The Complete Photo Guide toPERFECT FITTING

CONTENTS

Introduction

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

Developing a Solid Approach toFitting

Why Fitting is ComplicatedEach Individual is Unique

Pattern and Fitting BasicsHow Patterns are DevelopedFinding Your Way Around aPatternGarment Silhouettes and Ease

Choosing a Pattern SizeTools for Pattern Work and FittingThe Interrelationship BetweenPatterns and FittingOverview of the Fitting ProcessRecognizing Fitting Issues

A Framework for FittingThe Fitting AxisThe Horizontal Balance Line

Fundamentals of Fitting MuslinsLearning to LookThe Body as “Volume”Fitting Others and Yourself

What to Wear for a FittingPreparing the Test Muslin for aFittingClipping and Marking During aFittingPinningKeeping the Muslin BalancedFitting OrderFitting TipsAssessing the Fit

Fundamentals of Altering PatternsGlossary of Patternmaking TermsMaking Flat Pattern AdjustmentsTransferring Muslin Markings tothe Pattern

Blending Seams, Using the Rulers,and Adding Seam AllowancesLengthening and ShorteningPatterns, and Grainline ArrowsWalking and Truing a PatternPlacing and Creating NotchesControlling Patterns with Built-inEaseTruing Difficult SeamsMoving the Placement of a SeamMoving a Dart to a New LocationTruing Dart LegsScaling Patterns Up and DownWorking in an Efficient Order

DEVELOPING YOUR ABILITY

The Process of Fitting GarmentsSkirtBodice with DartsBodice with Shoulder PrincessLineJacket with Side Panel with Set-inSleeveTunic with Armscye Princess LineBodice with Raglan Sleeve

Fitting Solutions for Body Types andRelated Pattern Alterations

BustBackSides

Shoulder Line and NeckSet-in SleevesRaglan SleevesWaist and Hips

Fitting PantsUnderstanding Body Mass andPants VolumeFine-tuning the FitThe Process of Fitting PantsBody Type ExamplesTypical Pants Pattern Alterations

GOING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Correcting Pattern Elements

Affected by Fitting ChangesWaistbandsFacingsCollarsLinings

Get CreativeUsing Style Lines to CreatePleasing ProportionsDart EquivalentsCollar VariationsCuffs and Sleeve Hems

About the Author

Index

IntroductionThere’s an aura of beauty about awoman wearing clothes that fit her well,regardless of her figure and facialfeatures. Her clothes create a sense ofbalance and proportion for her body,which is flattering to her and visuallypleasing to others. She’s definitelywearing her clothes, rather than herclothes wearing her.

Although styles change and clothing fadscome and go, the hallmarks of well-fitting clothes remain the same:

• There are no unintended pulls orfolds in the fabric.

• The fabric falls smoothly over the

body.• The garment is proportionate to the

wearer’s body.• The cut of the garment is flattering.

When wearing clothes that fit, we notonly present ourselves better, but wefeel more comfortable. And when wefeel at ease in our clothes, we think moreclearly, interact with other people better,and approach the day’s challenges andpleasures with a healthier attitude. Thereis no need to feel squirmy in yourclothes, counting the minutes until youcan get home and change into your comfysweats. It all starts with getting a goodfit.

Fitting is complicated, in part because itdoesn’t stand alone. Rather, it must betackled within the larger framework ofall that is required to make a garment,from design to pattern development. Toachieve success, you must have thefollowing:

1 A fitting method to follow

2 An understanding of good fittingpractices

3 An understanding of goodpatternmaking practices

4 The ability to recognize specificfitting issues

5 The ability to put these specificissues within the context of the

garment as a whole

This book is organized so that theinformation builds from one section tothe next. In the first part of the book, Idescribe the conceptual foundation. Inthe second part, I explain the process offitting garments and show how todevelop fitting solutions for differentbody types. The last section shows youhow to apply changes to auxiliarypattern components so all the pieceswork well together, and I also suggestsome creative variations.

Even though fitting is complicated, withpatience and guidance, everyone canlearn to fit.

LAYING THEFOUNDATION

Being a competent fitter requires both aconceptual and a practical understanding

of the fitting process. Skipping theconcepts and going straight to the fittingexamples is like trying to build a housewithout first laying its foundation. Just asthe house will develop cracks, yourfitting will have weaknesses, which willcause confusion and less-than-perfectresults.

Developing a SolidApproach to Fitting

Any skill requires training. Fittingrequires training the eye to recognizewhat good fit is and what indicates apoor fit. For example, a novice oftendoesn’t notice drag lines until they arepointed out. With practice, the eyebecomes trained first to see the obviousfitting problems and eventually then todiscern nuances. A good way to trainyour eye is to observe people’s clotheswherever you go, from your workenvironment to stops at the grocerystore.

WHY FITTING IS COMPLICATEDOnce the fitting problem is identified, itmust be corrected. This requiresknowing how to manipulate the cloth.

However, the fitting problem cannot bedealt with out of context; it must besolved within the framework of thegarment as a whole. In addition, thecloth must be manipulated in a mannerthat allows the change to be made in thepattern. As your fitting skills improve,your knowledge of pattern work willimprove as well due to theinterrelationship between fitting andpattern manipulation.

Obtaining a good fit is a process, rarelya one-shot experience. It takes time,patience, and usually multiple muslins todevelop a perfect fit. Most sewers thinkthe process is worthwhile, since the endresult is that perfectly fitting pattern

you’ve dreamed of.

Fitting yourself is possible but often timeconsuming. Accurately assessing amuslin on your own body is moredifficult than making good observationson someone else. It’s helpful to have adress form that reflects your body;working with a fitting buddy can helpeven more. Two sets of eyes are usefulwhen learning to identify fittingproblems, and you can collaborate onfiguring out the best solution. Plus, youcan fit each other.

EACH INDIVIDUAL IS UNIQUESince no two bodies are exactly thesame, fitting requires individualized

problem solving. Fitting instructionswill get you started, but they aregeneralized descriptions of a situationand a typical solution. You must thenapply this information to the personbeing fitted. This requires experimentingwith and interpreting the fittinginstructions. Fitting is easier and moresuccessful when you work with the clothon the individual’s body rather thaninsisting that a fitting “rule” be appliedin a preordained manner.

Although picture-perfect bodies candepict standardized fitting solutions,very few of us have such bodies. Thisbook is comprised of real fittingsituations that are characteristic of

typical fitting issues. The models areordinary people with everyday lumpsand bumps. Your own body might not berepresented by these particular models,but you will find fitting examplesthroughout the book that are similar toyour fitting problems.

In addition to finding solutions to fittingissues, a good fitter also needs a way toreflect on and approach the problems.This book provides a methodology thatwill help you interpret specific fittingexamples and then apply the informationto your own fitting issues, leading you tothe best solution for your situation. Theend result is beautifully fitting clothes.

Pattern and Fitting Basics

Patterns are tools that help us make agarment. If that garment fits nicely, thepattern becomes more valuable, becauseit is the vehicle that lets us reproduce thegarment. Most sewers are thrilled tohave a pattern that fits well, becausethey can then concentrate on being

creative with fabrics, embellishments,and small style changes.

HOW PATTERNS AREDEVELOPEDPatterns are developed in two primaryways: drafting and draping.

A drafted pattern is based on bodymeasurements. It can be computergenerated utilizing patternmakingsoftware programs. It also can be hand-drawn, with or without adherence toestablished drafting rules.

A draped pattern is derived frommanipulating cloth directly on a dressform or person. Established draping

rules can be followed as much or aslittle as desired. A paper pattern is oftenmade from the draped garment sections.Draping is often used when the selectedfabric or garment design does not lenditself to drafting a pattern.

Flat pattern development (or flatpatternmaking) is a method ofdeveloping patterns from a basic set ofpatterns, sometimes referred to asworking patterns, slopers, or blocks.Much of the ready-to-wear industry usesthis method to create patterns for theirstyles. This book will use many flatpattern principles to manipulate thepattern in the process of getting a goodfit.

FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND APATTERNCommercial patterns provide a lot ofinformation to help the sewer make aneducated selection when choosing apattern and to assist the sewer whenmaking the garment. Understanding thepattern envelope and its contents is thefirst step toward using patternssuccessfully.

Almost all commercial patterns includea guide sheet that includes a list ofpattern pieces, a description of pieces touse for specific views, fabric cuttinglayouts, seam allowance information, akey to reading the illustrations (howelements such as the right side and

wrong side of the fabric are depicted),and step-by-step directions. Somepatterns provide a short glossary ofsewing terms, and some have helpfuldesign tips.

In addition to these elements, somepattern envelopes also provideinformation such as a difficulty ratingbased on the sewing techniques requiredto make the garment, recommendationsof figure types for the garment style, andstretch guides for knits-only patterns.

Remember, a pattern is a tool for you touse, not a dictum that you must followprecisely. It’s important to view theinformation that the pattern supplieswithin the context of your knowledge

about sewing, fabric, and pattern work.

The Pattern Envelope FrontGarment depiction is a fashionillustration or a photograph of thegarment. Some patterns provide both.

Views show garment variations andoptions.

Size indicates size or sizes included.Multi-sized patterns usually print allcutting lines on the same tissue.

The Pattern Envelope BackLine drawings often convey moreinformation than the illustration or photoon the front of the pattern, because they

provide style lines (seam placement)and fitting elements such as darts.

Descriptive caption describes how thegarment is cut (loose or close to thebody) and general stylistic elements ofthe garment.

Finished garment measurements alsoindicate how the garment is cut. Forexample, hemline circumferences areusually given. Some pattern companiesprovide more information than others.

Size chart lists standardizedmeasurements and correlating patternsizes.

Notions list indicates items such asshoulder pads and buttons required forthe pattern, including size specifications.

Fabric recommendations are suggested

fabrics for the pattern’s garment(s); usethis information as a guide inconjunction with your own knowledge offabrics.

Yardage chart indicates how muchfabric to buy, usually with two differentpattern layouts: with nap (all patternpieces are oriented in the samedirection) and without nap (the patternpieces are oriented to use the leastamount of fabric).

The Pattern PiecesDot, triangle, or square symbols arematch points for adjoining patternpieces. If you think of the pattern as apuzzle, these symbols help you put the

puzzle together correctly.

Grainline arrow specifies theorientation of the pattern piece on thefabric. Grainline arrows usually indicatethe length-of-grain and therefore shouldbe placed parallel to the selvage of thefabric. Grainline is extremely importantbecause it is what makes your garmentshang correctly.

Placement lines indicate the positionfor elements such pockets, buttonholes,and trims.

Double line provides an appropriateplace to lengthen or shorten the patternwith minimal disruption of the pattern’sstyle lines.

Finished garment measurements aresometimes provided for the bust, waist,and hip. This is useful information indetermining how much ease is includedin the pattern.

GARMENT SILHOUETTES ANDEASEClothes create a silhouette on the body,falling into one of three generalcategories:

1 Clothes cut close or fairly close tothe body create a fitted silhouette.Stylistically, tailored garments thathave enough ease to movecomfortably but without excess

fabric fall into this category.Eveningwear and formal clothes canalso be in this category. Anddepending on what is currentlypopular, trendy clothes might be cutquite close to the body.

1 Fitted silhouette

2 Clothes cut with more ease butwithout being loose and baggy createa relaxed silhouette. Stylistically,these clothes often look more casualthan tailored garments. They run thegamut, including office wear,everyday clothes, and weekendfavorites.

2 Relaxed silhouette

3 Clothes that incorporate even moreease create a loose silhouette.Stylistically, the fullness can lookproportionate on the body if thevolume of fabric is well controlled.It can also look baggy and oversized,which periodically is popular.

3 Controlled fullness silhouette

3 Loose silhouette

It’s important to be comfortable in yourclothes, but comfort is not solelydependent on how much ease is in your

garment. A very large garment can beuncomfortable and restrictive just aseasily as a garment that’s too small.Fabric selection impacts the way agarment feels on the body. But thebiggest key to comfort is good fit.

Two Kinds of Garment EaseGarment ease refers to the differencebetween the finished measurements ofthe garment and the measurements of thewearer’s body. With woven fabrics, thegarment needs to be at least somewhatlarger than the body; otherwise wecannot move in our clothes. Thisdifference is referred to as wearingease.

Some garments are intentionally biggerthan the wearer’s body in order to createa specific look. When a garment ispurposely styled to be noticeably largerthan the body, this is referred to asdesign ease.

A 1960s tent dress is a perfect exampleof design ease. There is a great dealmore ease in the hip area than is neededto move comfortably in the garment. It isprecisely this design ease that createsthe style of the dress.

With knit fabrics, the garment’s finishedmeasurements often equal the wearer’sbody measurements, because the knitstructure and its ability to give providethe wearing ease. Garments such as

activewear and bathing suits that aremade of stretch knits (knits withspandex) have negative ease. In thiscase, the garment’s finishedmeasurements are smaller than thewearer’s body measurements, becausethe fit is partially obtained as the fabricstretches around the body.

1960s tent dress

CHOOSING A PATTERN SIZEIt’s rare that a commercial pattern isideal for your figure, because thesepatterns are developed for astandardized body. Some patterncompanies base their patterns on a

specific figure type; this is convenient ifyou find a pattern company that uses afigure similar to yours. For most women,however, commercial patterns aresimply a tool—a good starting place fordeveloping a pattern that fits.

Pattern envelopes provide ameasurement/size chart to help youchoose a pattern size. While using thischart is simple, there are a number ofvariables to consider in addition to yourbody measurements when selecting apattern size.

Taking Your MeasurementsAccurate body measurements are anessential starting point. Wear the

undergarments that you normally wouldwith the garment you intend to sew.Undergarments that fit well make thefitting process easier and the finalgarment more attractive. When takingmeasurements, assume a normal stance;do not pull the tape tight, but have it restlightly on the body.

• High bust/chest. Measure directlyunder the arms, across the chest(above the full bust), and across theback, keeping the tape straight acrossthe back.

• Bust/full bust. Measure over thefullest part of the bust and across theback, keeping the tape straight andparallel to the floor.

• Waist. Measure the natural waist,which is the smallest part of thetorso, even if you usually wear yourgarments lower. A narrow elastictied around the waist will seek thesmallest part of the torso.

• Hip. Measure the fullest part of thehip/buttock, keeping the tape parallelto the floor. Use the abdominalmeasurement or a high, full thighmeasurement if it is greater than thehip/buttock measurement.

Where’s My Waist?

Although most people think of theirwaist as where they prefer the top oftheir skirts and pants to rest, the waistby definition is the smallest part of thetorso. Many women wear skirts andpants not at the natural waist butsitting lower on the torso, often justresting on the top of the hip bone or atthe navel. Style trends often have the“waist” even lower on the pelvis.Commercial patterns are developedwith the waist at the smallest part ofthe torso, unless the pattern specifiesotherwise (for instance, “1 1/2" [3.8cm] below waist” might be printed

near the top of a skirt pattern). Forfitting and pattern developmentpurposes, think of a lowered waistlineas a stylistic element.

Which Measurements to Use?Having an accurate set of measurementsallows you to go to the next step:deciding what size pattern to buy. Startwith the size chart on the patternenvelope to determine which size thepattern company recommends.

For skirts and pants (bottoms), use yourfull hip measurement, or the abdomen orhigh thigh measurement if it is largerthan the hip/buttock measurement.

For blouses and jackets (tops), choosinga pattern size is more complicated,because most commercial patterncompanies develop their patterns for aB-cup size. Some specially markedpatterns provide multiple cup sizes, andothers are sized for a full figure.

Many women whose bust is larger than aB cup prefer to use the high bust/chestmeasurement to select the pattern size,because the full bust measurement putsthem into a pattern size that isdisproportionate to their frame. Thesmaller size pattern better fits theirframe, and a full bust adjustment (seepage 129) is made to the pattern toaccommodate the larger cup size. If the

full bust measurement is used to selectthe pattern size, then the shoulder widthand armhole will likely need to beadjusted and made smaller. Bothapproaches are valid; use the one thatmakes the most sense to you.

For women with an A-cup size, the samesituation exists but in reverse. If the fullbust measurement is used to select thepattern size, the shoulder width andupper torso length will likely need to beadjusted and made larger. Alternatively,if the high bust/chest measurement isused, a small bust adjustment (see page129) will need to be made.

Determining Your Cup SizeSubtract the chest measurement from the

full bust measurement.

A cup = 1" (2.5 cm) or less

B cup = 1 1/4" to 2" (3.2 to 5.1 cm)

C cup = 2 1/4" to 3" (5.7 to 7.6 cm)

D cup = 3 1/4" to 4" (8.3 to 10.2 cm)

DD cup = 4 1/4" to 5" (10.8 to 12.7 cm)

Using a Standard Measurement/SizeChartPattern sizes are standardized among themajor pattern companies, but these sizesbear no relation to ready-to-wear sizes.To select a pattern size based on yourbust measurement, read across the “bust”

line until you come to your measurement;then read up to find the pattern size. Usethe same method if using a hipmeasurement. If your body measurementis between two sizes, considering thevariables described in this chapter willhelp you make a logical pattern sizeselection. Remember, the pattern is justa tool to help you get started.

Other Variables in Selecting a PatternSizeThe amount of ease built in to a patternaffects the way the garment fits. Somepatterns include a garment description,which indicates how much ease there is.For instance, a garment might bedescribed as semifitted or loose fitting.However, these terms are imprecise—they describe a range of ease, as seenfrom the ease chart.

The garment rendering or photograph onthe pattern envelope also depicts howfitted or loose the garment is intended tobe. Unfortunately, these illustrations andphotographs do not always accuratelyreflect the amount of ease in the garment.

Finished garment measurements oneither the pattern envelope or the patterntissue are the most helpful, because theytell you precisely how much ease hasbeen incorporated into the pattern.Simply subtract your body measurementfrom the finished garment measurement,and the result is how much ease thegarment will have on your body.Deciding how much wearing ease anddesign ease you would like in yourgarment will guide you in choosing apattern size.

Pattern Selection

Altering the length of many patterns isvery simple, and most patternsprovide lengthen/shorten lines foryour convenience. Adjusting apattern’s circumference is moredifficult. Therefore, select a patternsize that will be close to your desiredcircumference (wearing ease + designease), even if you know you will needto alter the length.

Wearing Ease RecommendationsWearing ease recommendations alsovary. For instance, the Butterick chart

lists 3" to 4" (7.6 to 10. 2 cm) of ease inthe bust for garments in the fittedsilhouette category, whereas I find lessis necessary. How much wearing ease toinclude is a matter of personalpreference. However, many women findthat they need less wearing ease in agarment that fits well compared to agarment that does not fit well.

I recommend the following ease amountsfor garments in the fitted silhouettecategory when the garment fits well. Forthe hip and the full bust, 1 1/2" to 2" (3.8to 5.1 cm) for a slender figure, and 2" to3" (5.1 to 7.6 cm) for a full figure isadequate and comfortable. The waistdepends on personal preference; some

women like a bit of ease (perhaps 1/2"to 1" [1.3 to 2.5 cm]), while othersactually like negative ease.

TOOLS FOR PATTERN WORKAND FITTINGA few specialized tools are handy whenfitting muslins and adjusting patterns.

Since people work more efficientlywhen tools are comfortable in theirhands, try different pencils and paperscissors until you find those you like.There are a number of options forpattern work, such as Swedish TracingPaper (an interfacing-like product),tissue paper, architect’s trace, alpha-numeric grid paper used in the industry,and exam table paper. The advantage ofusing paper instead of an interfacing-type product or taking apart a muslin andusing the fabric itself for a pattern is thatpaper is exact and cannot stretch out ofshape.

Transparent straight edge rulers (1)allow you to view the pattern while

drafting. See-through rulers marked in1/8" (3 mm) increments are particularlyhandy and are available in severallengths.

Fashion ruler/styling design rulers (2)provide excellent curvature for patternadjustments and pattern drafting.

French curves (3) provide additionalcurvatures; they are nice to have but notessential.

Right-angle rulers (4) are alsoconvenient and can be triangles, L-squares, or T-squares.

Measuring tape (5) that does not stretch,either reinforced fiberglass or

waterproof oilcloth.

Yardstick (6) for checking fitting axisduring the fitting process.

Pencils (7) that make a precise, easy-to-read line and are comfortable in yourhand. Mechanical pencils don’t needsharpening.

Colored pencils (8) are particularlyhandy when making multiple patternadjustments and you want to indicatewhich line to use; they’re also helpfulfor drawing axis lines on a fittingmuslin.

Fabric eraser (9) can be used to removelight pencil marks without abrading or

marking the fabric.

Pencil sharpener (10) for wooden andcolored pencils.

Fine-tip markers (11) for markingpinned adjustments on a muslin.

Pattern paper of your choice (12), forexample architect’s trace, alpha-numericpattern paper, exam table paper. Tissuepaper designed for gifts tears easily andis not recommended.

Paper scissors (13) should becomfortable in your hand and allow youto cut accurately.

Small fabric scissors (14) are helpful

when clipping fitting muslin during thefitting.

Tracing wheel (15) and carbon paper ifyou like to transfer pattern markings tothe muslin this way.

Clear tape (16) for adding paper topatterns and making pattern adjustments.Some are more flexible than others,some are removable. I prefer 1/2" (1.3cm) Magic tape in a desk dispenser.

Colored tape (not shown) for markingthe yardstick; blue painter’s maskingtape is easy to remove and leaves noadhesive residue.

Table or work area (17) large enough tospread your pattern out. An elevatedtable prevents back strain. A cleankitchen counter works well. You caneasily elevate a table with bed lifts orPVC pipe (that the table legs can slipinto) cut to the appropriate length.

Muslin (18) or other stable fabric fortest garments. Woven gingham is oftenoff-grain, and so is not actually helpful.Some people like pattern tracing fabricor lightweight nonwoven interfacing, sothe pattern itself can be used as a test-fitting garment; while convenient, thismethod is not as accurate as keeping aseparate paper pattern.

Pins (19) for fitting the muslin should besharp and easy to use. I prefer glass headpins. Some people find a wristpincushion convenient.

Elastic (20), 1/4" to 3/8" (6 to 10 mm)wide, for anchoring skirts and pantsduring a fitting, and assisting in takingwaist measurements.

Sewing machine and basic sewingnotions for making test-fitting garments.

Iron and ironing board for pressing testfabric, constructing test garment, andpressing fitted muslin pieces flat.

Full-length mirror for fitting testgarments. Having an additional mirror

allows you to easily see your back andsides without turning the body anddistorting the test garment.

Dress form made or padded tomeasurements is convenient but notnecessary. Fitting test garments on thebody is better for getting accurateproportions.

THE INTERRELATIONSHIPBETWEEN PATTERNS ANDFITTINGTo get a pattern to fit, use the pattern inconjunction with a test garment (orfitting muslin). The fitting muslin is yourlaboratory, where you can experimentwith changes so the fit is good and the

garment’s proportions are flattering. Thepattern is the record-keeping devicewhere you make the fitting changes sothat you can reproduce the garment.

Understanding the principles of flatpattern manipulation helps you become amore effective fitter. For example, youwill know to make changes on the fittingmuslin in such a way that they can laterbe made in the pattern. Understandingthe principles of fitting advances yourability to alter and adjust patterns. Forinstance, you will be more aware of howa change to one pattern piece affects anadjacent pattern piece.

The two skills of fitting andpatternmaking support one another in

many ways. When you are fitting, youwill know that you can fine-tune thesubtlety of a curve with your ruler on thepattern. When you are adjusting apattern, you will be guided by both thevisual and tactile knowledge you have ofthe individual’s body. Strengthening oneskill leads to the enhancement of theother skill.

OVERVIEW OF THE FITTINGPROCESSGetting a pattern to fit is a process.Sometimes it’s a simple and shortprocess, and other times it’s long andinvolved. Some garment styles are morestraightforward to fit than others, andsome individuals are easier to fit than

others. But the general process is alwaysthe same. The following chaptersdescribe the process in detail.

1 Make preliminary adjustments to thepattern, if desired.

2 Mark and sew a test garment.

3 Fit the test garment. This requirestraining the eye to recognize fittingissues, deciding which fittingchanges to make first, and knowingwhen to stop a fitting.

4 Mark the changes pinned on the testgarment and remove the pins.

5 Transfer the markings on the testgarment to the pattern.

6 Alter and manipulate the pattern.This requires learning basic patternmanipulation techniques.

7 True the pattern (that is, check thatadjacent seams on the pattern are thesame length).

8 Mark and sew another test garment,repeating the process until the fit andthe pattern are perfected.

Fresh Starts

Rather than trying to fit the entire testgarment in one session, it can behelpful to stop a fitting after you pin asmall number of changes. Makingthose changes on the pattern andsewing a new test garment oftenmakes it easy to see which fittingchanges to make next. Plus, you candouble-check that what you’ve doneso far is indeed improving the fit. If alarge number of fitting changes aremade in a single session and a newfitting issue is introduced, it can bequite difficult to assess what causedthe new problem.

RECOGNIZING FITTING ISSUESTraining the eye to recognize fittingissues requires time. Masters at fittinghave studied and practiced for years,and they have fit hundreds of garmentson all types of bodies. Once you canrecognize a few fitting issues, you’ll beable to concentrate on others, graduallybuilding a comprehensive understandingof fitting. Fitting is a skill that can belearned, but you may need to train youreye to see fabric in new ways.

Recognizing Drag LinesDrag lines are diagonal or horizontalpulls in the fabric. They usually radiate

from the point where the problemoriginates; however, since there is abeginning and endpoint to the drag line,determining which is the originationpoint can be confusing. Drag linesindicate that a garment is too tight or thatthere is not enough three-dimensionalspace for a mound of flesh. They canoccur on any type of garment.

The diagonal pulls in the fabric starting at thebust and going to the side below the horizontalbalance line (HBL) are typical drag lines. Theyoriginate at the bust, indicating that there is afitting issue involving the bust.

In addition to several other fitting issues,there are quite a number of drag linesemanating from the full buttock. Together theyindicate that the full buttock needs more three-dimensional space.

Although there a number of fitting issues inthe shoulder area, the diagonal folds of fabricrunning from the bust to the side seam near thewaist are drag lines that indicate the need formore bust shaping. The horizontal pulls in thefabric at bust level across the center front ofthe garment also indicate that the garment istoo tight across the bust.

Recognizing FoldsFolds are symptomatic of fabric excess.Vertical folds indicate too muchcircumference; horizontal folds indicatetoo much length. Folds do not alwaysform where the problem is stemmingfrom. For instance, if a bodice hashorizontal folds at the waist, there couldbe too much length in the upper torsobetween the underarm and the shoulder,

or in the lower torso between theunderarm and the waist.

The vertical folds of fabric at the sides fromthe mid-back through the waist indicate thatthere is too much circumference in thisgarment back.

The horizontal fold of fabric across the mid-back indicates that there is too much length inthe bodice above the waist.

Here is the same garment viewed from theback.

Practice Seeing Fitting Issues

Any time you’re around people,whether it’s at the office or thegrocery store, look at the fit of theclothes people are wearing. Does ablouse have a drag line radiating fromthe bust toward the hip? Does a jacketride up on the buttock? Is a skirthemline shorter in the back than thefront? The power of observation—ourability to see and understand what weare seeing—grows with practice.

Recognizing Fabric Flaring Away fromthe Body

Except for designs where the fabric isintended to flare, fabric flaring awayfrom the body signals a fitting problem.It usually indicates that the HBL is notlevel.

The front of this garment flares away fromthe body at the hemline. This suggests that theHBL is not level. In this example, the drag linesemanating from the bust indicate that more bustshaping is necessary.

Small Drag Lines from PinsPins often create very small drag lines oftheir own. This is due to the path of thepin in the cloth, where the fabric is beingpushed in one direction and then pulledback down in the opposite direction.

With practice, your eye will quickly learn todisregard the small aberrations in the clothcreated by pins.

A Framework for Fitting

Making fitting adjustments without aframework to work within relies on a lotof luck. Sometimes you’ll makeprogress, and sometimes you won’t. Andwhen a fitting adjustment does work, youfrequently won’t understand why it did

so—although you’ll probably feel verygrateful that it did. Using a fitting axis,described below, establishes aframework you can work in. This, inturn, allows you to conduct the fittingmethodically. At each step, you’ll knowwhat you’re trying to achieve, even ifyou have to figure out how to achieve it.The fitting axis is what puts you incontrol of the fitting process.

THE FITTING AXISA fitting axis establishes fixed linesaround which the fabric is manipulated.Without such a fitting axis, correctingone fitting issue can cause a differentfitting issue to develop. You’re usuallyflying by the seat of your pants and

hoping for the best. With a fitting axis,on the other hand, you approach fitting amuslin with purpose and direction.

To understand the fitting axis orframework, think of a straight skirt madewith plaid fabric. Center front is aconstant line that doesn’t get altered, andit is the first component of the axis. It isa straight line that is perpendicular to thefloor.

At the hem of the skirt, one color line ofthe plaid shows evenly all the wayaround the skirt. This line, the hemline,is parallel to the floor, and it is used toestablish the second component of thefitting axis.

Move up the body to the hip, which isusually the fullest part of the buttock, toestablish the second component of thefitting axis. Viewed from the front, thehip level is below where the bodybegins to taper toward the waist. The hiplevel, which is parallel to the hemline, isthe second component of the fitting axis.

The fitting axis allows you to developyour most important fitting tool—thehorizontal balance line.

THE HORIZONTAL BALANCELINEThe line at the hip level of the skirt isreferred to as the horizontal balanceline, or HBL. Due to how the HBL isderived, the HBL is always parallel tothe floor and perpendicular to the centerfront. On a skirt, most of the fitting takesplace above the HBL, as the fabric isshaped to follow the contours of thelower torso. If the fitting axis is kept incorrect position, the hemline will followone color line of the plaid fabric, and theskirt will hang straight and plumb (A).

If the HBL is not employed when fittingthe skirt, the fabric can be successfullyshaped to follow the contours of thebody. But depending on how the fittingwas executed, the hemline might notfollow one color line of the plaid fabric,in which case the skirt will most likelyflare away from the body at either thefront or the back (B).

On garments that hang from the shoulder(tops, dresses, jackets, and coats), anHBL is placed between the bust and thewaist. A dress is a good example of howthe torso HBL is derived: it is anadditional line that is parallel to the hemand to the hip-level HBL. If the garmentlength extends below the hip, anotherHBL drawn at hip level facilitates thefitting process. If the garment length endsabove the hip, use the one HBL on thetorso between the bust and the waist (C).

Center Back Axis Line

Center back is not as useful as centerfront for the perpendicular componentof the fitting axis, because back seamsof garments often incorporate shaping.However, when fitting the back, it canbe helpful to imagine a center backaxis line, especially in relation tokeeping the HBL level.

A garment with a shaped hem followsthe same principles, because the shapedhem is actually a stylistic element. Thefitting process is often streamlined if thefitting muslin has a straight hem.

Complete the fitting, and then create thehem shaping (D).

Establishing the HBL on the PatternOn many commercial patterns, thelengthen/shorten line can be used for theHBL. But it’s also easy to establish anHBL if there are no lengthen/shortenlines, and to check that thelengthen/shorten lines on the pattern areat the same level. The following processis the same for any type of garment.

In order to establish a horizontal balanceline, you must be familiar with walkingpatterns (see page 59). Start with thefront pattern piece. The HBL is

perpendicular to the center front.Because the grainline arrow is parallelto the center front, the HBL is alsoperpendicular to the grainline arrow. Infact, horizontal balance lines are alwaysperpendicular to the grainline arrow ongarments cut on the straight-of-grain. Onbias-cut garments, the HBL is at a 45-degree angle to the straight-of-grain.

Place the HBL at or just below the fullest partof the hip on a skirt or pants.

Place the HBL between the bust and waist on atop, dress, jacket, or coat.

When the fitting muslin is prepared, theHBL will be drawn on the outside of thecloth so that it is easily seen. Forinstructions to do this, see page 35.

Fitting Tip

If it facilitates the fitting process,draw more than one HBL on the fittingmuslin.

1 To establish the HBL on the adjacent patternpiece, walk the two pattern pieces from the

hem to the HBL placement, and mark theHBL placement on the corresponding patternpiece at the seam line.

2 Place the adjacent pattern piece on a gridboard, and move the grainline arrow along a

vertical grid line until the match point at theseam line comes to a horizontal grid line.

3 Draw the HBL, using the horizontal grid lineat the match point. Accurate work is

important.

Using the HBL during a FittingDuring the fitting process, the HBL is alandmark to utilize, a concrete referencepoint. Learning to bring the fitting axisinto position and to manipulate the fabricaround the fitting axis takes practice. Butluck is removed from the process andreplaced with educated trial and error.With only a small amount of experience,you’ll understand that fitting is simply amatter of manipulating the fabric aroundthe fitting axis so that it creates the spacerequired by a body’s unique shape.

