this month's Curated by ITF subscription. You can learn more about our Curated By ITF subscription here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 114 - Grading between sizes on a panelled skirt pattern

Grading between sizes on a panelled skirt pattern.

THE Q & A SERIES

Grading between sizes on a panelled skirt pattern

Hello Emily

I am participating in a denim sew-along this month and plan to make your Barkly skirt again.

I am getting the pattern for view A (the shorter length) printed out again so that I can adjust the pattern more accurately and give a better review.

Could you help me with this, please? I didn't understand grading the sizes on your site. I am size E for the waist and C for the hips, I am 32" waist and 37" hips. What is the best way of adjusting this on a panelled skirt, please?

Do I simply put the ruler straight from the waist size E to the bottom hem size C and not alter the curved of the hip where the pockets lie on the side front and back panels.

I plan to use stretch denim and make a lapped zip and so will alter seam allowances for a centre back 1" seam allowance.

Christine

Hi Christine,

I’m thrilled to hear you’re using the Barkly skirt pattern for a sew-along! It's always so motivating when you're sewing with others, which is one of the reasons why we created our Curated by ITF subscription. 

In fact, this month in Curated by ITF we are learning all things skirt fitting and the Barkly skirt pattern is our focus. We cover this question exactly (and so much more!) so I can definitely help you out with this!

When to grade between sizes

For many of us, our measurements will range across several pattern sizes, which means we will need to grade between sizes. For example, if our waist measurement is in a smaller size bracket than our hip measurement, we will need to grade up from the waist to the hip on the pattern. 

Getting started

Start by printing the pattern in the sizes that you need.

Once printed, you can draw straight on the pattern or take a large piece of pattern paper and lay it over or under the pieces to trace the pattern (depending on whether your paper is transparent or not).

On the Barkly skirt, the WAIST LINE is the top edge of the pattern (this is what attaches to the waist band / waist facing) and the HIP LINE is at the STYLE VARIATION LINE.

Use these instructions if your waist is in a smaller size bracket than your hip.

a  On the CENTRE FRONT PANEL [1/12] pattern piece, start at the pattern edge of the size you require for the waist. Take a ruler or French curve and draw a smooth line to the hip of the required size at the hip line. This line needs to become a gentle curve as it approaches the HIP LINE. Follow the edge of the pattern from the HIP LINE down. Repeat for the SIDE FRONT PANEL [2/13] , SIDE BACK PANEL [7/16] and CENTRE BACK PANEL [6/15].

b   It is likely that some notches will no longer be in the correct position. Work your way along the new pattern edge and move notches to the new CUT LINE. Adjust the pocket pieces by moving to STEP 2.

Use these instructions if your waist is in a larger size bracket than your hip.

On the CENTRE FRONT PANEL [1/12] pattern piece, start at the pattern edge of the size you require for the waist. Take a ruler and draw a smooth line to the hip of the required size at the HIP LINE. Depending on how many sizes you are grading between, to hit the HIP LINE on the CENTRE FRONT PANEL [1/12], the line may need to become a concave curve. This is not ideal as a seam shape, so we suggest instead drawing the line so it is straight and meets the hem of the smaller size. Follow the CUT LINE of the smaller size from the HIP LINE down to the hem. Move notches to the correct position (see STEP b above).

Repeat for the SIDE FRONT PANEL [2/13], SIDE BACK PANEL [7/16] and CENTRE BACK PANEL [6/15].

Adjust the pocket pieces by moving to STEP 2.

Adjust pocket pieces

Take the SIDE FRONT PANEL [2/13] and trace along the pocket edge of your waist size. We recommend using a coloured pen or highlighter to prevent confusion between sizes.

Trace a copy of the POCKET FACING [4] and POCKET BAG [5] pieces in the larger of the sizes you graded to. Don't cut them out just yet.

Place the POCKET FACING [4] on top of the SIDE FRONT PANEL [2/13] and line up the original notches so it is sitting correctly. Use pins or pattern weights to hold in place. Transfer the new seam lines onto the POCKET FACING [4] and trace the pocket edge. Transfer the correct notches.

