Making patterns for sewing your own clothes is a great way to save money and time because you don't have to buy clothes. You can create a blouse or dress pattern using your measurements to make sure the seams fit your body size. Apart from that, there is another easier way. Prepare clothes that are comfortable to wear and then make a pattern by tracing the shape.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Creating a Shirt Pattern Using Body Sizes
Step 1. Record body measurements
Use a measuring tape when measuring your body so you can make an accurate pattern. Record the numbers after measuring:
- Bust circumference (for women's clothing): circle the chest with a measuring tape and make sure the tape is where the bust is most prominent.
- Waist circumference: Wrap a tape measure around the waist with the smallest circumference.
- Height to make the dress: Stand straight with your back against a wall and ask someone else to measure your height from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet.
- Neck circumference (for men's shirts): Wrap the measuring tape around the neck according to the position of the shirt collar.
- Hip Circumference: Wrap a tape measure around the hip with the largest circumference.
- Back length and width: measure from the neck to the waist to find the length of the back then measure the widest back to find the width of the back.
- Bust (for men's or women's clothing): Wrap the measuring tape around the chest through under the armpits.
- Sleeve length: hold the zero point of the measuring tape at the shoulder and then pull it down the sleeve to the desired sleeve length.
- Shoulder Width: Measure from the neck to the tip of the shoulder.
- Upper arm circumference: Wrap the measuring tape around the upper arm, which is the largest circumference near the armpit.
Step 2. Make a sketch of the dress model you want to make
Before drawing a shirt pattern, first determine the clothes you want to make, for example a bottom skirt, shorts, or a sleeveless/sleeved blouse. Then, make a sketch of the dress model as you wish. That way, you can determine how many parts the pattern should be broken into.
For example, if you want to make a dress with shoulder straps, prepare 1 sheet of front pattern, 1 sheet of back pattern, and shoulder strap pattern
Step 3. Prepare pattern paper and mark it according to the length of the shirt
Spread pattern paper or copy paper on a flat surface. Make sure one side of the pattern paper is completely straight. Then, measure 5 cm from the top corner of the paper, mark with a pencil, then measure down again according to the length of the shirt starting from the mark.
- For example, if you are 1.6 m tall, make a mini dress that is 75 cm long, a knee-length dress 80 cm or a dress 130 cm long.
- The straight side of the pattern paper marked 5 cm from the corner of the paper will be the center line of the pattern. Mark on the straight side of the pattern paper according to the length of the shirt.
Tip:
To mark the pattern paper according to the length of the shirt, use the height data and then determine the desired length of the dress or skirt. If you want to make a shirt or blouse, use the back length data and add the data to the distance from the waist circumference to the bottom of the shirt/blouse.
Step 4. Draw a horizontal line to mark the position of the circumference of the shoulders, bust, waist, and hips
Place a straight 90° ruler with the straight side of the pattern paper at the center line of the pattern. Draw a horizontal line from the center line of the pattern to create a shoulder line. Then, lower the ruler to outline the bust. Lower the ruler again to make a waist line. The bottom line of the shirt pattern is the hip line.
Use your body measurements to determine where to place the ruler when you outline your shoulders, bust, waist, and hips
Step 5. Draw a line connecting the bust or bust, waist, and hips
Use body measurements to mark the bust line which is bust/bust from the straight side of the pattern paper. Do the same way to mark the waistline and hips. Then, use a pencil and curved ruler to connect each mark on the bust, waist, and hip lines.
- For example, if your bust is 100 cm, divide by 4 to get 25. Mark the bust line 25 cm from the straight side of the pattern paper.
- This step produces the side of the shirt pattern.
Step 6. Draw a neckline and a shoulder line
Use a curved ruler to draw a neckline from the shoulder line to the center line of the pattern. You are free to make the neckline low or high. Keep in mind that the back neckline is usually higher than the front neckline. Then, give a distance according to the width of the shoulder to make arm cuffs and then draw a curved line from the shoulders to the chest/bust line.
To make the shoulder seams look neater, line the shoulders by pulling the line at a slight angle down
Step 7. Prepare the seams outside the curved lines on the newly created pattern
Use a curved ruler or a flat ruler to draw 1-1½ cm parallel lines outside the pattern lines.
- Set the seam 1½ cm below the hip line to make it easier for you to hem the shirt.
- For example, if the length of the blouse is 50 cm, prepare a 1½ cm seam so that the length of the blouse pattern becomes 51½ cm.
