Pattern Making and Manipulation + Sewing Seams, Seam Allowances.

When it comes to making any kind of garment, the best way to go about it is to make a pattern, it sounds daunting but it's easier than you would imagine.

What you'll need.

• Pattern paper (This usually has spots and crosses)
• Scissors for cutting the paper and Fabric scissors.
• 2B pencil, a softer pencil is better so it doesn't rip the paper easily.
• Textiles measuring tape.
• Pattern making ruler or French curve.

Next up is using the measurements you have to create the pattern. (Visit measuring for costume to get help with measuring if you need it.

It's a good plan to have an idea what a pattern of what you want to make looks like, so you know where to start with the shape. Better yet buy or print out some basic patterns and convert them to card blocks, from there you can manipulate and alter them as many times as you like.

Manipulating a pattern

Make it bigger

Trace around your block pattern and work out how much it needs changing, making a pattern longer is simple.

•  Lets say you wanted to elongate a shirt pattern by 1", cut out a separate strip of pattern paper 2" thick and slightly wider than the block, draw out the 1" strip in the middle (shown in blue).
• Cut a straight line wherever you want the pattern to be longer (Try to avoid the neckline and armholes) and simply stick your extra inch in that cut. If you've cut through any darts, don't worry just draw back over it.
• If you have to go over a armhole, you simply have to adjust the sleeve accordingly.

Make it wider.

When making a pattern wider, again you have to think of where to make it wider and how that is going to effect the neckline or a sleeve.

Use the same technique as before, but obviously make the strip taller than your patter ( you can always trim it later)

It is also possible to change both wide and tall at the same time on a pattern.

 

After you're happy, draw around this carefully onto a new sheet to get a clean pattern piece with the alterations. If it's finished and is going to be used a lot in the future (like a basic pattern you'll use again and a again), try tracing around it onto card to make it sturdier.

Moving a Dart

• Moving one into another- cut along one side of each dart, pull the dart you don't want over itself, so it makes the slit on the other side twice the size.
• To move one dart from one place to a new place, use the same technique. Cut a line where you want the new dart to be, and along one side of the existing dart, spin the side to open up the new split and cover over the old one.

Sewing seams on a sewing machine.

Sewing machines are by far the quickest way to sew a seam and also the most effective. There I two seams I find most helpful in sewing life, Straight seam and French seam.
The fist picture here is French seam, to French seam you sew front to front (pattern on the inside) using straight seam and then fold it over, iron it and sew again. This method allows absolute neatness but also precision on seems that will be seen or are on the outside of a garment.
The second picture shows straight stitch seam, it's simple, the edges can be over-locked for security and neatness perfect for a quick seam that probably wont be seen.

                              

Seam Allowances

When constructing a garment, its important to think about seam allowance, if you're on a small budget and have the skills you can make it as small as 0.5". Whereas if you're not as confident and have plenty of material to work with you can use a whole inch or more, a French seam will need more of a seam allowance regardless.