Comments on Adventures in Dressmaking: Clothing sizes are weird. But so are the fits on p...

Thanks, @Lollie Peeps, I'll check it out!

2012-02-01T08:17:33.633-08:00

Thanks, @Lollie Peeps, I'll check it out!

I have some good advice and good news for you. Hav...

2012-02-01T06:18:08.567-08:00

I have some good advice and good news for you. Have you ever heard of the Palmer-Pletsch fitting method? It shows you how to fit your pattern without a muslin and how to buy the right size pattern. The good news is they are based in Portland! Most people have to travel to Oregon or to their new school in Philadelphia for classes but you're right there.

Also know that if you're

Oh my, I totally hear you on sizes. My nightmare w...

2012-01-31T08:03:31.308-08:00

Oh my, I totally hear you on sizes. My nightmare was from Burda...http://bombardone.com/sewingprincess/2011/02/my-own-grey-dress-burda-10-2009-no-117/
I have recently bought some Vogue patterns debating between a 12 and 14...those guys actually have 2 different patterns for those sizes. So I bought one of each..let's see what happens. I often prefer to draft my own patterns from scratch.

Good points, @quietandsmall and @bodicegodice. Se...

2012-01-30T21:50:56.156-08:00

Good points, @quietandsmall and @bodicegodice. Sewing is a lot like cooking in that way! Although it's more of a pain to stand up, take off your clothes, and try the thing on than it is to nibble off a spoon...

I always cut my fabric a titch around my "siz...

2012-01-30T08:20:28.302-08:00

I always cut my fabric a titch around my "size," and then fit and dart as I go. I made a "red carpet" gown using this method last spring, when I turned a bodice pattern into a full-length gown with a zippered back and a full flouncy skirt.
(Shameless self-promotion here: http://www.bymaggie.com/?p=202)
I don't think I could have dome it without having Eleanor,

ugh i was just ranting about this the other day to...

2012-01-29T20:27:33.008-08:00

ugh i was just ranting about this the other day to mr q&s. in vintage clothes i'm a 14, in 80s clothes i'm a 10-12, in 90s clothes i'm an 8 and in today's jcrew sizing i wear a size 4 skirt and 6 pants. really?!!!! sheesh! in patterns it's worse! i usually cut a 14 in vintage patterns and end up taking out 2" of ease off both sides. either way, my fave things to buy (

Thanks for sharing your tips, readers! Some great...

2012-01-29T15:58:34.942-08:00

Thanks for sharing your tips, readers! Some great ones. It's awesome that we can all find ways to make things work for our unique bodies!

I need to draft a generic bodice pattern that I know fits me... at least for a couple fave patterns!

@Barbie, no, I don't own a dressform, but it sure would make things easier sometimes! I want to get one when we move to a

question: do you ever use a dressform for your clo...

2012-01-29T07:37:23.191-08:00

question: do you ever use a dressform for your clothing?

I drafted a bodice block, then just use my measure...

2012-01-26T21:09:45.650-08:00

I drafted a bodice block, then just use my measurements to make simple dresses and skirts.

I always do a muslin and cut everything larger tha...

2012-01-26T18:37:46.475-08:00

I always do a muslin and cut everything larger than I think I will need it to start out with. I'm a major hourglass (F cup) with a short torso and long legs, so most everything I make needs some serious adjusting to look normal anyway. I generally think of patterns as a "suggests starting place" as far as fit goes ;-)

I just made my first dress this week! (just have t...

2012-01-26T09:53:57.885-08:00

I just made my first dress this week! (just have the hem and the neck-line left...) I have already done a nightie, but I made my own pattern for that. This is my first dress that I used a pre-made pattern. I thought I was crazy or meessed up somewhere when I had to take the dress in! It's a pretty roomy dress, though, made of knit, so it's easily fixable without messing up the shape. Plus

I trace all of my patterns onto Swedish pattern tr...

2012-01-26T09:19:34.147-08:00

I trace all of my patterns onto Swedish pattern tracing paper. If anyone is not familiar with the stuff, check it out! It can be sewn, washed, etc., which makes sizing a breeze. Also, I am able to preserve the original pattern, and thus use it to make similar items for friends and family who are sized differently than I. This is also great for "classic" patterns for styles that last

My sizing is all over the place. In the Colette Ja...

2012-01-26T08:37:03.158-08:00

My sizing is all over the place. In the Colette Jasmine blouse I'm working on right now, I'm a 0 at the bust (I measure high bust since my cup size is so large), 2 at the waist, and 8-10 at the hips. I trace all of my patterns first, just in case I seriously screw up (and also to preserve the original), and I traced a 0 at the top tapered out to an 8 at the bottom. The first thing I do

What you're talking about is "ease"-...

2012-01-26T08:34:09.021-08:00

What you're talking about is "ease"--how much room there is to move about in a piece of clothing. A wiggle dress, for example, has very little ease, whereas a boho blouse has a LOT of ease. There are also two different types of ease: design ease and fitting ease. The process that you talk about above--where you compare your measurements to the pattern measurement (and usually end up

Don't despair, ladies! It IS totally possible...

2012-01-26T07:57:31.729-08:00

Don't despair, ladies! It IS totally possible to make clothes that fit; you just have to get comfortable with patterns! Don't give up!

Making muslins or cutting out and basting the lining together first are great things to do.

Or, MEASURE the pattern at the waist and bust before you cut it out! Read more here: http://www.adventuresindressmaking.com/2010/08/

This is why with every new pattern I attempt, I ma...

2012-01-26T07:44:43.176-08:00

This is why with every new pattern I attempt, I make a muslin first. I know I'm always going to have to make fit adjustments for my figure, but it's also important to test how accurate the individual pattern's sizing is and figure out how you want the garment to fit.

Pattern sizes are a constant frustration and why I...

2012-01-26T07:25:28.802-08:00

Pattern sizes are a constant frustration and why I usually opt to buy thrift and re-vamp or sew basic things. I finally got a book on fixing fitting problems, so hopefully this will become an issue of the past for me. We'll see. As far as store bought clothes, even brands I like I have to buy different sizes in, so it takes forever in the dressing room. Sometimes I think it would take less

I do a lot of basting...a lot. That way i can cut ...

2012-01-26T06:36:42.301-08:00

I do a lot of basting...a lot. That way i can cut down the fabric easily(ish) before seams get serged. Every pattern still ends up a bit too big. My niece's Halloween costumes are a prime offender. I guess they might be sized bigger to allow clothing underneath? I'd rather decide that for myself - we don't live somewhere where it's cold for Halloween!

This is part of the reason why I have been so appr...

2012-01-26T06:25:17.426-08:00

This is part of the reason why I have been so apprehensive to sewing my own clothing. I have a very limited amount of time for sewing, so I don't want to waste what little time I do have (or fabric and money, for that matter) on something that's not even going to fit!

I totally hear you. I'm working on a cute jack...

2012-01-26T06:07:37.491-08:00

I totally hear you. I'm working on a cute jacket at the moment. I only use burda style magazine patterns and according to their measurements, I'm a 44, I cut out size 40 and then had to cut off 12cm in total from the width to make it fit, so I guess it ended up being a 36... What's the point in making patterns that don't go along with their measurement tables?! Thankfully I didn&