Fundamentals of FittingMuslins

LEARNING TO LOOKFitting a muslin requires activelylooking. Most of what we see during theday is processed passively, even thoughwe are taking in a large amount ofinformation. When learning to fit, it’sessential to think actively about whatyou are seeing. At first, you must learn tonotice that a fitting issue exists. Withexperience, you’ll become a discerningobserver, reading the fabric in a waythat reveals the cause of the fitting issue.

Using a Mirror and Photographs

Because we need to pin and manipulatethe fabric during a fitting, we work withthe muslin at close range. However, analteration that takes care of a particularfitting issue in one area might not be thebest solution in terms of making theclient look proportionate and balancedas a whole. So periodically it’s helpfulto look at the muslin within a largercontext.

To do this, you can step away from theindividual if you are fitting someoneelse, or you can sight in to a full-lengthmirror that’s several feet away. Whenfitting yourself, using one or moremirrors lets you view the muslin whilein a normal stance.

A mirror is helpful for several reasons:Using a mirror permits us to view thesubject from further away, whichreduces the size of the entire image andallows us to see the specific area ofinterest within a larger context. Also,when looking directly at a muslin, weare viewing a three-dimensional figure.The reflection in the mirror is two-dimensional, and this dimensionalchange often makes it easier to identifyfitting issues.

A mirror also helps us view fittingissues creatively. When we fit, we tendto latch on to the first solution that comesto mind. Sighting in a mirror to shift the

context encourages us to observe in anew way. This often leads us to otherpotential solutions.

Using photographs to study fittingproblems provides the same benefits assighting in a mirror. When fittingoneself, a photograph may seem lesspersonal, and this step of removal makesit easier to look at our own body moreobjectively. Any tool that enables you tounderstand what you are seeing not onlyhelps elucidate the problem at hand, butalso increases your ability to observe ingeneral.

THE BODY AS “VOLUME”Fitting is a complicated process. Yet, in

essence, the fitting process is simply amatter of making the space created bythe fitting muslin match the spaceoccupied by the body. There is nomystique—it is just a puzzle to solve.You manipulate the muslin so that itsthree-dimensional space reflects thevolume of the body.

In addition to matching the total volume,the muslin must also reflect where thebody mass is located. For instance, twowomen with exactly the same full bustmeasurement could have quite differentbody proportions. One could have abroad back and small breasts, and theother could have a narrow back andlarge breasts. The total full bust

measurement is the same, but the twopatterns and fitting muslins look verydifferent. One will have a wide backpattern, and the other a narrow backpattern. One will have less space forbreast tissue, and the other more spacefor breast tissue.

However, the process of fitting is thesame for both figures. Move the fabric ofthe muslin to bring the fitting axis intoposition, and then manipulate the fittingmuslin’s volume so that it reflects thebody (volume) you are fitting.

FITTING OTHERS ANDYOURSELFConducting a fitting on another person

has many advantages. You can walkaround the individual, viewing themuslin from all different vantage points.You can study the muslin itself as wellas the reflected image in the mirror.Your hands can work independently ortogether. And you have easy access toall parts of the muslin.

Having a fitting buddy is a productiveapproach for many sewers. You have theadvantages of fitting another person, plusanother set of discerning eyes.Especially when you are learning to fit,one person might detect issues that theother doesn’t happen to see. And you canproblem solve the fitting issues together.

Weight FluctuationSome women have almost no variationin their weight, whereas other womenexperience a good deal of weightfluctuation. A few pounds of weight gainor loss can affect the way a garment fits.With some clients, I feel like I’m tryingto fit a moving target from one fittingsession to the next. For someone whoseweight fluctuates, it’s important not tooverfit the test muslin and realize that, asthe fitter, you might have a very difficulttime getting an absolutely perfect fit.

Fitting YourselfFitting yourself is possible, but itrequires patience. The limitations of notbeing able to see or touch every part of

the muslin are the biggest obstacles.Setting up an extra mirror or two helpsyou see your sides and back.

Pinning changes to the muslin isespecially difficult. On the front, tryusing your dominant hand to pin changeson the other side of the body. This alsoworks for making most changes to theside of the garment. For the back, beprepared to take off and put on yourgarment a number of times.

Identifying fitting issues and imaginingthe pinned solution are valuable assets.Visualize the change that needs to bemade, remove the garment, manipulateand pin the fabric, then put the garmentback on. When assessing the results,

differentiate whether you need to fine-tune the pinned correction, move thelocation of the adjustment, or start anew.

If your frustration level rises, set theproject aside for a couple of hours ordays and try again. Fitting yourself islargely a matter of perseverance anddetermination. A bit of assistance is veryhelpful. For example, you can teach anon-sewer how to pin. Then, using yourability to observe and assess the muslin,instruct your “helping hands” where todo the pinning.

Fitting Another PersonFitting a muslin on someone else

requires touching that person. Anexperienced fitter knows that the firsttask is to build trust between herself andthe individual she’s fitting. This willallow the client to relax, enabling thefitter to do her job.

To build trust, I have my client put on thefitting muslin, and I pin it closed. I thenstand behind her while she faces themirror. As I make my first visualassessment of the muslin, I lightly touchher upper back. I then walk around herand perhaps gently touch her shoulder.While she is becoming accustomed tomy hand on her body, I’m becomingfamiliar with how the muslin fits.

If my client seems comfortable, I can

start the fitting in earnest. If she doesn’t,I talk about what I’m observing. Forexample, “This fold of fabric indicatesthat we need to increase the bust dart.I’ll show you the difference.” Thisprovides a good transition to pinning oneor two changes. At the next session, theclient is likely to be more at easebecause she already knows what a fittingsession entails. Plus, when she sees thatthe new muslin fits better, herconfidence in the process and trust inyou grows.

Touching your client’s body gives youadditional information that your eyesalone cannot pick up. After a fitting hasbeen completed, I’ll have a sense of the

client’s body in my hands. Thisinformation “in my fingers” helps metremendously as I use the fashion ruler tomake the changes on the pattern.

To keep a client relaxed, I often engageher in conversation. I might ask herquestions about her work, how manychildren she has, how she fared in thelatest snow storm, what her summergarden produced, what her plans for theupcoming weekend or holiday are—almost anything to get her talking. Thetime passes more pleasantly for her,because she’s occupied. And I canconcentrate on fitting her with just alittle attention to keeping theconversation going.

Fitting Tip

Standing in one place for more thanfive or ten minutes is tiring, so be sureto have your client periodically movearound and do a few knee bends.

Some clients are interested in the fittingprocess. In this case, you can talk aboutwhat you are doing to make the muslinfit. This often leads to exploration ofwhat is flattering on her figure. Manyclients find this exciting, because it putsthe fitting stage of garment developmentinto the context of clothes that willactually be worn. If you are fitting

yourself, thinking about interestingfabrics and stylistic elements can helpkeep you motivated through this part ofthe process.

Comfort: One Indication of Good FitIt’s important to get feedback about howthe muslin feels on the wearer’s body. Ifyou are fitting yourself, you’ll need toplay the role of both the fitter and theclient.

Sometimes a client will voluntarily saythat something feels much better afteryou correct a fitting issue. If the clientdoes not spontaneously providefeedback, you’ll need to ask (forexample, “Does the armhole feel better

now that I’ve clipped it?”). If you noticethat a area of the garment is close fitting,ask the client how it feels (for example,“Does the bodice feel tight across thebust?”). Her comments are importantclues as to how the fitting is proceeding,and they often reveal areas that needyour attention as a fitter.

The ultimate goal is to have the clientfeel comfortable and relaxed in hergarment. We all have quirks about whatfeels comfortable and what doesn’t.Some people can’t stand to have a tightsleeve; others don’t like loosenessacross the bust. These are very realissues to the person being fit, even if youdon’t personally share these likes and

dislikes.

Experimentation is part of the process.You might need to try several differentthings to achieve both comfort and goodfit. In addition to asking yourself whichchange makes the garment look better,ask the client which feels better.

Take Your TimeMany people do not know what good fitis and have never owned a garment thatfits properly. Taking small steps towardgetting the garment to fit correctly is thebest approach. Rather than trying tomake all of the fitting changes in onesession, make the most importantchanges first. Correct the pattern and

make a new test garment. During the nextfitting session, make a few morechanges.

In this way, you make the fitting processeasier on yourself as the fitter, and youwill gradually lead the client tounderstand what good fit is. Thisstrategy also works well if you arefitting yourself: as the fit slowlyimproves, you more readily will seewhat needs to be done next.

WHAT TO WEAR FOR A FITTINGBecause foundation garments, layeringgarments, and shoes affect the way agarment fits, they must be taken intoaccount during the development of a

muslin.

Foundation GarmentsWear whatever undergarments younormally would wear under the garmentbeing developed. Undergarments shouldfit properly; for example, a worn-out bralowers the bustline, and too-tight pantiescreate a bulge above and below theelastic band.

Layering GarmentsWhen fitting a muslin such as a jacket,wear what you normally would wearunder the finished jacket, perhaps acamisole, blouse, or sweater. I suggestto my clients that they wear the bulkiestpotential layering garment during the

fitting process. If a variety of garmentswill be worn under the finished jacket,the fit will likely be compromised at oneend of the spectrum. For instance, if thefinished jacket was fit to accommodate asweater, it will probably look a bitloose with only a camisole. Deciding onthe range of layering garments is simplya choice that the wearer must make.

Once you have a pattern that fits well,you can turn it into a bigger or smallergarment with a handful of patternchanges. For instance, if you have ashoulder princess blouse, you can scaleit up to make a shoulder princess jacketor even a shoulder princess coat. Youcan also scale the garment down, turning

a jacket into a blouse. For informationon how to do this, see page 77.

ShoesWear the shoes that you intend to wearwith the garment. Heel height impactsthe length of garments, especially pants.But heel height also changes your stance,which in turn affects the fit. There mightnot be much difference at all between a1" and a 1 1/2" (2.5 and 3.8 cm) heel,but there will be a more noticeabledifference between a 1" and a 2 1/2"(2.5 and 6.4 cm) heel, and a sizeabledifference between a 1" and a 4" (2.5and 10.2 cm) heel. If you don’t haveshoes picked out for the garment, choosea shoe with a heel height that’s close to

what you envision wearing.

PREPARING THE TEST MUSLINFOR A FITTING

Choosing Fabric for a Test GarmentFor garments that will be made from awoven fabric, choose a stable wovenfabric for the test garment. If the fashionfabric that will be used containsspandex, select a fabric for the testgarment that has a similar amount ofspandex. However, if the fashion fabricthat will be used is drapey, I recommendusing a stable (non-drapey) fabric for atleast the first and perhaps the second testgarment; this will ensure that you don’t

rely on the drape of the fabric to solvefitting issues. If the fashion fabric thatwill be used is thick, such as for a coat,it’s helpful to use a similarly thick fabricfor the test garment.

For garments that will be made from knitfabric, choose a knit for the test garmentthat has similar give and stretch qualitiesin the length-of-grain and the cross grain.

I prefer a light-colored fabric, which iseasier to “read” (detect fitting issues)than a dark-colored fabric. With a light-colored fabric, it’s also easier to see themarkings transferred from the patternand to make notations during the fitting.

Muslin fabric is often used—which is

why a test garment is also referred to as“a muslin.” Muslin fabric varies inweight and quality. Withexperimentation, you’ll find test fabricsthat you like to work with and that suityour budget. I like to keep a good supplyof test garment fabric on hand, since Iknow I’ll be making several differenttest muslins in the process of getting apattern to fit well.

Muslin fabric and other inexpensivefabrics are frequently off-grain.Fortunately, most muslin and many otherinexpensive woven cottons are stableenough that the fabric being slightly off-grain isn’t a big issue. Whilestraightening the grain of fashion fabric

before cutting out a pattern is veryimportant because of the impact grainline has on how a garment hangs, do thebest you can with test garment fabricswithout driving yourself crazy.

I do not preshrink my test garment fabricbecause I like the extra stabilityprovided by the small amount of sizingin muslin and other inexpensive cottons.

Cutting Out and Marking the TestMuslinI cut out most test muslins by placing thepattern on fabric that has been folded inhalf, so that I cut a right and a left side ofthe garment at the same time. Making testgarments as efficiently as possible

without sacrificing accuracy helps speedup the entire process.

Marking the test muslin with pertinentinformation from the pattern facilitatesthe fitting process. With experience,you’ll learn what information is helpfulto you and what is extraneous. And withexperimentation, you’ll also figure outthe method you like to use to transfer thisinformation.

Information to TransferThe landmarks listed below and on thenext page should be transferred from thepattern to the right side of the muslin.Some fitters also like to mark the bustapex, grainlines, seam lines, hemlines,notches, and match points.

Center front. This is one of the axislines and therefore it should be noted onthe fitting muslin. For a garment with anasymmetric front, having center frontmarked provides a visual reference.

Garment opening. Mark the seam linesof the garment opening so that youaccurately pin the fitting muslin closed.On garments with a center front opening,the center fronts are the match lines;having them marked is important sincethe amount of fabric between the centerfront and the cut edge will varydepending on the size of button or othertype of closure. For asymmetricgarments, mark the match lines, whichmight also be center front.

Horizontal balance line. Make sure thatthe HBL is easy to see, since it is a veryimportant fitting tool. Mark more thanone HBL on the fitting muslin if it wouldbe helpful. For example, on a sheathdress, I would mark one HBL betweenthe bust and the waist, and another HBLat or just below the full hip. See nextpage for how to mark a HBL on thepattern.

Darts. Mark all darts on the muslin,whether or not you sew them beforeconducting a fitting. On first muslins, Idon’t sew waist darts on skirts and pantsbecause I prefer to drape them in as Iassess the client’s body. However,having them drawn on the muslin

provides a convenient frame ofreference in fitting the right and left sidesymmetrically. Even though I sew bustdarts and shoulder darts prior to fitting,having the dart legs drawn on the muslinis helpful if I need to reposition themduring the fitting.

How to Transfer the MarkingsI use both dressmaker’s carbon andcolored pencil. I rarely thread trace thepattern markings because of the risk ofthe threads coming out of the fabricduring the fitting process, and because Ican’t see the thread tracing as easily.Mark the test muslin after it’s been cutout, but before removing all the pinsholding the pattern to the fabric.

To use dressmaker’s carbon or transferpaper:

1 Insert two layers of carbon paper betweenthe layers of fabric, with the carbon facingeach layer of fabric.

2 Using a tracing wheel, go over the lines orsymbols on the pattern to be transferred.

3 An accurately marked dart.

Test Garment Openings

Decide where you want the garmentaccess (opening) to be on the fittingmuslin. It is often helpful to have theopening in a different location thanwhere it will be on the finishedgarment. For instance, I prefer acenter back opening when fittingpants, which eliminates the bulk of afront fly and allows me to see the fitof the front crotch curve more easily.

To get very accurate, straight lines, Imark horizontal balance lines and centerfronts with the method described below:

1 Make a small clip at the HBL. In thisexample, the bodice back pattern piece has aseam at center back, so the HBL is clippedalong both the center back seam and the sideseam.

2 Open the fabric, align a ruler with the clips,and draw the HBL. Repeat for the other backpiece.

3 The accurately marked HBL.

Sewing the Test MuslinUse a long stitch length whenconstructing the test garment so that it iseasy to release a seam or dart during thefitting process. Check that the lengthenedstitch does not, however, produce a

puckered seam.

Press the seam allowances and darts asyou would for a real garment. I prefer tohave the seam allowances against thebody. Some people like to fit with theseam allowances on the outside of thegarment because it’s easier to adjust andpin the seams. While this is true, I findthe seam allowances very distractingwhen reading the fabric for fitting issuesand when assessing how the finishedlines of the garment look on the body. Ifthe muslin is simply turned inside out inorder to put the seam allowances on theoutside of the test garment, it can alsolead to confusion if the client’s body isuneven (for example, has one high

shoulder), because the left side of thetest muslin would be on the right side ofthe body.

Stay stitching seam lines is not necessaryexcept in areas where the fabric wouldstretch out of shape very easily. If mytest garment fabric is quite stable, I staystitch seam lines such as the waist orneck only when I am working on a finalmuslin. When stay stitching, use aregular stitch length (ten to twelvestitches per inch [2.5 cm]), and checkthat the stitching is not causing the fabricto pucker.

Do not put zippers in initial fittingmuslins, because they make it verydifficult to pin some fitting adjustments,

such as shortening a garment. It’s fine toput a zipper in a final muslin. If you arefitting yourself and have a garment witha back closure, feel free to change theplacement of the opening for the purposeof fitting the muslin so it’s easy to get inand out of the garment by yourself.

Sew together the basic garment sectionsbut omit stylistic elements and details.For instance, do not conduct initialfittings with collars, because a necklinethat reflects the client’s body must firstbe established. Do not conduct initialfittings with sleeves sewn into thegarment, because a sleeve can distort thefit of the rest of the garment. Distill thegarment down to its most basic pattern

elements, and this is where you want tostart the fitting process.

After constructing the test garment, giveit a final press so that the fabric is notwrinkled. Do not starch the fabric,however, as this might prevent the fabricfrom relaxing on the client’s body.

CLIPPING AND MARKINGDURING A FITTINGTightness in a test garment distorts thefit. The first step in the fitting process isto release seams and clip garment areasthat are tight. This allows the garment torelax on the body, which is essentialbefore proceeding with the fitting.Periodically during the fitting process,

check the test garment again for signs oftightness.

Alleviating Tightness at the PerimeterHorizontal or diagonal pull lines in thefabric can—but don’t always—indicatetightness. As is often the case whenfitting, it’s important to “read” thefabric. If you suspect tightness at theperimeter of a garment, for instance atthe neckline or armhole, it’s easy tocheck. Make several 3/8" (1 cm) clips inthe seam allowance. If the fabric spreadsapart between the clips, the fabric istelling you there is tightness. If the fabricdoes not spread apart, tightness is not thecause of the pull lines.

Gradually making the clips deeper andincreasing the number of clips is a safeway to proceed. When the clips nolonger spread apart or when the originalpull lines in the test garment disappear,you have clipped enough.

This neckline is too tight, indicated by theslight strain lines between the bust and theneck. If you slipped a finger under the frontneckline, you would also feel the tension

against your skin. Sometimes a client will giveyou feedback. A neckline or waistline that istoo tight will often cause the test garment tocreep upward as the too-tight area seeks asmaller circumference on the body.

The test garment can relax on the body oncethe perimeter is clipped. Sometimes the clipswill be within the seam allowance, but oftenyou will need to clip beyond the seam

allowance further into the garment fabric.

This armhole is too tight, causing slight

distortion at the underarm, indicated by thesmall fold of fabric at the back armhole and thecrumpling of fabric below the armhole.Sometimes the distortion of fabric is verynoticeable, as seen on page 87.

Clipping the armhole allows the fabric torelax. In this example, the armhole seam wasclipped well beyond the original seam line. The

back armhole and sometimes the front armholeare typical places where this situation occurs.

Alleviating Tightness on the InteriorTightness can also occur in the middle ofthe garment. In these instances, you mustrelease seams in order to alleviate thetightness, since the tightness does notoccur at the perimeter of the garment.Occasionally, an area of the garment thatseems to be tight in the first assessmentof the test muslin will no longer be tightonce the proper fitting change is made.For example, if the bustline is too tight,the back of the garment might also looktight; but when adequate room for thebust is provided, the back no longershows sign of strain.

Another example is when the backhemline of a bodice is tight across thebuttocks when the HBL is lower in theback than in the front. Bringing the HBLto a level position often alleviates thetightness across the back hip. However,if you don’t initially notice that theuneven HBL is the cause of the tightnessat the back hip, no harm is done. Yourfitting order will follow a different path.For instance, you would probablyrelease the side seams to alleviate thetightness across the buttocks. Throughthe course of the fitting, you wouldeventually notice that the HBL was lowin the back. Correcting that would likelylet the side seams close up again. In thisexample, you would have gone through

some extra steps, but the end resultswould be the same.

This bustline is too tight, indicated by thedrag lines forming from the bust toward thecenter front at bust level.

Although it is not as obvious as in theprevious example, this bustline is also tootight, indicated by the slight strain on the fabricat the center front where it is pinned at bustlevel.

Releasing the princess seams over the bustallows the test garment to relax on the body. Besure to work on both sides of the body, in thiscase releasing the princess seam on the rightfront as well as the left front.

Marking a Muslin during the FittingI frequently draw on my test garmentswhile I’m conducting a fitting. Toindicate the placement of a seam, drawthe seam line, not the cut line. Fitting andpattern work hold this in common:always think and mark seam line.

Occasionally I’ll draw a seam line on atest garment that’s not quite where I wantit. If this happens, two hatch marks mean“no,” as is the case with pattern work.

Making notes directly on the muslinmeans the notes can’t get lost, and they’llbe right there when you’re transferringthe fitting changes to the pattern. As yourfitting skills become more adept, you can

also use notes to speed up the fittingprocess, although this isn’t as precise asactually making the adjustment on themuslin.

The seam lines of the armholes and necklinehave been marked as well as a new placementfor the shoulder seam.

To determine the placement of the seam line,

several tools can be used. A narrow piece ofcording or soutache braid gives you somethingto sight on, and it’s easy to move. You can alsouse a row of pins to mark a tentative seam line,but they aren’t as fast to reposition. In someinstances, such as with a shoulder line, sightingalong a pencil works.

Two short lines or hatch marks indicate thatthe line should be disregarded.

These notations indicate that the skirt is to belet out from the mark above the HBL to thebottom of the skirt. In the pattern work, I wouldknow to add the amount indicated down the sideseam and then blend the new side seam to theupper portion of the hip curve.

PINNINGPinning changes on a test garment so thatyou don’t accidentally poke the wearertakes some practice. Sometimes you canplace your free hand up under thegarment, but most of the time you cannotwithout distorting the fabric. Developinga pinning technique facilitates the fittingprocess.

Developing a Pinning Technique

I often reposition one of the seamallowances so that both are pointing inone direction in the area of theadjustment, and then proceed as follows.First, gently push the point of the pinthrough the top layer of fabric only.Next, rather than pushing the pincompletely through the bottom layer offabric, which is when you might poke theclient, pin into just the uppermost fibersof the bottom layer. As you do this, usethe pin to gently pull the fabric of thebottom layer slightly away from theclient’s body. Then guide the pin a bitfurther into the bottom layer of fabric.Finish by arcing the pin and coming backthrough the top layer of fabric.

General Pinning Practices

1 Pin the alteration where the fittingissue occurs. This often means youwill be pinning into the middle of thegarment, rather than at or along aseam.

2 Pin the fitting change so that it flattersthe figure. Sometimes there’s atrade-off between obtaining the mosteffective fit and the most flatteringfit.

3 Pin the fitting change on the muslin ina way that the adjustment can bemade on the pattern. For example,when increasing the bust shaping ona princess seam, pin the close-wedge to the opposing seam and not

partway across the side princesspanel.

This adjustment is pinned correctly.

This pinning adjustment is incomplete andactually indicates the need to create a dartrather than make a close-wedge adjustment.

4 When pinning, resolve the endpoint.For example, when pinning out 1/4"(6 mm) excess on a side seam, don’tleave the uppermost or lowest pinwith the 1/4" (6 mm) intake. Rather,pin so the adjustment is blendedback to the seam line.

This adjustment is pinned correctly.

This pinning adjustment is incomplete.

5 Pin seam adjustments so it’s clearwhether just one or both sides of theseam are affected.

The excess fabric on this seam has beenpinned out equally on both seams.

The excess fabric on this seam has beenpinned out on only one side of the seam.

6 Be a considerate fitter when placingpins. Even if the pin won’t poke theclient, it feels threatening when thepoint of the pin is at the edge of thefabric and close to the skin. Place

the pin so the head of its pin isnearest the garment edge.

KEEPING THE MUSLINBALANCEDThere is no such thing as a perfectlysymmetrical body. Everyone hasdifferences on one side of the body incomparison to the other. For example,the dominant arm might be larger, oneshoulder might be lower, one hip mightbe higher, or one leg might be shorter.

Fitting the muslin very precisely on eachside of the body will result in a finishedgarment that actually accentuates theunevenness of the figure. Rather thanemphasizing the differences between the

two sides of a person’s body, it’spreferable to fit the garment in a waythat makes the body look balanced andsymmetrical. Many beginners have atendency to fit too closely, which isreferred to as “overfitting.” However,for most women, a balanced garment iswhat shows her figure to its bestadvantage.

When the test muslin is balanced, thepattern can also be balanced. This meansthere is need for only a half pattern, as isthe norm for commercial patterns unlessthe garment is an asymmetric style.

Some women have figure variations thatnecessitate fitting each side of the bodyseparately. For instance, scoliosis can

cause so much curvature in the spine thatthe two sides of the body are quitedifferent. In this case, each side of thebody must be fit individually and acomplete pattern developed. Forexample, a complete skirt pattern wouldconsist of a right back and a left back,and a full front pattern that was not onthe fold. When fitting unbalancedfigures, the challenge is to obtain aneffective fit that makes the body look assymmetrical as possible.

Even Fitting

• For a high/low shoulder, I place ashoulder pad on the low side toeven out the body; the thickness ofthe shoulder pad should equal theamount the shoulder is low.

• To avoid overfitting, fit the high orlarger side: fit the high shoulderor hip, and fit the larger arm orhip.

FITTING ORDERFitting is rarely a linear process that

proceeds in a specified and unvaryingorder. There is usually a lot of goingback and forth between different areas ofthe body. In part this happens becausethe test garment is not a stationary item,but it settles on the body as the fittingissues are addressed. And at thebeginning of the fitting process, eachtime the test garment settles and relaxeson the body, it fits somewhat differently.

The fitting order also varies because youmight not notice every fitting issue at thebeginning of the fitting session. Inaddition, you must familiarize yourselfwith the client’s figure as well as howthe fabric is lying on the body. Andbecause of the variations in patterns, you

may need to work with the fitting muslina bit to understand the peculiarities ofthe pattern used for the test garment.

All of these variables contribute to thecomplexity of the fitting process.However, the following steps provide ageneral, easy-to-follow fitting order.

1 Release any area of the test garmentthat is tight.

2 Make the HBL level. If you aren’tsure how to accomplish this, make atemporary adjustment until you canfigure out the best solution. Havingthe fitting axis in place will help youidentify and assess the fitting issuesin the garment.

3 Correct any length issues, elongatingor shortening the fitting muslin asneeded.

4 Fit the mounds or fleshy areas of thebody.

5 Revisit the HBL and fitting axis.

6 Stop anytime you feel that a newmuslin reflecting the changes you’vemade will be helpful.

FITTING TIPS• The fitting axis is one of the most

important tools you have. Manipulatethe fabric of the test garment to bringthe fitting axis into correctplacement. Then, within each

quadrant formed by the fitting axis,manipulate the fabric to eliminatedrag lines, fold lines, tightness, andexcess fabric.

• Periodically during the fittingsession, check the placement oflandmarks such as center front, theHBL, and side seams.

• If a test muslin keeps shifting fromfront to back or from side to side,this usually indicates that one ormore fitting issues have not beenaddressed and are preventing thegarment from settling on the body.

• If a test muslin creeps upward on thebody, this might indicate that thegarment is tight. It also might be due

to the garment(s) that the client iswearing under the test garment. Forinstance, if the client is wearing acotton knit top that is tucked in at thewaist, a skirt muslin tends to creepupward.

• Darts create three-dimensionalspace. Therefore, they should pointto a mound or fleshy area, not to aflat or hollow area of the body.

• How large a dart is (the dart intake)affects how much three-dimensionalspace is created. A larger dart intakecreates more three-dimensionalspace than a smaller dart intake.

• There is frequently more than oneway to solve a particular fitting

issue. Trying several options andassessing the results of each one isthe best way to determine the mosteffective solution.

• Don’t spend a lot of time fine-tuningthe exact shape of every seam duringa fitting. Much of this will be takencare of when the fitting changes aretransferred to the pattern and thepattern work is done.

• Don’t make too many changes atonce. Make the most obviouschanges—those you are sure about—and then make the pattern changesand a new test garment. The extrastep of making a new test muslin isoften a time-saver in the long run. Iflots of changes are made at one time

and a fitting problem is introducedor worsened, it’s very difficult todetermine which change caused theproblem.

• Fit bodices without collars, sleeves,or other details. These additionalelements can mask basic fittingproblems.

• Finalize the fit of a bodice beforefitting a set-in sleeve. Part of thecomfort of the sleeve depends on thefit of the bodice. First get the sleeveto fit the arm; then deal with therelationship between the armholeand the sleeve cap.

• Fit tops and dresses that have waistseams (natural, empire, or dropped

waist) by first fitting the bodiceportion of the garment. Add the skirtafter the bodice fits well.

Seams

The center front seam is fixed; only inrare instances is it curved.

Side seams should hang straight andplumb.

Center back seams can be straight orcurved.

ASSESSING THE FITLooking at a garment with a discerningeye is essential for a fitter. There areobvious things to check at the end of afitting session: the HBL should be level,

the side seams should be straight andplumb, there should be no signs of strainor tightness, and there should be no draglines. But it’s often difficult to assess atest garment after a number ofadjustments have been made and it’s fullof pins, especially since the pinsthemselves can cause very small draglines and dips in the fabric. This is whenit’s helpful to transfer the fitting changesmade on the fitting muslin to the paperpattern, adjust the pattern, and make aclean test garment.

Making a second or third muslin lets yousee how the adjustments have translatedto the pattern and gives you theopportunity to fine-tune these changes.

With a few of the most obvious fittingissues solved, a new muslin also makesit easier to identify the remainingproblems.

Looking at a photograph of the fittingmuslin on the body often makes it easierto identify fitting issues, as discussed onpage 28. Or ask a sewing buddy for helpin assessing the fit. Someone who hasnot been involved in the initial fittingprocess can frequently see fitting issuesthat you are missing. And talking aboutwhat you are both seeing often leads to abetter understanding of what is going onand how to solve it.

In addition to a visual assessment of thefit, it’s also important to assess how

comfortable the garment is. Areas thatare uncomfortable frequently mean thatthere is an underlying fitting problem.

The Benefits of Multiple MuslinsFor most garments, I expect to make atleast two or three fitting muslins,perhaps even more for difficult-to-fitfigures. Some garments, like pants, arealso more difficult to fit, so moremuslins will be in order.

I don’t think of making multiple muslinsas “extra work.” The time I put intogetting a good fit is what allows me tofeel relaxed when I’m ready to cut intothe fashion fabric. Not only am Iconfident that the garment will fit nicely,

but I’ve also become familiar with howthe main portions of the garment areconstructed. This results in very few, ifany, unexpected problems whenconstructing the garment in fashionfabric.

Wearable Mock-upsWhen I feel that the fit of a garment is ingood shape, I often make a wearablemock-up. This is a garment made of lessexpensive fashion fabric that is similarin hand and weight to the “real” fashionfabric.

A wearable mock-up provides anotherlevel of checking the fit. It gives you thechance to wear the garment and go about

normal activities. This often brings tolight issues that were not noticed whenyou were just standing in front of themirror. And if fitting issues arediscovered, you’ve not ruined costly orirreplaceable fabric. If the fit is good,then you have another garment to wear.

Special-occasion garments do not lendthemselves to making a wearable mock-up as readily as day-to-day clothing.However, sometimes you can make aslight modification; for instance, a floor-length column gown could be made as astreet-length sheath dress using a lessglamorous fabric.

Is It Good Enough?

Deciding when to stop making muslinsis an important part of the fittingprocess. As your eye becomes bettertrained, you’ll tend to see very smallfitting issues, and it’s easy to getmired in making muslins and neversew an actual garment. Sometimes“good enough” means that you’reready to make a garment, whereaswith other garments, you’ll decide tostrive for perfection.

Fundamentals of AlteringPatternsEach time you have adjusted the muslin,you need to make corresponding changesto the original pattern pieces. Alteringthe pattern is a crucial step that requirespatience and thought.

GLOSSARY OF PATTERNMAKINGTERMSThe language of fitting and patternalteration includes the following termsand phrases.

Apex: The furthest protruding point ofthe bust.

Blending a seam: Redrawing a seam toeliminate jogs or angles by making asmooth and continuous line.

Bust point: See “apex.”

Close-wedge: A manipulation used toshorten a fitting muslin or a pattern by anuneven amount.

Cut line: The line indicating where tocut the pattern.

Dart intake: The distance between dartlegs, measured at the seam line.

Dart legs: The lines on each side of adart; the stitching lines for a dart.

Dart point: The point or dot indicatingthe end or termination of a dart.

Dart equivalent: The amount equal to adart intake.