With the POCKET FACING [4] still in place, place the POCKET BAG [5] on top, lining up the original notches. Hold in place with pins or pattern weights. Transfer the new seam line onto the piece. Transfer the correct notches.

Cut out your new pocket pattern pieces.

Before cutting your pattern pieces from fabric, check that all the pattern pieces fit together correctly.

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • Barkly skirt pattern can be found here.

  • The Barkly skirt Fit Kit is available exclusively in this month's Curated by ITF subscription. You can learn more about our Curated By ITF subscription here.

  • Checking patterns: Curved seams tutorial can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

ISSUE 110 - How to line a wrap skirt

How to line a Wrap skirt.

THE Q & A SERIES

How to line a wrap skirt

Hi Emily,

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and for your contribution to furthering the art of sewing! 😊

I have some light-weight Japanese printed linen which I think would suit the wrap skirt pattern very well, however I would like a bit more coverage and have some navy voile in my stash which would go well for lining.

I would prefer it if the lining was not visible, so thought I could have a facing of the linen fabric on the wrap, so that the lining didn’t show. Your patterns are always finished neatly - any tips for attaching the lining, particularly at the hem?

Thank you,

Donna

Hi Donna,

This sounds like a great idea!

Of all skirt projects to line, the Peppermint wrap skirt is probably the simplest as you don't need to think about a zip closure. 

When it comes to lining a skirt, normally you don’t attach the lining at the hem. What this means is that the outer layer (main fabric) will be able to hang properly and won't be impacted by a lining holding it back. More about that when I show you how to construct the skirt with lining below.

Cutting the wrap skirt pattern pieces

Cut lining pieces shorter than outer pieces.

Cut all pattern pieces from the main fabric as instructed in the pattern.

For the lining you will only need to cut the main skirt pieces. You don't need the waistband.

Cut the lining pieces about 2.5cm (1in) shorter than the outer pieces. This will prevent the lining dropping and being visible when the skirt is worn.

On the front lining pieces, trim off the seam allowance at the opening by cutting along the STITCH LINE (grey line on the pattern). The raw edge of the lining will be held in place by the folded edge of the outer layer so we don't need this extra fabric on the lining.

sew the darts

Start by sewing the front and back darts on the outer pieces (steps 1 and 2 of the instructions). Press the darts as instructed.

Repeat for the lining pieces. This time press the darts in the opposite direction. This means that when you join the lining to the skirt you won't end up with too much bulk as the dart bulk won't be sitting on top of each other. 

Skip step 3 of the instructions (finishing the wrap edges). We'll do this after the lining and outer skirt are joined at the top so that the lining becomes enclosed inside the edge finish.

Sew the side seams

Sew the side seams.

Join the front and back pieces together at the side seam.

The Peppermint Wrap skirt instructions guide you to sew this seam with a French seam, but when adding a lining you need to consider how seam finishes are going to impact the overall bulk.

It sounds like your fabric is fairly lightweight, so it's probably fine to sew both your outer and lining fabrics with French seams. If using a bulky fabric (such as a winter weight wrap skirt), I'd suggest sewing the seams with regular seams, overlocking and pressing open.

Lined garments often have unfinished seams, but finishing the seams will encourage longevity in the garment, so we like to finish seams as usual, when possible.

Join the lining pieces at the side seams in the same way. If sewing with French seams, press the lining seams in the opposite direction to the outer skirt (again, this is to minimise bulk in the seams).

Hem the skirt lining.

Hem the skirt lining using your chosen method. To hem in the same way as the outer skirt, look to Step 16 and 17 of the instructions.

Outer skirt and lining wrong sides together.

With the outer skirt and lining wrong sides together, pin the two layers together along the waist edge. Stay-stitch the lining to the outer layer with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance. 

Flip the skirt so that the lining is facing up. Fold back the front opening raw edges as instructed in Step 3, making sure the raw edge of the lining is enclosed inside the fold on both sides.

