How to Make Great Patterns for Easy Sewing

Creating sewing patterns is a great way to save money and time in the dressing room. You can use specific sizes to compose your custom corset. This will allow you to sew tops or dresses and make sure they fit. To make the pattern easier, please select a project that suits you and track it to make the pattern.

Take measurements. To create an accurate pattern that suits you. You will need to use a soft tape measure and record the following measurements:

• Women’s bust: Wrap the tape around the entire bust.
• Waist: Measure the narrowest part of the natural waist.
• Dress height: Stand upright on the wall and ask someone. Measure from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet.
• Men’s shirt collar: Wrap tape around the neck where the shirt collar is located.
• Hips: Wrap tape around the widest part of the hips.
• Length and width of the back measure the length from the neck to the waist. Measure the width along the widest part of the back.
• Chest in men’s or women’s clothing: Measure the widest part of the chest above the chest.
• Sleeve length: Hold the tape from shoulder to arm, as long as it fits the sleeve.
• Shoulder length: The distance from the neck to the edge of the shoulder.
• Upper arm width: Wrap the tape measure around the thickest part of the armpit near the armpit.

Draw the design sketch of the garment you want to make. Decide whether to make skirts, pants, or tops, and whether to have sleeves. Draw a rough design that comes to be visible in the garment. This will help you determine how to divide the garment into parts. So you know how many individual patterns you need to make.

• For example, if you want to make casual clothes. You may need a front body, a back body, and a belt pattern on the sleeve.

Place a sheet of flat paper and trace the length of the pattern. Place a large pattern or brown postcard paper on a flat work surface. Make sure that one side of the paper is straight. Place a ruler 2 inches (5.1 cm) from the top of the paper. Measure from that point down until the length of the clothes you want.

• For example, if you are 6 feet (1.8 cm) tall. Make your skirt 37 inches (94 cm) long to match the mini dress. Make the skirt 40 inches (101.6 cm) long and a knee dress, or 61 inches (154.9 cm).
• The straight edge of the paper will become the front center (CF) of the pattern. Mark your length along this edge.

Tip: To determine how long to wear a piece of clothing. Check the height measurement and determine how much of the clothing to cover. If you are making a shirt or top. Please check the length of your back and where you want the shirt to fall with your waist.

Draw horizontal lines to mark the shoulders, bust, waist, and hips. Place a ruler so it forms a 90-degree angle on top of the line drawing for the center front line. Draw this top horizontal line, this will be your shoulder line. Lower the ruler to make the bust level. Move the ruler down again to draw a horizontal waist. The bottom of the shirt is the hip line.

• Check your measurements to decide where to put the ruler on the shoulder path, bust position, waistline, and hip position.

Trace a line joining the size of the bust or chest, waist, and hips. Check your measurement and point out a point 1/4 of the measurement on the bustline. The same is true for the waist and hips. Next, use a pencil and a curved ruler. Draw a line to connect the points on the bust or chest line, waistline, and hip line.

• For example, your bust size is 40 inches (100 cm), divide it by 4 to get 10 inches (25 cm). Mark 10 inches (25 cm) from the edge of the bustline.
• This will make 1 edge of the central part of the pattern.

Draw the neckline and shoulders. Use a curved ruler to draw the cleavage from the top of the shoulder line to the centerline of the front. You can set the neckline as low or high according to your preference. Remember, the back neckline is higher than the front neckline. Leave room for the armholes and draw a curve from the shoulder down above the bustline.

• To make your shoulders sit down, tilt your shoulders downward.

Add seam allowance throughout the curved ends of the work. Use the ruler or the seam allowance ruler to trace a path parallel to the outline of the pattern. Add 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of margin.

• You can add 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of margin along the bottom line. This can make the hem of the clothes easier.
• For example, if your pattern block is 61 inches (154.9 cm) long. Make the seam allowance line 61 1⁄2 inch (156.2 cm) long.

If you want the dress or shirt to have sleeves, create a sleeve pattern. View your measurements of sleeve length and upper arm width and determine the style of clothing sleeves you want. Draw the sleeve pattern on the crease.

• For example, the length of the sleeve can be 5 inches (13 cm) long. You will use a 12-inch (30 cm) arm width measurement to determine the width of the sleeve.

Cut and paste the pattern fragments. Place another piece of pattern paper under the pattern you are tracking. Nail the paper together, use scissors to cut two layers along the seam allowance line. The bottom layer will become the back pattern. Be careful not to cut the curved neckline so you can adjust the front and back parts to your liking.

• For example, you want to cut the front neckline below and then keep the back neckline high.
• Mark each pattern you make so you can track them.

Tip: The number of patterns you need to make depends on the clothing you make. For example, if you want to make a simple shirt, you may only need 4 pattern pieces. Front 1, back 1, sleeve 2, neck collar 1. A wide flared skirt may require 6 identical parts, connected to a waist part.

Pattern Making Book

Make sure all seams have an allowance for sewing. Seams allowance required different allowances before fabric cutting.

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