Dart extension: The area to the side ofa dart that is frequently triangular inshape and protrudes further out than therest of the pattern or garment until thedart is closed and folded in the properdirection.

Dart transfer: Moving a dart to anotherlocation.

Fine-tune: To make a small adjustmentthat results in further improvement.

Fold line: A line indicating that thepattern piece is to be positioned onfabric that is folded in half when cuttingthe garment out.

Grainline arrow: A straight line on thepattern indicating how to position thepattern piece on the fabric; the grainlinearrow on the pattern is placed parallel tothe selvage of the fabric.

Grid board: A flat board marked with aseries of regularly spaced parallel andperpendicular lines.

Intersecting seam line: A seam thatcrosses or intersects another seam.

Notch: A registration mark on the

pattern, often shaped as a small triangle.

Open-wedge: A manipulation used tolengthen a fitting muslin or a pattern byan uneven amount.

Seam allowance: The distance betweenthe seam line and the cut line.

Seam line: The line on the patternindicating where the garment is to bestitched.

Spread: A manipulation used to lengthena fitting muslin or a pattern by an evenamount.

Stacking pattern pieces: Placingadjoining pattern pieces one on top of

the other, matching the seam lines andany notches. Often the top pattern piecehas been folded along the seam line.

Tick mark: A short line. A series of tickmarks are used to indicate anapproximate seam placement, which canthen be finalized and draftedpermanently.

Tuck: A manipulation used to shorten afitting muslin or a pattern by an evenamount.

Truing a seam: Checking that seams ona pattern are blended nicely and that twoadjoining seams are the same length orincorporate the desired amount of ease,then making any necessary corrections.

Waist-fitting dart: A vertical dartstarting below the bust.

Walking a seam: The process ofcomparing the same seam on twoadjoining pattern pieces.

Wedge: A manipulation used to shortenor lengthen a fitting muslin or pattern byan uneven amount. See “close-wedge”and “open-wedge.”

MAKING FLAT PATTERNADJUSTMENTSAltering patterns can seem daunting. It’s

easy to feel confused or overwhelmedwhen you have a lot of changes to make,especially if you don’t see how thosechanges are possible with the patternalteration method you know.

There are a number of pattern alterationmethods that you may have heard of orthat you currently use, including the seammethod, the pivot method, the slashmethod, and the box method. Dependingon how your mind works, some areeasier to understand and execute thanothers. Most simplify pattern alterationsso that the method is easy to use.However, simplification almost alwayssacrifices precision. Most methods arealso based on the assumption that a

commercial pattern is intrinsicallycorrect. Having this attitude towardpatterns encourages you to search for apattern that has been designed for yourbody type, so that you fit into the mold ofthe pattern.

My approach to pattern alteration issomewhat different in that it places thewearer’s body as the focal point. Thereis a direct correlation between thechanges made to a test muslin while it’son the body and the changes one makesto the pattern. Occasionally, only a fewadjustments are necessary, but usuallythere are quite a number of alterations.At times there are such substantialchanges to the pattern that the final

product is yours more than the patterncompany’s.

While it may seem scary to alter patternsso freely, remember that the pattern isnothing more than a tool, a convenientstarting place. This freedom is whatallows for the level of precisionnecessary to create a garment that trulyfits. And what is more, with this methodit doesn’t really matter which patternyou start with—the end result will be apattern that fits.

Thus, with this method of fitting andpattern making, the key to makingsuccessful pattern alterations lies inmaking appropriate and precise fittingadjustments to the test garment. After

fitting the test garment, you directlytransfer the fitting changes to the paperpattern. Then you adjust the paperpattern in much the same way as youmanipulated the muslin. Undertakingpattern work in this way puts you incontrol of the process. Although otherpattern alteration methods may seemsafer because they keep the pattern moreintact, they do not allow for this level ofeffectiveness and exactness.

With basic patternmaking skills, you canmake almost any pattern change. Thischapter describes basic patternmakingtechniques. More specialized techniquesare discussed as they arise inconjunction with the fitting examples.

Patternmaking, like many skills, has itsown specialized language. For aglossary of patternmaking terms, seepage 44.

Tips for Adjusting Patterns• Work methodically, carefully, and

neatly.• Make the pattern alteration where

you made the adjustment on thefitting muslin. This is where thefitting issue occurs, so change itthere.

• Think seam line. In your patternwork, concentrate on the placementof the seam lines, just as you dowhen fitting a test garment. It’s easy

to adjust the seam allowances afternew seam lines are established.

• Draw new seam lines using anappropriately shaped ruler, ratherthan freehand.

• Patterns must be flat afteradjustments have been made. If thereare bubbles or wrinkles when thepattern is lying on the table, thisindicates that the patternmanipulation has been doneincorrectly.

• Make a new copy of the pattern ifprior changes make it difficult to seeimportant landmarks. This mayhappen along seam lines due toredrawing or fine-tuning, or in areas

where there is so much tape andadded paper to be bothersome.

TRANSFERRING MUSLINMARKINGS TO THE PATTERNFirst, mark the fitting changes on themuslin. Use a marker or pencil in acontrasting color so that the fittingchanges are easy to see and are differentfrom muslin markings such as dart legsand grainlines. A bright color worksbest. Then transfer the markings to thepattern.

1 Mark both sides of each pin used in thefitting process.

2 Take all pins out and press the muslin flat.

3 Lay the pattern over the muslin, aligning theedges and markings such as the HBL. Takingthe muslin apart often makes it easier.

4 Transfer the markings to the pattern with aseries of tick marks.

5 The pattern piece with all of the fittingchanges indicated by tick marks is now readyto be altered and manipulated. For beginners,transfer all of the fitting changes from themuslin to the pattern pieces before makingany pattern changes.

The tick marks represent alterations thatneed to be made to the pattern. Someseams might have little or no change,while others have substantial changes.

For many people, making significantchanges like completely redrawing aseam line feels unorthodox and risky.However, if the fitting changes you madeto the muslin while it was on the bodyimproved the fit, and if you accuratelytransferred the muslin changes to the

pattern, then it’s logical that you cantrust those alterations. Whenapproaching fit and pattern work in thisway, it’s not important to keep thepattern intact; rather, your goal is tomake the pattern changes based ondiscerning fitting changes.

BLENDING SEAMS, USING THERULERS, AND ADDING SEAMALLOWANCES

Blending Seam LinesBecause pinning during a fitting can bechallenging and awkward, it’s difficultto pin a seam smoothly and in a perfectblend. Blending seams is an importantpart of patternmaking, since abrupt

transitions are noticeable in the garment.For most pattern alterations, long andgentle blends translate to a garmentthat’s more flattering. Short and choppyblends produce less flattering seams.

Therefore, when you blend a seam on thepattern using the tick marks as yourguide, there will be times that one ortwo tick marks do not fall on a well-blended line. It’s more important tocapture the intention of the line than it isto connect every single tick mark. Asyour patternmaking skills improve,you’ll feel more confident interpretingthe tick marks. And you’ll always havethe chance to fine-tune how a seam lieson the body if you make another test

garment.

Sides of the Pattern

It doesn’t matter which side of thepattern you work on. Sometimesduring pattern work you’ll work onthe side with the writing, and othertimes you’ll work on the oppositeside.

Intersecting Seams

Seams that intersect center front andcenter back require special attentionat the point of intersection. Waistlinesand necklines are good examples.Draft waist and neck seams so theyare straight and perpendicular tocenter front or center back forapproximately 3/8" (1 cm) before theybegin to curve. Otherwise, there willbe an unsightly dip or point in thewaist or neck seam at the intersection.

When part of a seam line changes, thenew seam is blended to the existing

seam. Many commercial patterns,especially multi-sized patterns, do nothave seam lines drawn on the patternpaper. When connecting a newly drawnor altered seam to the original seam line,it’s important to first draw the existingseam line on the pattern paper so youhave something to blend the new line to.If you are new to pattern work, Irecommend drawing all the existingseam lines on the pattern before startingto alter the pattern.

Using the RulersPattern work requires precision in orderfor the garment to fit as intended, whichis why it’s important to use rulers. Forexample, if you inadvertently added just

1/16" (1.6mm) to each seam on an eight-gore skirt, the skirt would be 1" (2.5 cm)larger than desired. Another example isthe curvature of the seams over the bust:an inexact line could change not only theoverall size of the garment, but it alsothe placement of the fullness over thebust, leading to an unflattering fit. Usingrulers makes your pattern work exact.

A straight edge ruler and a fashion ruler(Styling Design Ruler) are the mostfrequently used rulers, although a hipcurve and one or more French curves arealso handy. With practice andexperience, your rulers will becomeextensions of your hands. If I wereshown a seam line to blend, I might not

be able to verbally describe what part ofthe fashion ruler to use. But when Ipicked up the ruler, my hands wouldautomatically know how to orient it foran effective blend. Your eyes and handswill also learn to use the rulers adeptly—all it takes is practice.

With the fashion ruler, you are able toproduce a wide variety of curved andarced lines. The subtle shaping in seamlines can greatly influence how thegarment looks on the body. For example,if a woman carries weight on the outsideof her upper thigh, you can accentuate orminimize her build by the way you blendthe side seam from the fullest part of thethigh to the knee on a skirt or pants. As a

patternmaker, you therefore have theability to control not only the fit, but alsohow a viewer’s eyes perceive the body.

If the blend requires slight reshaping,you usually have several options, so it’simportant to think about what you wantto accomplish and to experiment withdifferent ruler positions. For instance, ifthe intent of the alteration is to increasethe room in the bust, you wouldn’t wantto place the ruler so that it removed 1/8"(3 mm) or more from the bust area.Keeping the fullness at the bust mightrequire slightly reshaping the blendunder the bust in order to get a smoothtransition. In these instances, choose thescenario that makes the most sense for

the body you are fitting.

Finesse the Curve

While learning to use the fashion rulerto draw seam lines, it is sometimesdifficult to visualize the shape of theseam while also trying to find thecorresponding part of the ruler thatwill produce the shape. When thishappens, lightly draw the linefreehand, and then use the ruler tofinalize and finesse the line.

Visualizing Blends

If you want less fullness, use a flatter part ofthe ruler.

If you want to add more fullness, use arounder part of the ruler. Note that with thisruler position you’ll need to blend a secondtime lower down in order to smoothlytransition to the seam line below in the area

indicated by the arrow.

Working with the Fashion Ruler

The fashion ruler is quite versatile andproduces a wide variety of shaped lines,especially because it can be used in fourdifferent orientations. Sometimes the solutionto blending a seam is to flip the ruler over.

To find the best area of the ruler to use whenblending seam lines, slide the ruler back andforth a few inches (cm), rather than picking up

the ruler. Seeing a potential blend that is notvery good along with a choice of blends oftenhelps you to find the area of the ruler that iseffective.

Working with a Straight Edge RulerWith experimentation, you’ll find astraight edge ruler that you like to workwith. The thickness and the flexibility ofthe ruler will influence how comfortableit is in your hand. The fashion ruler has astraight edge on one side, but the ruler isrigid and thick. I like to use 2" × 18"(5.1 × 45.7 cm) and 1" × 6" (2.5 × 15.2cm) flexible rulers marked in 1/8" (3mm) increments. The markings form agrid, which is useful to check lines thatneed to be perpendicular to each other.

Use a straight edge ruler to draw linessuch as the horizontal balance line, thegrainline, and center front, as well asany other seam line that needs to bestraight. I also use these flexible rulerswith grids to accurately measure andmark seam allowances.

Blending a Seam Line Using the RulersTo get long and gentle blends, positionthe fashion ruler so that as much of theruler as possible touches the lines to beblended. In achieving a long blend, youoften will need to reshape a part of theseam slightly. Experiment with rulerpositions to do this. The followingphotos show this process.

Blending Seams

Make thoughtful and logical decisionswhen blending seams, but workefficiently and don’t agonize overwhat to do. You can always makeanother test garment, which gives youthe opportunity to fine-tune. And it’susually easy to see what needs to bedone once the test garment is on thebody.

1 Since many patterns do not include seamlines, draw in all original seam lines.

2 This ruler position smoothly blends the tickmarks of the new seam near the waist, but thetransition to the lower straight portion of thenew seam (marked in red) is not good.

3 In comparison, this ruler position nicelyblends the straight lower portion of the sideseam with the first few tick marks of the newseam line. Once the initial transition hasbeen made, the rest of the seam can beblended, as follows.

4 This ruler position is okay, but does not pickup the fullness in the hip curve.

5 In comparison, this ruler position shows thefullness of the hip and nicely blends into rest

of the new seam line.

6 The new blended seam (in red).

Adding Seam AllowancesAfter fine-tuning a seam line, add theseam allowance. The amount of seamallowance is your choice as thepatternmaker. If you use varying seamallowances for different types ofgarments or within one garment, clearlymark your pattern.

1 For a straight seam, measure the desiredseam allowance using a ruler for accuracyand draw the cut line (in blue).

2 On curved lines, it’s often best to mark theseam allowance with a series of tick marks.

3 Then blend the curved cut line with a fashionruler.

4 Once the cut line is drawn in, trim away theexcess paper.

Working Over a Grid

A cutting surface marked with a gridis an excellent place to do patternwork. Aligning the pattern pieces onthe grid helps you make accuratepattern adjustments, and it encouragesthe eye to visualize the fitting axis onthe pattern pieces.

LENGTHENING ANDSHORTENING PATTERNS, ANDGRAINLINE ARROWS

Lengthening and Shortening PatternsIt is best to lengthen and shorten patterns

at or near the location where you madethe alteration on the fitting muslin. Thisis typically done above or below theHBL in order to preserve the referencepoint that the HBL provides.

There are two types of lengthadjustments: even adjustments alter thepattern the same amount across thepattern piece; uneven adjustments alterthe pattern a different amount on oneside of the pattern piece compared to theother side. Both adjustments are madeacross the entire pattern piece inaccordance with good patternmakingpractices; this keeps the pattern flat.

Accurate Tucks

To keep your pattern flat and precise,cut and tape the pattern when making atuck adjustment rather than making afold in the pattern paper.

Even Adjustments: Tucks and SpreadsMake even adjustments using a tuck toshorten the pattern and a spread tolengthen the pattern. It’s easiest to makeeven adjustments parallel to thehorizontal balance line.

1 Mark the placement of the adjustment on thepattern. Position the pattern so that thegrainline is along a grid and so that the

placement mark is at a cross grid. Use thiscross grid to draw the adjustment line.

2 For a tuck, which shortens the pattern,measure and mark the amount of theadjustment, and draw a line here that is

parallel to the adjustment line. The part ofthe pattern between these lines indicates theamount to be removed.

3 Extend the grainline so it is marked on bothsides of the adjustment.

4 Cut the pattern apart along either line. Layone cut line on top of the other, matchingthem precisely and keeping the grainline ofeach pattern segment aligned on the samegrid line. Tape the pattern pieces together.

5 If necessary, blend the seam lines and the cutlines. In this example, both the center backseam and the back princess seam need slightblending.

6 The finished pattern.

7 For a spread, which lengthens the pattern, cutthe pattern apart along the adjustment line.Add paper to one side of the separatedpattern; it doesn’t matter which side.

8 Measure and mark the amount of theadjustment, drawing a line parallel to theadjustment line.

9 Extend the grainline on the added paper.Here I use the center front line as thegrainline because the grainline arrow markedon the pattern is too close to the edge of thepattern and the seam line to be easilyrecognizable.

10 Align the other segment of the pattern withthe new adjustment line that indicates theamount of the spread, matching the grainlinearrow, and tape in place.

11 The blended and finished pattern.

Uneven Adjustments: Open-Wedges andClose-WedgesMake uneven adjustments using a wedge,which can either lengthen or shorten apattern. Only make wedge adjustmentson pattern pieces that have seams onboth sides. It is not possible to make awedge adjustment when one side of thepattern is the center front or is on thefold. This is because a wedgeadjustment causes both sides of thepattern to bend, and these two situationsrequire a straight line.

To make wedge adjustments, transfer theplacement of the wedge from the muslinto the pattern. Wedge adjustments do not

need to be parallel to the HBL orperpendicular to the grainline.

Here you can see the fold line “breaking” inthe attempt to make an impossible wedge.

Unusual Curved Center FrontSeams

Occasionally an unusual garmentdesign has a curved center front seam.This is the only exception where awedge adjustment can involve thecenter front seam.

1 When making either an open-wedge orclose-wedge, start by marking the placementof the wedge adjustment at each side of thepattern along the seam lines. Draw a linebetween the marks using a straight edgeruler. Note that it’s important to mark wedgeadjustments on the seam line, not on the cutline of the pattern.

2 To lengthen the pattern with an open-wedgeadjustment, cut along the adjustment line,starting at the side of the pattern that will belengthened or shortened. Cut to, but notthrough, the opposite seam line.

3 On the side of the pattern where the wedgeadjustment ends, cut through the seamallowance up to the seam line, leaving ahinge of paper at the seam line.

4 Spread the cut portion of the pattern and tapein additional paper on one portion of thepattern. On the added paper, measure and

mark the amount of the spread, which in thisexample is 5/8" (1.6 cm).

5 Bring the free side of the pattern to the markon the added paper made in the previous step,and secure the pattern with tape. The patternpaper should be absolutely flat.

6 Blend the vertical seams on each side of thepattern and, lastly, adjust the seamallowances.

7 To shorten the pattern with a close-wedgeadjustment, measure and mark the amount ofthe closure along the seam line where thepattern has been cut. Draw a line from themark indicating the amount of the closure tothe hinge mark on the opposite side of thepattern.

8 Cut a hinge, as described above, along one ofthe adjustment lines. Move one side of thepattern to make it overlap the other patternpiece by rotating the paper at the hinge point,bringing the wedge lines together. It doesn’tmatter which portion of the pattern is movedon top of the other. The pattern paper shouldbe absolutely flat. Tape the pattern in place.

9 Blend the vertical seams on each side of thepattern and then adjust the seam allowances.

Grainline ArrowsAfter making open-wedge and close-wedge adjustments, redraw the grainlinearrow. This is almost always done byextending the grainline from the lowerportion of the pattern through the upperportion of the pattern. The logic of this isevident if you think back to a plaid skirt.Since the hem of the garment mustremain parallel to the floor andperpendicular to the grainline, it’s theupper portion of the garment above theHBL that is allowed to go off grain.

On bodices, allowing the upper portionof the garment to be a bit off-grain often

improves how the garment fits. This isbecause fabric on a slight bias graintends to mold to the body more readilythan fabric on the straight of grain.

However, when making adjustments tosleeves, the grainline arrow is extendeddownward from the sleeve cap. Thispreserves the grainline in the upperportion of the sleeve. On a long sleeve,the lower portion will be a bit off-grain,which often helps the sleeve follow thenatural curvature of the arm.

After making a wedge adjustment, redraw thegrainline arrow by extending the grainline from

the lower portion of the garment.

Adjustments to Adjoining PatternPiecesIf you perform any length adjustments toone pattern piece, the adjoining patternpiece must also be adjusted to keep theseam lines the same length. It isimportant to keep this rule in mindduring the fitting process. A commonlength adjustment is a tuck and wedgecombination, as shown in the examplesbelow. In the photographs of fittinggarments, you will see that this occurs inmany different areas of the garment andin different combinations ofmanipulations, such as tucks, wedges,and increased dart intakes.

One way to shorten the center back of aprincess seam garment in relation to thefront is to make an even tuck in thecenter back pattern, and then make awedge on the side back panel that goesto nothing at the side seam, where thelength adjustment ends.

Before making a spread and open-wedgecombination.

After making a spread and open-wedgecombination.

Before making a tuck and close-wedgecombination.

After making a tuck and close-wedgecombination.

WALKING AND TRUING APATTERNSeams that will be sewn together need tobe the same length, unless there is aspecific reason to vary their lengths, inwhich case the fabric is either eased orstretched in the sewing process. It’srelatively simple to compare twostraight seams, but if one or both seamsare curved, it’s more difficult. Tocompare two seam lines with completeaccuracy, they should be “walked.” Theprocess of comparing seam lengths andmaking adjustments so that the adjoining

seams are exactly the same length iscalled “truing.”

When walking two adjoining patternpieces, the seam lines are compared. It’simportant to focus on the seam line andignore any seam allowance or cut lines.If you are working with a pattern thatintentionally does not have seamallowances, as in most couture sewing,be sure to note that the seam line is mostlikely the edge of the paper.

Where to Begin the Pattern WalkingProcessIf the pattern pieces have an HBL thatintersects the seams being checked, startthe process at the HBL, since it is a

fixed point. Side seams of a bodice are agood example. Walk the seams from theHBL to the underarm, and then repeat theprocess from the HBL to the hem.

For other pattern pieces that do not havean intersecting HBL, start at a notch ifthere is one. A shoulder seam is a goodexample: start at the notch and walk theseams to the neck, and then repeat theprocess from the notch to the shoulder.

If there is no fixed point at which tostart, you will need to make an educateddecision about where to begin. I oftenstart at the hem of the garment and walkthe seam up, or I start at the outer edgeof the garment and walk the seam towardthe inner edge of the garment.

Walking Patterns

1 Lay one pattern on top of the other, matchingthe seam lines. Anchor the patterns with a pinthrough the seam line at the starting point,which in this case is the HBL. You can seethat the bottom of this pattern already walkscorrectly since the top and bottom patternpieces match from the HBL down to the hemof the garment.

2 Where the two seam lines diverge, placeanother pin directly on the seam. Note thatthe two cut edges also diverge.

3 Remove the first pin, and pivot the toppattern so that the seams are brought intoalignment starting at the pin. Where the twoseams diverge, place another pin; repeat theprocess to the end of the seam.

4 In this example, the notches line up nicely onthe two pattern pieces. After walking theentire seam, note any discrepancy in theseam lengths: here the bottom pattern isapproximately 1/8" (3 mm) longer than thetop pattern.

How to Adjust Seams withDiscrepanciesIf the two seam lines are not the samelength and they should be (that is, thereis no ease built into the pattern), then youhave to make an educated decision aboutwhich seam to adjust. Knowing the intentof what was being done in the fitting is agood guide. For instance, if I’mwidening a neckline on a garment andthe shoulder seams are not true, then I

would cut off the excess of the longerpiece at the neck. If I were making theneckline fit closer to the neck, then Iwould add to the shorter piece at theneck.

If the discrepancy is 1/2" (1.3 cm) ormore, then splitting the difference isalways safe. Cut off 1/4" (6 mm) fromthe long piece, and add 1/4" (6 mm) tothe short piece.

Since I frequently will sew another testgarment after such pattern alterations,I’ll have the opportunity to check thatwhat I have done in the pattern workmakes sense on the body.

1 Continuing the example above, I will cut offthe excess length from the bottom pattern,which is 1/8" (3 mm) longer when walked.First, mark the bottom pattern. Normally thiswould be done at the seam line, but in thiscase, there is such a small and obviousadjustment, it is okay to make the adjustmentat the cut line.

2 Blend the new cut line, going to nothingalong the shoulder toward the neck. In thisexample, it is only the princess seam thatneeds to be changed.

3 Cut away the excess paper.

Keeping Patterns Accurate

I like to execute pattern work asaccurately as possible and rarely havemore than 1/16" to 1/8" (1.6 to 3.0mm) of discrepancy. You will need todecide what degree of accuracy isimportant to you. Many sewers saythat working from a trued patternmakes sewing a garment quite a bitfaster.

Walking Patterns with DartsWhen truing a pattern with darts, skip thearea between the dart legs, since the dartwill be sewn before the two pattern

pieces are joined. If you prefer, fold thedart out in the paper before walking thepattern; note that this can make walkingthe seams a bit awkward, as the patternpiece will not lie flat on the table.

1 Have the pattern piece without the dart ontop of the pattern piece with the dart. Walkthe pattern pieces up to the lower dart leg.

Mark the lower dart leg placement along theseam line.

2 Shift the top pattern piece so that the markindicating the lower dart leg matches theupper dart leg at the seam line. Then finishwalking the seam.

PLACING AND CREATINGNOTCHESNotches are tools to help you sew thegarment pieces together accurately.Sewing is like a puzzle. You have anumber of pieces that go together, andnotches help you put the puzzle togethercorrectly. In the same way, notches areuseful tools when doing pattern work.

There are some traditional notch usages.For instance, one notch on a sleeveindicates the sleeve front, and twonotches indicate the sleeve back. Thesewill correspond to the one notch on thegarment front armhole and the twonotches on the garment back armhole.With some commercial patterns, there is

a recognizable system of how notchesare used. As you take control of yourpattern work, you might find you needfewer notches on some garments andmany more in other garments. Rememberthat notches are tools—utilize themaccording to your needs.

Notches are used in two primary ways.First, they are used to indicate whichpattern or garment sections areadjoining. Notches are extremely helpfulwhen two or more pattern pieces looksimilar and when there are lots ofpattern pieces for a garment. Forexample, on a skirt pattern with princesslines, the placement and number ofnotches used in one location make it

impossible to mistakenly sew garmentsections together that are not adjoining.Second, notches are used to controlwhere ease is put in a garment, which Idiscuss in detail in the followingsection.

Adding a Notch to a Pattern

1 To add a notch to a pattern, draw theplacement of the new notch on one of thetwo adjoining pattern pieces. Place the other

pattern piece on top, matching up two pre-existing notches.

2 Accurately walk the top pattern piece,stopping when you come to the new notchand drawing it in on the upper pattern piece.

CONTROLLING PATTERNS WITHBUILT-IN EASEOccasionally a garment fits better whentwo adjoining seams are not exactly thesame length, but rather one seam isslightly longer than the other. The excessin the longer seam is referred to as“ease,” since it is eased into the shorterseam during the sewing process. Forexample, on a princess line bodice, theside front princess seam often has asmall amount of ease in relation to thefront princess seam. This bit of easehelps fit a rounded bust shape. Whenthere is built-in ease such as this,notches indicate to the sewer thespecific portion of the seam where theease should occur.

Another example is the back inseam ofpants, which is frequently a bit shorterthan the front inseam. In the sewing, thestretched back inseam improves the fitunder the buttock. Good notch placementindicates exactly where to stretch theback inseam.

Repositioning Built-in EaseTo adjust the placement of built-in easein a pattern, use notches to control wherethe ease is distributed on the adjoiningpattern piece. In the following example,the front princess seam is true from theHBL up to the lower notches, and fromthe armhole down to the upper notches.When the patterns are walked betweenthe notches, the side front is 3/8" (1 cm)

longer than the front, which means thereis 3/8" (1 cm) of ease.

If distributing the ease across a greaterdistance enhances the fit, move thecorresponding notches on the adjoining patternpieces. For instance, the lower notches of thispattern could be moved downward 1/2" (1.3cm). This allows the total amount of ease toremain the same, but it is distributed over agreater distance.

Removing Built-in EaseSometimes patterns have more built-inease than is desirable. On a princessbodice, for example, smaller and morepointed bust shapes require less easethan fuller and rounder busts. And if a

princess line garment fits very well,there is often no need for any ease at all.Also, some fabrics, such as taffetaweaves and polished cottons, areextremely difficult to ease. In thesecases, take control of your pattern andreduce or eliminate the amount of ease toget a nice looking finished garment.

1 With the pattern containing the ease on top,walk along the seam line from the notches tothe end of the seam containing the ease,which in this case is at the armhole. At theend of the seam, mark the position of theseam line from the bottom pattern onto thetop pattern (in red).

2 On the top pattern, blend the new seam lineto the existing seam line.

3 Correct the seam allowance and trim alongthe new cut line.

4 Then, reposition the notch that indicated thelocation of the ease. In this case, repositionthe notch that is closest to the armhole onthe side front pattern. To do this, walk the

side front pattern to the front pattern startingat the armhole. When you come to the notchon the front pattern, mark the side frontpattern.

TRUING DIFFICULT SEAMSWhen walking two adjoining patternpieces, you occasionally will encountersituations as you approach the end of theseam where it is unclear what the patternpieces should look like. This is mostcommon when the seam on eachadjoining pattern piece is shapeddifferently, as is the case with anarmscye princess seam or when theintersecting seam is steeply angled. Inthese types of situations, manycommercial patterns square off one of

the seam allowances or provide a matchpoint at the termination of the seamitself. However, truing your patternprecisely makes sewing the garmentmuch easier.

Anytime that I cannot visualize what theends of two adjoining seams should looklike, I “stack” my pattern pieces so thatthey mimic how the seams would look asif they were sewn, as shown below.

Stacking Patterns

1 After walking this back princess seam fromthe notches (in red) up to the armhole, it isdifficult to see what will line up with whatwhen sewing the seams together.

2 To clarify this, pin the pattern piecestogether as though sewing the seam. Notethat sometimes you can only pin the top inch(cm) or so if the seam is very curved.

3 Fold back the top pattern piece to see whatthe seam intersection would look like if itwere sewn. In this example, you can see thatthe side back pattern is the wrong shape anddoesn’t extend enough, leaving a small gap,

as indicated by the arrow.

4 To correct this, tape on additional paper tothe side back pattern.

5 Fold back the side back pattern again. If it’shelpful, pin it in place to prevent the patternsfrom shifting. Blend the seam, drawingacross the patterns where they join.

6 Add the seam allowance (in blue).

7 Cut along the new cut line. This is the truedarmhole.

8 Unpin and trim off excess paper along theprincess seam.

9 The tops of the adjoining princess patternsmight look odd because commercial patternsdo not usually true their seams like this.However, placing a ruler on top of thepattern clarifies the seam line.

10 The seam will now match perfectly whensewing the princess seams.

MOVING THE PLACEMENT OF ASEAMWhen a seam requires repositioningduring a fitting, this can be reflected onthe fitting muslin in two ways: you canrelease the seam and re-pin it in the newlocation, or you can indicate the newplacement of the seam by drawing a line.Establishing a notch placement in bothcases makes the pattern work moreaccurate, as you will see below.

Pattern Work for Repositioning aSeam by Pinning in the Fitting

1 Before unpinning the muslin, mark the pin

placement (black) and create a new notch onthe muslin (green). To create the notch,simply draw a short line perpendicular to theseam. It should clearly show on each of theadjoining garment sections.

2 Unpin and press the muslin flat.

3 Transfer the new seam placement (red) andthe notch (red) to the pattern. Adjust theseam allowances along the shoulder seamand cut along the new cut line.

4 Stack the patterns to true the necklineintersection as follows: Fold one of thepattern pieces along the shoulder seam line;it doesn’t matter which one. Align this seamwith the adjoining shoulder seam, matchingthe new notch. Pin the pattern piecestogether. In this example, the neckline seamsmatch but the cut lines do not.

5 To true the cut lines, add seam allowance onthe front pattern piece at the shoulder, asfollows: Draw the intersecting neckline andarmhole seam lines, and add the seamallowances. This is what the pattern pieceslook like when finished.

Pattern Work for Repositioning aSeam by Drawing in the FittingNote that in this example the center frontis on the fold.

1 On this fitting muslin, the blue line wasdrawn on the muslin during the fitting,indicating the new position of the shoulderseam. Measure the distance between theexisting seam and the new seam placement.In this example, the shoulder seam is beingmoved forward 5/8" (1.6 cm) at the armhole

and 3/4" (1.9 cm) at the neckline. Draw anotch (green) on the muslin through the newand existing seam lines somewhere along theshoulder seam.

2 Before moving the seam position on thepattern, pick up the new notch from theprevious step at the original seams on eachpattern piece.

3 To reposition the front seam, measure andmark the position of the new seam line onthe patterns. Draw the new front seam using astraight edge ruler.

4 Add the seam allowance to the front shoulderseam. Extend the notch, if necessary, so itintersects with the cut line. Cut along the cutline.

5 The back seam line is being moved forward,so you will need to tape in extra paper on thepattern. Measure, mark, and draw theposition of the new seam line (in red) as wasdone for the front. Add the seam allowancefor the back shoulder seam. Extend the

notch, if necessary. Cut along the cut line ofthe shoulder seam.

6 Proceed with truing the intersecting seam

lines by stacking the patterns as follows:Fold one pattern piece along the shoulderseam line. Match the notch marked in thefirst step. Note that the original notchesalong the shoulder seam are no longer validdue to the change in shoulder seamplacement, which is why it’s so important toestablish the new notch. Reblend the seamsand cut lines, if necessary, and cut along newcut lines.

Patternmaking Tip

If there is a fitting adjustment on aseam that also needs to berepositioned, do the pattern work inseparate steps. For instance, if ashoulder seam needs to be taken in aswell as repositioned, first make thepattern changes to take the seam in.Then make the pattern changes toreposition the seam. Workingmethodically is the best way toprevent confusion.

