Pattern making #1
Hey all! Today I’m giving you a little peek behind the curtain of the studio’s daily operations.
So, the greatest downside to clothing - of any quality - is that deterioration is real and takes no prisoners. While poorer-quality materials will always be the most vulnerable to the ravages of time, even higher-quality clothes will eventually break down and completely disintegrate. This is one of the reasons why certain disciplines such as fashion history can be especially tricky to navigate.
And in our current era, of hyper-consumption of fast-fashion, this problem has only gotten worse. Cheaply made fabrics, shoddy craftsmanship, less-than-the-bare minimum of seam allowance (to make room for alterations)… it’s all currently the bane of my existence and my career!
(you may not think a lot about the latter issue, but I do every time a client brings in their clothes… trust me, it’s a headache!)
And all of these problems can be compounded by a bigger problem a lot of people face: when their beloved design is discontinued! So, if your favorite top, or that comfy pair of jeans, or that awesome surprise-Walmart find is standing on its last legs - with no replacements available - what is one to do?
Why, you make your replacement of course!
Now, quick personal soapbox, I personally would recommend a fun up-cycling project for the piece in question; depending on how much wear and give it still has left, making it into something new is definitely easier on the wallet, but also just as satisfying as starting from scratch. But, at the same time, I totally get it - when you find that special piece that looks good, fits great, and makes you feel amazing, it’s heartbreaking to let it go!
For this post, I’m go show you guys one way to recreate your clothes, and I hope by doing so it’ll inspire you to pick up a few sewing tricks of your own.
Affectionately referred to as “the cloning method” this technique lends itself well to really simple pieces, such as a pair of shorts or cotton t-shirt. Anything that requires very little technical skill, making it a great starting point for beginners.
Fair warning: I am going to break one of my rules for this example. That rule being copying the pattern on to cheap pattern paper first before breaking out “the good stuff.” A lot of other sewists will argue against cutting this step, but for the sake of time - and the fact that this example is super simple and very old! - I decided to compromise and save demonstrating that entire process for a later entry.
So, without further ado, let’s roll up our sleeves and dig in!
Today on deck, we have my favorite summer-pajama top…
made evident by the fact that she is really, really showing her age:
Do not let your eyes be fooled - that is not a ray of sunlight coming in through the window… that’s the discoloration from years of use!
As you can see, this poor old girl is ready to go out to pasture. But with summer right around the corner (even for Kentucky!), mama’s gotta get a few new tops for those hot, humid nights (yes, we get those, too).
For this cut in particular, I’m going to need a pattern for the front and for the back - each are cut with slight differences at the shoulders, neckline, and arms to give it it’s shape; this is a cut I’ve found better flatters me since I have a boxy look to begin with, hence my secondary desire to hold on to it as long as possible!
To get the right shape of the pattern pieces, simply fold the garment in half a long the front and back centerfolds so that the seams are aligned and facing you.
I also recommend folding your garment inside out first before any tracing is done. The only reason I didn’t do that step here is because this thing is so old and dingy, it didn’t really make much difference.
Place the centerfold along the straightest edge of your “good” pattern paper to create a naturally occurring centerfold.
NOTE: when tracing the pattern first on to the ‘not-so-fancy’ stuff, you’ll need to create your centerfold with a straight edge (such as a yard stick) before cutting. This centerfold plays a surprisingly important role in t-shirt style tops and blouses, so double check your measurements to avoid any wonky-lines along the front.
Using a pencil (or pen, in my case, because I’m a rebel!), carefully trace the shape of the neckline, shoulders, and arm holes, and any shaping that may be included a long the side seams. These lines can be as rough as you need them to be, as long as you clean them up with your ruler first before cutting.
For particularly cumbersome curved edges, you can also mark separate points along the lines, then use your handy-dandy French curve to clean them up (a straight edge will also work really well in case you don’t have a French curve).
Close up of the damage done over time; and this is just normal damage, for at least 7 or 8 years of wearing and washing.
(as I’ve said, entropy is a cold, calculating mistress who takes no prisoners!)
I can’t even read the fiber content label anymore, so that’s going to make fabric shopping a little tricky.
Notice how the front armholes are cut at a different angle than the back; however the shoulder and side seam measurements match up perfectly during double-check.
After you’ve cleaned up the edges, double check the measurements of your shoulder seams and side seams before cutting. I recommend using your tape measure for this step, though make sure to work slowly along the side seams - those subtle curves can throw you off track!
TIP: I like to jot down design notes onto the front of the pattern pieces, in addition to the standard instructions of where to cut and how many. Seam allowance (or lack thereof), preferred materials, pocket inserts, or decorative features; anything that will help me remember what to do for this project before I start cutting my fabrics.
For this pattern, I choose not to include a seam allowance for two reasons:
this top has noticeably stretched (a lot!) over time and adding additional seam allowance might make the new top too saggy.
this material is already made with stretch (though from where and how I can only guess now - but I’m pretty sure it’s some kind of knitted cotton-blend); since the next top will need to made with a similar material, or even just some kind of stretch, I’ll be relying on negative seam allowance to create a better fit.
I also checked my mom’s measurements, so I know if I end up making this top a little too small, it’ll fit her comfortably - and with a little wiggle-room in case it needs further adjustment.
(My mom is super tiny - she’s super easy to make alterations for!)