How to Assess Garment Balance

I have a very, very important concept that I want to share with you today. It is the concept of garment balance.

If you don't know me yet, my fitting philosophy is all about balancing the garment on your body using horizontal and vertical balance lines. I truly believe that balance lines, when put on the pattern and then transferred to the sample garment, will give you the ability to understand how to balance the garment on the body you are fitting.

Tracy, a member of the In-House Patterns Sudio Facebook Group, was kind enough to allow me to use her photos to demonstrate how to use the balance lines to assess fit. Tracy shared her sample of the Lila sewing pattern which already has the balance lines marked on the pattern. When she posted her images in the Facebook group many of the members of that group were suggesting that she needed a "sway back adjustment" I respectfully disagreed.

Watch the video to see how I interpret the balance of the garment on Tracy.

I know that as sewers, you've been trained and taught to look at the wrinkles, it's the wrinkles that show where the problem is, and that is true to a certain extent; but if you use the balance lines, they will provide proof of where the problem actually lies. If you create this fitting grid on your garment and then follow that grid to balance it on your body, you will find that the wrinkles will disappear.

Instead of concentrating solely on the wrinkles, what I want you to start practicing is looking at the balance lines and satisfying those, so that they are parallel and perpendicular to the floor.

I hope you found this video helpful!

I'll chat with you soon,
Alexandra