MOVING A DART TO A NEW

LOCATIONThe theory of dart manipulation in flatpattern development allows you to movea dart from its original location to a newlocation. Moving a dart position can beuseful in order to get a better or moreattractive fit. The ability to move thedart location on the pattern is alsohelpful when fitting, because then it’spossible to pin out excess fabric wherethe excess occurs, which facilitatesgetting the optimum fit. Then, if youdon’t want a dart in that location on thebody, it can be moved to a moreflattering position.

When a dart is relocated, the fit is notsubstantively changed in the relocation

process, although it’s best to check andfine-tune the fit in a test garment.

In the fitting examples, I often move adart to a location I prefer bymanipulating the fabric, which is called“draping.” See page 10. Draping a dartduring a fitting and transferring the dartin pattern work both produce goodresults. Some people prefer one methodover the other, but many people use bothmethods depending on what is expedientin a given situation.

Some dart transfers are done at the apex,meaning that the apex becomes therotation point where a hinge is createdand around which the dart is moved. Thedart point can also be used as the

rotation point in simple situations, suchas the example to the right.

1 Draw the new dart position (in red). Here thedart is being moved from the bust to thearmhole on a tank top.

2 Cut through the original dart (it’s okay to cutalong either one of the dart legs or throughthe middle of the dart) up to, but not through,the transfer point. Also cut along the line forthe new dart up to, but not through, thetransfer point; this creates a hinge. Rotatethe dart intake to the new position bybringing the two original dart legs together,and tape in place.

3 Trim off the old dart extension. Tape inadditional paper at the new dart legs, makingsure that it extends well beyond the dart. Thedart legs must be trued in order to create anew dart extension, which is discussed in thefollowing section.

TRUING DART LEGSTruing a dart ensures that both dart legsare the same length. The process oftruing a dart will form a perfect dartextension, which is the area of thepattern between the dart legs at theintersecting seam. Working with trueddarts makes the task of sewing dartseasier and promotes accuracy.

When truing a dart in the pattern, fold thedart in the direction that it will be

pressed in the fabric. Vertical darts,such as waist darts and neck darts, aretraditionally pressed toward the centerfront or center back of the garment.Horizontal darts, such as side bust dartsand elbow darts, are traditionallypressed down toward the hem of thegarment.

Determine the direction the dart will bepressed. If the dart will be presseddown, begin the process of truing thedart legs with the lower dart leg. If thedart will be pressed toward the center ofthe garment, begin the process of truingthe dart legs with the dart leg that isclosest to the center.

1 Fold the pattern paper along the selected dartleg.

2 Bring the folded dart leg to the other dart

leg, pivoting the paper at the dart point. It’shelpful to work on the corner of a table,having the dart on the table surface andletting the rest of the pattern hang off thetable. Pin or temporarily tape the dart closed.

3 Reposition the pattern so that the dart area isflat on the table, and reblend the intersectingseam and cut line, if necessary. Here it isonly necessary to correct the cut line.

4 Cut the pattern along the cut line. Unpin thedart. When the dart is opened up, the dartlegs will be perfectly trued.

Shaped Darts

Shaped darts, which have curved dartlegs, often improve the fit of agarment. However, it’s very difficultto match curved dart legs when truinga pattern. Therefore, with all dartsthat intersect a seam, draft the dartlegs with a straight edge ruler tofacilitate truing the dart legs. Thendraw the curved dart legs or make anote on the pattern to sew curveddarts.

Make the following adjustments to scale ablouse pattern up to a jacket or a jacket patternup to a coat. To scale a blouse pattern to a coat,

double the measurements. The measurementscan also be used to scale a pattern down bymaking these adjustments in reverse.

SCALING PATTERNS UP ANDDOWNIn many of the fitting examples, I fit thegarments fairly close to the body, whichis what I think of as a clean but not atight fit. This allows me to actuallyaddress all of the fitting issues, sincewith a stylistically loose garment, it canbe difficult to distinguish between afitting issue and the largeness of thegarment.

If the client intends to wear a layer underthe garment that is being fit, have her

wear this layering garment during all ofthe fitting sessions. See page 31 formore information.

Once you have a pattern that fits well,it’s easy to scale the pattern up anddown. For instance, you can scale ablouse up to a jacket or scale a jacketdown to a blouse. The theory of how todo this is shown in the oppositeillustration.

For princess seam garments, first startwith these changes made to the perimeterof the garment. To make the garmentroomier still, add a small amount(perhaps 1/8" [3 mm]) to the princessseams themselves.

WORKING IN AN EFFICIENTORDERDeciding what order to use when makingpattern changes might seemoverwhelming at first. To simplify theprocess, try to limit the number ofchanges you make on each test garment.Making three or four pattern changes atone time is much easier than making tenor twelve.

Limiting the number of changes doesmean that you will make more testgarments, which may seem like a lot ofwork. However, fitting multiple cleanmuslins allows you to check that thechanges you’ve just made are working.And fitting a clean muslin also makes it

easier to see the remaining fitting issues.

It is most efficient to first make patternadjustments that affect the interior of thepattern, and then make changes to theperimeter of the pattern. If you makepattern changes in a different order, noharm is done. The end result will be thesame, but you’ll find yourself blendingand truing some seams more than once,and you’ll probably have more bits andpieces of paper taped to the pattern.

As you gain experience and confidencein altering patterns, you’ll develop yourown work habits that put you in controlof the pattern. It’s more important towork cleanly and methodically than it isto follow a specific order.

General Order for Pattern Work

1 Make length adjustments, such ashorizontal tucks and wedges.

2 Make width adjustments, includingreshaping vertical seams, adjustingthe bust area, and reworking waistdarts.

3 Fine-tune the placement of theshoulder seam and side seam.

4 True dart legs.

5 Fine-tune the placement and shape ofthe neck, armhole, and waist seam.

6 Blend seam lines if not done above.

7 Walk and true seams.

8 Measure seam allowances and draw

cut lines.

9 Cut along cut lines.

DEVELOPINGYOUR ABILITY

There are two aspects to fitting that areaddressed in this section: the process of

fitting a garment from beginning to endand fitting the variations that occur dueto differences in individual bodies. Togain an understanding of the entireprocess and develop your fitting ability,read through all the steps and study thephotographs, even if you think certaindetails may not apply to you.

The Process of FittingGarmentsThis chapter shows the process of fittingsix different garments from start tofinish, which is important in order tounderstand the flow of a fitting. It isorganized by the type of garment beingfit. The style lines in these garments arethose most commonly used, such as abodice with side bust darts and a bodicewith princess lines. The models haveaverage, but by no means “perfect,”figures.

The next chapter describes how to fitdifferent figure variations with thesesame patterns. It is organized according

to different areas of the body, withdescriptions provided for a range oftypical fitting problems. Fitting pants,which carries many specialized andunique fitting problems, is described in aseparate chapter.

Although these three chapters are writtenin the form of step-by-step directions,not all steps are appropriate for everybody type. In fitting, it’s of utmostimportance to read the fabric on thebody you are fitting and to solve eachindividual’s unique fitting problems. Thefollowing fitting sequences are examplesof thousands of potential fitting problemsthat can occur in endless combinations.To fit an individual’s body, you willneed to pick and choose the examples

that apply to your situation; not everystep in the sequence will apply to yoursituation. However, reading through thesequences will help you develop yourability to recognize and solve fittingproblems.

For these examples, I intentionally chosepatterns that were new to me, so that thefitting process you see is real, notmerely staged problems withgeneralized solutions. You will see medeal with quirks of particular patterns,which is a realistic aspect of fitting. Andeven though I can get all of the bodicesto fit the models, some are simpler to fitthan others and some are more flatteringthan others. This is all par for the coursewhen it comes to fitting.

SKIRTA straight skirt is the easiest garment tofit, because it’s the simplest garment tounderstand conceptually. Visualizing aplaid skirt helps establish the fitting axisin your mind, which is useful whenfitting other garments as well.

Style/Fitting ConsiderationsIt’s best to fit a straight skirt with theskirt anchored at the natural or true waist(the smallest part of the torso). If youprefer to wear your skirt lower, as manywomen do, this is a stylistic change andis done after the skirt has been fit at thewaist. Fitting at the natural waist allowsthe skirt to settle on the body, resultingin an excellent fit. If the skirt is lower on

the torso, it often shifts on the bodyduring the fitting process.

Front darts are typically used to narrowthe skirt circumference from the hip tothe waist, as well as to fit the body. Asshown in the process below, front dartsare not always flattering and can beeliminated.

Whether to use a waistband or a waistfacing is a stylistic consideration; the fitof the skirt is the same. The comfort ofthe wearer is another factor, inconjunction with what works the best forher body type.

Process of Fitting the Skirt1 Tie a piece of elastic around the body at the

waist of the skirt. The elastic will naturallyfind the smallest part of the torso. Theelastic does not need to be exactly at thewaist seam of the muslin.

2 Assess the circumference of the garment at

the hip.

3 If there is too much ease, pin out the excess,leaving enough wearing ease. If there is notenough ease, release the seam; remember, itis not good fitting practice to fit a muslinthat is too tight.

4 Begin the process of getting the HBL level.Place a yardstick (meterstick) against thebuttocks and note where the HBL falls.Marking the yardstick (meterstick) with apiece of tape provides an easy-to-seereference point.

5 Check the HBL at the side of the skirt.

Fitting Tip

If the HBL continues to move as youmeasure and remeasure, the skirt maybe too tight (usually across the buttockor high hip), or the skirt fabric may be“crawling” against the fabric of thebodice. Releasing tight areas andhaving some slack or blousing in thebodice solves these problems.

6 If the HBL is low, gently pull at the waist ofthe skirt, bringing the HBL to its properlevel. If the HBL is high, gently pull at thehem of the skirt.

7 Check the front of the skirt, bringing theHBL level.

8 Continue this process until you are certainthat the HBL is level all the way around theskirt. You are establishing your fitting axis,so accuracy is important.

9 Assess the total dart intake on one half of theskirt back. Pinching out the dart amount onboth sides at the same time will preventpulling the center back seam to one side.

10 Determine how many darts to use. Becausethe total dart intake here is large, use twosmaller darts.

11 The dart placement should be visuallyattractive and provide a good fit. Finding theroundest part of the buttocks and marking thedart points facilitates draping in the darts.The two pins mark the dart points just abovethe fleshiest part of the buttocks.

Fitting Tip

Darts with large intakes look ungainlyon the body. If a single dart intake isgreater than 1 1/4" (3.2 cm), you getbetter results splitting the dart intakebetween two darts.

12 Drape in the darts, following the contours ofthe body. This takes practice. Let yourfingers “read” the body. Pinching the fabricat the top and bottom of the dart can behelpful. Note that this dart placement doesnot follow the dart specified by the pattern.However, having the pattern’s dart placementdrawn on the muslin provides a good point ofreference when draping in the other side.

13 After draping and pinning the darts, check theHBL and bring it back to position.

14 Commercial skirt patterns typically use frontdarts to reduce the circumference of theskirt at the waist relative to the hip. Frontdarts are flattering on some figures, but noton others. Experimenting with darts and theirplacement is the best way to get a flatteringfit. When the darts are pinned using thispattern’s placement, the roundness of thisclient’s stomach is visually accentuated.

The Function of a Dart

The function of a dart is to createthree-dimensional space in thegarment. The dart should point towardthe fullest part of the fleshy moundthat this space will accommodate.Place the dart points just before thefleshiest part of the mound. If dartpoints extend beyond the mound(where the body begins to taper off),the dart creates space that will not befilled by the body; the result isunattractive.

16 The client and the fitter agreed that having nodarts in the front was the most flattering. Theequivalent of the front dart intake can beremoved from the pattern at the side seam.

17 Recheck the HBL.

18 Check that the side seam hangs straight. Theside seam should be positionedapproximately at the person’s side and placedto make the body look proportionate. In thisexample, if the side seam were movedforward, it would make the stomach looksmaller, but then it would fall to the front ofthe leg. One is not “right” and the other“wrong”; it’s a judgment call the fitter makes.

19 Move the elastic so that it follows theclient’s natural curvature at the waist andcreates a smooth line. Draw under the elasticto mark the client’s waist.

20 Have the client sit to check tightness andcomfort. If the skirt is too tight, there will bepull lines in the cloth radiating from the sideseam toward the middle of the skirt. As inthis example, no wrinkles means there’sadequate ease.

Placement of the Side Seam

Get help determining where the sideseam should be. Ask the personyou’re fitting to close her eyes and puther thumbs on her sides at waist level.This tells you what she considers tobe the middle of her body, and it’salmost always accurate. You canmake a visual assessment from there.

21 If the skirt fits well and doesn’t require asecond muslin, establish the actual waist ofthe skirt. This is a combination of what theclient wants and what is visually pleasing.Some women prefer a lower waistline, often

near the navel. Use a piece of cording orribbon to help you establish the new waistplacement. If the waistline is too straight, itmakes the skirt look unflattering and like it’sfalling off the hips.

22 A slightly curved waistline is usually moreflattering and natural looking.

Pattern Work ExamplesSee Fundamentals of Altering Patterns(page 44) for basic patternmakingtechniques.

Waist Adjustments

The front waist seam drawn, with the frontdart eliminated.

The back waist with the dart legs trued.

Hip Curve Differences

For many figures, the front and back hipcurves are slightly different, because the backwaist is often smaller than the front waist.

BODICE WITH DARTS

Side bust darts are an excellent fittingtool. Like all darts, they adddimensionality to a garment. Tounderstand this concept ofdimensionality, take a sheet of paper andfold a dart in it so that the dart point issomewhere in the middle of the page.Then put the paper on a table. The paperno longer lies flat but looks like a pup-tent, arcing above the table with spaceunderneath. In a bodice, the three-dimensional space created by the dartprovides room for the bust to sit within.And this is what allows the front of thegarment to hang straight rather thanflaring away from the body at the hem.

Style/Fitting ConsiderationsBustlines vary in shape as well as in

size. Some women’s breasts are pointed,others are rounded. Some women have alot of breast tissue on the side of thebust; others have a deep bust, top tobottom. Some women are “hollow”above the bust; others have a prominentchest structure. All of these variationsmust be taken into account during thefitting process.

Some figures are harder to fit nicely thanothers with a darted pattern. Using twoparallel darts (see page 133) might help,especially on fuller bustlines. If you’rehaving a lot of trouble, considerswitching to a pattern that has princesslines. A shoulder princess line is anexcellent fitting tool and works verywell for all figure types and bust shapes.

Bust darts can be “straight” and level, orthey can emanate from the side seam atany angle you wish. Their positionimpacts the way the garment looks on thebody. In all cases, the dart should pointtoward the apex or the fullest part of thebust.

Without a dart, the fabric flares away fromthe body at the hemline.

With a dart, the fabric no longer flares awayfrom the body.

The length of the dart will varyaccording to the bust shape and size. Asa rule of thumb, the smaller the bust, thecloser the dart point will be to the apex.The larger the bust, the farther away thedart point will be to the apex.

Process of Fitting the Bodice with SideBust Dart

1 The bodice front. Note the drag linesemanating from the bust. They are especiallynoticeable above the bust ending in thegaping armhole and below the bust ending atthe side seam just below the HBL.

2 The bodice back. Note that the back of thearm is crushing or pushing down on thefabric at the back armhole. This indicates thatthe back of the garment is too wide and thatthe back armhole needs to be clipped.Another way to conceptualize this is that theback armhole seam is not in the correctplace, but needs to be farther in on thegarment. This is equivalent to a tightness

issue and must be addressed at the verybeginning of the fitting process.

3 The bodice back after the armhole is clipped,which allows the fabric across the mid-backto relax. Note that there are still folds offabric at the underarm, which suggest thatthere might be excess girth at the underarm.There is also excess fabric above the HBL.Address the fit at the bust and get the HBLlevel before moving on to the girth issue. Atthis time, you could temporarily pin the backto bring the HBL to level.

4 Increase the side bust dart intake byremoving the stitching of the existing dartand draping a new dart, and pin an armscyedart to eliminate the drag lines identified instep 1. For instructions on how to drape a

dart, see page 104. The armscye dart isusually rotated into the side bust dart in thepattern work. Note that the model’s body hastilted due to the position of her arm.

5 Pin a tuck above the HBL across the entireback, making the HBL level. The tuck intakeequaled the amount that the side bust dartwas increased, which is very often the case.

6 Now check the amount of fabric at theunderarm identified in step 3. Although I ampinching 5/8" to 3/4" (1.6 to 1.9 cm) fromeach seam allowance, how much I pin outwill depend on how fitted the client wants thegarment to be.

7 When pinning out the excess girth, do so in a

way that keeps the side seam straight. In thiscase, the back seam line remained the same,and all of the excess was taken out on thefront. It’s important to “let the fabric tell youwhat to do.” I released the side seam at theunderarm and then experimented to seewhere the excess girth actually was, using theposition and straightness of the side seam asa guide.

8 If the side seam is taken in, as was done instep 7, check the back and front armholesagain for tightness, clipping more deeply ifnecessary. This back armhole required moreclipping; slowly we are discovering wherethe back armhole seam really needs to be.See pattern work on page 94.

9 Pin out the excess in the side seam from theHBL to the hem. Also note the slight

looseness just below the underarm on theback. Even though the front side seam wastaken in at bust level to reduce the total girth,this looseness shows that the garment is stillnot tight. This is partly because more spacewas provided for the bust when the side bustdart intake was increased. Take in the sideseam more if you want a tight fit.

10 The muslin is starting to fit much better. Forbeginners, this would be a good time totransfer the fitting changes to the pattern andmake a new test garment. Continuing with thefitting process, now that there are not somany distracting fitting issues, note that theHBL on the left back is slightly lower thanon the right. Also note that the left armholeis slightly crumpled. Both are indicationsthat the left shoulder is lower than the right.

11 To make the shoulders even for the fittingprocess, pin out the excess along the leftshoulder seam; follow the contour of theshoulder line, making the HBL level whiletaking care not to overfit. Alternatively, use ashoulder pad on the low side only. Moving toother fitting issues, note that there is excessfabric at the small of the back.

12 Assess how much excess fabric there is inthe small of the back—quite a lot.

13 One option for eliminating the excess fabricis to pin it out along the center back seam, asshown here. Below the HBL, the diagonaldrag lines that point to the center back seamare due to the large amount that was takenout right at the small of the back.

14 Another option is to take a small amount outalong the center back seam and add waistdarts. Taper the waist darts to nothing a fewinches (cm) below prominent shoulderblades for a flattering fit. The amount you pinout depends on how closely fitted you wantthe garment to be. See pattern work on page95.

15 Note that the back neck stands slightly awayfrom the model’s body. This indicates theneed for neck darts, which frequently makethe garment more comfortable and preventthe garment from shifting around on thebody.

16 Drape in and pin the neck darts, followingthe contours of the body. Note that the right

and left upper backs are different, which isaccentuated by the way each dart has beendraped. To help the model look balanced andeven, I would make both darts the same,using the left back neck dart in the patternwork. Also note the slight drag lines betweenthe center back seam and the prominent rightshoulder blade.

17 Let out the center back seam, starting about2" (5.1 cm) below the neck and tapering tonothing a few inches (cm) above the HBL.This allows the fabric to relax and reducesthe drag lines noted in step 16. See patternwork on page 94.

18 To establish the armhole placement, find theback and front “crease.” This is where thearm attaches to the body. I have folded backthe test garment fabric to reveal the backcrease.

19 Mark the back crease.

20 Mark the front crease.

21 Establish the placement of the armhole at the

shoulder so that it makes the body lookproportionate. This is a judgment call. Themost flattering placement is often farther upalong the shoulder line than the “hinge” ofthe shoulder, which is the traditionallandmark. These shoulder seams, indicatedby the black tape, are too far out in myopinion, and the placement makes themodel’s shoulders look disproportionatelybroad.

22 To my eye, this armhole placement is too far

in, making the model’s hips and waist looklarge.

23 This placement, in my opinion, is the mostflattering. Draw the armhole placement fromthe shoulder seam to the front and backcrease.

24 Establish the underarm. A high underarmprovides more rotational movement and“reach” than a low underarm when using aset-in sleeve. The underarm should not be sohigh, however, that it is uncomfortable. (Ifyou like a very high underarm, it’s helpful totrim out the underarm seam allowances inthe finished garment between the front andback crease.) The underarm of this testgarment was too low, so I added fabric andthen drew in the underarm placement that Iwanted, connecting the underarm to the frontand back crease. See pattern work on page94.

25 The back armhole.

26 Establish the shoulder line placement,making the body look proportionate andbalanced. As with the armhole placement,this is largely a judgment call. The black tapehere follows the original shoulder seam. Inmy opinion, it’s too far back.

27 This placement, to my eye, is too farforward.

28 I prefer this placement, with the shoulderseam in the middle of the arm and in apleasing position at the neck.

29 Establish a neckline. For a basic pattern thatwill be used as a block or sloper, the base ofthe neck is a useful reference point. Here,the front neck is drawn.

30 For the back, extra fabric was needed inorder to draw in the neckline.

31 Transfer the fitting changes to the pattern,adjust the pattern, make a new mock-up, andfine-tune the fit. Once a test garment isfitting well, you can fit the sleeve. Sleevefitting is shown in upcoming examples.

Pattern Work ExamplesSee Fundamentals of Altering Patternsfor basic pattern-making techniques,page 44.

Back Armhole Adjustments

1 The red tick marks taken from the muslinindicate the new back armhole seam line.Note that paper was added in order to raisethe underarm.

2 The completed pattern with the new backarmhole.

Center Back Curvature

1 The red tick marks taken from the muslinindicate the new center back seam line.

2 The center back seam blended. To providemore ease through the mid-back, blend theoriginal seam to the new seam line just a fewinches (cm) above the waist.

Adding Waist-Fitting Darts

1 The black tick marks taken from the muslinindicate the waist-fitting dart. It’s best tohave an equal amount of intake on each sideof the dart. To do this, draw a straight linebetween the mark that indicates the top of

the dart and the mark that indicates thebottom of the dart.

2 Measure the total dart intake at one set of thetick marks.

3 Divide the total intake in half, and mark one-half of the intake on each side of the centerline of the dart. Repeat for all sets of tickmarks.

4 Blend the new tick marks to complete thewaist-fitting dart.

BODICE WITH SHOULDERPRINCESS LINE

Shoulder princess lines nicelyaccommodate all bust sizes and shapes,and are useful to fit a wide variety ofback issues as well. They are often lesscomplicated to fit than armscye princesslines, and the resulting pattern work isusually simpler too.

Style/Fitting Considerations ofPrincess LinesPrincess lines in general are extremelyeffective fitting tools, because the seamline goes over or near the apex of thebust. In addition to their effectiveness inobtaining a good fit, they are easy tomodify to achieve a garment that isflattering visually. Princess lines start atthe hem, go over the bust, and can end in

a number of places on the upper body.

Shoulder princess lines (A) intersect theshoulder seam, usually at the midpoint,and the vertical line is visually slimming

Neckline princess seams are notfrequently found in commercial patterns,but they also produce a pleasing verticalline. Changing where the princess line

intersects the neck can make the bustappear smaller (B) or fuller (C).

The position of armscye princess linesalso carries a visual impact, making thebust appear rounder (D) or making theupper torso appear longer (E). The needto join a concave and a convex curve inarmscye princess lines can make themdifficult to sew; raising the intersectionpoint on the armhole makes sewingeasier.

If a princess line does not go over or

very near the apex of the bust (F), thebust area cannot be fit effectively. Withprincess lines that fall to the side of thebust, a short dart completes the fit andproduces an interesting style variation.

Process of Fitting the Bodice withShoulder Princess Line

1 The bodice front. Although the garment doesnot close over the bust, the shoulders fitwell. Rather than assuming that the clientneeds a larger size, first assess how the restof the garment fits.

2 When viewing the garment from the side,note the excess fabric in the back above theHBL. Also note the drag lines emanatingfrom the bust and pointing toward the waistand hip. The combination of these issuessuggests that a full bust is the reason thebodice did not close at center front.

3 Viewed from the back, the bodice looks snugacross the upper back but otherwise not tight.Note the low left shoulder.

4 Release the front princess seams over thebust. The princess seams spread, allowing thecenter fronts to match. Clip the neckline andfront armholes to eliminate tightness.

5 Releasing the front princess seams allowsthe bodice back to relax.

6 Note the excess fabric below the shoulder.

7 Pin out this excess fabric in a wedge. Beginto pin the princess seam working from the

top downward. Note the bagginess on theside front panels.

8 Release the remainder of the front princessseams. The difference in length between thefront panel and the side front panel is typicalwhen making a full bust adjustment. Formore information on full bust adjustments,see page 129.

9 Slash the front panel above the HBL, and adda piece of fabric to lengthen the upperportion of the bodice, bringing the HBL intoposition so that it matches the HBL on theside front.

10 In order to pin the front princess seam overthe bust, assess where the extra front girth

needs to be added. The side seam is straightand there is no strain. This indicates that allof the extra fabric needs to be added at thebust.

11 Add extra fabric and pin the princess seamsto it, smoothing the mock-up fabric so that itis neither tight nor loose over the bust. Slipin a small shoulder pad on the low shoulder.This could have been done during an earlierstep, but I chose to wait until the garment hadreally begun to settle on the client.

12 Once the extra girth for the bust is added,establish the new front princess seamplacement. Using a narrow piece of soutacheor other trim lets you experiment with theseam placement. In order to get a flatteringprincess seam placement on the figure, both

the front and the side front will need to beadjusted. In your pattern work, use the newprincess seam placement to guide you indetermining how much to add to each patternpiece.

13 Viewed from the side, the back HBL is lowin comparison to the front. When the extrafabric was added to lengthen the bodice front(step 9), more length could have been added.However, because the garment is a bit snugover the buttocks, I chose to raise the backHBL a small amount.

14 The back HBL raised. Note the drag lineemanating from under the bust going to theside seam at elbow level.

15 The drag line identified in the previous stepcan be eliminated by either increasing thedart intake (pinned on the client’s right) orby adding a waist-fitting dart (pinned on theclient’s left).

16 If the client prefers a snug fit through theback, take in the back princess seams.

JACKET WITH SIDE PANEL WITHSET-IN SLEEVEJacket patterns are often designed withside panels, a style element thateliminates the need for a side seam. Theseams connecting the side panel to thejacket front and jacket back are about 2"to 3" (5.1 to 7.6 cm) to either side of theunderarm where a side seam is usually

located. Because these seams are nottrue princess seams due to their locationon the body, the approach to obtaining agood fit is different from fitting agarment with a princess seam.

In this garment, I will fit a sleeve. Fordetailed information about fitting asleeve, see pages 172.

Style/Fitting ConsiderationsSince the front side panel seam is notnear the bust apex, it’s difficult to get aclean fit on this type of garment withoutthe addition of a bust dart unless youmake the jacket oversized or you aretruly small busted. As you will see,however, it’s easy to add a bust dart,and the resulting garment is quite stylish.

Developing Reasonable FittingExpectations

As your eye becomes better trained torecognize fitting issues, try not to letyourself become hypercritical. Youdon’t need to figure out how to get ridof each and every little fold or bumpof cloth on a test muslin. In fact, onceyou make up a garment in fashionfabric, some of those smallimperfections disappear due to using“real” fabric, and many others are farless obvious. While having a highstandard is good, feeling compelled toget clothing to look absolutelyflawless is unreasonable.

Unfortunately, an unrealistic view ofpicture-perfect clothing is presentedto us every day by the advertisingindustry and the technologicaladvancements in photography. Also,remember that during waking hours,we’re moving in our clothes most ofthe time and are rarely motionless formore than a few seconds. Being ableto move comfortably in our clothes isan important factor to consider whenconducting a fitting.

Process of Fitting the Jacket with SidePanel

1 The garment front. Note the excess fabric inthe front armhole. Also note the drag linesemanating from the bust to just below thewaist at the side, as well as the tightness overthe bust.

2 Viewed from the side, the front side panelseam is quite a distance from the bust apex.Note the drag lines identified above and theexcess length in the back.

3 The garment back. Note the tightness acrossthe upper back and at the hemline across thebuttock and hip area. Also note the excessfabric in the back armhole and the excesslength.

4 To eliminate the excess in the front and backarmhole, pinch and raise the shoulder seamand pin along the shoulder line. It nowbecomes more apparent that the left shoulderis low.

5 As an alternative to pinning out the excessalong the shoulder line, you can insertshoulder pads, which produces a strongershoulder line on the garment. Women likethis model often use shoulder pads to maketheir sloping shoulders look squarer.Because this model also has a low leftshoulder, a second pad was inserted on theleft; you could also use different sized padson each side.

6 If you prefer, remove the second shoulderpad on the left. To my eye, the model looksmore natural with just one pad on each side.

Body Asymmetries

Since very few people have perfectlysymmetrical bodies, our eyes areaccustomed to seeing body variations.As a result, using padding in a fittingin order to make a body lookabsolutely symmetrical can actuallymake a body look unnatural.Conversely, fitting each side of thebody too exactly and out of context tothe other side of the body canaccentuate the body’s asymmetry andmake it appear more uneven than it is.

7 Clip the neckline and front armholes toalleviate the tightness. The drag linesidentified in step 1 are the result ofinsufficient bust shaping. Releasing the frontside panel seam helps you read the fabric: aside bust dart is practically forming on itsown. Note that the HBL is dipping at theside.

8 To create or drape a bust dart, first identifythe apex and mark it, indicated on the fittingmuslin with an “X.” Next, mark the dartpoint, indicated by the pin. Smooth the fabricover the side of the bust, gently pushing theexcess fabric together.

9 Pinch the excess fabric, which will becomethe dart intake. If you pinch too much, theHBL will rise on the side. If you pinch too

little, the HBL will dip at the side. Thecorrect amount of dart intake brings the HBLto level.

10 Fold the pinched fabric upward on the body,not letting the dart extend beyond the dartpoint. The angle of the dart should beflattering on the client’s body. If you don’tlike the angle or placement of the dart, drapethe dart again using a different angle orchange the position of the dart. See patternwork on page 111.

11 To keep the seam lengths the same, the sidepanel must also be altered. A wedge could beformed, starting at the front side panel andgoing to the back side panel seam. If this isdone, the amount of the wedge pinned outshould bring the HBL to level.

12 You can also resolve the discrepancy ofseam lengths by releasing the upper portionof the front side panel seam and smoothingthe side panel fabric. Draping the fabric inthis way is often very effective. Note that theHBL on the side panel dips toward the back.

13 To bring the HBL to level across the backand the side panel, pin a tuck across the backand a wedge from the back side panel seamto the front side panel seam. Note both thatthe back side panel seam was released andallowed to spread open to accommodate thehip but that the front side panel seam hangsstraight above the hemline.

14 Pin the back side panel seam below the HBL.Note that even with the side back panel seam

let out, there is slight tension at the loweredge of the garment at center back, indicatedby the vertical folds of fabric just below theHBL that do not continue through thehemline.

15 If you are unsure whether there is tension ortightness in an area, cutting the fabric orreleasing a seam will answer your question:if the fabric spreads, as is the case here,there was tightness.

16 Pin in a piece of fabric. To make thisalteration in the pattern, you’ll need to createa center back seam. This decision is thefitter’s choice. I often use a center backseam because it allows me to provide a littlemore room across the upper back, to fit thesmall of the back better, and to provide

plenty of room at the buttock. See patternwork on page 111. Also note the excessfabric in the armhole and the prominentshoulder blades.

17 Creating back shoulder darts helps toaccommodate the shoulder blades andeliminates the excess fabric at the backarmhole (see page 90 for step-by-stepinstructions). Draw in the back armholes(see page 91).

18 Draw in the front armholes (see page 91).Drape in front waist-fitting darts if you wanta more tailored fit.

19 It’s routine to make a second mockup, which

allows you to assess how the fit isprogressing and to fine-tune areas that wereadjusted in the first mock-up. Here, theshoulder seam and front panel seam wereadjusted. Note the small amount of excessfabric between the bust apex and thearmhole.

20 This excess fabric could be pinned out in asmall dart and the dart amount transferredinto the existing side bust dart in patternwork. However, fitting too closely above thebust often produces an unattractive fit. Formany women, the fabric between the bust andthe shoulder needs to “float” over the bodyrather than follow the exact contours of thebody.

21 Now that the bodice is fitting well, it is timeto drape in the sleeve, which is the processof fitting and pinning the sleeve cap to thebodice armhole. Here, I will show you thedraping process with a sleeve that isproportionate to the client’s arm. There areother examples of typical sleeve problemsyou will encounter, shown on pages 172.First, slip the sleeve onto the client’s armand pin the top of the sleeve cap to thebodice, matching the center of the sleeve tothe shoulder seam.

22 Pin the underarm of the sleeve to the bodice

underarm. Have the client slightly raise herarm, match the underarm seam of the sleeveto the underarm seam of the bodice, andweave the pin through the fabrics. You canalso have the client take off the bodice, pinthe sleeve to the bodice in a few places, andput the bodice back on.

