Hello!
I’m so glad you stopped by.
If you’re looking for something specific, please use the “search” field in the sidebar of this site. There’s a chance I may have already answered your question in a blog post. Wouldn’t that be great?!
If I haven’t already answered your question in a blog post, you can email me at [email protected]
Please understand that it is very difficult to answer questions about specific fitting problems and/or pattern adjustments without being able to see your project or pattern. It is also impossible for me to give personal instruction to everyone who sends me an email. The best place to go for specific help with your sewing, fitting or pattern adjustment challenges is my free Facebook group, The Sewing Curve. In addition to myself, this community of sewing enthusiasts is more than willing to answer your questions, offer suggestions and share resources. You can find out more about The Sewing Curve here.
Email: [email protected]
Hello. I just found your site tonight and am excited to learn some of the information you are willing to share. When it comes to sewing, I consider myself an advance-beginner. It’s a long story but I am now disabled due to a back injury and find I have a lot of free time to devote to my favorite hobby. I have a full closet as my stash and close to 75 patterns that I have collected over the years. I’m planning to turn my lemon of a situation into a lemonade of a solution.
Hi Jodi, welcome! I actually started this blog after being on disability for a few years due to a respiratory illness. I love that you’re turning your lemon into lemonade. Your positive outlook is truly inspiring. I wish you the best on every one of your sewing projects and hope the information I share will be things you can use.
Hi Katrina, I’m so glad to have stumbled on to your site :~)
As you pointed out clothes for people with curves can be so difficult to make work.
I’ve added issues I’m hoping I can get help with here :~) Due to being seriously ill
I’ve dropped from a UK dress size 32 to 20/22 in 11 months and lost 3.5″ in height at the same time.
Although I’m not as ill as I was I am continuing to lose height & weight which means constantly adjusting
my wardrobe grrrr.
What makes this harder is that I have arthritis and other conditions that can make sewing painful, so I
need to make as few errors as possible :~)
I’m also becoming increasingly wheelchair bound, which plays havoc with clothing. Too long/full gets caught in wheels. Difficult to disguise a full bust and tummy when permanently sat. I don’t sit “normally”
due to my conditions my legs tend to be raised in front of me rather than going down toward the floor.
I’d truly appreciate any hints and tips, I’ve been sewing in various ways for 50+ years now and I really want to find a way to dress as me that is practical for my health issues.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Lucy in England
ps. at the moment I’m just under 5′ tall, bust 48″ hips 52″ I have a short neck, very small head (hats 18 months – 3yrs, sunglasses are for a 3 yr old), hands I wear children’s gloves and feet UK 3.05 – 6 depending on style
Hi Lucy. First let me say that I’m sorry to hear about your illness. I will keep you in my prayers and wish you many pain-free days. Sewing and alterations for those who are wheelchair users is not my expertise, but I did find a website that gives information about adapting clothes to suit your needs. Here’s the link: http://en.fashionfreaks.se/. One of the founders of this site has been a wheelchair user for 30 years. It seems to be a very informative site and there are not many out there that deal with this topic. I hope this will be a help to you and if I find anymore information I will definitely pass it along. Sorry I couldn’t do more to help but hopefully their information will give you what you need. Blessings.
Peggy Sagers/Silhouette Patterns has some ideas for people with physical limitations — which she designed in response to her mother’s needs. I’d go to her web site and look for that video.
Good to know. Thanks for sharing, Susan.
I just found your videos and thank you for such wonderfully clear instructions. They are some of the best I have been able to find. I would love to see your take on sleeves. When you are a very plus size woman sleeve fitting can be a big issue. I am really having trouble in how to translate body measurements into how to increase an armhole opening and making it match the sleeve opening. Also when making a skirt, how do we determine what is enough ease so that we don’t split the seams when we sit down? This works with pants too. I am trying to draft my own patterns but once I get the measurements right than how do I add the ease and where to not miss up the fit I just spent so much time trying to get right, especially since I don’t want it skin tight?
Hi Valerie, sleeves are on my to-do list. I’m in the process of preparing to change my Web site (for the better) in the next few weeks and trying to work on blog posts at the same time. I’ll try to get to sleeves as soon as possible.
As far as skirt and pant ease, a lot of the drafting tutorials will have you add the ease to your body measurement and use that final measurement (body measurement + ease) when you draft your pattern so it’s already built in.
It’s hard to determine the amount of ease you need before you actually have something to try on. Because of this, I try to overestimate or add more than I think I need.
For a starting point of what that should be, if you have a pair of store bought pants or skirt whose fit you like, put them on and pin out the ease until they’re snug but not too tight to take them off. Then take them off and measure the amount you pinned out. This will give you a starting point.
