Okay, I lied.\u00a0 I have some advice first.\u00a0 (Be glad you don’t know me in person.\u00a0 You’d be innundated with this for far less useful a purpose)!<\/p>\n
If you have never drafted a pattern before, I highly recommend that you get some really cheap fabric (muslin or Salvation Army sheets) and make a garment that will test for basic fit. \u00a0When I was learning pattern drafting, the book that helped me the most never mentioned a crucial concept in clothing design — wearing and design ease.<\/p>\n
Theoretically, Butterick’s <\/a>has a chart that explains how much ease a garment should have for its design.\u00a0 Nice theory, of course, but in practice, it doesn’t apply in all situations.\u00a0 If you can buy garments in Wal-mart off the rack in the smaller sizes, this chart will work just fine for you.\u00a0 However, if you are a little larger (as I am) you’ll want to add a couple more inches of ease.\u00a0 I found this out the hard way.\u00a0 I can only bless my stars that I had the sense to do a muslin mockup of the jumpsuit I was trying out.\u00a0 I am now the proud owner of an unbleached muslin catsuit that fits my curves exactly.\u00a0 However, unbleached muslin on me just doesn’t do what latex does to Michelle Pfieffer.<\/p>\n You can use almost any kind of paper for pattern drafting as long as it is big enough.\u00a0 I bought a roll of paper that one would use to wrap parcels for mailing and I like it.\u00a0 (Aren’t those tissue paper things you get in the store the worst <\/em>)?\u00a0 Patternless Fashions by Diehl Lewis recommends that you simply draft your patterns directly onto the fabric in tailor’s chalk, but I have yet to get that brave.\u00a0 However, I could see doing it for a basic pattern I know well.<\/p>\n NB: Since writing the above paragraph, I often draft directly on the fabric. The salwar kameez in that picture a few pages back was drawn in chalk directly on the fabric. \u00a0Just remember about measuring twice and cutting once! \u00a0Also, I would not<\/strong> recommend it for a first attempt. \u00a0Do a muslin the first time. No, really. \u00a0After you get comfortable with this, you’ll be able to see what works and what doesn’t. <\/em><\/p>\n Before you begin (are you getting tired of getting ready to get started to begin to commence, yet?), you’ll need a few tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Okay, I lied.\u00a0 I have some advice first.\u00a0 (Be glad you don’t know me in person.\u00a0 You’d be innundated with this for far less useful a purpose)! If you have never drafted a pattern before, I highly recommend that you get some really cheap fabric (muslin or Salvation Army sheets) and make a garment that … <\/p>\n