23 About 1" (2.5 cm) away from the center ofthe sleeve cap, fold under the seamallowance of the sleeve. Sometimes you willneed to fold under more or less than thepattern’s designated seam allowance to get anice looking sleeve cap. The order in whichyou drape in the sleeve front and the sleeveback doesn’t matter.

24 Place the fold of the sleeve against thearmhole seam that you’ve drawn on the

bodice.

25 To create the ease in the sleeve cap, keep thehand closest to the center of the sleevestationary, and with the other hand, slightlypush the fabric back up toward the center ofthe sleeve.

26 Pin the sleeve to the bodice just to the sideof where the fabric ease was created.

27 Move a short distance away, and again foldunder the seam allowance of the sleeve.

28 Create ease through the top of the sleevecap, as described, pinning the sleeve in place

every few inches (cm). From the crease ofthe arm through the underarm, hold and pinthe fabric flat, since there typically is noease through this part of the sleeve.

29 Repeat the process on the other side of thesleeve.

30 Note that the sleeve HBL dips slightly in thefront and that some of the sleeve excess hasbeen pinned out along the underarm seam.Note the slight drag line at the sleeve frontnear the elbow.

31 To correct the sleeve HBL dipping at thefront, unpin the front of the sleeve and movethe sleeve cap up a bit toward the shoulder

seam. Note that shifting the sleeve cap alsoreduces the drag line at the elbow identifiedin the step above.

32 Re-pin the front sleeve, putting more ease

into the upper portion of the sleeve. How toresolve the issue of a sleeve cap having toomuch ease relative to the armhole opening isaddressed on page 174. The drag line at thesleeve front near the elbow is due to thenatural bend in the client’s arm when it is atrest. This sleeve does not have sufficientcurvature, which you can correct if thesleeve has two seams. This is a two-piecetailored sleeve with a panel at the underarm,so it’s possible to pin a wedge at the frontunderarm seam going to nothing at the backunderarm seam. See pattern work on nextpage.

33 Check to see if the client can move her armsforward comfortably. If you only have onesleeve draped in, hold the other armhole inplace. Note the tension across the back andat the back crease of the arm.

34 Putting more curvature in the center back

bodice seam will provide more reach for theclient. The pattern work is shown opposite.You can also adjust where the sleeve capattaches to the bodice at the back armhole.Making both of these adjustments provides agood deal more reach for the client, althoughit also means that some excess fabric will benoticeable across the back and at the back ofthe arm when the client’s arm is at rest.There are many situations in fitting whereyou must decide what is most important: tohave a comfortable amount of reach or tohave a picture-perfect garment.

Pattern Work ExamplesSee Fundamentals of Altering Patternsfor basic patternmaking techniques (page44).

Creating a New Bust Dart

Transfer markings and create the new dart.When truing the dart legs for a newly createddart, it’s often necessary to add paper along theintersecting seam in order to get a nice blend.

Creating a Center Back Seam

1 If the center back pattern was originally cuton the fold but you want to create a centerback seam, the fold line represents the newseam line. In this example, we want to createshaping for the upper back and the buttocks,shown by the red tick marks, so it isnecessary to make a center back seam.

2 Blend the tick marks to the center back foldline, creating the new center back seam line.Then add seam allowances, and trim awayexcess paper.

Creating Curvature on a Long Sleeve

1 Mark the close-wedges from the fittingmuslin. Here the close-wedges are the sameamount at the underarm seam, going tonothing at the outer seam.

2 Close the wedges and redraw the grainlines,which are taken from the upper portions ofthe sleeve.

TUNIC WITH ARMSCYEPRINCESS LINEBecause this princess line goes from thebust to the armhole, the area above thebust is free of seams. This clean upperportion of the bodice works well formany different types of garments and

fabrics.

Style/Fitting ConsiderationsArmscye princess lines are excellentfitting tools for the bust, since they goover or near the bust apex. And becausethe style line intersects the armhole, it’seasy to make armhole adjustments aswell. The placement and curvature of thearmscye princess line between the apexand the armhole impacts the bodicevisually and can make the bust appear tobe larger or smaller, as seen in theillustrations on page 97.

Armscye princess lines can be difficultto sew because you are joining a convexcurve to a concave curve. This isespecially true for larger bust sizes and

for very curved princess lines thatintersect the armhole near or below themidpoint of the armhole. Raising theintersection point along the armholemakes sewing the seam easier, due to thechange in curvature.

Process of Fitting the Tunic with ArmscyePrincess Line

1 The tunic front. Note the slight tightnessacross the bust, indicated by the drag linesabove the bust. Note the drag line going fromthe bust to the side waist, indicating the needfor more bust shaping.

2 When viewing the garment from the side,note the drag line from the bust to the sidewaist and from the mid-back to the sidewaist. Also note that the HBL is low in theback. In addition, note that the back of thearm is causing the back armhole to crumpleand fold.

3 The tunic back. Note a slightly low leftshoulder, small vertical folds of fabric in themid-back, slight excess at the back neck,drag lines at the sides, and folds of fabric atthe back armhole near the underarm.

4 Raise the left shoulder with a small shoulderpad for the fitting process, even though thisclient does not make an adjustment in herclothes to make her shoulders look perfectlyeven. Clip the back armholes to the crease.

It’s important to have the armhole seampositioned at or very near the crease.Otherwise, the arm pushes down on anyexcess fabric that extends beyond the creaseand creates unwanted folds of fabric on thebodice below the underarm. Clip theneckline where it is tight.

5 A tuck or a tuck and wedge combination willbring the HBL level. Decide where to makethis adjustment on the back. It’s important toknow where the client has fleshy areas.

6 Make the tuck above the fleshy area, whichallows the fabric to float over the fleshy arearather than accentuate it. When making a tuckor a tuck and wedge combination, let thefolds of fabric tell you what to do. In thiscase, the tuck was continued across the side

back in order to eliminate the folds of fabricidentified in step 3 at the sides of the body.This tuck was resolved on the side front witha wedge going to nothing at the frontprincess seam.

7 The HBL is now level. The tuck on the sideback still needs to be resolved because it waspinned just to the side seam. Since the bustneeds more shaping, which was indicated bythe drag lines identified in step 1 and againnoted in step 2, a wedge needs to be pinnedacross the side front. This will also resolvethe side back tuck. There is frequently adirect correlation between front and backtucks and wedges, as is the case with thisexample.

8 Before pinning the wedge, reassess the slight

strain across the front at bust level. Howtightly a person wears her clothes is personalpreference. Both the fitter and this client feltthat the area across the bust is too tight.

9 Release the front princess seams over the

bust. Then pin the wedge across the sidefront as follows: Beginning where the sideback tuck ended, pin out the same amount asthe side back tuck, going to nothing at thefront princess seam. For the correct angle ofthe wedge, follow the drag line formed in thefabric. Even though the drag line does notextend all the way to the front princess seam,the wedge must terminate at the princessseam in order to make the flat patternadjustment. You needn’t worry about thefabric that will be eliminated by the wedgenear the princess seam, because it is such asmall amount.

10 Assess the location of the front princessseam at the fullest part of the bust. To get thebest fit, the princess line should lie at or justbarely to the side of the apex, or the fullestpart of the bust. The vertical pin on the frontpanel (arrow) indicates the client’s apex. Inthis case, the princess seam extends beyondwhere there is any breast tissue.

11 Pin the front princess seam, increasing the

amount of fabric on the side front anddecreasing the amount of fabric on the front.Also change the angle and position of wherethe front princess seam intersects thearmhole, if desired. Note the small verticalfold of fabric at the client’s right underarm.This is also shown in the following photo.

12 A close-up of the excess fabric.

13 This excess fabric is due to the client’s bustshape, which is round and full on the side ofthe bust.

14 Sometimes you can eliminate extra fabric in

this location by adjusting the princess seamwhere it intersects the armhole. In this case,the excess is actually in the side seam, so pinout the excess fabric there. Frequently in thefitting process, once you make the HBLlevel and give the bust adequate room whereit needs it (at the bust), there is excess fabricat the side seam. Fitting is much more aboutwhere the space occurs than it is about totalcircumference. Also note that the underarmof the mock-up is much lower than theclient’s underarm.

15 In order to mark the proper placement of theunderarm seam, pin in some extra fabric.

16 Then draw in the underarm. The underarmplacement should be high, because a lowunderarm actually restricts movement unless

the garment is quite loose and oversized. Formore information about underarmplacement, see pages 92.

17 To finish fitting the back, revisit the fabricfolds at the mid-back identified in step 3. Pinout one side along the princess line to see ifyou like the results. Note the slight strainbetween the shoulder blades.

18 I like how the muslin looks with the backprincess seams taken in slightly. To make theback of the garment quite comfortable,release the center back seam. Note that thecenter back seam at the neck is loose, whichwas first identified in step 3.

19 Pin the center back seam, letting it outthrough the mid-back to release the strainand taking it in at the neck to eliminate theexcess fabric. This will result in a curvedcenter back seam.

20 Assess the skirt portion of the tunic front.This client prefers a straighter tunic ratherthan such an A-line shape.

21 To take in the skirt, release the princess linefrom hip level through the hem to assess howthe skirt wants to hang on the client. Notethat on the unpinned side, the front slipsunderneath the side front. Reading the fabric,this tells me that much of what needs to betaken in is on the front seam. Try pinning oneside, including pinning out the side seam aswell.

22 Read the back in a similar way and pin asdesired.

23 Assess the front bodice one final time. Theslight vertical folds of fabric in the upperbodice going from the shoulders to the bustindicate that there is too much width in thefront bodice. This could have been addressedearlier, but sometimes an issue like thisresolves itself through the course of otherfitting changes.

24 To check if the front bodice is too wide

relative to the client’s build, release oneshoulder seam. Before I release the seam, Ioften pin the back shoulder area to theclient’s bra strap to prevent the garment fromfalling off. Keeping the front and backshoulder seams next to each other, slide thefront shoulder seam away from the neck asmall amount, in this case about 3/8" (1 cm).Align the shoulder seams and re-pin. At theneck, you can see that 3/8" (1 cm) of theback shoulder seam shows. At the arm, 3/8"(1 cm) of the front shoulder seam extendsbeyond the back shoulder seam. Theresulting pattern work is like any othershoulder seam repositioning; see pages 92.

25 The second mock-up front with a few fine-tuning adjustments made to the client’s rightside. The pattern was not adjusted for theclient’s narrow front prior to sewing the

second mock-up, so the adjustment wasmade and pinned again here.

26 The second mock-up back.

BODICE WITH RAGLAN SLEEVEA raglan sleeve differs a great deal froma set-in sleeve, because the raglansleeve forms a portion of the bodice atthe shoulder.

Style/Fitting ConsiderationsRaglan seams intersect the neckline, andthe position of this intersection impactsthe proportions of the garment. Inaddition, the angle and curve of theraglan seam affects the garment’sproportions. Moreover, since you often

make fitting changes along seams, theposition and shape of the raglan seamsalso impacts your ability to fit thegarment. Sometimes a small change tothe intersection point and to the angle orcurve of the seam makes the garmentboth more flattering and easier to fit.

Another factor to consider whendeciding if a raglan style is appropriatefor your build is your shoulder shape.Although many women with slopedshoulders feel that raglan sleevesaccentuate the slope of their shoulders,using a raglan shoulder pad in thegarment squares the shoulder line nicely.

Some raglan sleeve patterns have a seamdown the middle of the sleeve, while

others use a dart to provide the shapingat the shoulder where the arm connectsto the torso. In a pattern, it’s easy tochange a dart at the shoulder to a seamdown the top of the arm if that allowsyou to get a better fit.

Fitting Tip

Since more seams give you morefitting opportunities, consider addingseams in appropriate and logicalplaces in order to achieve yourdesired fit.

Process of Fitting the Bodice with RaglanSleeve

1 The bodice front. Clip the neckline torelease tightness. Note the vertical fold offabric formed between the neck and the bustlevel at center front. The garment isgenerally loose all over.

2 Viewed from the side, the HBL is low in theback, the shoulder seam points toward thevery back of the neck, and the garment frontswings away from the body at the hemline.That these three situations occur togetherindicates the client is shorter in the frontbetween the bust level and the shoulder thanthe garment is, which causes the garment toshift or “travel” toward the back. After theback is assessed, this is the first fitting issueto address, since it’s important to get thegarment to settle on the body before dealingwith the other fitting issues.

3 The bodice back. Note the strain between theshoulder blades, indicated by a horizontaldrag line between the back raglan seams andby the short drag lines emanating from theshoulder seam pointing toward the backraglan seam. Also note the vertical folds of

fabric forming from the shoulder blades tothe hem.

4 Because the garment is longer in the front

upper torso than the client’s body, asdiscussed in step 2, shorten the front bodicebetween the bust level and the shoulders.With a raglan sleeve, shorten the frontbodice by moving the front raglan sleeveseam farther down onto the bodice front andpin in place. This is preferable to pinning outequal amounts along the front raglan seam,which would make the distance between thefront raglan seam and the shoulder seamdisproportionately small. To figure out howmuch to shorten the front bodice, use theshoulder seam and the front HBL as yourguides. The shoulder seam should be broughtforward so it points to the middle of theneck, and the front HBL should be level.

5 After making the changes in step 4, I had theclient wiggle and move around, and onceagain the garment traveled toward the back,

as seen here. This tells me that I must trackdown an additional fitting issue.

6 To proceed with the fitting, shift the garmentforward again on the client’s body so that theshoulder seam is in an appropriate place andthe front HBL is level. Until I identify andsolve the underlying fitting issue that iscausing the garment to shift backward on theclient’s body, I will periodically check thatthe shoulder seam is where it should be.Because the garment circumference seemsquite loose, assess how big it is.

7 Pin out some of the excess fabric at the sideseams. When there is so much excess fabric,it probably won’t be possible to reduce thegarment’s circumference by reshaping at justthe side seams. Note the drag line in this

photograph and in step 6 going from underthe bust to the side waist, indicating the needfor bust shaping.

8 Because this client is small busted, drape in adart with a small intake. A dart with too muchintake will form an unattractive pouch orlarge bubble of fabric around the front of thebust. Note that with a small bust dart pinnedin the right side of the garment, the areabetween the dart and the hem hangs nicely.

9 Bring the back HBL to level by pinning atuck. Even though the back tuck is not at thesame level as the side bust dart, the amountof the tuck at the back side seam equals thefront dart intake. Also pin out some of theexcess along the center back seam throughthe small of the back down to the hem, which

will require adding a center back seam.

10 Note the strain across the upper backbetween the shoulder blades. Now that thegarment is starting to fit better, this strain iseven more pronounced. With situations likethis, you may need to experiment to figureout if the garment needs more width or morelength. Because the garment is not tight overthe shoulders and because the garment wantsto shift towards the back on the client’sbody, I suspected a length issue.

11 Cut the garment horizontally across theupper back where the strain occurs, ending atthe seam at the center of the sleeve. Thegarment immediately spreads, indicating theneed for a good deal more length in theupper back. Because the garment has raglanseams, the pattern work is straightforward:lengthen the center back pattern with an evenspread and the back sleeve in a wedge spread.Also note the drag line starting about halfwaybetween where the garment was slashed andthe neck along the back raglan seam.

12 Pin in fabric where the garment spread apart.To eliminate the drag line above the spreadnoted in step 11, release the shoulder seamat the neck, allowing the seam to spread andthe fabric in the shoulder area to relax.

13 Let out the back shoulder, and pin. Thegarment has finally settled on the client nowthat it reflects her body’s proportions. Notethe excess circumference in the sleeve,indicated by the vertical fold line.

14 To reduce its circumference, the sleeve canbe altered on either the seam down the top ofthe sleeve, the seam at the underarm, or acombination of both. Pinning out the excessalong the top of the sleeve causes the draglines between the underarm and the shoulderto become more pronounced. Pinning awedge above the elbow starting at theunderarm seam and going to nothing at thecenter-of-the-sleeve seam on both the frontand back sleeve brings the sleeve HBL tolevel and allows the lower portion of thesleeve to hang nicely.

15 Reducing the sleeve’s circumference bypinning out the underarm seam of the sleeveproduces better results and also resolves theadjustment of taking in the bodice side seam.

16 The second mock-up front. Note that thefabric crumples at the underarm. Theshoulder line also needs a little fine-tuning,pinning out the slight excess at the mid-shoulder toward the neck.

17 The second mock-up side. Note that the HBLdips at the side seam and that there is a slightdrag line under the bust.

18 The second mock-up back. Note the draglines emanating from the small of the backgoing up and down, indicating that the centerback seam was taken in too much at the smallof the back. The back underarm area needsfine-tuning, but there will be a trade-offbetween having enough movement and howpristine the garment looks here.

19 To bring the HBL to level, take a wedgestarting at the side seam and going to nothingat the center back. To resolve the amount ofthis wedge at the side seam, and to bring theHBL level in the front, increase the dartintake, which will also eliminate the slightdrag line under the bust. Fine-tune the dartposition. Rather than re-draping the dart, youcan draw a line indicating the new dartposition. See pattern work for increasing andrepositioning the dart on page 125.

20 When the client reaches forward, note thestrain at the mid-back, at the underarm, andacross the arm.

21 To provide more reach, let out the backraglan seam.

22 To resolve the front underarm issues, checkwhether or not the raglan seam is actually atthe client’s crease. The garment will lookbetter and be more comfortable if the raglanseam is at the crease.

23 Locate where the client’s crease is on themuslin, drawing on the muslin if it’s helpful.

24 Re-pin the raglan seam, in this case lettingout the front bodice and taking in the frontsleeve along the raglan seam.

25 Stylistically, this client would prefer an openneckline. Experimenting a bit will help youfind a flattering look.

26 The new neckline from the back.

27 While assessing the neckline shape, alsoassess the garment as a whole. Waist-fittingdarts look flattering on this client, and sheprefers a trimmer look.

28 Talking with the client about sleeve lengths,we wondered about what a cap sleeve wouldlook like. Drawing where the cap sleevewould fall on her arm led us to think aboutcreating a yoke to add more visual interest.

29 To create the final garment, I made twoadditional mock-ups. For the third mock-up,I incorporated the new neckline and fine-tuned the shape. I also checked the fittingchanges from the second mock-up and fine-tuned where necessary. In the fourth mock-up, the fit and the neckline were right where Iwanted them, and then I marked the finalyoke placement seam. For some clients, Iwould have made a fifth mock-up to verifythe yoke placement, but in this case I did notfeel it was necessary. These additionalmock-ups gave me the opportunity to fine-tune both the fit and the stylistic elements,so by the time I cut into the fashion fabric, I

no longer had questions about my pattern orthe fit.

Pattern Work ExamplesSee Fundamentals of Altering Patternsfor basic pattern-making techniques.

Increasing the Dart Intake andRepositioning the Dart

1 The new dart legs and dart point are indicatedin red.

2 Connect each dart leg to the new dart point.The dart legs will need to be trued.

Fitting Solutions for BodyTypes and Related PatternAlterationsPart of what makes fitting challenging isthat there are hundreds upon hundreds offigure variations. Each woman’sproportion is unique to her. While it’spossible to make broad generalizationsabout figure types, I find thatcategorizing a person’s figure isfrustrating because there are as manyvariants as there are conformities.

When I’m fitting, I get the best resultswhen I concentrate on manipulating thefitting muslin so that it reflects andenhances the client’s figure. I usually get

frustrated and have poorer results when Itry to make her figure conform togeneralized categories and rules.

Yet, without the generalizations andcategories, we have no logical method todiscuss the variations. In this chapter, Idiscuss fitting solutions for differentareas of the body. For the upper torso, Iprovide examples using garments with anumber of different style lines. Somestyle lines make fitting certain areas ofthe body easier. If you’re having troublegetting a garment with one style line tofit, consider trying a different style line.For instance, if you are large busted andcannot get a bodice with a side bust dartto fit beautifully, try a pattern withprincess seams.

When exploring how to fit a specificarea of the body, keep in mind that youmust fit the body as one entity, not asdistinctly separate parts. How the backof a garment fits will affect the way thebust area is fitting. This section of thebook provides additional tools you canuse when you are in the process of fittinga garment. The previous chapter isintended to help you understand the flowof the process.

The distance from the neck to the hem islonger for a full-busted figure than it is for asmall-busted figure.

An armscye princess line pattern for a small-busted figure.

For a large-busted figure, the side front ofthe pattern is extended to accommodate thelarger mound. Because the distance betweenthe armscye and the hem on the side front isnow longer, the adjoining front pattern mustalso be lengthened.

These lines show the difference in length ofthe two princess seams.

BUST

Understanding Bust AdjustmentsGetting a pattern to reflect your bust sizeand shape is essential in order for yourclothes to fit well. For many women,accommodating the bust is one of themost challenging aspects of fit andpattern work. The first step indeveloping the front of a bodice is tounderstand how bust size impacts notonly the width but also the length of agarment.

To explore this topic, let’s suppose thatwe have two women with exactly the

same measurement around the rib cagedirectly underneath the bust. However,woman A is large busted with a full bustmeasurement of 40" (101.6 cm), andwoman B is small busted with a full bustmeasurement of 34" (86.4 cm).

The bodice front for woman A must bewider than the bodice for woman B,because the fabric needs to go overlarger mounds of flesh. This concept isusually easy to grasp. What’s not soapparent is that the bodice for woman Aalso needs to be longer, as is easilydiscernible in the illustration on theprevious page.

Once we understand these relationshipson the body, we can translate the

information to the pattern.

For a small bust adjustment, the processis the same, but it goes in the otherdirection. The side front of the patternwould be reduced in width toaccommodate a smaller mound. Thenbecause the distance between thearmscye and the hem on the side front isshorter, the adjoining front pattern mustalso be shortened.

Making Bust Adjustments during aFitting and on a PatternThere are many examples of fitting thebust in this chapter and the previouschapter. In these examples, I have notmade any changes to the pattern prior tothe fitting. It’s my preference to

manipulate the fabric on the body,because it provides me the opportunityto experiment with what is mostflattering to my client.

Many people, however, prefer to makesome changes to the pattern prior tocutting out the first mock-up. Makingeither a full bust adjustment or smallbust adjustment often reduces the numberof changes you’ll need to make to themock-up during the fitting. However,making too much of a bust adjustmentcan create additional problems that aredifficult to correct during a fitting.Therefore, it’s best to make these initialchanges on a modest scale.

Full Bust and Small Bust Adjustments on aPattern with a Side Bust Dart

1 Draw line A from the apex to the hem, havingthe line parallel to the grainline and centerfront. Draw line B from the apex to the lowerthird of the armhole. Draw line C from theapex to the side seam through the middle ofthe dart.

2 Cut the pattern along line A to the apex,continuing to cut along line B to, but notthrough, the armhole. Cut along line C fromthe side to, but not through, the apex.

Full Bust Adjustment

1 For a full bust adjustment, spread the pattern

rotating the side sections down and to theside. As you do so, the dart willautomatically open. Keep the center frontaligned to a grid, and have both sides of lineA parallel to a grid line. The amount youspread the pattern depends on how much of abust adjustment you want to make. Forguidelines, see next page.

2 To true the front portion of the pattern, drawa line perpendicular to the center front andthe grainline just above the HBL. Cut along

the line. Move this free section of thepattern down so that the pattern sections areeven, keeping the grainline aligned.

3 Tape in paper where the pattern has spread. Ifthe pattern has spread at the dart pointlocation, place the dart point at the midpoint

of the spread. Connect the dart legs to thedart point and true the dart legs.

Small Bust Adjustment

1 For a small bust adjustment, close the patternrotating the side sections up and toward the

center front. As you do so, the dart willclose. Keep the center front aligned to agrid, and have line A parallel to a grid line.

2 To true the front portion of the pattern, drawa line perpendicular to the center front andthe grainline just above the HBL. Cut alongthe line. Move this free section of thepattern up so that the pattern sections areeven, keeping the grainline aligned.

3 Tape the pattern together. Redraw and truethe dart legs, if necessary.

Full Bust and Small Bust Adjustments withPrincess Seams

The drawing on page 97 shows a fullbust adjustment for an armscye princesspattern. For a shoulder princess pattern,the concept is the same. For a small bustadjustment, reduce the amount ofcurvature along the side front princessseam, and shorten the front pattern abovethe HBL to true the adjoining princessseams.

When making either full or small bustadjustments on patterns with princesslines, the front princess seam controlsthe seam placement, while the side frontprincess seam provides the shaping forthe bust.

Spread and Close AmountsHow much to spread the pattern for a

full bust adjustment, or to close thepattern for a small bust adjustment,depends on your bust shape as well asthe cup size for which the pattern wasdeveloped. For a pattern that has beendeveloped for a B cup, the followingchart provides general guidelines. Theadjustment amount is for one side of thepattern, so the total increase or decreaseacross the entire front will be double theamount.

AA cup – close 3/8" (1 cm)

A cup – close 1/4" (6 mm)

B cup – no change

C cup – spread 3/8" (1 cm)

D cup – spread 3/4" (1.9 cm)

DD cup – spread 1 1/4" (3.2 cm)

Shaping the Bust with Side Bust DartsIncreasing the Dart Intake

1 There is enough fabric in this garment withside darts to accommodate the bust, but the

fit is loose and shapeless. Note the drag linesgoing from the bust to the side waist,indicating the need for more dart intake.

2 In fact, there is also excess fabric in the sideseam.

3 Increasing the side bust dart intakeeliminates the drag lines noted in step 1.

Small waist-fitting darts make the client lookmore shapely and proportionate withoutmaking the garment tight.

4 The area between the bust and the armholecan be fit more closely, if desired. Be

careful not to overfit this area, which canmake the bust look low and make thearmhole feel tight. If fitting this area closelyachieves the look you want, you can combinethe dart intakes with a basic dart rotationmanipulation.

Draping in a Dart and Parallel Darts

1 There is adequate fabric across the bust, butthe drag lines indicate the need for a greaterdart intake.

2 When viewing the garment from the side,note the excess fabric in the armscye and thedrag lines below the bust going to the waist.

3 You can proceed with the fitting in twodifferent ways. You could pin out an armscyedart, which would then be rotated in the sidebust dart in pattern work, and also increasethe existing side bust dart intake.

4 Or you could drape a new dart. I usually

prefer to drape the dart, because I canexperiment with different dart intakes anddart positions, and I can see the results rightaway. In order to drape the dart, first releasethe upper portion of the side seam goingdown to just below the existing dart. Thenmove the excess fabric at the armscye abovethe bust to the side of the garment. To dothis, smooth this excess fabric with yourfingers, gently pushing the fabric around theside of the body and down toward where theoriginal dart was located. Don’t pull thefabric tight through the front armhole, butleave enough so that it floats over the body.To form the dart, grasp the dart intake withone hand, and pinch the fabric with the otherhand where you want the dart to end.

5 Fold the dart intake upward so that it is flatagainst the body. This is when you can

experiment with the amount of dart intake, aswell as the position and angle of the dart. Theamount of dart intake should be sufficient toeliminate the drag lines below the bust firstidentified in step 2.

6 When you are happy with the dart positionand the dart intake, pin the dart in place. Notethe very slight vertical fold of fabric underthe bust between the center front and the sideseam.

7 Adding a waist-fitting dart provides a bitmore shaping for the client without makingthe garment tight, and it eliminates the slightvertical fold of fabric identified in step 6.

8 Further assessing the client’s bust shape can

help you determine how best to fit thegarment on her figure. This model’s bust isquite rounded on the side, deep from the sideto the apex, and broad from above the bust tounder the bust.

9 Parallel darts can be very flattering on fullerbusted figures. This is because one of thefunctions of a dart is to create a pouch ofspace. With two darts, two pouches of spaceare created, one above the other. For thisclient, parallel darts better accommodate herbust shape, which is broad from above thebust to under the bust. To drape in paralleldarts, divide the dart intake, drape one dart,and then drape the second dart. The patternwork for this is then very straightforward.Simply mark both dart points and dart legsfrom the muslin onto the pattern.

10 The bust darting can also be put into anarmscye dart. The draping process is thesame as described in step 4, except that all ofthe excess fabric is gently pushed to thefront armhole.

Adjusting Excess Above and Below the Bust

1 Part of fitting the bust is adjusting thegarment length between the bust level and theshoulder line. Here the garment moves to theback, indicating that the client is shortbetween the bust and shoulder.

2 Taking an even tuck in the upper portion ofthe garment proportions the garment to theclient’s body. Even though this client issmall busted, note the slight drag line at theside of the bust going toward the hip.

3 Increasing the dart intake slightly would

eliminate the drag line but it would alsocause the HBL to rise too much.

4 Waist-fitting darts also eliminate the drag

line. In addition, waist-fitting darts provideenough shaping through the torso to makethe client feel that the garment fits withoutbeing tight.

Shaping the Bust with ArmscyePrincess SeamsLetting Out Princess Seams

1 Note the strain at the apex, indicating that

there isn’t enough room across the bust.Also note the excess fabric at the frontarmhole at the top of the princess seam andbelow the bust.

2 Release both princess seams over the bust.

The fabric spreads over the bust, indicatingthe amount of extra fabric needed. If theprincess seam falls over or very near theapex, as in this case, make all of the fittingadjustments on the side princess seam.Remember, the front princess seam linecontrols the placement of the princess seamover the apex, and the side princess seamallows for the proper shaping around thebust.

3 Pin the front princess seam, letting out the

side princess seam over the full part of thebust. To eliminate the excess fabric at thefront armhole, release the upper portion ofthe front princess seam. Let the side frontslip underneath the front, and pin in place. Becareful not to overfit this area. In this case,the fit at the bust was finalized after the backHBL was adjusted, and so the wedge fromthe side seam going to nothing at the apexeliminates the looseness identified in step 1.

Placing Princess Seams

1 Note the excess fabric over the bust,indicating a small bust. The princess seamsdo not fall over or near the client’s apex,marked with an “X.”

2 The placement of the princess seam impactsboth how comfortable the garment is to wearand how flattering it is on the body. If youplace the princess seam directly over theapex, the client’s torso from the waist uplooks skinny through the center front anddisproportionately wide on the side. Here,the front princess seam was taken in and theside front princess seam let out.

3 If you place the princess seam just to theside of the apex, the overall proportion ofthe torso from the waist up is better.However, the curvature of the princess seamabove the bust and its intersection point withthe armscye impacts the garment visually. Atight curve makes the bust look low.

4 Having the intersection point too high on thearmhole accentuates the client’s thinness.

5 Having the intersection between its location

in step 3 and step 4 proportions the client thebest. Make variations like these by adjustingthe front princess seam and the side frontprincess seam, letting one out while takingthe other in. Even though the curve of theprincess seam is now in a good position, thefit through the bust area is still not flattering.

6 Taking in the side front princess seam only asmall amount under the bust and through themid-torso makes a big difference visually,bringing the entire garment into proportionwith the client’s figure.

7 The second mock-up. Note the slightbagginess and drag lines on the client’s rightside. Due to the HBL dipping at the side, awedge was pinned, starting at the side seamand going to nothing at both the front and the

back princess seam. As seen on the client’sleft side, this resolves both the bagginess anddrag lines.

Accommodating a Prominent ChestStructure

1 Some fitting issues take a while tounderstand. You will start to fit whatobviously needs addressing and perhapsmuch later in the process discover what’sreally going on. Fitting this armscye tunic is

a good example. Here, note the tightnessacross the bust, the excess fabric in the frontarmhole, the drag lines under the bust goingto the side seam (which are the result of aprominent chest structure), as well as theslight tightness across the stomach.

2 Let out the side princess seam toaccommodate the bust. On the client’s rightside, adjust and pin the princess seams toremove the excess fabric at the armhole. Inthis case, take in both the front and the sidefront at the armhole.

3 Here’s the first mock-up front after makingthe most obvious fitting changes to the backand side front. The client also prefers astraight rather than flared silhouette in thetunic skirt.

4 The second mock-up. The bust and armholearea fit much better. Note the drag lines onthe side of the bodice above the HBL as wellas the drag lines starting at the front princesslines just below the HBL and going towardthe hip.

5 From the side, the client’s figure is muchmore evident: prominent chest structure,sway back, and defined buttocks. The bustitself is full, but the chest structure makesthe bust appear fuller. The bust cannot be fitproperly without addressing all of theseissues together. Getting the back to fit is anintegral part of fitting the front. You will seethis client being fit in this tunic in othersections (pages 112, 155).

Shaping the Bust with ShoulderPrincess SeamsAdjusting Excess Above and Below the Bust

1 There is adequate room across the fullestpart of the bust. Note the loose fabric

between the bust and the shoulder. Theexcess at each armhole going into the bodyof the garment a few inches (cm) below theneck indicates too much length in thegarment.

2 Viewing the garment from the side, note theexcess fabric above the client’s bust,

indicating that the pattern was developed forsomeone with an entirely different bustshape. This excess indicates too much widthin the garment above the bust.