At this point you can now continue following the instructions as usual to create and attach the waistband - Step 7 onward.

When you enclose the raw edge of the waistband on the inside (Step 13) the raw edges of lining will be tucked inside for a clean finish.

I hope this tutorial gives you the confidence to give lining the Wrap skirt a go!

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • Wrap skirt pattern can be found here.

  • Tips for sewing French seams - tutorial can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES

,

ISSUE 109 - Swapping sleeve styles between patterns

,
Swapping sleeve styles between patterns.

THE Q & A SERIES

Swapping sleeve styles between patterns

Hello!

Thanks for this forum and for answering our questions.

Do you have any tips for adding sleeves to a sleeveless pattern or changing the style of sleeves on an existing pattern? Do you need to match up curves at the armhole if you have sleeves from another pattern you would like to use?

- Sarah
Auckland, New Zealand

Hi Sarah,

Great question!

We have a tutorial on our blog about how to add sleeves to a sleeveless style. In the tutorial we show how to add sleeves to the Peppermint Peplum top. When adding sleeves to a pattern that normally doesn’t have sleeves, you will need to use a pattern with a similar shape / amount of ease.

In terms of swapping sleeves between styles, that's definitely something you can do too. We included a tutorial about this in a past issue of Curated by ITF and I thought I'd share it with you all today. 

Considerations when swapping sleeves between patterns

You cannot just take one sleeve and attach it to an armhole from another pattern. The sleeve caps are very likely to be different between the styles, which prevents you from being able to simply swap the pattern pieces.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to take one of the Sawtell top sleeves and transfer the design to a sleeve from another pattern - in this case, the Peppermint wrap top.

Trace the sleeve pattern.

Step 1

Trace the sleeve piece from the pattern you will be using for the rest of the garment. Use pencil as you will erase some of these lines later.

For the example, we are making the pattern for the Peppermint wrap top with the gathered sleeve from the Sawtell top, so we will trace the Peppermint wrap sleeve piece on a large piece of paper. The amount of paper required will depend on the type of sleeve you are creating. For a gathered sleeve, you will require room on either side.

We will refer to this sleeve as SLEEVE 1 to prevent confusion.

Mark in bicep line.

Step 2

Extend the grainline through the piece from top to bottom. Mark in the BICEP LINE - joining the top of the underseam STITCH LINE on each side with a straight line, perpendicular to the grainline.

Mark bicep line on other sleeve.

Step 3

Take the sleeve that you are transferring the design lines from, extend the grainline and mark the BICEP LINE as you did in STEP 2.

We will refer to this as SLEEVE 2.

Place sleeve 1 on sleeve 2, lining up grain and bicep lines.

Step 4

If your paper is transparent, place SLEEVE 1 on top of SLEEVE 2, lining up grainlines and bicep lines. Hold in place with a pattern weight.

If your paper isn't transparent, put SLEEVE 2 on top of SLEEVE 1 and use a tracing wheel to transfer the lines.

Create new underseams.

Step 5

Create the new underseams by joining the top of the seam on SLEEVE 1 to the hem of SLEEVE 2 with a straight line. Do this for the STITCH LINES and the CUT LINES.

Trace hem and transfer notches.

Step 6

Trace the hem from SLEEVE 2 onto SLEEVE 1. Be sure to transfer any notches.

Remove pattern paper once all lines have been transferred. Erase any lines you no longer need. If you traced using a tracing wheel, use a pencil and ruler/French curve to draw in the lines you need.

Check notches are correct.

Step 7

Finalise pattern by checking all notches are correct. In the example you can see we needed to rotate the underseam notches to match the angle of the new sleeve lines. Update sleeve name.

I hope this tutorial helps you make all your sleeve dreams come true.

Happy sewing,

Emily

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

  • Add sleeves to a sleeveless pattern. Tutorial can be found here.

  • Peplum top pattern can be found here.

  • More info about Curated by ITF can be found here.

  • Wrap top pattern can be found here.

For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING

MORE POSTS IN THE SERIES