Most things I’ve read recommend:
waist: 1/2″ to 1″
hip: 2″-3″
If you want a little extra, make your seam allowances 1″ instead of 5/8″ and you’ll have extra room to let them out.
I hope this helps. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hi Valerie and Katrina
Here is a hint I picked up through many hours of search regarding ease. Take your measurement standing, and then without removing the tape, sit down. The amount the tape stretches will be the amount of needed ease. This method allows for variance in our body shape. Hope this helps.
Katrina.. congrats on the new website. I really enjoy your videos.
Regards, Carol
Excellent tip, Carol. Taking measurements standing & sitting, especially for skirts & pants, makes a lot of sense. (Of course it works for tops too, I need to do this for the belly area.) Thanks so much for sharing it.
I’m so glad you enjoy my videos and thanks for the congrats on the website. I appreciate your support.
Hi Katrina,
I really like what I’ve found on your site and hope you add more tutorials. They’re very clear and helpful! I’d especially like to see one for how to convert a tee pattern to a maxi or midi dress with an A-line skirt, or how to draft the pattern; with my very pear-y shape and wanting the longer length, I can’t get the angle right on the side seams. I’d love to know how you solved Lee’s similar problem, too!
Hi Chris, I will definitely be doing more tutorials and I’m glad they’ve been helpful to you. Thank you for the tee to maxi/midi dress idea, I will add it to my list of future tutorials.
For Lee’s problem, go to my blog post on hip depth. You can find it here: https://katrinakaycreations.com/how-to-adjust-your-waist-to-hip-measurement-hip-depth-on-your-pattern/.
If you have any questions, let me know.
Do you make custom sloper patterns for sale?
Hi Retha, I don’t at this time but it is something I’m looking into.
Hi Katrina,
I am sooooo happy to find you and your blog. I was on youtube one day and just so happen to see your video and fall in love. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge about sewing for plus size. We big girls need love too and it’s hard to find closes that fit nice and comfortable. I’m so looking forward to seeing more videos in the future.
Love
Mimi
Thanks, Mimi. Welcome! I’m glad you found my blog. I agree, we plus size girls do need love-from the fashion and sewing industry.
Hi, Katrina
Thank you for the information regarding the gapping armhole.
I adjusted the shoulder and the dart, as a result I was able to use a smaller size pattern and it removed the gap. I completed my garment yesterday and it fits perfectly.
It was great that you responded to me and so quickly.
thanks
helen
You’re welcome, Helen. I’m so glad I could help & that it worked out for you.
I want to thank you for the wonderful information you have already provided it will be very helpful.
I have a question how would you handle a gap in the front of the armhole? I would appreciate any help you would be willing to give.
helen
Hi Helen, if you have a bust dart, the dart uptake (the amount taken out when you close the dart) may not be enough to accommodate your bust fullness.
Pin out the fullness in your front armhole and measure the amount you pin out. Transfer that amount to your bust dart.
If you don’t have a bust dart, you need to add one to your side seam. Again, pin out the fullness and transfer that amount to your side seam for your bust dart.
Hope this helps. If you have anymore questions, please let me know.
I just love surfing the web-I never know where I will end up! This time I landed on your web site and it is so very enlightening. I have been sewing over 40 years and never knew about pattern making or why I always murdered a commercial pattern. So I turned my need to sew toward things like curtains, pillows, baby clothes-you know-the kind of things that either does not move or moves so much you can’t see my fitting mistakes! Your videos on balance were great! I am looking forward to exploring your site!! I do have a bit of a quandary and need advice….my daughter grew up and wants me to see for her. The quandary is this-she has gone from a size 2 to a size 22. Any advice or Words of Wisdom???? I am working on making a body double but I am unhappy with the results so far.
Looking forward to your reply.
Hi Jeanie, I’m so glad the videos on balance were a help to you.
In answer to your question about sewing for your daughter, if you are going to use commercial patterns, you will probably get a better fit from the plus size patterns rather than a miss size pattern that offers size 8 to 22. Although the selection is limited, patterns dedicated to plus sizes allow more room in areas we need and the proportions are different. Connie Crawford offers some basic styles at http://www.fashionpatterns.com/ and they’re also sold by Butterick. I have her patternmaking book, Patternmaking Made Easy, which I love and use often.
Also for commercial patterns, pay close attention to the finished measurements – what the garment will measure after it’s sewn together. These measurements are located on the actual pattern piece (usually the front piece), not the back of the pattern envelope. They’re important because they allow you to figure out how much wearing ease has been added to the pattern. You can do this by subtracting the pattern envelope measurement for your size from the finished measurement on the pattern piece. Some add up to 8 inches in ease, which is a lot more than you need.