3 Take an even tuck across the entire front afew inches (cm) below the neck to eliminate

the excess length. Pinching out fabric on theside front panel gives me an idea of howmuch extra width there is and where I want toremove the excess.

4 Pin out the excess width above the bust. Inthis case, all of the excess was removedfrom the side panel, but there might besituations where you want to remove someof the excess from each side of the princessseam.

5 Part of fitting the bust is to fit below thebust. Pinning out some of the excess fabricfrom under the bust to the hem makes thegarment more fitted. Assess which seamsyou want to remove the excess from. Howfitted or loose to make the garment is purelypersonal preference.

6 An alternate way to get a more shapely andfitted garment is to add a waist-fitting dart,which creates a different effect fromremoving the excess fabric along theprincess seam, as you can see here.

7 For a more relaxed fit through the hip whilestill getting some shape under the bust, endthe waist-fitting darts higher up.

8 The waist dart from the side.

9 Sometimes it’s encouraging during a fittingto get a sense of how the fitting muslin willtranslate into a “real” garment. Often aflattering neckline such as this gently

rounded V-neckline does the trick.

Making Sure the Garment Settles

1 Sometimes fitting the bust area must involvefitting another portion of the body. This isalways the case if you cannot get the garmentto settle on the body. The front neckline,even though it has been clipped, seems to bechoking the client. In addition, the drag linesemanating from the front of the neckline andgoing to either side of the bust indicatestrain on the front neckline. This usuallyoccurs because the garment is moving to theback of the body. Note that the HBL isdipping very slightly in the front, indicatingtoo much length somewhere in the frontbodice.

2 Viewing the garment from the side, note thatthe shoulder seam of the muslin is quite far

back on the client’s body, that there is excessfabric at the center back neck, and that thefront HBL is lower than the back HBL. All ofthese things indicate too much length in theupper front bodice. However, also note theprominent shoulder blades.

3 Viewing the garment from the back, note thestrain between the shoulder blades, indicatedby how tight the fabric looks as well as thebubble of fabric in the middle of the upperback.

4 Clip the back armholes to eliminate strainthere. Releasing the back princess seamshelps to alleviate the strain, but you can stilldetect some remaining strain in the backbetween the shoulder blades. Also note theslight fold of fabric on the side back at the

bottom of where the shoulder seam has beenreleased. This fold fabric suggests that thereis insufficient back length in the center ofthe garment.

5 To see if the back length is too short, make ahorizontal cut all the way across the centerback and to the approximate armhole seamon the side back, making the cut at the pointwhere you detected the most strain. Thefabric immediately spreads apart, letting theback neckline move upward.

6 Pin in extra fabric underneath the backspread, and pin the back princess seamsletting out as much fabric as is needed.Pattern work is shown on page 166.

7 Now that the back length is correct, make aneven tuck all the way across the garmentfront to correct the front length. Clip thefront armholes to eliminate strain there. Thefront neckline is finally relaxing on theclient.

8 Viewed from the side, the HBL is still low inthe front.

9 To raise the front HBL, the front needs to beshortened a bit more. You could increase theamount of the even tuck at the upper frontbodice. This, however, makes the area overthe bust look worse compared to how itappeared in step 7.

10 Taking a second even tuck above the HBLand below the bust produces better results.Now that all length issues have beenaddressed, you can start to fit the bust.

11 Since there is so much excess fabric, ratherthan pinning out the excess fabric over thebust, release the front princess seam. Youcan see that a significant amount of the sidefront has slipped underneath the center frontprincess seam.

12 The front pinned over the bust. The muslinfinally reflects the client’s bustline.

Tracking Down Strain

1 Note the drag lines from the bust up towardthe neck and below the bust.

2 From fitting this client before, I know that toeliminate the drag line under the bust causedby the roundness of her side bust, anadditional waist-fitting dart may benecessary. To eliminate the drag line abovethe bust, check for tightness across the fullbust by releasing the front princess seamsover the apex. The fabric spreads a little bitover the apex, but only slightly. The strainlines pointing toward the neck are still there,now starting at the top of where the fabricwas released.

3 Since strain usually indicates tightness,check the muslin for other signs of tightness.There is actually a bit of excess fabric at thetop of the side seam, so there appears to beenough room in the garment front.

4 To track down what is causing the strainbetween the front princess seam and theneck, release the princess seam a bit higher.Just as happened in step 2, the strain movedto the top of where the seam was released.

5 After releasing the front princess seam evenhigher, a bubble of excess fabric forms alongthe front princess seam at the top of wherethe seam was released.

6 With the front princess seam released to theshoulder, the same type of bubble forms atthe top of where the seam was released.

7 Since I know that the side front princessseam and the front princess seam are thesame length, the bubble of fabric is puzzling.I cannot pin a wedge, pinning out the bubbleand going to nothing at the neck, becausethen the front princess seam will be short incomparison to the side front. To figure outhow to resolve this issue, release the frontprincess panel along the shoulder seam. Thisallows the center front princess panel torotate and finally relax, totally eliminatingthe strain line.

8 Let out the side front princess seam to fill inthe gap produced in step 7. Re-pin theshoulder seam and the front princess seam.Interestingly, there is no width adjustmentnecessary in the princess seam except rightover the apex where the side front is let out avery small amount. Pin in a waist-fitting dart

to fit the roundness on the side of the bust.And pin out the excess fabric on the sideseam, if desired.

Shaping the Bust with a Side PanelDraping In and Placing a Dart

1 There is enough room to accommodate thebust, but the garment is boxy and has littleshape. Note the slight drag lines above andbelow the bust.

2 The mock-up viewed from the side. Asdiscussed on page 102, garments with a sidepanel usually fit better if a bust dart is added.Raising the center back HBL so it is levelwith the center front HBL is often a goodway to determine the amount of bust shapingthat is needed, since the front side panelseams must be the same length. Sometimesyou get better results if these amounts arenot equal, but frequently they are indeed the

same.

3 Release the front side panel seam.

4 When draping the dart, experiment to find adart placement that’s pleasing to the eye.This dart is angled, which sometimes makesthe waist appear smaller.

5 This dart is straight, which to my eye makesthe bust look more prominent.

6 Drape in the preferred dart, and re-pin theside front panel seam, incorporating anyfitting that is required. In this case, the frontneeded to be let out above the dart.

7 The garment can be fit much more closely tothe body. In this case, the armscye dart wouldbe rotated to the side dart in pattern work.

8 The mock-up viewed from the front witheach side fit differently. The client’s rightside preserves the boxy look of the jacketwhile still getting some shaping, while theclient’s left side produces a much morefitted look.

9 To reduce the excess fabric under the bust,pin waist-fitting darts.

10 The second mock-up. The fitting isprogressing nicely. Increasing the bust dart

will eliminate the drag line under the bustgoing to the side seam. The garment reflectsthe client’s figure without being closelyfitted.

Adjusting Dart Intake and EliminatingExcess Circumference

1 As we know from fitting this client before,she’s short between the bust and theshoulder, which causes excess fabric aboveher bust.

2 Taking an even tuck in the upper bodice andgetting the length correct is the first step tofitting her bust.

3 After adjusting the muslin for her backlength and allowing the garment to settle,assess the muslin for her bust. There is a lotof excess fabric, and the drag line from thebust to the side waist indicates the need forsome bust shaping even though she’s small

busted.

4 Viewing the garment from the front, the draglines noted in step 3 are evident. Now thatthe front and back HBL are level, there ismore excess circumference at the bust thanwas evident in step 2. Because the garmentfits well between the bust level and theshoulders, I chose to proceed with fittingthis muslin rather than starting over with asmaller size.

5 Assess how much extra circumference thereis.

6 Assess how much dart intake is needed. TheHBL stays level with a small intake. Also,this amount of dart intake defines the bust

shape.

7 With a greater dart intake, the HBL getsraised, and note how the space created by thedart overwhelms the client’s bust.

8 Drape in the dart and take in the side seam.Because the dart shortens the length of thefront side panel seam, a close-wedge waspinned, starting at the front side panel seamand going to nothing at the back side panelseam.

9 Waist-fitting darts further define the bust andwaist.

10 The second mock-up with a few minoradjustments made.

Shaping the Bust with a Raglan SleeveGarmentAdding a Side Bust Dart and Adjusting theBack Length

1 There is slight strain across the bust, but not

enough that I would go up a pattern size,especially considering how loose in generalthe garment is. Note the drag lines goingfrom under the bust to the side seam and thehemline flaring away from the body, bothindicating the need for bust shaping.

2 Viewing the garment from the side, it’s quiteapparent that the back will need to beadjusted in conjunction with fitting the front.

3 Drape a side bust dart, which also makes thegarment hang straight so that the hemline nolonger flares away from the body. I find thisdart angle distracting due to the angle of theraglan seam.

4 This dart angle is less obtrusive. There are

still slight drag lines under the bust, whichcan be eliminated either by increasing theside bust dart intake or draping a waist-fittingdart.

5 To fit the back, pin a large close-wedgestarting at the center back to bring the HBLto a level position. At the side seam, the backclose-wedge will equal the intake of thefront bust dart. Pinning out a little excessfabric along the center back, which meanscreating a center back seam, starts to bringthe garment into proportion to the client’sfigure. Now that the back and front are betterbalanced, I would revisit the front dart.

Creating a Princess Seam

1 There is enough room across the bust, butthe garment is loose both above and below

the bust. The drag lines below the bust goingto the side seam indicate the need for bustshaping.

2 Pin a bust dart to eliminate the drag linesidentified in step 1, and bring the back HBL

to a level position.

3 To give some shape to the garment, I started

by pinning waist-fitting darts. As I fit the areajust below the bust and up toward the apex, Idiscovered that with the side bust dartsupplying room for the bust, there was slightexcess over the apex. Experimenting, Ipinned out the excess over the apex andcontinued pinning out the excess above thebust. I liked the effect of the waist-fittingdart going up toward the raglan seam, and so Iturned the waist-fitting dart into a princessseam. The pattern work for this is shownbelow. In addition to the princess seam, thegarment needed further fine-tuning.

Pattern Work ExamplesSee Fundamentals of Altering Patternsfor basic patternmaking techniques (page44).

Truing an Armscye Princess Seam at theArmhole

1 With the new princess seam lines drawn onthe pattern, the armhole seams may nolonger match when stacked, as in thisexample.

2 To resolve this discrepancy, blend thearmhole seam, shown in green. Adjust theseam allowance and cut along the new cutline.

3 The trued pattern pieces.

Creating a Princess Seam from Waist-Fitting Darts

1 The pattern with waist-fitting darts and tick

marks indicating the placement of theprincess seam. The two sides of the waist-fitting dart will become the new princessseams for the front and side frontrespectively.

2 Blend the princess seam to the waist-fittingdart, incorporating any additional shapingpinned on the muslin. Cut along the newprincess seam and through the middle of thewaist-fitting dart, creating the front and sidefront pattern pieces. Add seam allowance toeach seam line, and cut along the new cutline.

BACKIn fitting the back, it is important toaccommodate the length, width, andcurvature of the back as well as toaddress how the garment lies on thebody at the armhole, shoulder, and neck.Fitting the back is complicated becauseoften these elements impact one another,in which case it becomes difficult toseparate one problem from another.

However, by reading the fabric andstaying aware of the HBL level, fittingsolutions become apparent.

Fitting the Back with a Basic BodiceNarrow Back

1 Note the excess fabric, particularly through

the small of the back just above the waist.

2 Also note that the HBL is dipping in theback.

3 Raise the HBL in the back with either aneven tuck or a close-wedge. To fit the smallof the back on a figure with a defined waist,it’s usually best to distribute the verticalexcess between the center back seam and thewaist-fitting darts. See pages 89 and 90 formore in-depth information. Also note theexcess at the back armhole.

4 Assess how much excess there is in the backarmhole. It can be helpful to think of thisexcess as a dart, which can be moved intoeither a shoulder dart or a neck dart. Becauseof the waist-fitting darts, I think shoulderdarts would look better.

5 To create a shoulder dart with the excessfabric, first release the shoulder seam. Thensmooth the fabric of the muslin armholeacross the back of the arm. As you move thefabric to eliminate the excess at the armhole,a fold of fabric will form along the shoulder.

6 Pin the newly formed dart in place.

Broad Back

1 The back bodice. Note the excess fabric atthe back neck, the tightness through thearmhole, and the excess fabric through thesmall of the back.

2 Clip the back armholes to the back crease.

3 When viewing the garment from the side, it’sapparent that the HBL is dipping in the back.Note the strain on the fabric over the hip.

4 Making a tuck across the back raises theHBL, which allows the fabric of the lowerback to relax. Now there is actually excess

fabric in the lower back of the muslin. Alsonote the excess fabric at the back neck.

5 Running your hand gently across the client’sback can help you identify the bone andmuscle structures, which influence how youfit. Here you can see that the middle of theupper back is hollow and the client has well-defined shoulder blades.

6 Eliminate the excess fabric in the neck by

forming either a neck dart or a shoulder dart.To form the neck dart, simply pin out theexcess fabric, so that the dart points to themost prominent part of the shoulder blade, asshown on the client’s left side. To form ashoulder dart, release the shoulder seam. Asyou form a shoulder dart with your fingers,the excess fabric at the neck will disappear.Make the shoulder dart intake the amountneeded to make the back neck fabric lie flat.Choose which dart placement to use basedon how well the dart makes the garment fit,how flattering the dart placement looks onthe body, and how compatible the dartplacement is with the rest of the garment.Also assess the fit in the small of the back.

7 To eliminate the excess fabric at the small ofthe back, pin waist-fitting darts if you want agarment that is more form fitting.

Long Back and Rounded Upper Back

1 Even though a garment might have sufficientoverall length, it’s important for the garmentto be long enough in the right places. Here,the HBL is dipping slightly in the back. Notethe roundness of the upper back from theshoulder blade up to the shoulder line. Alsonote the forward neck, which is usuallyindicative of a rounded back.

2 Pin a tuck to bring the HBL to a levelposition. Note the strain across the upperback between the shoulder blades as well asfrom the shoulder blade up to the shoulderline.

3 Making a horizontal cut where the most

strain occurs will allow the fabric to spreadopen if more length is needed. In this case,the upper portion of the muslin moved higheron the client’s neck. This is a very similaradjustment used to fit a dowager’s roundedupper back, which is described in thefollowing example. The pattern work for thisalteration, including the resulting neck darts,is shown on page 166.

4 Pin in extra fabric where the mock-upspread. The center back seam can also be letout if more width across the back improvesthe fit or makes the garment morecomfortable. To fit the small of the back,drape waist-fitting darts.

5 The second mock-up with a few fine-tuningadjustments made. Note both the strain

between the shoulder blades in the hollow ofthe upper back and the slight looseness in thefabric at the back neck.

6 Pinning neck darts improves the fit andreduces the strain between the shoulderblades. Since it looks odd to have bothshoulder and neck darts, I would transfer theshoulder dart intake into the neck darts.

Dowager’s Rounded Back

1 Note the excess fabric at the back neckresulting from the rounded upper back.

2 Make a horizontal cut across the upper backwhere the rounding of the back begins. Thisallows the upper portion of the garment tomove higher on the client’s neck. In thiscase, the center back seam can then beshaped to follow the curve of the upper backand neck. Neck darts usually provide the bestfit. This example is shown on a basic blouse,but the alteration can be done on any style ofgarment. For related pattern work, see page

166.

Fitting the Back with ArmscyePrincess SeamsSway Back and Very Erect Posture

1 Viewed from the side, the poof of fabric atthe mid-back indicates excess back lengthcompared to the client’s build. Note theclient’s sway back and very erect posture,which often occur together.

2 The folds of fabric viewed from the back.These folds usually form around andaccentuate any fleshy areas. The drag linebelow the HBL from the side going to thebuttock indicate that there might not beenough circumference in the garment at thehip. It may help to release the seam over thetight part of the buttock; however, bringing

the HBL to a level position often alleviatesthe tightness over the hip and buttock.

3 Experiment to find the best location to take atuck or close-wedge to bring the HBL to alevel position. Taking a tuck just above theHBL produces better results to my eye. Thislength alteration must be resolved on theadjoining pattern pieces as well.

4 Viewed from the side: a tuck across thecenter back, a close-wedge on the side back,with the close-wedge continuing into bustshaping at the front.

5 Note the gaping at the back armhole. Alsonote the folds of fabric on the side backbetween the armhole and the HBL. Because

these two problem areas occur directlyabove and below one another, it’s likely thatgetting a good fit in both areas will beinterconnected. Experiment to find the bestsolution.

6 You could take out all of the excess alongthe shoulder seam, which to my eyeaccentuates the client’s sloping shoulders.

7 You could use a shoulder pad, or you coulduse a combination of shoulder pads andadjusting the shoulder seam, as seen here.Although these adjustments address theexcess in the back armhole itself, none ofthe solutions address the way the fabric iscollapsing and folding a few inches (cm)above the HBL on the sides.

8 The folds below the armhole can be

addressed in different ways. On the client’sright, I have pinned a close-wedge in the sideback panel, starting at the armhole and goingto nothing at the princess seam. Thisalleviates the problem to some degree. Onthe client’s left, I have released the shoulderseam. Then, starting where the large fold offabric is underneath the arm on the side, Ihave smoothed the fabric upward with myhand. When draping the fabric in this way, letthe fabric guide you and tell you what needsto happen. Here, as I pushed the excessfabric upward and smoothed it across theback armhole, the excess fabric gottransferred to the mid-shoulder, naturallyforming a dart.

9 Pin the dart. If you do not like the look of ashoulder dart in conjunction with thearmscye princess seams, you could move thedart into the neckline by either draping orpattern manipulation.

10 Now that the overall proportion of the backlength is better, adjust the back princessseams, taking in excess and letting out at thefullest part of the hip. In order to fine-tunethe garment, I made three more mock-ups.

Prominent Shoulder Blades and GapingArmholes

1 With prominent shoulder blades, there isoften excess fabric in the back armholes, asseen here. Note the vertical folds of fabric inthe mid-back, indicating too much width inthe garment.

2 As described on page 120, this client’srounded upper back requires lengthening theupper back of the garment. Note the gapingarmhole and excess fabric on the side back.Prior to fitting the armhole and side back,bring the HBL to a level position. I have alsopinned out the excess fabric below the HBLalong the princess seams.

3 The excess at the back armhole occurs wherethe princess seam intersects the armhole.Although pinning out the excess fabricequally on both sides of the princess seamimproves the fit, it creates awkward pattern-making problems, discussed on page 166.

4 Pinning out the excess on just the side backpanel also improves the fit, but it also resultsin difficult pattern-making problems similarto the ones described in the previous step.

5 Taking a close-wedge in the side panelstarting at the armhole and going to nothingat the princess seam produces a better fit,and the pattern work is very straightforward.

6 The second mock-up back, with adjustments

to the shoulder darts, which form in thepattern work when lengthening the upperback in step 2.

7 Note the client’s hollow upper back, whichoften occurs between prominent shoulderblades.

8 Do not overfit a hollow back, which willrestrict the client’s ability to reach her armsforward when there is a sleeve in thegarment. The fabric needs to float over thehollow in the back as shown in step 7.

Fitting the Back with ShoulderPrincess SeamsBack Proportion with Placement ofPrincess Seams

1 Experiment where to remove the excess

fabric, which affects the placement of theprincess seams. Taking all of the excessfabric from the side princess seam makes thesides of the body look disproportionatelysmall in relation to the center back.

2 Taking all of the excess fabric from thecenter back princess seam makes the centerof the back look disproportionately small.

3 Taking the excess fabric equally from eachside of the princess seam produces theproportion that is best to my eye.

Wide Upper Back and Narrow Small of theBack

1 Note that the cut edge of the fabric at theback armhole is approximately where theback armhole seam would fall, indicating thatthe garment isn’t wide enough across the

back. Also note the slight strain between theshoulder blades.

2 Releasing the back princess seams allows thegarment to relax over the shoulder blades andspread open. At the lower end of where thefabric has been released, the slight fold offabric on the side back panel indicates thatthe center back portion of the garment needsmore length. Also note the slight drag linegoing from the side back princess line to theside seam.

3 Slash the back and add length.

4 Let out and pin the princess seams wherethey opened. A close-wedge starting at theside seam and going to nothing at the side

back princess seam eliminates the drag lineidentified in step 2. This close-wedge lengthadjustment at the side seam is resolved onthe front side panel in addressing bustshaping.

5 Note the excess fabric through the small ofthe back. How closely you fit this area ispersonal preference. As shown in otherexamples, the excess fabric can be pinnedout equally on both princess seams or on justone side of the princess seam.

Fitting the Back with a Side PanelGaping Back Armholes and Defined Waist

1 Note the overall looseness of the garmentand the gaping at the back armhole. The backpanel seams were released because the loweredge of the garment was too tight over thehip.

2 Viewed from the side.

3 The tuck brought the HBL to a level positionin conjunction with fitting the front. Assessthe excess in the back armhole.

4 Pinning out along the shoulder seam only

partially removes the excess fabric in theback armhole. Clip the back armhole at theback crease as needed as you fit the backarmhole.

5 All of the excess fabric can be rotated to ashoulder dart (see page 72.

6 The excess can also be rotated to a neck dart.

7 With the style of the jacket, neck darts lookbest to my eye at this stage of the fitting.Note the excess fabric through the mid-back.

8 Experiment with where to remove theexcess. You could make a center back seamand provide shaping there.

9 Or you could remove the excess at the backpanel seam.

10 Or you could use waist-fitting darts toremove the excess. Assess how the jacketlooks with both waist-fitting darts and neckdarts.

11 With the waist-fitting darts, I prefer the lookof shoulder darts.

Fitting the Back with Raglan SleevesNarrow Back and Defined Waist

1 Note the excess fabric through the back,

indicated by the vertical folds of fabric. Alsonote the drag lines at the shoulder seam,which will be taken care of when fitting theshoulder line and perhaps the front of thegarment.

2 Bring the HBL to a level position inconjunction with fitting the front. A centerback seam is the most efficient tool to fit thesmall of the back. Here, pin out some of theexcess fabric along the center back in orderto start shaping the small of the back. Seepage 111 for creating a center back seamfrom a fold line.

3 Since the back of the garment is so loose,

waist-fitting darts are a good tool to removesome of the excess fabric. If you pinned outall of the excess at the center back, you’dcreate new drag lines since there is a greatdeal of excess fabric. As I pinned this waist-fitting dart from the HBL upward, I let myfingers assess the amount of fabric to takein. Letting the fabric guide me in this way, Iliked the effect of taking the dart all the wayto the raglan seam. With only one sidepinned, you can see that the waist-fitting dartlets the client’s figure appear under thefabric.

4 With both waist-fitting darts pinned in, thegarment nicely reflects the client’s figure.Reduce the dart intake if you want a looserfit. A similar waist-fitting dart was used onthe front of the bodice (see page 124). In thenext mock-up, I turned these waist-fitting

darts on both the front and the back intoprincess seams, creating an interestingdesign element.

Pattern Work ExamplesSee Fundamentals of Altering Patternsfor basic pattern-making techniques.

Adjusting Length for Curved Upper Back orDowager’s Back

1 In order to lengthen the middle of the patternbut not alter the armholes, you must createeither a shoulder or neckline dart. For adowager’s back, a neck dart improves theoverall fit. Here is the back pattern with thehorizontal cut line and shoulder dartplacement indicated in red.

2 Cut along the slash line to, but not through,the armhole seam. Also cut the shoulder dartfrom the shoulder seam to, but not through,the slash line, creating a hinge. As you spreadthe pattern to create more back length, theshoulder dart will open up.

3 Tape in paper, blend seams, and add seamallowances. Draw in the dart and true the dartlegs.

SIDESSide seams should hang straight andplumb, and they should fallapproximately in the middle of the bodywhen viewed from the side. If a sideseam is curved, the strain may be due toanother fitting issue, such as a full bustor full buttocks. Often, once the bust andbuttocks are fit properly, the side seamwill be in the correct position.

Some people like to have the side seampositioned slightly toward the back ofthe body, because then the side seam is

less visible when the garment is viewedfrom the front. Another factor toconsider is the visual proportion that theside seam creates.

For a figure with full buttocks, having the sideseam positioned in the middle of the side of

the body (dashed line) accentuates the fullnessof the buttocks. Moving the side seam slightlyto back (solid line) makes the body look morebalanced and proportionate.

For a figure with a large stomach, having theside seam positioned in the middle of the side

of the body (dashed line) accentuates thefullness of the stomach. Moving the side seamslightly to the front (solid line) makes the bodylook more balanced and proportionate.

Excess in the Side Seam

1 Note the excess pinned out on the side seam.You could leave the muslin pinned like this,but the pins make it difficult to assess theside seam.

2 Release the lower portion of the seam,allowing one side of the fabric to lie flat. Inthis example, I let the front fabric relax.

3 Using the amount pinned out in step 1 as aguide, fold under the back fabric.

4 Adjust the amount turned under in theprevious step, if necessary, and pin in place.

5 Now it’s quite easy to assess the side seam.Adjust if necessary to make the seam straightand plumb.

Side Seam Skewing to the Back

1 Assess the side seam; the dashed lines are onthe side seam in order to make it easier tosee the seam line. Note that the side seam isrelatively straight but rather than beingplumb, it is in the middle of the body at theunderarm but toward the back of the body atthe hem. This indicates that near the hem,there is too much fabric in the front.

2 Release the side seam, lift the back, and letthe front fabric relax. Note that the frontnaturally slips underneath the back. Lettingthe fabric guide you, lay the back on top ofthe front and pin in place.

Overfitting the Side Seam

1 Be careful not to overfit along the side seam.Assessed from the front, it seemedappropriate to pin out the excess fabric overthe hip.

2 From the side, however, you can see thatsmall drag lines are forming going from theside hip to the buttock and from the side hipto the stomach. This is a good example ofhow small the difference between loosenessand tightness can be in a garment. Anotherfactor to consider, of course, is how theclient wants the garment to fit and feel onher body.

SHOULDER LINE AND NECK

The position of the shoulder seam isimportant because it affects the fit, thecomfort, and the visual proportions ofthe garment. But determining where theshoulder line is on the body isn’t alwaysas straightforward as it sounds, becauseour necks connect to our torsos in avariety of ways, as do our heads to ournecks. Therefore, the placement of theshoulder line is a subjective decision toa large degree. Some people like theshoulder seam to be slightly to the backof the garment so that it’s not as visiblewhen the garment is viewed from thefront.

There are a small number of examples inthis section because fitting the neck andshoulder line often takes place in

conjunction with fitting the bodice frontand back.

Shoulder LineDetermining Shoulder Line Placement

1 The black tape is laid across the muslin’s

shoulder line to make the shoulder lineeasier to sight along. Even though the frontbodice has been shortened, the shoulder linefalls toward the back of the client’s neck.

2 Moving the shoulder line forward at the neckbetter proportions the client’s frame.

Shoulder Line Place on a Raglan Garment

1 Fitting the shoulder line of a raglan sleevegarment must be done in conjunction withfitting the raglan seams. In this example, thefront and back raglan seams have beenadjusted to follow the crease of the client’sarm. Note the excess fabric along theshoulder line. Also note that the shoulderseam is too far back.

2 Release the shoulder seam and let the frontshoulder seam slide under the back shoulderseam.

3 Pin the shoulder seam in place. Now that theshoulder line has been established near theneck, it can be fine-tuned over the ball of theshoulder and down the arm. Because theclient has a slightly forward shoulder, it’s

more important to blend this seam nicelydown the top of the arm rather than makingsure that it goes over the middle of the ballof the shoulder.

NecksToo Tight Necklines

1 Here the neckline is so tight that it chokesthe client, and the center fronts cannot be

pinned together.

2 Clipping the neckline allows the fabric toopen enough to pin together the center front.

Visualizing Garment Necklines

At the end of fitting a mock-up, I like tobegin visualizing the garment with somestylistic elements, which often occur atthe front neckline. This muslin was fittedwith the center front pinned up to theneck (see pages 145). However, lettingthe fronts lie open as they would in afinished garment let’s you see a morerealistic and flattering view of thegarment.

Neck and Shoulder Line

1 Note the excess fabric at the back neck.

2 Pin out the excess fabric, following theshape of the client’s body.

3 After adjusting the shoulder seam to get abetter fit, I found it easiest in this fitting todraw in the placement for the new shoulderline rather than manipulating the fabric toreflect both the fitting adjustment and the

shoulder line placement. It’s okay to indicatethe shoulder line in either way.

4 The second mock-up. Fine-tune the base ofthe neck, following the natural curve of theclient’s neck. I find it helpful to lightly runseveral fingers along the client’s neck tohelp me find what feels like the base of the

neck.

SET-IN SLEEVESDeveloping a well-fitting garment withset-in sleeves that looks nice and iscomfortable can be challenging. Notonly must the sleeve fit the arm, but thesleeve must also go into the armholeopening cleanly and smoothly, which isoften where problems arise.Understanding the variables associatedwith the upper portion of the sleeve andwith the armhole opening sheds light onthe complicated relationship between thesleeve and the armhole opening.

The Upper Portion of the SleeveLet’s start by looking at the upper

portion of the sleeve.

On a traditional set-in sleeve, the sleevecap length is a bit longer than thearmhole opening of the bodice, and theexcess fabric is eased in along the upperportion of the sleeve. This ease plays animportant role, because it produces aslight amount of cupping at the top of thesleeve. This cupping causes the top ofthe sleeve to sit slightly away from thearm. This in turn makes the sleeve looknicer, and it also makes the sleeve morecomfortable, because there is morespace for the arm to move within thesleeve. Determining how much ease toinclude in the sleeve cap depends on anumber of factors, such as the amount of

cupping you want in the sleeve cap, thetype of fashion fabric you will be using,and the size of the arm and shoulder.Approximately 3/4" (1.9 cm) of ease is agood starting place.

The circumference of the sleeve at thebicep must accommodate the arm’s girth.For a sleeve to be comfortable, thesleeve needs to be about 2" (5.1 cm)larger than the bicep measurement of thearm. For a thin arm, you might needslightly less than 2" (5.1 cm), and for aheavy arm, you will probably need morethan 2" (5.1 cm).

The three variables of the upper portion of asleeve are the sleeve cap length (line A), thebicep (line B), and the cap height (line C).

When there is not enough cap height, draglines form on either side of the sleeve.

When there is too much cap height, folds offabric form in the middle of the sleeve.

The cap height plays an important role inhow the sleeve looks. If the cap height istoo short, drag lines form; if the capheight is too long, folds of fabric form.

The Armhole OpeningIn fitting the bodices, I show manyexamples of getting the armhole openingto reflect the client’s figure. The armholeshould not be too tight and restrictive,nor should it be too loose and gaping.

Also as seen in the fitting examples, theplacement of the armhole seam at theshoulder visually impacts the client’soverall proportions. While the

traditional placement is at the hinge ofthe shoulder, this is not always the mostflattering on the figure. Having this seamin just the right place can make the hip,the bust, and the shoulder width lookmore proportionate.

Where the armhole seam falls at theunderarm is also important. If thearmhole seam is too low, it actuallyrestricts rotational movement and theability to reach the arms forward.Having a high armhole provides morerotational movement and ability to reach.

Because you do not want the armhole tobe loose and gaping, and because you dowant the armhole to be relatively highunder the arm, the result of

individualized fitting is often a smallerarmhole opening than many commercialpatterns provide. The reason manycommercial patterns have larger armholeopenings is partly because the patterncompany understandably wants toprovide the consumer with a pattern thatgoes together nicely. There certainly aremany good fitting elements incommercial patterns. But when it comesto sleeves and armhole openings, the fitis often quite generalized in order tosimplify otherwise complex pattern-making issues.

My Approach to Sleeves and ArmholeOpeningsRather than fitting the sleeve and the

armhole in conjunction with one anotherand making one dependent on factorsassociated with the other, I initiallyapproach the sleeve and armholeseparately. First, I fit the bodice withouta sleeve, which allows me to get abeautifully fitting armhole. Then I fit thesleeve semi-attached to the armhole,which allows me to get a beautifullyfitting sleeve.

To determine how the two elements gotogether, I compare the sleeve cap lengthto the armhole opening and assess theresults as follows.

1 Draw a line parallel to the grainline at thecenter of the sleeve.

2 Compare the front bodice armhole seam to

the front sleeve cap seam (marked in pink)by walking the two seams, starting at theunderarm and having the sleeve on top of thebodice. When you come to the shoulderseam, mark the sleeve cap. Repeat theprocess for the back bodice and back sleeve.

3 Measure the distance between the two markson the sleeve cap. Walking the sleeve to thebodice in this way tells you not only howmuch total ease there is, but also how muchease there is on the front of the sleeve andon the back of the sleeve.

