It’s a well known fact that most pattern companies provide very limited sizing information on their patterns.  Sewers are asked to choose their pattern size using three main body measurements; bust, waist and hip girth. The assumption is that all of your measurements will land within one size and the choice would be easy. For some of us it is, but what are we to do if our measurements land on two or three size possibilities?

Today I’m going to give you three tips that will help you make a definitive pattern size choice.

#1 Take Your Body Measurements Before You Start a New Sewing Project

The first tip I have for you is to take your body measurements before you start a new sewing project. My body measurements fluctuate by about 1” in circumference as I gain and lose weight throughout the year, so I take my body measurements each time I start a new sewing project. This way I am always aware of my current measurements. I personally use The Pattern...

Like the majority of sewing enthusiasts, you probably first learned to sew by following a commercial sewing pattern. Along with the step-by-step guidance offered in the pattern’s sewing instructions and a few video tutorials, you probably found it pretty easy to get acceptable results no matter how complicated the garment. You simply executed each step one at a time until the garment was complete. As your sewing skills progressed you likely began to imagine a unique and beautiful handmade wardrobe filling your closet, but you hit the snag that most of us do; getting a good fit became a struggle.

Fitting is generally thought to be a trial and error process and the one thing that impedes sewing progress. There seems to be no road map, no sequence of logical steps to follow and no hope of ever getting a pattern to fit. Today’s video just might help  you change that.

In this week’s video I’m going to share the step by step process I use on all my sewing...

This week I'm putting the spotlight on the Cool Cowl tank.  It's a quick and satisfying project designed specifically for knit fabrics and a D bust cup size. This top features a front cowl neckline and sleeveless styling; perfect for warm summer days or under a jacket for Fall. 

I've made a couple of versions of this top and in some fabrics the neckline hangs pretty low (see the orange rayon jersey version above). This is called "drop" and happens with drapey knit fabrics without a lot of stretch recovery. Basically it means gravity and the weight of the fabric take its toll on the garment and make it longer over time. This week, I'm going to help you pre-empt this issue by giving you the pattern alteration to raise the front neck drop on this style and eliminate the need to wear a cami underneath.

In the video I show you how to establish the balance lines on this pattern and share the secret to knowing how much you can reduce the neck drop on this style...

I’m wrapping up this month’s video series on raglan sleeves today so if you missed any of the previous tutorials, I suggest you watch them. I’m pretty sure you’re going to find some new to you information inside.

How to Create a Raglan Sleeve

How to Alter a Raglan Sleeve for a Square or Sloping Shoulder

How to Alter the Bicep on a Raglan Sleeve

Today I’m going to show you how to alter your raglan sleeve for a forward shoulder.

Dive right in and watch the video now!

I hope you enjoyed the entire series on raglan sleeves and gained some new insight as to how to alter them to fit you. If you try any of these methods, let me know how it worked out. I’m always happy to hear from you.

All My Best,
Alexandra

This week we’re continuing on the topic of raglan sleeves. In the first video of the series I showed you how a raglan sleeve is created. In the second video I showed you how to alter for a square or sloping shoulder. This week I’m going to show you how to alter the bicep girth.

Watch the video now!

Let me know in the comments if this method is new to you, better yet, if you’ve tried it, let me know how it worked. I’m always happy to hear from you. Next week is the last video of this series and I think it’s one you’re going to want to bookmark.

All My Best,
Alexandra

This month we’re talking all things raglan sleeves. Last week I showed you how a raglan sleeve is created from a basic pattern block so that you can more clearly understand how to make them fit you. This week I’m going to show you the pattern work that solves for a squared or sloping shoulder.

Watch the video now!

I hope you are enjoying this video series. Next week we’ll be covering the bicep girth adjustment for a raglan sleeve. I think the method I’m going to show you will definitely be new to you. I hope you’ll tune in!

All My Best,
Alexandra

Remember last week when we talked about how to diagnose knit fitting issues? Well this week we’re going to solve them! We’re going to continue on with Robin’s sample and take the fitting assessment to the next step.

Before we continue on with Robin’s fit assessment though, I want to remind you about a free download that I’ve created that will help you with assessing the fit of your own projects. It’s called The Good Fit Checklist. It contains information on how to recognize a good fit, how to diagnose fitting issues and the order you need to work to solve them. Sign up to receive your copy; it’s absolutely free.

Now watch the video for the solutions to the diagnosis we made on Robin's sample last week.

Did you notice that Robin hasn’t added her horizontal and vertical balance lines on her sample?  If she had, it would be so much easier to assess the amount of change required and the location of the change. This is a fitting...

Welcome to video #2 of the Fitting Knits video series!

Last week you got an inside peak at my online course The Custom Stretch Knit Bodice Block and I showed you how to determine the stretch ratio of your fabric which is an important first step in getting the right fit on your knit garments. This week I’m going to share a few insights on how to diagnose your knit fitting issues.

For this video, I’ve enlisted the help of Robin, who wrote to me in hope of getting some guidance on fitting her knit garment project.

Robin writes:

 Hi Alexandra,

I’ve been having trouble with all the tops I am making and can’t seem to figure out how to resolve them. I have spent hours on Youtube, the internet, books etc. I make my own patterns and have even used a commercial pattern, not to mention that every RTW shirt in my closet has the same fitting problems.

I can’t figure out how to get rid of the diagonal draglines from the back and bottom of the armhole/sleeve. I...

This week I’ve got a special treat for you. This month we’re covering the topic of fitting knits so I thought you might enjoy a glimpse inside my online course The Custom Stretch Kit Bodice Block. This course teaches you how to draft a custom size t-shirt to your personal body measurements using the stretch ratio of your chosen fabric. It’s loaded with valuable information about knits and custom knit pattern making and I can’t resist sharing a piece of the information I know you can all use.

The stretch ratio of a knit is extremely important when it comes to getting a successful fit. In order to eliminate the darts on a knit garment, you must use negative ease and the stretch ratio of the fabric to force the fabric around your body contours. If you’re not using the fabrics ability to stretch, you will be left with draglines and folds that you must become comfortable with or manage in some other way. Over the next few weeks we’re going cover these...

Last week I got a great question from Kimberly in the In-House Patterns Studio private Facebook group.

She asked:

"How do you find the bust, waist and hip position on a sewing pattern that doesn't have any of these markings?"

If you have a copy of The Perfect Fit Guide you probably had this question too so I decided to do a live recording of my answer and post it here for everyone to benefit.

If you don't have your copy of The Perfect Fit Guide and aren't sure why you would even need to know the answer to this question, I encourage you to get the guide. It's absolutely free and sure to answer a lot of your garment fitting questions. Just click on the image below and I'll deliver it straight to your inbox!

I hope you find the information in this week's video useful. Let me know what you think by leaving your comments below! If you want to see the comments on the live video you can see them here  Live with Alexandra

All My Best,
Alexandra