If you want to make the patterns yourself, I’ve included some resources below.
For patternmaking
Go to http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/29753/a-fast-look-at-pattern-drafting and download the Pattern-Drafting Primer article – it’s FREE. I like this because she actually makes the pattern for a plus size woman.
Patternmaking Made Easy (as mentioned above. It’s on sale right now at http://www.fashionpatterns.com/ for $50. The regular price is $95.
For a free body double tutorial
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3631/close-fit-duct-tape-dress-form/page/all.
Threads also has another tutorial in their “Teach Yourself to Sew” series, but it’s not free. You can get more information about that at http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/19341/teach-yourself-to-sew-2-make-your-own-dress-form-part-1.
I hope this helps you and if you have anymore questions, please feel free to ask.
Thank you Katrina, I love the tutorials! I have already marked your site in my favorites on my computer.
You’re welcome, Nicole. Let me know if you have something you’d like to see a tutorial on.
Hi Katrina,
Your site is amazing and I am a beginner sewer thinking about designing and making clothes for women who are kind of inbetweeny – not “normal” but not quite plus. It is a pretty tough category in the sense you occasionally score something fashionable and normal that might fit, but it is rare and often even though it fits the material is flimsy and poor quality and you ooze out of certain strategic places. Now my challenge is that I think that the fat shifts slightly when we sit down and a hip measurement of say 42 inches becomes 44 as it flattens out and the same mysterious size shifts happen to the thighs and tummy too. However not sure how to account for this is n
in non stretch fabric as everyone I meet keeps suggesting huge seam allowances which make the clothes far too big when they are made. Today’s sewing class landed up with my skirt being at least 3 inches too big when discussing this with a professional.
I am from the UK and visiting NY at the end of may/start of June and wondered if you might be free for any teaching/ consultation if schedules permit?
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
Unfortunately I won’t be available during your time in NY, however, I’d be glad to answer any questions you may have & do a tutorial or video if possible.
As to your fitting challenge, it sounds like you need to find the right amount of wearing ease for your skirt. Wearing ease is the amount you add to your measurements that allow for movement, like sitting, bending, etc. This is necessary in non stretch fabrics and should not make your skirt too big but just give you a little extra room to move and still be comfortable in your clothes. Also, this should not affect your seam allowances.
For the hip area, I’ve added up to 2 inches to my hip measurement, but it really depends on what’s comfortable to you and how your garment is made. Clothes made out of non stretch fabrics should not fit too snug because this puts too much stress on the seams.
So for your skirt that’s 3 inches too big, take it in until it feels comfortable when you sit or stand, then measure the hip area on the actual skirt. If your hip measurement is 42″ and the hip on the actual skirt measures 43.5″, then you know you need 1.5″ of wearing ease.
Let me know if this helps.
I wish you all success in your endeavor to fit the “inbetweeny” as there is very little available for special sizes.
Hi Jessica This change in your numbers actually gives you your correct ease measurements. So rather than just use the standard measurements for ease, use the sitting down measures. So you would need a circumference of 44 inches in your total wearing ease fitting, since your body shifts that amount in sitting down. I just learned the recently myself after many years of sewing. For me, I end up having the tape add an extra 4 inches to my hip, as that is where my weight is, but only 1 inch to the waist and 2 inches to my bust. That us how my body ‘shifts’ in sitting. The same principle would apply to any area of your body, thighs, etc. Hope that helps…
Cheers, Carol, a fellow sewest
Hi Katrina , i do apologize if this is not the place to post this question, however I accidentally came across your bog and fell in love with it. You are very knowledgeable in your work. I am hoping that you can help me out with a big problem. I am sewing for my mother-in-law that has a waist size if 35 inches and a hip size of 52 inches I can never get her curves right from one point to the other smoothly. Any tips or suggestions???? Thank you in advance, lee.
Hi Lee, you don’t have to apologize. It was fine to post your question here. It helps to visually see the challenge so I’m going to draft a skirt pattern with your mother-in-law’s waist & hip measurements and try to come up with a solution. You can expect to hear from me on or before next Friday, the 17th.
Hi Lee, I sent you an email with a response to your question. Let me know if you didn’t get it.
Hello Katrina
Thank you so very much for your reply I actually got your reply by email. I will try your solution, sounds logical. if you do draft a pattern with my mother in law measurements I wish I can see how it looks, however I am going to try doing what you told me. Again thank you so very much, I love your blog and appreciate your kindness in responds to my question , thank you!!