Today I want to share with you some principles and initial steps to take in the beginning with your sewing pattern that will help you avoid sewing up a garment that doesn't fit. In this article, you will learn how to measure the pieces of your pattern, before you cut it, to increase your likely hood of a successfully sewn garment.

In this comprehensive article on the skill of patternmaking, I'll sketch out the learning process, the ideal aptitudes in the maker, the skills, the timeframe, and the critical thinking skills you will need in order to really be a good pattern maker. This article will help you determine if learning this skill really solves your problems, or if you can take another approach that gets you to your desired outcome more easily. 

In the free workbook included with this post, I’ll introduce you to how a patternmaker looks at a design, so that you can understand the conceptual process I’ve used in my own work and with our students. Whether or not you are going to be drafting your own patterns, or interpreting commercial patterns, this workbook will help you look at patterns from a different perspective and how they serve you in design.

In this post learn the most common sleeve alterations that I’ve seen in my practice and teaching to help you get a better fit and proportion for your sewn sleeves. You will not only need to know how to reduce fullness and shorten them at times, but when working with a sewing pattern, you might need to add or reduce sleeve ease if you are struggling to set your sleeve properly. There is a specific formula that helps you know the exact amount of ease you need to set the sleeve, read more to follow along. 

Choosing the right pattern, and making it work for your unique proportions is really important. Today I want to share with you 6 tips to help you find the right proportions. There are some initial measurements and alterations that will help improve the proportion of your garment before you cut your fabric.