If there is a reasonable amount of ease,the sleeve needs no adjustment. If thereis too much ease for the garment to besewn well, I must further assess thesituation. For instance, if there is a totalof 1 1/8" (2.9 cm) ease, and I prefer tohave 3/4" (1.9 cm) of ease, I have anexcess of 3/8" (1 cm) of ease. If there isplenty of room in the bicep, I mightreduce the sleeve cap length at eachunderarm seam of the sleeve by 3/16"(0.19 cm). Or, if the underarm of the

bodice was very high, I might lower itby 1/4" (6 mm) and reduce the sleevecap length at each underarm seam by theremaining amount needed (lowering theunderarm of the bodice by 1/4" [6 mm]will not necessarily increase thearmhole opening by 1/4" [6 mm]). If Iam able to make minor alterations to thesleeve or to the armhole withoutsacrificing the fit I want, then I’m happyto make these adjustments.

If, however, the alterations would causeme to adjust either the sleeve or thearmhole in a deleterious way, then Iprefer to use an alternate sleeve design.Developing a two-piece sleeve with aseam down the center of it allows you to

make many changes to the sleeve so thatit will fit into a smaller armhole withoutsacrificing the fit of the sleeve—and infact, this sleeve often lets you get aneven better fit on the arm. Following arestep-by-step instructions for making thistype of two-piece sleeve.

1 First, determine the total amount of ease you

want and divide the amount in half, sinceone-half of the ease will be put on the frontof the sleeve cap and one-half will be put onthe back of the sleeve cap. In this example, Iwant a total of 3/4" (1.9 cm) of ease, so I willmark 3/8" (1 cm) of ease to both the frontand the back of the sleeve.

2 Blend each of these marks to the center line.

I usually make the blend to the center linefairly high up on the sleeve cap, becausewhen you fit a muslin of the new sleeve, it’seasy to pin out any excess fabric and shapethis upper area of the center-of-the-sleeveseam to a pleasing curve.

3 Cut the pattern along the new seam,discarding the excess paper in the middle ofthe upper portion of the sleeve cap. Add thegrainline on the other side of the sleeve.Walk the new seams. True if necessary. Addpaper, and add the seam allowance.

Getting More “Reach”To be comfortable in our garments withsleeves and to be able to go about ourdaily activities, we need good freedomof movement. As mentioned above,keeping the armhole high provides morerotational movement of the arm than witha low armhole. However, the armholeshould not cut into the skin. Trimmingout the excess seam allowance in thelower portion of the armhole once thesleeve has been sewn to the garment can

make a considerable difference in thesleeve’s comfort and the amount ofreach.

You can improve the ability to reachforward by adding to the center backseam through the upper back of thebodice. If there is not a center back seamin the garment already, you can createone. Another way to get more reach is tolet out the back armhole, as shown onpage 110. Both of these adjustmentsinvolve a trade-off, because they willlikely result in a bit of excess fabric atthe back of the garment when the arm isat rest, but you will definitely have morereach.

An overall larger sleeve also allows you

to move your arms more freely. Toenlarge a sleeve, you can cut down themiddle of the sleeve and make either anopen-wedge or an even spread. When Ido this, I often view the extra fabric inthe sleeve cap length as a means tomaking a stylistic statement, usinginteresting tucks, pleats, or gathers tocontrol the extra ease in the sleeve cap.

Increasing the Bicep with a FittingCompromiseIncreasing the bicep also improves yourability to reach, but some patternmanipulations to do this impact thesleeve more than others. To increase thebicep of a sleeve that has only one seamwithout increasing the sleeve cap length,you must spread the sleeve horizontally.

However, this leads to a shortened capheight.

I personally never use this patternadjustment because shortening the sleevecap height creates drag lines across thesleeve. However, you need to decidewhich trade-offs are acceptable to youand which are not.

Increasing the Bicep without Shorteningthe Cap HeightA two-piece sleeve with the seam downthe center is a nice solution for creatingmore reach, because it allows you toeasily increase the bicep circumferencewithout shortening the cap height orsacrificing fit. It also allows you toincrease the circumference of the sleeve

wherever the client needs it the most.The pattern work for this is simple.

Add paper along the seam at the center of thesleeve. Redraw the center seam, arcing it out

beyond the original seam and then blending itback to the original seam. While I have givenjust one example of where to add fullness onthe sleeve, you can increase the girth of thesleeve wherever it would be most beneficial.Repeat for the other side of the sleeve; thenwalk and true the seams.

More Seams Mean More FittingOpportunitiesA three-piece sleeve, which usually hasone center seam as well as one seam oneach side of an underarm panel, is one ofthe best sleeve designs to use whenfitting due to the number of seams wherefitting adjustments can be made. If theidea of multiple seams in a sleeve seemsodd, the reason might simply be becausethe majority of patterns provide a sleevewith only one seam at the underarm. If

more seams means that you can get abetter fit, why not use such a sleeve?

Utilizing a Sleeve That FitsOne of the best things about having asleeve that fits your arm is that you canuse it in other garments that have asimilar armhole shape and fit. Forinstance, if you develop a blouse sleevethat fits and is comfortable, you’ll beable to use it—perhaps with only veryminor adjustments—in most of yourblouses. If you develop a sleeve for ajacket, you’ll be able to use it in most ofyour jackets. Fine-tuning a sleeve maybe a lengthy process, but it has itsadvantages.

Fitting ExamplesEliminating Drag Lines That IndicateInsufficient Cap Height

1 Note the drag lines on either side of thesleeve. On a short sleeve like this, the hemflares away from the arm. Also note that theHBL is not level.

2 As I move the sleeve cap lower down on thearm, the drag lines become less pronounced.

3 With the sleeve HBL level, there are no draglines at all.

Adding Cap Height

1 Another way to begin a sleeve fitting is tobring the HBL to a level position. Here it isclear that the there is insufficient cap heighton the front of the sleeve.

2 The back is a bit better, but there is still a gapindicating insufficient cap height.

3 Measuring with a ruler lets you accuratelygauge how much more cap height to add tothe pattern. To see a pattern with cap heightadded, see page 181.

4 The second mock-up with the center of the

sleeve drawn to match the shoulder seam.This sleeve still looks a bit tight all over.Because of the extra cap height required, atwo-piece sleeve with the seam in the centerof the sleeve will almost certainly benecessary; this seam will be the perfect placeto provide more girth in the sleeve.

The final sleeve pattern with the center of the

sleeve repositioned and the front of the sleevereshaped for a forward shoulder.

Forward Shoulder

1 In order to have equal amounts of ease on thefront and the back of the arm, the center ofthe sleeve is toward the back of the bodiceshoulder seam.

2 Draw the new center line on the sleevemuslin and transfer this to the pattern. This isa typical adjustment for a figure with aforward shoulder. Pin the front and back ofthe sleeve to the bodice armhole, distributingease in the upper sleeve cap as shown onpage 107.

3 In the previous photograph and here, you cansee that there is not quite enough sleeve capheight to accommodate the client’s forward

shoulder. Indicate on the muslin how muchmore is needed in this area and transfer theinformation to the pattern. The final patternfor this sleeve is shown on page 181.

4 The second mock-up viewed from the side.Note that with a forward shoulder, the backof the sleeve cap is often flatter in the back.Do not fit the back of the sleeve cap tooclosely, because it will restrict movementand also visually accentuate the client’sforward shoulder.

Fitting a Long SleeveI often fit a short sleeve and thenlengthen it to make a long sleeve. Whenfitting a long sleeve, in addition togetting the sleeve cap to fit well, youmust also get the sleeve to follow the

natural curvature of the client’s arm.

1 Here, the sleeve follows the client’s armwithout many wrinkles, but the HBL is notlevel.

2 I prefer to fit the sleeve with the HBL at thebicep in a level position. Note that the sleevethen crumples at the front of the arm,because there is no built-in curvature to thesleeve.

3 To build curvature into the sleeve, it must

have at least two seams, so any kind of two-piece or three-piece sleeve works well. Inthis fitting example, I know that I will bedeveloping a two-piece sleeve with a seamdown the center of the sleeve in order tocontrol the amount of ease in the sleeve cap.Therefore, I will make the followingadjustment, knowing that the line drawn atthe center of the sleeve will become a seam.Pin a close-wedge where the fabriccrumples, starting at the underarm sleeveseam going to nothing at the center of thesleeve; the close-wedge is on both the frontand the back of the sleeve. The pattern workis similar to that shown on page 111.

4 The second mock-up of the sleeve with aseam down the center of the sleeve.Continue to fine-tune the sleeve to followthe arm’s curvature and to proportion the

width of the sleeve all the way down the arm.This sleeve needs a bit more cap height tobring the HBL to a level position. I often willmake quite a number of mock-ups in order toget a sleeve to fit perfectly.

Proportioning the Front and Back of theSleeve

1 Sleeves should have about the same amountof room at the bicep on the front of thesleeve as on the back of the sleeve. Here, thesleeve touches the back of the arm and all ofthe room is in the front of the sleeve.

2 Moving the center of the sleeve toward the

back rotates the sleeve, moving some of theroom from the front of the sleeve toward theback of the arm. For this client, in order toget enough room in the sleeve at the back ofthe arm, I also needed to reposition theunderarm seam of the sleeve. To do this onthe muslin, I unpinned the sleeve at theunderarm and moved the underarm seam ofthe sleeve about 5/8" (1.6 cm) toward theback of her arm; then I pinned the sleeve inplace again at the underarm. Because theunderarm seam of the sleeve and the sideseam of the bodice traditionally match, theseam on the sleeve will need to be moved.

3 The second mock-up sleeve viewed from thefront with fine-tuning adjustments along thelower portion of the arm. In order to controlthe amount of ease in the sleeve cap length,this sleeve has a seam down the center.

RAGLAN SLEEVESFitting a raglan sleeve is entirelydifferent from fitting a set-in sleeve,because the raglan sleeve forms part ofthe bodice across the upper portion ofthe garment and across the shoulder. Seefitting the bodice front, back, andshoulder line for more information onfitting these areas of raglan garments.

Fitting the Front and Back Crease anda Long Sleeve

1 Note the strain at the ball of the shoulder.

2 Letting out the back shoulder seam improvesthe fit. Fitting a prominent shoulder ballwithout any small strain lines is difficult witha raglan sleeve. However, these small strainlines are usually less noticeable in thefashion fabric.

3 Note that the front raglan seam does not fallat the crease of the arm.

4 Also note how low the armhole of the muslinis. My scissors indicate where the underarmseam should fall on the client’s body.

5 Here I have clipped and folded under thefront of the raglan sleeve to the crease,showing how much fabric needs to be addedto the front bodice in the armhole area.

6 Extra fabric pinned in. The fold line of theraglan sleeve indicates the new seam line.

7 Similarly, the back raglan seam does not fallat the back crease.

8 Extra fabric pinned in. The fold line of theraglan sleeve indicates the new seam line.

9 To fit the lower portion of the sleeve,release the sleeve seam along the top of thearm and allow the fabric to relax. My handindicates how much fabric on the sleeve backis sliding underneath the sleeve front.

10 Fold under the front of the sleeve so that theplacement of the seam is pleasing.

11 The seam along the outer sleeve seam pinnedin place.

12 Have the client bend her elbow to check thatthere is enough room in the sleeve to becomfortable. Here the client said it feelsslightly tight.

13 Because I liked the way the seam along thetop of the arm looked, I chose to let out theunderarm seam to provide more roomthrough the area of the elbow.

Fitting the Back and Back Crease

1 Note the slight strain across the mid back.

2 To determine where the strain is comingfrom, release the center back seam and theprincess seams that were created for thisclient.

3 Let out the center back seam and pin inplace. Smoothing the fabric of the backprincess seam, a bubble forms where theprincess seam intersects the back raglanseam. This indicates that the problemprobably lies in the back raglan seam.

4 Releasing the back raglan seam lets me seethat the raglan seam does not lie along theback crease of the arm, which has beenindicated with a black dashed line.

5 Let the fabric guide you as you smooth andpin the fabric in place.

WAIST AND HIPSThis section focuses on fitting skirtsthrough the waist and hip. Numerousexamples of fitting the waist and hipareas on bodices are found in thesections on fitting the bust and the back.

Deciding how snugly or loosely to fit thewaist of a skirt is largely dependent onpersonal preference. Some people like a

skirt waist to be tight, while others like1" (2.5 cm) or more of ease. In eithercase, the decision is usually based oncomfort. When fitting the hip, the clientoften bases her preference on how muchshe wants to show her figure.

In my experience, a woman tends to bemore willing to show her figure whenher clothing fits well, because well-fitting clothing makes her body lookproportionate. This is true for bodices aswell as skirts and pants.

Small Waist and Defined Buttocks

1 Back darts on a skirt should point toward thefullest part of the buttock, except in the caseof a high shelf hip, shown in the last exampleof this section. Cupping the buttocks withyour hands can help you identify the fullestpart of the buttock.

2 Pin the darts so that the dart point is slightlyabove the fullest part of the buttock.

3 Avoid overfitting fleshy areas. Running yourhands lightly over the client’s body will oftenhelp you identify fleshy areas your eyes donot at first see. Due to weight fluctuations,which commonly occur and experiencedfitters become accustomed to, the sideseams of this mock-up had to be let out forthe fitting to proceed.

4 Front darts on skirts and pants sometimeslook good; other times they accentuate theroundness of the stomach.

5 This client and I both agreed that the flatfront made her stomach look flatter. Toeliminate the dart in the pattern, simplyremove the dart intake equivalent from theside seam.

Flat Buttock and Wide Hips

1 This client has very flat buttocks.

2 And she has wide hips.

3 Although there is a significant differencebetween the client’s hip and waistmeasurement, it’s important to keep the dartintake relatively small since she also has flatbuttocks. To reduce the amount of fabric at

the waist, take in the side seams and thecenter back seam. This leaves a fairly smalldart intake.

4 Having a traditional dart placement pointingtoward the fullest part of the buttock is okay,though not flattering.

5 Moving the darts toward the side back

contour her high shelf hip. The drag linespointing toward the buttocks indicate thatsplitting the dart intake between her highshelf hip and the buttock would probablyproduce the best results.

6 This client and I both like the way front darts

look on her figure.High or Low Hips

1 Having the HBL in a level position and theelastic at the client’s waist makes it easy tosee that she has a high right hip.

2 Drape in the waist darts as you normallywould and mark the waist carefully. You willneed to develop a full pattern since the rightand left sides are not symmetrical. Thepattern work for this adjustment is shown atthe end of the section. Be careful not tooverfit the side of the body with the low hip,because it is often smaller than the high hipside and fitting too closely can make theclient’s body appear more uneven.

Tilted Waist and Round, High Buttocks

1 A tilted waist usually occurs with aprominent stomach, sometimes with a tiltedpelvic structure also being a contributingfactor. Work with the client to position theelastic, and then make sure that the elastic issnug enough to hold the skirt in place. Cutthe mock-up front above the elastic whereverit is tight, allowing the fabric to relax on thebody. Concentrate on bringing the HBL to alevel position, and check it frequently duringthe fitting.

2 With large and round buttocks, experimentwith dart placement and the number of darts.Three darts often produce a better fit thantwo.

3 Front darts frequently are unattractive

because they accentuate the hollow areabeneath the stomach. Sometimes the frontdart intake can be removed at the side seams,thereby eliminating the front darts.

4 In this example, the back of the skirt kept

creeping upward, as indicated by the slightlyhigh back HBL and the vertical folds offabric beneath the buttock, even though Ipulled the skirt back downward into placeseveral times. When a garment creeps up inthis way, it’s a sure sign that the garment istoo tight somewhere, usually over the largestportion of the body. For this reason, I let outthe side seams to allow more room acrossthe buttocks.

5 The second mock-up. Note the strain overthe fullest part of the buttocks, indicated bythe small drag lines on the back side abovethe buttocks and pointing toward the waist.This indicates that there is not enough roomin the skirt to accommodate the buttocks,even though there is excess fabric at the hipon the side seams.

6 Here you can clearly see the strain and that itis being caused by the tightness of the fabricat the fullest part of the buttock.

7 In order to provide the fabric where it wasneeded, which is over the fullest part of thebuttock, I created princess lines. Theprincess lines provide an attractive stylisticelement (see page 218 for more informationon creating style lines). But more

importantly, they provide a fitting solution,because I was able to shape the princessseams over the buttocks, providing as muchroom as was needed.

8 The third mock-up. With enough room forthe buttocks provided by the back princessseams, I was able to take in the side seams abit more. I was also able to incorporate all ofthe necessary front darting in the princessseams.

Pattern Work ExamplesSee Fundamentals of Altering Patternsfor basic patternmaking techniques (page44).

Complete Skirt Pattern for High and LowHips

1 The waist of the front skirt pattern. Note thaton the grid board, the left side of the skirt (asthe skirt would be worn) is higher than theright side.

2 The waist of both the left and right skirt backpatterns.

Fitting PantsPants can be troublesome to fit becauseof the different variables you need totake into consideration: the rise from thecrotch level to the waist, the shape anddepth of the pelvic structure, and the sizeand the shape of the waist, stomach,buttock, and upper thigh. Bowed legs,knock knees, and other leg variations areadditional fitting issues.

There are also many styles of pants,which can be broken down into threegeneral categories based on the width ofthe pants leg at the upper thigh inconjunction with where the pants crotchis in relation to the body. For trousers

(A), the pants rise is long enough so thatthe crotch of the pants does not touch thebody, and the leg is wide enough so thatit hangs off the buttock. For slacks (B),the crotch of the pants barely touches thebody and the leg is narrow enough sothat there is just a little cupping underthe buttock. For jeans (C), the crotch ofthe pants is quite close to the body andthere is a great deal of cupping under thebuttock.

(A) Trouser silhouette.

(B) Slacks silhouette.

(C) Jeans silhouette.

For the fitting examples here, I use aslacks silhouette, which is not asstylized as either a jean or a trouser andwhich nicely illustrates many typicalpants fitting issues. Learning torecognize these issues and how tocorrect them will help you to develop amethod for fitting all types and styles ofpants.

UNDERSTANDING BODY MASSAND PANTS VOLUMEThe most difficult area of pants to fit isthe lower torso. Learning how the bodymass sits within the space created by thepants makes the fitting process and the

resulting pattern work easier, especiallysince some fitting corrections for pantsseem counterintuitive.

When fitting pants, think of the body as abox. You have three dimensions to dealwith: (1) the height, which is thedistance from the waist to the bottom ofthe torso; (2) the width, which is thedistance from one side of the body to theother; and (3) the depth, which is thedistance from the front to the back of thebody. This last dimension, the body’sdepth, is further complicated becauseyou must consider the particular shape ofthe pelvic bone structure as well as theflesh of the stomach and the buttocks.

When fitting pants, you must get theshape of the pattern’s crotch curve toreflect the shape of the body’s crotch—the pelvic structure plus stomach andbuttocks. Many pants patterns have arelatively flat crotch curve (A).

(A) A typical pants pattern with a flat crotchcurve.

However, if we could slice our bodiesin half and view them from the side, wewould see that our buttocks are lowerthan the front of the pelvis. To see thisfor yourself, stand with your side to amirror and place one hand cupping thefront of the body and the other handcupping the buttocks (B).

(B) The purple line shows the body’s buttockshape and position relative to the flat crotchshape of many pants patterns. In a fitting, this isindicated by the pants fabric cutting into thebuttocks, as is shown on page 204.

Another indicator that the back crotchcurve needs to be lowered is when thereis too much inseam length on the pants

relative to the body (C).

(C) When the crotch curve of the pattern is toohigh in the back, there is often excessive lengthat the intersection of the inseam and the crotchseam.

The crotch curve of the pants also needsto reflect the shape of the lower frontpelvis (D).

(D) For a sloped lower front pelvis, change thecrotch curve of the pattern to reflect the body’sshape.

In conjunction with getting the angle ofthe crotch curve correct, pants must alsoprovide enough depth—the amount of

space the body needs from the front ofthe lower torso to the back of thebuttocks. To accommodate fleshybuttocks, the fitting and pattern solutionis to “scoop” the crotch, which providesmore space for the buttock to sit within.Because scooping the crotch reduces thewidth of the pants back, you’ll need toadjust the outseam in order not to reducethe total width of the pants (E, F).

(E) Scooping the back crotch curve providesmore space for the buttock to sit within thepants. However, in order not to make the pantstoo small in total circumference, add theamount of the scoop to the back outseamdirectly across from the scoop, and blend up tothe waist and down to toward the knee. The long

blend toward the knee prevents a bubble or“jodhpur” effect from developing at the sideseam.

(F) This is what the addition to the outseamlooks like when viewing the pants from theside. This visual perspective also emphasizesthat if the buttocks are larger, extra room isneeded on the pants back.

Scooping the back crotch on the patternis also effective for fitting a body thathas a deep pelvic structure front to back.Pants usually are more flattering if thefront crotch curve is a good deal shorterthan the back crotch curve, which islogical since there is more depth in thebuttocks than the front pelvic structure.

FINE- TUNING THE FITGetting pants to fit can be challenging. Ittypically takes me four to ten mock-upsto develop and then fine-tune a pair ofpants. Part of what makes the processdifficult is achieving the right balancebetween how the pants look on the bodyand how the pants feel on the body.While you don’t want to settle for amessy and unflattering fit, you also wantto be comfortable when wearing thepants. And there are often trade-offsinvolved.

One set of trade-offs between looks andcomfort is due to the change in ourbodies between standing and sitting.When you sit, the back of the body from

the waist to the knee is much longer thanwhen you are standing, and the front ofthe body from the waist to the knee ismuch shorter.

To accommodate this change of length inthe back, the fit in the upper thigh, underthe buttock, and through the crotch mustbe a bit loose. If you want these areas tofit quite snugly, the trade-off is thatunder the buttocks you will have somehorizontal wrinkles of fabric, whichprovides the extra fabric needed so youcan sit down. To see this for yourself,take a pair of jeans with these fabricfolds under the buttocks; then firmlygrasp these fabric folds under onebuttock with one hand and try to sit

down.

The front of the body becomes shorterwhen you sit, resulting in one or morehorizontal folds of fabric below thestomach. A very large horizontal foldtells me that I probably still have toomuch front crotch length. But I know thatthere needs to be some amount of excessfabric. To see this for yourself, firmlygrasp the fold or folds in one hand whilesitting and try to stand up.

You certainly can fit a pair of trim-looking pants where the front is perfectlysmooth and there isn’t a hint of extrafabric under the buttocks. But the resultis what I call “cocktail party” pants—they look perfect when you’re standing,

but you won’t be able to sit down.

Experiment with Small Changes whenFine-Tuning the FitWhen you’re fine-tuning the fit of pants,experiment to find out how to get theresults you want. Fine-tuning the crotcharea is a good example. Sometimesletting out the back inseam at the crotchjust 1/4" (6 mm) improves the fit andmakes the pants more comfortable whensitting. But you might get even betterresults by letting out the back inseam andtaking in the front inseam the sameamount. Or you might try scooping theback crotch another 1/4" (6 mm) andthen experiment with small changes atthe inseams. The only way to tell is to

make the changes and assess the fit witheach change.

When making these types of changes, it’snot necessary to make a new mock-upeach time. Rather, make a change, try thepants on, and make a few notes aboutwhat the change accomplished. Then trya different alteration, again taking notesso you can track what the result was foreach fitting change. If one set of changesdefinitely does not improve the fit, thenrule that out and concentrate on the otherpossibilities.

When you think you’ve gotten the fitright, make a pair of pants and wear thegarment. I think of this version as mywearable mock-up. Actually wearing the

pants and going through your normalactivities will tell you much more aboutthe fit and comfort of the garment thanstanding in front of the mirror. There areoften one or two small adjustments thatwill make the pants even better. To me,working on wearable mock-ups isessential to get the pants absolutelyperfect.

Waistbands versus Waist FacingsAs is the case for skirts, you can puteither a waistband or a waist facing onpants. Which to use is largely personalpreference. Occasionally you need totake fitting considerations into accountwhen making the decision. For instance,some women with a large difference

between their hip and waistmeasurements find that a waistbandworks best because it anchors the pantsto the torso more securely. In this case,the width of the waistband is largely astylistic consideration, although manywomen find a narrow waistband that is1/2" to 5/8" (1.3 to 1.6 cm) wide to bemore comfortable than the standardwaistbands that are 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" (3.2to 1.3) wide.

Helpful Fitting AidsThe horizontal balance line, whichshould be drawn on the pattern and themuslin at hip level, helps you fit thecrotch length. Use the HBL to determinewhere on the body to lengthen or shorten

the crotch seam. Not only should thecrotch seam provide adequate overalllength for the lower torso, it should alsobe proportionate to the lower torso.

The “break point” on pants is where thecenter front and center back crotchseams turn and curve to go underneaththe body. It is important to establish abreak point when fitting the crotch seamin order to get the rise proportionate tothe client’s lower torso.

The “crease line” is the middle of thepant leg. See page 209 for instructionson how to establish the crease line onthe pattern. The crease line is parallel tothe grainline and can be used for thegrainline as well. Transfer the crease

line to at least one leg of the fittingmuslin. The crease line should hang asstraight as possible. A curved creaseline indicates that there is a fittingproblem that needs to be solved. This isshown in the fitting examples.

THE PROCESS OF FITTINGPANTSOne of the biggest challenges of fittingpants is to get the crotch curve andlower torso of the pants to reflect theclient’s body. Because this is a sensitivearea of the body, clients often feel moreprotected if they wear two pairs ofunderpants or underpants and tightsduring the fitting process. In myexperience, the level of trust between the

fitter and the client is the biggest factorin how smoothly and productive a pantsfitting proceeds. A fitter can developtrust with her client in many ways, butespecially by telling the client what shewould like to check on the pants andwhy. Some clients will feel morecomfortable slipping the pants off so thatyou can make a change, and then putthem back on for further fitting. Otherclients will feel comfortable having youdo more adjustments while the pants areon the body.

Total Crotch Length and RelativeCrotch Length

One of primary concerns when fittingpants is getting the crotch lengthcorrect. Rather than concentrating onthe total crotch length, think about thecrotch length in relative terms usingthe HBL as the starting point. With theHBL level, there must be adequatefabric from the HBL up to the frontwaist and from the HBL up to the backwaist. There must also be adequatefabric from the HBL down and aroundthe crotch and back to the HBL on theother side of the body.

Fitting Pants

1 Tie elastic around the waist, as is done whenfitting a skirt. Check the length of the pants.While you might like to wear your pants withthe fabric breaking over the foot or shoe, thisdistorts the fit of the pants leg. Note thatthere is a bubble of fabric at the front crotch.

2 Pin the hem so that the pants hang freelyabove the foot and shoe. Note that the pantsare a bit tight through the front upper thigh,as seen by the drag lines going from the frontthigh to the side seam. The HBL looks fairlylevel from the side.

3 From the back, the HBL dips sharply at thecenter back, indicating that there is notenough crotch length to accommodate thedepth of the pelvic structure plus thebuttocks. There seems to be enough totalcrotch length because the fabric does not dipat either the center front or the center backwaist. And in fact, the bubble at the crotchfront indicates too much length there. Butthe crotch length is not in the correct place.Also note that there are drag lines throughthe upper back thigh.

4 Before addressing other issues, bring the

HBL to a level position. To do this, releasethe stitching along the crotch seam for about2" (5.1 cm) on either side of the inseam.Also release the inseam on both legs downabout 7" to 8" (17.8 to 20.3 cm). Having thecrotch area of the pants released allows youto take a wedge above the HBL, which startsto bring the HBL to level. In a first mock-up,I’m concerned about getting the relativecrotch length more or less in proportion tothe client’s body mass. In subsequent mock-ups, I can fine-tune this. Also note that thereare drag lines through the upper back thigh,and how tight the pants are below the HBL atthe full buttock.

5 Release the side seams to address thetightness identified in the previous step. Thespread of the fabric indicates how much toadd at the side seam. Some of the addition

will be on the back outseam to accommodatethe full buttock and full high upper thigh, butsome will also be on the front outseam toaccommodate the full forward thigh.

6 Pin both side seams, adjusting the amount letout on both the front and back to keep theside seam as straight as possible.

7 To eliminate the drag lines through the thigharea, scoop the crotch by pinning out theexcess fabric. Scooping the crotch alsomakes the crease line of the pants in themiddle of the leg start to hang straight. Infact, paying attention to the crease line andgetting it to hang straight is an effectiveguide for how much to scoop the crotch.

8 Pin the back darts to begin to get an idea ofthe fit at the waist.

9 Similarly, pin the front darts. Pinning thedarts in this first mock-up isn’t necessary,but I like to get an idea of how the pant isfitting at the waist. Assess how much theinseams have spread apart in order tocomplete the necessary pattern work beforetaking the first mock-up off the client. Havethe client stand with her legs spread a smallamount. (If she spreads her legs a lot, herstance will cause the inseams to spread toomuch.)Put your hands around the client’supper thigh so that your middle fingers aretouching. You will be able to feel where thefront inseam is on one hand, and where theback inseam is on the other hand. Slip yourthumbs between your hands and the pantsfabric. On each hand, press your thumb

against your fingers where the inseamtouches the hand. Bring your hands awayfrom the client’s body while continuing topress your thumbs against the hand. Thedistance between the end of the middlefinger and your thumb is the amount thatmust be added to the respective inseam. Inthis example, I would add the amountindicated on my left hand to the frontinseam, and the amount indicated on my righthand to the back inseam.

10 The second mock-up. How roomy you wantthe pants crotch to be is personal preference.Here the fit in the front crotch is loose, andsome people prefer a tighter fit.

11 To make the front crotch fit more snugly sothat the crotch seam follows the body’s

contour, have the client put the pants on withthe pants turned inside out. With the crotchseam allowance pointing away from thebody, it’s easy to pin the pants following thebody’s contours. For comparison purposes,the original stitching line is colored blackand the pins represent the new crotch seamline. While this is similar to scooping theback crotch curve, the amount taken off thecrotch curve will not be added to the frontside seam, so the front circumference of thepant is reduced—causing the pants to fitmore snugly. This adjustment alters the fit ofthe front crotch without substantiallychanging the length of the front crotch. Youcould also take in the front inseam of thepants, but this would change the total crotchlength to a greater extent.

12 The third mock-up. It’s easy to see that the

front crotch is fitting more snugly. As aresult, there are slight drag lines emanatingfrom where the front crotch was taken in tothe stomach and to the front thighs, which isthe trade-off for snug fit through the front.Note that the HBL is dipping slightly at thecenter front.

13 Taking a wedge between the waist and theHBL raises the HBL to level. To my eye, thisalso improves the look of this snugly fitpants front.

14 The fourth mock-up front. The slight draglines between the center front seam and thefront thigh is a result of the crotch seambeing fit more snugly. To accommodate theclient’s muscular forward thigh withoutsacrificing the snug fit in the front crotch,

the pant could be let out along the frontoutseam.

15 The tightness in the upper leg when the clientsits also indicates that letting out theoutseam would provide a more comfortablefit.

16 Viewed from the side, the fit is comingalong nicely. The HBL is level, and the sideseam is hanging straight. Note the slightcrumpling along the back under the buttock.

17 Now that the front crotch is fitting better,revisit the back and the back crotch.Distribute the excess pinned out at the centerback among the darts. Because the client has

a round buttock, a larger dart intake isappropriate. To get the fabric to hang straightoff the back buttock, scoop the back crotchcurve and add to the back side seam, asdescribed on page 211. Also, make anotherwedge above the HBL to bring the HBL tolevel and add to the back inseam.

BODY TYPE EXAMPLES

Insufficient RiseThe rise is the vertical distance from thecrotch level to the waist. As is the casewith skirts, with pants you’ll be able towork efficiently and get the best fit if thegarment is anchored at the waist. Afterthe fit is complete, lowering thewaistline placement is a stylisticdecision.

1 The rise is too short.

2 Slash the pants on the HBL and add fabric.It’s best to measure and draw a consistentamount on the fabric so that the addition isprecise.

Fitting Flat Buttocks

1 A good example of flat buttocks.

2 Note the amount of excess fabric at thewaist, due to the small waist and wide hips.

3 Keep the amount of intake on the back dartsrelatively small when fitting flat buttocks,since larger darts create a larger amount ofspace in the seat of the pants. To reduce theamount of fabric at the waist so that the dartintake is small, pin out along the center backseam and the side seams. Here, the typicaladjustments for raising the HBL andscooping the crotch have also been made.

4 The second mock-up. Experiment with the

dart placement and length. Even though thelong dart on the left points toward theclient’s buttock, the result is unflattering.The two small darts on the right fit thisclient’s high shelf hip nicely. Furtherreducing the amount of fabric at the centerback and side seams makes the dart intakesmaller, producing a better fit for the flatbuttocks. Note the drag lines in the upperthigh. These “smile” lines indicate that thecrotch needs more scooping.

