Accurate measuring is the key to making a great-fitting garment—though one reason we love jersey is that it is usually forgiving even if you’re a teensy bit off! Take your measurements, or better yet, have a friend take them, then write the measurements down and keep them handy, so you can whip up clothing any time the spirit moves you. In fact, it’s a good idea to keep a little notebook with the key measurements of family and friends; since getting measured isn’t all that fun for most of us, it’s nice to only have to do it once. (Of course, kids’ measurements have to be updated fairly regularly!)
Here are some basic pointers for ensuring you get the accurate measurements you need.
Bust: Wrap the tape measure around the chest at the fullest point, keeping the tape measure as horizontal as possible.
Waist: Wrap the tape measure around the body just beneath the ribs, at the torso’s narrowest point. Most folks don’t wear their clothes at their natural waist, but it is a good measurement to have when you are determining how much flare you want in a dress.
Low waist: The place where the waistband should rest, according to the wearer’s preference. It might be level with or below the belly button.
Dress/shirt/tunic length: Stand in front of a mirror if you are measuring yourself and stand up straight. Hold one end of the tape measure at your shoulder, or the shoulder seam of your or the wearer’s garment, and anchor the other end under one foot so the tape is taut. Note the measurement at the point where you’d like the garment’s bottom edge to fall and remember you’ll need to add length to this measurement if the garment is to be hemmed.
Sleeve length: Hold one end of the measuring tape at the outer end of the collarbone (this is where the shoulder seam will lie) and measure along the top of the arm to the desired sleeve length. Again you’ll need to add length to this measurement if the sleeves are to be hemmed. If you’re sewing with a knit fabric, simply add a little length to this measurement and trim the sleeves to the desired length after the garment is sewn.
Skirt length: Measure from the top of the desired waistband location to the point where you’d like the skirt’s bottom edge to fall. Alternatively, use a favorite skirt with a length that you like as a guide, measuring it from the waistband to the bottom edge. Add some length to this measurement for hemming.
Flare: Flare is the desired width difference between the garment’s waistline and the garment’s bottom edge. Flare creates a nice design line and provides wearing ease for curvier parts of the body. In our designs, you will always add an equal amount of flare on each side of the center line, typically from 2″ to 6″ on each side.
Traditional sewing patterns are things of beauty with their rustling thin paper and all those informative and precise lines. We really like them, but we just don’t like to use them! We have a ″life’s too short″ problem with them. They’re fussy. And as you may have gathered by looking at the projects in this book, we’re into nonfussy. Nonfussy sewing is faster, and to us at least, it’s a lot more fun.
So instead of using traditional patterns, we sew almost all of our clothing using a single set of pattern pieces, made at home by tracing a single t-shirt. Here’s how it’s done.
If you have a well-fitting shirt with a stain or tear in your drawer, sacrifice it for a good cause. Otherwise, head to a thrift or other inexpensive store and find a jersey t-shirt that makes you feel great. It should fit well across the shoulders and chest, with just the right amount of snugness. You may want to get several shirts that fit differently and feel good, and make a few different patterns. Look beyond the graphics and other design elements and just consider the fit.
Press the shirt if necessary and place it right side out on the work surface. With sharp scissors, cut along the side and shoulder seams and around the arm openings, following all of the seam lines as precisely as you can; if you like, you can trim off the seam allowance afterward. (You might feel like you should use a seam ripper, but you really don’t need to. It would make this a tedious process.) Cut along the seam of one sleeve so it opens flat. Remove any binding from the neckline or sleeve.
You can use the pieces of the original shirt as pattern pieces, but we suggest transferring these shapes onto sturdy brown paper. The paper patterns lie flat and are easier to label and to replace if they get lost (just remember where you stow the original fabric pieces!). The shirt’s front panel will be traced to make the torso pattern piece, and the flattened sleeve will be used to make the sleeve pattern piece.
Tip: When we’re making a garment for a friend, we’ll usually ask them what size t-shirt they wear, then find one at a thrift store or from around the house to use for making the pattern pieces.
Tip: If you’re an experienced sewist and know a lot about shirt construction, you can probably make the pattern just by tracing the shirt carefully rather than cutting it apart; if so, go for it.
Cut a sheet of kraft paper, or the plain side of wrapping paper, a few inches larger all around than each of the two pieces—you can also cut open and flatten a paper grocery bag or two. Iron the paper gently to remove any creases.
To make the torso pattern piece, fold the front panel of the original shirt in half lengthwise and align the fold with the edge of the paper. Pat out any wrinkles until the panel is flat and aligned. Trace around it, adding ½″ for the seam allowance along the armhole, shoulder, and side (don’t add seam allowance to the neckline, since it will be finished in a variety of ways). Cut along the marked lines with paper scissors, and label the edges ″center″ and ″side seam″ to help you remember which is the pattern piece’s center line and which is the side seam.
To make the sleeve pattern piece, fold the original sleeve piece in half lengthwise and align the fold along one edge of the paper. Trace around it, adding ½″ for the seam allowance along the cap (the bell-shaped curve along the top edge of the sleeve) and down the length of the sleeve. Cut along the marked lines with paper scissors, and label the pattern piece along the sides with the words ″seam″ and ″fold.″ Note the sleeve style (short, cap, long, and so on) directly on the pattern too, since you may accumulate a bunch of sleeve patterns.
Your torso pattern piece will have one neckline, but you can use it to make garments with many different necklines by simply shaping the neck as you like after the dress, shirt, or tunic has been sewn together. Design a plunging V, a shallow scoop, or any neckline in between by following the same basic process.
Mark the desired center front location of the V or scoop neckline. While marking this design point, it’s best to wear the bra that will be worn under the garment (unless you’re measuring a little girl, boy, or man, in which case, skip it).
Fold the garment lengthwise down the center so the shoulder seams align.
For a V-neck: use a clear ruler and rotary cutter or sharp scissors to mark and cut a straight line from the start of the shoulder seam (nearest the neck) to the marked center point through both thicknesses of fabric.
For a scoop neck: draw a gently curved line from the start of the shoulder seam to the marked center point. Cut it with a rotary cutter.
