Sewing Pattern Systems
There are many different sewing pattern systems, some of my favorites include Lutterloh, Magic Fit (formerly Dusan, now Sure Fit), and many others, so I will be sharing links to blogs and webpages about some of these pattern systems.
Most pattern making systems claim you will never have to worry about fitting again, once you buy their system, but if you have ANY figure variations, which are not exactly the same height, weight, and shape, of the models they used to create their system, you WILL have to make adjustments, but once you know what those adjustments are, write them down, you use them to adjust every pattern, as you draw the patterns, so you will get a good fit, every time. The pattern systems which seem to come the closest to a custom size, are the type that has you draw your pattern, using your own measurements.
The pattern systems closest to custom patterns, include a 1942 Fashion Design College manual called "Modern Pattern Design" by Harriet Pepin (apparently now in public domain, here is link to text- Modern Pattern Design by Harriet Pepin
Pattern Drafting and Dressmaking, by Dorothy Moore (book)
"How To Make Sewing Patterns, by Donald H. McCunn, and the SureFit System, which is based on the Magic Fit Master Pattern (Pants, or Dress/bodice), which was originally sold as Designing with Dusan. You can find videos for SureFit, and I think for Donald McCunn's, as well, online. McCunn's used to have a Yahoo Group, here is his Facebook link-
Don McCunn How To Make Sewing Patterns
How-to-make-sewing-patterns Forum Group
Types of adjustments common?
Full Bust Adjustment (usually any cup size larger than a B requires you to use your high bust measurement to choose a pattern size, or to make your pattern, then you must make cuts through the darts, in order to spread the pieces of the pattern enough to add the extra width and height you need, to cover your fuller bosom, then tape filler pieces into your pattern, to make it this new size, or redraw the pattern, using the filled in areas in their new positions, so you will actually get a good fit over the bosom.)
Sunken chest (yes, this is a real issue, the chest kind of caves in in the middle, including the rib cage, so you can have a large bra cup size, but still have to adjust for the difference in the chest/rib shape-
Broad shoulders-
Narrow shoulders-
Sloping shoulders
Square shoulders-
Wide hips-
Narrow hips-
Tall-
Short-
Long arms-
Short arms-
Full Seat-
Flat Seat-
High Abdomen-
Full Thigh-
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| Lutteroh Pattern Fitting Seminar DVD, Home Sewing Made Easy (Slacks), the Advanced Guide to the Lutterloh Pattern System, and New Directions in Pattern Design, a flyer put out by Tru-Fit Patterns & Tools, which helps you use the Lutterloh system. |
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| Design Your Own Fashions using these books which I bought from the Tru-Fit Patterns & Tools also, and the New Magic-Fit Master Pattern for Pants, one of the Designing with Dusan Magic Fit pattern systems. |
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| Sunburst Pattern System "Pattern Extender" to attach to your yardstick, or meterstick |
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| Sunburst Pattern System "Pattern Extender" to attach to your yardstick, or meterstick |
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| Lutterloh Patterns were copied by The American Way to Pattern Making, but the book is mostly about how to FIT patterns, using the Standard Measurement System, not the metric system, because Lutterloh doesn't include actual fitting instructions in their pattern systems, and measurements are done in the metric measuring system. |
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| Lutterloh big shirt made around 2002 |
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| Lutterloh big shirt made around 2002 French cuff detail, the angled cuffs fit beautifully! I didn't make them so I needed cufflinks, and didn't want the fold back style, so I just did regular cuffs, with the special shape, and used special buttons. |
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| Lutterloh Big Shirt made in 2002 same as the blue and white one shirt |
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| Lutterloh Big Shirt made in 2002 same as the blue and white one shirt |
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| Lutterloh slacks with elastic waistbands. I did the squared point of the pockets to make my cell phone easier to carry. This is a gray menswear wool blend, I did topstitching detail I copied from ready to wear at Dillard's, the workers asked me if I bought those pants there, when they comlimented me on them, when I was shopping there. |
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| Inside stitching detail (I love sergers) on my Lutterloh slacks with elastic waistbands. I did the squared point of the pockets to make my cell phone easier to carry. This is a gray menswear wool blend, I did topstitching detail I copied from ready to wear at Dillard's, the workers asked me if I bought those pants there, when they comlimented me on them, when I was shopping there. |
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| Same pattern as gray slacks with elastic waist, these are polyester gaberdine, they don't photograph well |
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| Same pattern as gray slacks with elastic waist, these are polyester gaberdine, inside detail of serged seams, they don't photograph well |
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| Lutterloh pants pattern with detail about which pattern I used out of which book, and my fitting information I wrote on it. I usually cut 3 pair out at a time, using a rotary cutter and cutting mat. |
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| Lutterloh jeans I made using the same pattern I used for slacks, but I added jeans pockets. |
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| Lutterloh stretch jeans, with elastic waist and mock fly, that I made using the same pattern I used for the slacks, they were supposed to be for knits, but I've used it for stretch fabrics, as well as slacks. This is a very old stretch denim, the white elastic threads make it super light blue. This fabric was $1 a yard, so I bought it, washed it a couple of times, and dried it in the dryer on high, before sewing jeans. I've made 2 pair of jeans from it, the biggest problem is that the white elastic threads break over time, or wear out, and make the fabric look crepey, just like our skin, after we are pregnant, and get stretch marks, and then forever after, have the crepe look to our skin. If these were made out of a new denim with spandex, they would look much better! |
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| My first Lutterloh stretch denim jeans. I've lost weight since then, and made another, smaller pair, with a real zipper fly, 5 pocket style. |
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| My personal "Croquis" illustration of my figure, to help me keep track of what pattern adjustments I need to make when I sew clothing for myself. |
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| Lutteroh pants pattern I sewed into jeans. I did still have to make adjustments, as you can see I have a prominent abdomen, low full seat, sway back, etc... |
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| Lutterloh jeans I sewed in a very old stretch denim (white elastic threads woven throughout it, is what gave it the stretch, unfortunately, it doesn't have as good of "recovery" (bounce back to original size), as newer stretch denims, but they were very comfortable pants. I was 254 lbs. back then, so I can't wear those anymore, since I've lost a lot of weight. |
Sewing with stretch fabrics can be easy, with stable knits, but stretchy knits are a challenge of their own, requiring special needles, stretch stitches, or zigzag stitches, or serger stitches, which allow the seams to stretch, without breaking the thread in the seam. Here are some Fashion college textbooks I recently purchased, to help me better understand how to make patterns for stretch fabrics.
Sure Fit Patterns
Lutterloh
