14 best dress pants for men

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Patterns and Fitting Basics

Patterns are tools that help us make a garment. If that garment fits nicely, the pattern becomes more valuable, because it is the vehicle that lets us reproduce the garment. Most sewers are thrilled to have a pattern that fits well, because they can then concentrate on being creative with fabrics, embellishments, and small style changes.

How Patterns Are Developed

Patterns are developed in two primary ways: drafting and draping.

A drafted pattern is based on body measurements. It can be computer generated utilizing patternmaking software programs. It also can be hand-drawn, with or without adherence to established drafting rules.

A draped pattern is derived from manipulating cloth directly on a dress form or person. Established draping rules can be followed as much or as little as desired. A paper pattern is often made from the draped garment sections. Draping is often used when the selected fabric or garment design does not lend itself to drafting a pattern.

Flat pattern development (or flat patternmaking) is a method of developing patterns from a basic set of patterns, sometimes referred to as working patterns, slopers, or blocks. Much of the ready-to-wear industry uses this method to create patterns for their styles. This book will use many flat pattern principles to manipulate the pattern in the process of getting a good fit.

Finding Your Way Around A Pattern

Commercial patterns provide a lot of information to help the sewer make an educated selection when choosing a pattern and to assist the sewer when making the garment. Understanding the pattern envelope and its contents is the first step toward using patterns successfully.

Almost all commercial patterns include a guide sheet that includes a list of pattern pieces, a description of pieces to use for specific views, fabric cutting layouts, seam allowance information, a key to reading the illustrations (how elements such as the right side and wrong side of the fabric are depicted), and step-by-step directions. Some patterns provide a short glossary of sewing terms, and some have helpful design tips.

In addition to these elements, some pattern envelopes also provide information such as a difficulty rating based on the sewing techniques required to make the garment, recommendations of figure types for the garment style, and stretch guides for knits-only patterns.

Remember, a pattern is a tool for you to use, not a dictum that you must follow precisely. It’s important to view the information that the pattern supplies within the context of your knowledge about sewing, fabric, and pattern work.

A Framework For Fitting

Making fitting adjustments without a framework to work within relies on a lot of luck. Sometimes you’ll make progress, and sometimes you won’t. And when a fitting adjustment does work, you frequently won’t understand why it did so-although you’ll probably feel very grateful that it did. Using a fitting axis, described below, establishes a framework you can work in. This, in turn, allows you to conduct the fitting methodically. At each step, you’ll know what you’re trying to achieve, even if you have to figure out how to achieve it. The fitting axis is what puts you in control of the fitting process.

Fundamentals of Fitting Muslins

Learning To Look

Fitting a muslin requires actively looking. Most of what we see during the day is processed passively, even though we are taking in a large amount of information. When learning to fit, it’s essential to think actively about what you are seeing. At first, you must learn to notice that a fitting issue exists. With experience, you’ll become a discerning observer, reading the fabric in a way that reveals the cause of the fitting issue.

Fitting Pants

Pants can be troublesome to fit because of the different variables you need to take into consideration: the rise from the crotch level to the waist, the shape and depth of the pelvic structure, and the size and the shape of the waist, stomach, buttock, and upper thigh. Bowed legs, knock knees, and other leg variations are additional fitting issues.