5 Further fine-tune the HBL level by makinganother wedge. Scooping the back crotch abit more eliminates the drag lines identifiedin step 4 and also makes the crease line hangnicely. Note that the back crotch is nowcutting into the buttocks, indicating the needfor more back crotch length. Provide thisadditional crotch length by adding to the back

inseam.

6 The third mock-up. The back crotch is still

cutting into the buttocks a bit. The smallfolds of fabric under the buttock suggest thatthe back crotch curve needs to be lowered.This is a similar situation as sometimesoccurs when fitting the back armhole of abodice and the arm pushes down on thegarment creating folds of fabric (see page87). The correction for both situations issimilar, but it’s easier to see what needs tobe done on a sleeve because you can slashthe excess fabric to the crease. For pants, ithelps to have the client put the pants oninside out.

7 The pants turned inside out. The originalseam at the back crotch curve is drawn inblack.

8 Here you can see that the original break

point of the crotch curve is too high for thebody. The dashed black line indicates wherethe buttocks end and the break point needs tobe.

9 To see how this correction looks, sew thenew crotch curve (the dashed black line), clipthe curve, and have the client slip the pantsback on. The back crotch curve is fittingbetter. The small drag line on the right sideindicates that a little more fine-tuning is inorder. I’d try different combinations ofscooping and lowering the back crotch curve,and perhaps letting out the back inseam avery small amount. Having the client wearthe pant at this point would also give youhelpful feedback.

Fitting Deep Buttocks

1 Buttocks come in all shapes and sizes. If thebuttock is deep but not wide, the fittingchallenge is to provide enough depth to thepants without getting too much width. Here,the protrusion of the buttock is causing theHBL to dip in the back. Note the drag linesunder the buttock in the thigh area, indicatingthe need to scoop the back crotch curve. Theback crotch is also pulling into the buttocks,indicating the need for more crotch length.

2 Scooping the back crotch almost eliminatesthe drag lines under the buttocks at the upperthigh. It also allows the HBL to moveupward. To alleviate the center back seamfrom cutting into the buttocks, let out theback inseam at the crotch. This will allow thecrotch of the pants to move farther out onthe body, which will also let the HBL rise a

bit. Note that the center back waist isdipping.

3 When the client sits, the back waist dropssignificantly, which also indicates the needfor more back crotch length. Pants often dipa bit in the back when you sit. However, I tryto keep this amount to no more than 3/4"(1.9 cm), and less if possible.

4 The second mock-up back. The back crotchbelow the HBL needs just a little fine-tuning.As usual, some experimenting is in order.Scooping the crotch to lower the curve willgive the buttocks a bit more space to sitwithin. The pants also look tight just belowthe HBL at the center back. Due to the angleof the center back seam, this seam canactually be let out, which will provide morespace for the deeper buttock. I would avoidletting out the side seams any more ifpossible, since the side of the pant already isa bit loose.

Fitting Very Full Buttocks and TiltedWaistFigures with very full buttocks oftenhave a tilted waist as well, so I describefitting these two figure variationstogether. The elastic tied at the waist is

always an important fitting tool, becausethe elastic will naturally seek thesmallest part of the torso. This thenprovides you with a visual aid as wellas a marking guide.

1 For a tilted waist, the back rise will besignificantly longer than the front rise. Ifthere is strain at the upper edge of the frontwaist, clipping along the upper edge willallow the fabric to spread and enable you toaccurately establish the front waist. Withvery full buttocks, you must accommodateboth the depth of the buttock and the heightof the buttock. Note that there is strainacross the hip and that there is insufficientback rise.

2 Release the side seams to allow the fabricacross the hip to relax. Note that the pantlength has been pinned up to allow the pant tohang without breaking on the foot or shoe.

3 Because more room is needed in the back ofthe pants to accommodate the full buttock,it’s likely you’ll need to let out the backoutseam more than the front outseam. Whenpinning this seam, the outseam should be asstraight and plumb as possible.

4 Viewed from the back, the HBL is dipping atthe center back, indicating the need for morecrotch length below the HBL.

5 Release the stitching at the crotch and

inseam, as described in the pants fittingprocess above. This allows the HBL to riseto an almost level position and the back waistof the pants to come close to the client’swaist. Pin the darts. For very full buttocks,the total dart intake will be quite large. Splitthe intake between as many darts as neededin order to get a flattering fit. Pay attentionto where the buttock is full. For this client,the longer darts point toward andaccommodate the fullest part of the buttock,and the short darts accommodate theroundness of the side hip. For very fullbuttocks, it’s not uncommon to have threedarts on each side of the back pants. Notealso the drag lines at the center back and thatthe crease line is quite crooked.

6 Take in the center back seam; this scoops thecrotch, which gives the client more room

front-to-back and also brings the crease linecloser to being straight. Assess the amountto add to the front and back inseams, asdescribed above in the process of fittingpants, and make a new mock-up.

7 In the second mock-up, assess the fit of thefront now that the waist is in a betterposition. Note that there is a lot of excessfabric across the front at the waist, whichwould require a large amount of dart intake.Also note that the front crease line is prettystraight.

8 To eliminate some of the excess fabric at thefront waist, take in the side seams and thecenter front. This will mean that the centerfront waist is angled, which in this caseimproves the fit. However, on a figure with a

round stomach, overfitting the center frontseam can make the stomach appear larger.

9 The third mock-up viewed from the side.With minor adjustments, the waist fitsnicely, reflecting the client’s tilted waist.The amount of cupping under the buttocks isthe client’s preference.

10 The third mock-up viewed from the back.

The drag lines under the buttock indicate theneed for more scooping in the back crotchcurve. Because the back of the pants is snugnow, I’d also make the customary addition tothe back outseam. The strain at the base ofthe buttocks indicates that the back crotchneeds to be lengthened. Fine-tuning the fitwill involve experimenting withcombinations of letting out the back inseam,scooping the back crotch curve, and addingto the back outseam. Lengthening the backcrotch will help the HBL to level out a bitmore, although it’s common for the backHBL to dip slightly when the pants cup likethis under the buttocks.

Fitting a Rounded Stomach

1 For a rounded stomach, be careful not tooverfit the area below the stomach andthrough the crotch too snugly. Doing so willaccentuate the roundness of the stomach inslacks-style pants. Getting the front crotch

length correct will improve the overall lookof the pants. The excess fabric at the front ofthe crotch indicates that the front crotch isjust a little too long.

2 From the side, you can see that the fabric“floats” over the hollow space to either sideof the stomach that is created by thestomach’s protrusion. Unless I am fitting

jeans, I prefer not to overfit this area of thebody.

3 The second mock-up front. The fit is lookingpretty good. If you have a dip on the side ofthe body above the thigh, do not overfit thisarea. On the client’s right, the excess fabric

has been pinned out, which actuallyaccentuates the dip. The fabric needs to floatover this dip, as shown on the client’s left.

TYPICAL PANTS PATTERNALTERATIONSSee Fundamentals of Altering Patternsfor basic patternmaking techniques (page44).

Adding the Crease Line on a Pant Leg

1 Measure the width of the pant leg at the hembetween the two seam lines and mark themid-point.

2 Align the pant pattern so that the grainlinefollows the grid, and draw a vertical line upthe pant leg. The crease line can also be usedas a grainline.

Altering the WaistlineAlterations to the waistline are made tothe pattern in a normal manner: transfertick marks from the waistline as markedon the muslin, blend the new seam line,add seam allowances, and cut on the

new cut line.

If the client has a tilted waistline, you’llneed to lower the front waist. Here are frontand back patterns typical for a tilted waist.

Often it is necessary to raise the back waist asyou see here, especially if there is not enoughfabric at the back waist when the client sits.

Lowering the Crotch Curve

1 If the client’s pelvic structure is lower thanthe pant pattern allows for, you’ll need tolower the crotch curve.

2 The finished pattern. Note that lowering thecrotch curve is different from scooping,which is shown in step 3 of the next section.The difference, however, is subtle: loweringthe crotch curve provides more room in thelength of the crotch; scooping provides moreroom in the front-to-back depth of thecrotch.

A Typical Wedge-and-ScoopAlterationBecause most pant patterns do notprovide enough scooping in the backcrotch to accommodate a woman’s

pelvic structure, it is common to see theHBL dip in the center back as the backof the pants moves downward toaccommodate the need for more space inthe buttock area. Here are the typicalpattern adjustments to correct this.

1 Draw in adjustment lines for the close-wedge, which brought the HBL to a levelposition. In this example, the wedge raisesthe center back by 3/4" (1.9 cm) and goes tonothing at the outseam.

2 Add the same amount that was removed bythe close-wedge to the back inseam, so asnot to reduce the overall length of the crotchcurve. Add even more to the back inseamthan the wedge amount if, during the fitting,

the released inseams spread more than thewedge amount.

3 Scoop the crotch by blending a new seamline. In order not to reduce the width of thepant back across the buttocks, add theamount of the scoop to the back outseam,making a long blend up to the waist and downtoward the knee.

4 The finished pattern.

GOING TO THENEXT LEVEL

Only a few more steps are necessarybefore you are ready to sew a garmentfrom your altered pattern. So far youhave only worked on the major pattern

pieces, so now you need to adjust thesmaller pieces like waistbands andfacings. Once you have completed thealterations to all the pieces, your patterncan be used to create new garments fromdifferent fabrics and with different styledetails, confident that the fit will beperfect every time.

Correcting PatternElements Affected byFitting ChangesWhen fitting a mock-up, we concentrateon fitting the core components of thegarment, such as a skirt front and skirtback. In addition to these core patternpieces, there are usually auxiliarypattern pieces. On a skirt, for example,there is probably a waistband or waistfacing and perhaps a lining pattern. On abodice with long sleeves, there might beneck and front facings, a collar, and acuff. During the course of fitting the coregarment, changes that improve the fitoften affect these auxiliary garmentcomponents, in which case these pattern

pieces also need to be altered.

WAISTBANDS

Straight WaistbandsFor a garment with a straight waistband,if you alter the waist in any way, you’llalso need to alter the waistband. First,decide if you want any ease in thegarment relative to the waistband. Asmall amount of ease, perhaps 3/8" to1/2" (1 to 1.3 cm) total across the front,gives the skirt or pants a very slightroundness over the stomach, which somewomen prefer over having the skirtwaist seam and waistband the samelength. This is a personal decision.

Alter the existing waistband pattern byfirst walking it to the garment back andfront, lengthening or shortening thewaistband as necessary. If you prefer todraft the waistband, the length of thewaistband will be the length of the waiston the pattern, less any amount of easeyou want to incorporate into the garment.Alternatively, you can first develop awaistband that is comfortable and thenwalk it to the garment’s core patternpieces, making any adjustments to themas necessary. In either case, it’s a goodidea to have a waistband on the finalfitting muslin, or at the point in thegarment development when you want tobegin finalizing the waist.

Shaped WaistbandsGarments with shaped or contourwaistbands should be fit with thewaistband attached to the fitting muslin,since it is an integral part of the garment.Be sure to walk and true the seam,joining the shaped waistband to the restof the garment.

FACINGSNeck, front, and waist facings oftenrequire adjustments, since the perimeterof a garment is frequently altered duringthe fitting process.

Altering a Facing PatternIf there are minor changes, simply makethe same change to the facing as was

made on the garment. For example, if aback neck dart was used to improve thefit of the garment, the resulting change inthe neck facing would be as follows:

Lay the back neck facing on top of the backpattern and draw the dart onto the facingpattern. Rather than having a dart in the facing,make a close-wedge adjustment: cut along oneof the dart legs, align the dart legs, and tape inplace. Here are the pattern and the correctedneck facing.

Drafting a New Facing PatternIf extensive pattern changes have beenmade to the core pattern piece, it’s ofteneasiest to draft a new facing pattern.

To make a facing pattern, first lay paperover the altered core pattern piecewhere the facing occurs. Trace the outerperimeter of the core pattern and cutaway the excess paper.

Then decide how deep you want thefacing to be. Use the same measurementas the original facing, or change thefacing depth if you feel it will enhanceyour garment to have a narrower ordeeper facing. Measure and mark thenew facing depth, blend with a fashionruler, and cut along this cut line. Page216 below includes a step-by-stepdescription of how to develop a facingpattern in conjunction with developing alining pattern.

Most of the time, facings are developeddirectly from the pattern as describedhere. If the fashion fabric is quite bulkyand thick, it’s best to make the facingslightly smaller than the garment itself.

This allows for the turn of the cloth,since the inner layer of fabric will needto be slightly smaller than the outer layerof fabric. How much smaller to make thefacing in comparison to the garmentdepends on the style of the garment, thethickness of the garment fashion fabric,and the thickness of the facing fabric.Cutting off 1/16" to 1/8" (1.6 to 3 mm)from the outer edges of the facing is agood starting place.

COLLARSOn garments with collars, if you alter theneckline of the pattern, you also need toalter the collar pattern. If the neckline isaltered substantially, be sure to make amock-up of the collar because it may

need more extensive adjustments tomaintain the intended degree of collarroll.

The object of the collar alteration is toadjust the length of the neck seam on thecollar pattern so that it is the same lengthas the neck seam of the garment pattern.It’s important to alter the neck seam onthe collar in the same place that the neckseam of the garment was changed. Forinstance, if the center back seam of thegarment was altered, adjust the neckseam of the collar at the center back. Ifthe neck seam of the garment changedalong the shoulder line, then make thechange on the neck seam of the collarwhere it intersects with the shoulder

seam.

To pick up the exact location of aneckline alteration onto the collar, walkthe neck seam of the collar pattern alongthe neck seam of the garment. Startwalking the patterns on the portion of thegarment where no changes haveoccurred. For instance, if only the centerback of the garment was adjusted, startwalking the patterns at center front,making the change at center back. If thefront neckline of the garment waslowered, and there was also a changealong the shoulder line, start walking thepatterns at the center back, making onechange at the shoulder point and anotherchange at the center front.

The following two examples provide thetheory behind this type of patternadjustment, which should help youunderstand how to make many differentcollar alterations.

Shortened Neckline

1 In this example, the back neckline of thegarment was shortened while creating a neckdart. Walk the patterns with the collar on top,and mark the collar pattern at the first dartleg on the garment neckline. Continuewalking the patterns, and mark the collarpattern at the second dart leg on the garment.Continue to walk the pattern to the centerback if you wish to check the accuracy of thepattern.

2 On the collar pattern, use a straightedge rulerand draw a line from the first dart leg mark tothe seam line at the opposite side of thecollar. Then draw a line from the second dartleg to the same point on the opposite seamline, and make a close-wedge between thesetwo lines.

Lengthened NecklineIn this example, the front neckline of thegarment was lowered, lengthening theneck seam. Walk the neckline seam ofthe collar pattern to the front necklineseam, starting at the neck match point.Pin the collar in place when you come tothe end of the collar.

Note that this alteration is a startingpoint for correcting the collar. You willneed to make a mock-up of the adjustedcollar in order to fine-tune its shaping.

1 Measure the distance between the twodiffering center front points. This is theamount that the collar needs to belengthened, which will be done with a

number of open-wedge adjustments.

2 Draw several lines on the collar between theneck edge and the outer seam of the collar.Each of these lines indicates the location ofan open-wedge adjustment. You will getbetter results with several smaller wedgesthan one larger one. Since most of thelowering of the neckline took place near thecenter front of the garment, the placementfor the wedge adjustments has been madetoward the front edge of the collar. Cut andspread the collar over additional paper. Tospread the wedges, it is helpful to stick pinsthrough each wedge segment into the gridboard below, holding them in place untilenough length has been added to the collarand then taping them to the added paper.Lastly, blend the new seam line and cut line,and trim away the excess paper.

LININGSAlways make the same adjustments tolining patterns as you make to garmentpatterns. If there are extensive patternalterations to the garment, it is ofteneasiest to develop a new lining pattern.Most basic linings are the same as thegarment, with just two adjustments: thelining is shorter, taking intoconsideration the hem allowance for thegarment; and the lining omits the area ofthe garment facing. For most garments,there is no need to make a sizeadjustment to the lining pattern for theturn of the cloth, but if you are workingwith thick and bulky fabric, then followthe same principles as for facings.

In the following example, I make a liningpattern for a skirt back as well as thefacing pattern. This illustrates the theoryof how many linings are developed, sothat you can apply this theory to othersituations.

1 On the skirt garment pattern, draw thelining/facing seam line where the facing andlining will connect.

2 To develop the facing pattern, lay paper overthe upper portion of the skirt and pin inplace. Draw and cut along the outerperimeter of the skirt at the waist, backseam, and side seam. Draw the lining/facingseam and the waist dart, tracing them fromthe skirt pattern. Draw the grainline arrow,

taking it from the skirt.

3 Unpin the facing pattern. Cut and close thewaist dart, add the seam allowance to thelining/facing seam, and cut away the excesspaper. Here is the finished facing pattern.

4 To develop the lining pattern, fold thegarment pattern along its hemline and pin inplace. Decide how much distance you wantbetween the lining hem and the garment hem.In this example, I will make the lining hem5/8" (1.6 cm) shorter than the garment.Measure 5/8" (1.6 cm) up from the garmenthem and draw a line indicating the finishedlining hem (indicated in blue).

5 Lay paper over the lower portion of the skirt

and pin in place. Draw and cut along the skirtside and back. Decide how much hemallowance you want on the lining. Measuredown from the lining hemline this amountand draw the cut line. Cut away the excesspaper. Here I have folded the lining backalong its hemline so that the garment patternand lining pattern are stacked.

6 To finish the lining pattern, draw thelining/facing seam, the dart, and the grainlinearrow, tracing them from the skirt pattern.

7 Unpin the lining pattern. Add the seamallowance to the lining/facing seam, true thedart legs, and cut away the excess paper.Here are the finished facing and liningpatterns.

Get CreativeFor many sewers, developing andimproving their fitting and pattern-making skills naturally sparks theircreativity. This is because they are nolonger limited to just what the patterncompanies have to offer. Rather,commercial patterns become awonderful jumping-off point—a place toget started that lets you implement yourown ideas and cultivate your own senseof style and design.

USING STYLE LINES TO CREATEPLEASING PROPORTIONSOne aspect of fitting is to create pleasing

proportions on the client’s body bymeans of how the garment is fit andthrough the use of style lines. This istouched on repeatedly throughout thefitting photos. Here are a few moreexamples.

Skirt Proportions

1 This straight skirt accentuates the client’srectangular figure.

2 Pegging the skirt so that it is narrower at thehem helps to visually elongate the figure andgive her some shape, although pegging it toomuch will accentuate her hips.

3 Developing princess seams for the skirt alsoproportions the body, breaking the expanseof fabric at the hip. However, the position ofthe princess lines impacts the overall effecta great deal. Here, the princess seams are toofar apart, making the body look wide.

4 If the princess seams are too close together,the hips appear to be larger.

5 To my eye, this placement of the princessseams is flattering.

6 The same is true on the skirt back. Withoutany princess seams, the figure looks quiteboxy and the buttocks are visually prominent.

7 If the princess seams are too far apart, thebuttocks appear to be larger.

8 If the princess seams are too close together,the hips appear to be larger.

9 To my eye, this placement of the princessseams proportions the client’s back nicely.

DART EQUIVALENTSSewing a dart to its endpoint is just one

way to resolve a dart intake. Tucks andgathers can all be implemented as dartequivalents rather than sewing a dart. Aslong as this kind of dart equivalent hasthe same intake, the pattern pieces willstill walk and be true. We areaccustomed to seeing darts in certainplaces on a garment, but using tucks orgathers can add a splash of creativity.

COLLAR VARIATIONSChanging the shape of the outer edge of acollar is easy to do and allows you toimpart to a garment your own sense ofstyle.

Mandarin CollarsA mandarin collar can be as subdued or

dramatic as you want. Rather thanmaking a mandarin collar the sameheight all the way around, considermaking it higher in the back, slopinggently to the front. It can overlap at thecenter front, meet at the center front, orend before the center front to create aninteresting space at the neckline. Theends can be rounded, or squared, ortreated in any way your imaginationdesires. For example, you can develop aMandarin with a wing collar variation.

I think it’s easiest to develop the fold-back wing by manipulating andexperimenting in paper. Cut off the seamallowance of the upper edge and frontedge of the Mandarin collar. Tape in

paper where you will develop the wingcollar.

Experiment with all sorts of interestingangles and cuts. I find playing in paperthis way very relaxing and fun.

1 Fold the paper along the front/upper edge toget a pleasing angle for where the wing willfold back. Draw a potential shape for thewing, which is the portion of the collar thatfolds back. Cut along lines that you thinkmight work and assess what you have created.

2 Here is my pattern with the wing unfolded.To finish the pattern, add seam allowances tothe upper and front edges of the pattern andcut along the cut line.

Rolled CollarsThe front of a rolled collar is usuallypointed or rounded, but the possibilitiesare endless. Playing in paper is an easyway to get your imagination working.

To do this, trace the collar ontoadditional paper, leaving plenty of paper

along the outer perimeter. Let yourimagination loose, and see what youcome up with. Undulating curves (A), ascalloped edge, a fold-back point thatwill be held in place with a button, orperhaps even a layered look.

(A) A pattern I made for a collar with anundulating curve.

CUFFS AND SLEEVE HEMSCuffs and sleeve hems provide anotheropportunity to add some flare or enhancea design theme used throughout agarment. For instance, if a collar hasrounded edges, you can mimic this curvein the cuff or sleeve hem.

Cuffs can be any size you want, from avery narrow band to a deep expansecovering most of the forearm. Buttons setoff a cuff or sleeve hem detail verynicely, as shown on page 212.

Cuffs can turn back or extend down fromthe sleeve, depending on the effect youwant. It’s easy to create interestingshaping at the lower edge of a cuff usingyour ruler and a little imagination. Forinstance, the overlapping side of a cuffcan be squared off or rounded. Or youcould design a pretty scalloped edge.

While there are times we want the hemof a sleeve to be unnoticeable, the loweredge of a sleeve provides great designopportunities. For a sleeve that’s a bit

loose at the wrist, form a tuck and hold itin place with a snap or decorativebutton. Sometimes solving a problemleads your mind to other designpossibilities. If you purposefullyenlarged the lower edge of a sleeve on apattern, you could then use one or morepleats to control the excess fabric,thereby creating a stylistic element forthe garment.

Two-piece sleeves with a seam downthe center of the sleeve providewonderful design opportunities that areinteresting on any length of sleeve. Youcan utilize the center seam for designpurposes, such as rounding the edges orcreating a small triangular fold-back

similar to how the wing collar wascreated.

Small details such as these are oftenwhat elevates a garment from being quitegood to looking exceptional. Thesedetails do not have to take center stageand be the focus of the garment. Often,extremely subtle details used withrestraint are what make a garment lookbeautiful. And when interesting detailsare supported with good fit and well-executed pattern work, you will indeedbe taking your creativity to the nextlevel.

About the AuthorMaking clothing for her private clientelefor more than twenty-five years, Sarahspecializes in fit, innovative patterndesign, and quality garment construction.Sarah has been a longtime and activemember of the Association of Sewingand Design Professionals and was theoverall winner of the 2008THREADS/ASDP “Fluid Fabrics”challenge. She has written more thantwenty articles for THREADS magazineand has contributed to numerous otherpublications, including “Secrets forSewing Knits” in PatternReview.com’s1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts & Tips.

Dedicated to promoting the craft of

garment-making, Sarah teaches from herstudio in Maryland, online atPatternReview.com, and as a guestlecturer at venues around the UnitedStates. She currently offers classes forsewing enthusiasts and sewingprofessionals on fitting andpatternmaking, working with knitfabrics, all levels of sewing techniques,and garment design.

Index

aarmscye princess seams

back adjustments, 157–160bodice with, 96–101bust adjustments, 127, 130, 131, 134–

137chest structure adjustments, 136–137placing, 97, 135–136truing, 67, 151tunic with, 112–117

bback adjustments

armscye princess seams, 157–160basic bodice, 152–156

dowager’s rounded back, 156, 166garment length, 155–156pattern work examples, 166raglan sleeves, 165, 184–185shoulder princess seams, 161–162side panels, 163–164

bodicesback adjustments, 152–156broad back fitting, 153–154bust adjustments, 127darts, 86–87, 95, 125fitting process, 87–93, 98–101fitting tips, 42grainline arrows, 57narrow back fitting, 152–153pattern work examples, 94–95, 125raglan sleeve with, 118–125shoulder princess seam with, 96–97,

98–101side bust darts with, 87–93style and fitting considerations, 86–87

bust adjustmentsarmscye princess seams, 134–137bodice adjustments, 127cup sizes, 15during fitting, 128–130excess adjustments, 133–134full bust adjustments, 128, 129, 130introduction, 127on pattern, 128–130pattern work examples, 151raglan sleeve garments, 149–150shoulder princess seams, 138–144side bust darts, 130–134side panels, 145–148small bust adjustments, 128, 139, 130

ccenter back axis line, 25collars

fitting tips, 42Mandarin collars, 220–221neckline lengthening, 215neckline shortening, 214–215rolled collars, 221

cuffs, 222

ddarts

bodices, 86–87, 95, 125bust shaping, 111, 130–134draping, 131–133, 145–146equivalents, 220excess adjustments, 133–134

function of, 82intake adjustments, 130, 147–148marking on muslin, 34moving, 72–73parallel darts, 131–133princess seams with, 151section definitions, 44, 45shaped darts, 75side panel placement, 145–146truing, 63, 74–75

drag lines, 21, 23, 177

eease. See garment ease.elastic, 19, 80, 197, 206

f

facings, 197, 213–214fitting basics

assessment, 43axis, 24–25body types and, 9body volume and, 29client fittings, 30–31comfort and, 31complications of, 9developing approach to, 9“fitting buddies,” 29foundation garments, 31Horizontal Balance Line (HBL), 27layering garments, 32mirrors and photographs for, 28–29order, 41self-fitting, 29–30shoes and, 32

time strategies, 31tips, 42weight fluctuations, 29

flaring, 23flat patternmaking, 10, 20, 46, 72folds, 22, 44

ggarment ease, 13, 17glossary, 44–45grids, 52

hHorizontal Balance Line (HBL)

adjustments and, 197establishing, 26–27fitting usage, 27

introduction, 25–26marking, 34, 35, 50skirts, 80–81

hips. See waist and hips.

jjacket with side panel

fitting process, 102–110pattern work examples, 111style and fitting considerations, 102

llinings, 216–217

mmeasurements

body measurements, 14, 15, 16–17bust sizes, 15, 127“crawling” and, 81ease recommendations, 17elastic and, 19, 197fashion rulers, 50pattern envelope, 11, 14, 15pattern pieces, 12procedure, 14size charts, 16–17straight edge rulers, 50tools, 18, 48–51waistline measurements, 14, 15

muslinsbalance, 41cutting, 33, 36definition, 19, 20fabric selection, 33

interior tightness, 37marking, 18, 19, 33–35, 36, 38, 47–48multiple muslins, 43openings, 34perimeter tightness, 36pinning, 39–40preparing for test fitting, 33seam repositioning, 69–71sewing, 35wearable mock-ups, 43

nneck adjustments

shoulder line and, 171tightness adjustments, 170visualizing, 170

notches, 44, 64

ppants

body mass and, 193–195crease lines, 209crotch curves, 210crotch length, 197deep buttocks, 205fine-tuning, 196–197fitting aids, 197fitting overview, 197–202flat buttocks, 203–204full buttocks, 206–208insufficient rise, 202pattern work examples, 209–211rounded stomachs, 208–209tilted waists, 206–208volume and, 193–195waistbands, 197

waist facings, 197waistline alterations, 210wedge-and-scoop alterations, 211

patternsaccuracy, 62adjoining piece adjustments, 58adjustment tips, 46built-in ease, 65–66development of, 10drafted, 10draped, 10envelope information, 11even adjustments, 53–54fitting and, 20fitting process, 20flat patternmaking, 10, 20, 46, 72grainline arrows, 11, 44, 57landmark transfers, 33–35

notches, 64paper, 19parts of, 10–12scaling, 77seam discrepancies, 61sides, 48size selection, 14, 17symbol descriptions, 11–12uneven adjustments, 55–57work order, 77

pattern work examplesback adjustments, 166bodice with darts, 94–95bodice with raglan sleeves, 125bust adjustments, 151jacket with side panel, 111pants, 209–211skirts, 85

waist and hip adjustments, 191pinning, 19, 39–40, 69princess seams

creating from waist-fitting darts, 151neckline seams, 96raglan sleeves, 150

rraglan sleeves

back adjustments, 165back creases, 182, 184–185back fitting, 184–185bodice with, 118–125bust shaping with, 149–150front creases, 182princess seams, 150

rulers, 18, 48–51

sseams

adjusting, 61–62allowances, 44, 52blending, 48–51center back seams, 42, 111center front seams, 42, 55excess, 167intersecting, 48placement, 83repositioning, 69–71side seams, 42, 83, 167, 168truing, 45, 59, 67–68walking, 45, 59, 60–61, 63

set-in sleevesarmhole openings, 173–174cap height additions, 177–178drag line elimination, 177

fitting examples, 177forward shoulder, 179long-sleeve fitting, 180proportioning, 181reach, 175–176upper portion, 172–173utilizing, 176

shaped waistbands, 213shoulder line adjustments

neck and shoulder line, 171placement determination, 169–170placement on raglan garment, 169–

170princess seams, 138–144

shoulder princess seamsback adjustments, 161–162bodices with, 96–97, 98–101bust adjustments, 138–144

side panelsback adjustments with, 163–164bust shaping with, 145–146jacket with, 102–110, 111

side seamsexcess, 167overfitting, 168placement, 83skewing, 168

silhouettes, 12, 192size charts, 15, 16–17skirts

“crawling,” 81fitting considerations, 80fitting process, 80–84pattern work examples, 85side seam placement, 83

sleeve hems, 222

straight waistbands, 213style lines, 11, 126, 218–220

ttest garments. See muslins.tools, 18–19, 44, 48–51, 52tunic with armscye princess line, 112–

117

wwaists and hips

defined buttocks, 186flat buttocks, 187–188high or low hips, 188measurements, 15pattern work examples, 191round, high buttocks, 189–190

small waists, 186tilted waists, 189–190waistbands, 197, 213waist facings, 197, 213wide hips, 187–188

Dedication

To Charles Kleibacker,for his life’s work of keeping the craft

alive.

And to Bonnie,who was there for me every step of the

way.

Acknowledgments

Heartfelt thanks to everyonewho helped in many different ways:

A Fabric PlaceMichael Bearman

Rae CumbieMichael DeFilippiBlondell HowardHenrietta Jones

Tovah and Nick KopansMarcie Levendusky

Annie McCartyDouglas Preston

Bob Ross and Lorraine Ferland

Elisabeth Stewart and familyKrista Veblen

Copyright © 2007, 2011, 2012 CreativePublishing international, Inc.Text and projects/patterns © 2012 SarahVeblenPhotography © 2012 CreativePublishing international, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this workcovered by the copyrights hereon may bereproduced or used in any form or byany means—graphic, electronic, ormechanical, including photocopying,recording, taping of information on

storage and retrieval systems—withoutthe written permission of the publisher.

Due to differing conditions, materials,and skill levels, the publisher andvarious manufacturers disclaim anyliability for unsatisfactory results orinjury due to improper use of tools,materials, or information in thispublication.

First published in the United States ofAmerica byCreative Publishing international, Inc., amember of Quayside Publishing Group400 First Avenue North, Suite 300Minneapolis, MN 554011-800-328-3895www.creativepub.com

ISBN-13: 9781589236080

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Digital edition: 978-1-6105-8177-6Softcover edition: 978-1-5892-3608-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Veblen, Sarah. The complete photo guide to perfectfitting / Sarah Veblen. p. cm. ISBN-13: 978-1-58923-608-0 (pbk.) ISBN-10: 1-58923-608-4 (soft cover) 1. Dressmaking--Pattern design--Pictorial works. 2. Clothing and dress

measurements--Pictorial works. 3.Clothing and dress--Alteration--Pictorial works.I. Title.

TT520.V43 2012646.4--dc23

2011023810

Printed in China

Copy Editor: Catherine BrobergProofreader: Karen RuthBook and Cover Design: Kim WinscherPage Layout: Danielle SmithIllustrations: Bonnie VeblenPhotographs: Imagebroker/Alamy: 6 (topleft); Interfoto/Alamy: 6 (top right);

Chaloner Woods/Getty Images: 6(bottom); Nina Leen/Getty Images: 24;Shutterstock.com: 45; CorinneMARCHETTI/Gamma-Rapho via Gettyimages:193; Michael DeFilippi: all otherphotography