Step 8. Make a sleeve pattern if you want to make a dress or blouse with sleeves
Use the size of the arm length and upper arm circumference to make a pattern and then determine the desired sleeve model. Draw the pattern of the arms folded in 2 in the middle.
For example, you want to make a sleeve that is 13 cm long. Use arm circumference data to determine sleeve width
Step 9. Cut out the pattern and then label each pattern piece
Spread the pattern paper under the newly created pattern. Unite the two sheets of paper with a pen and then cut out according to the seam line. The bottom paper will be the back pattern. Don't cut the neckline so you can adjust the curve of the front and back of the neck as desired.
- For example, the front neck pattern needs to be cut lower than the back neck pattern.
- Label each pattern piece so you don't mistake the pattern on the fabric.
Tip:
The number of pattern pieces you need to make depends on the garment you want to sew. For example, if you want to make a shirt, make 4 pattern pieces: 1 front pattern, 1 back pattern, 1 sleeve pattern, and 1 collar pattern. The pias 6 bottom skirt requires 6 pieces of identical pattern to be sewn to the waistband.
Method 2 of 2: Tracing the Shirt
Step 1. Prepare pattern paper and fold it in 2 equal
Make sure the pattern paper is larger than the shirt you want to trace. Then, place the pattern paper on a wooden table, instead of on the rug or mattress. If you don't have pattern paper, use copy paper.
Use a cork board if you want to hold the shirt and paper together with a pin when creating the pattern
Step 2. Fold the 2 clothes you want to trace and hold the stitches with a pin
You need to fold the shirt into 2 equal parts according to the vertical line in the middle of the chest so that the seam is visible because the fabric is usually cut in a folded condition.
You need to trace the clothes section by section. For now, attach the pin only to the folded shirt
Tip:
Choose clothes that are comfortable to wear so that you can make patterns according to your body size without much adjustment.
Step 3. Place the shirt on the pattern paper and hold it with a pin
Make sure the fold of the shirt is just above the fold of the pattern paper. Place the pins 7-10 cm apart along the folds of the fabric so that the shirt doesn't slide around when tracing.
- If you want to trace the sleeves, fold the sleeves around the neck of the shirt so you can trace the sleeves.
- You are free to choose the dress model if you want to make a pattern by tracing, but this method is more suitable for simple clothes, such as tunics, instead of long pleated dresses.
Step 4. Trace the folded shirt shape
Use a pencil, cloth chalk, or a eraser to trace the folded shape of the shirt held in place by the pin. Do not trace all parts of the shirt at once.
If you can't trace the shape of the piece of fabric because it's connected to another piece of fabric, fold the fabric exactly at the seam or use a grinder. Press the Rader against the fabric joints because the Rader does not damage the fabric
Step 5. Lift the shirt from the pattern paper and then bold the newly created line
Remove all the pins so that the shirt can be removed from the pattern paper. Use a ballpoint pen to bold the lines to make them more visible and then label the newly created pattern.
- For example, label it by writing "front center" on the pattern.
- Mark specific lines on the pattern, for example, make a curved line to mark the meeting of the neck circumference and the folds of the fabric.
Step 6. Create a seam around the pattern
Use a straight or curved ruler to make a 1.3 cm wide seam parallel to the pattern you just created. Currently, the pattern of clothes has been given a seam.
Usually, commercial shirt patterns use a 1.6 cm seam. Determine the width of the seam as desired
Step 7. Create a pattern for each section of the shirt
Repeat the steps above to make patterns for other parts of the shirt so that you can connect them to the clothes you want. Give a description of each part of the pattern, such as where to attach the snap buttons, shirt buttons, or zippers.
For example, when you want to sew a shirt, you will need to make a front pattern, a back pattern, a sleeve pattern, and a collar pattern
Tip:
Don't forget to label each pattern piece so you don't get confused when you put the pattern on the fabric!
Step 8. Cut out each pattern piece
Use sharp scissors to cut out the pattern. Make sure the pattern paper that must be folded is cut in a folded condition so that the pattern does not separate into 2 parts.
If necessary, cut the pattern using a cutting mat and a rotary cutter, instead of scissors
Tips
- If you can make a simple shirt pattern, make a pattern of shorts or trousers. This pattern is a bit challenging for people who are just learning to sew because it requires a lot of stitches.
- Place a heavy object on top of the shirt you want to trace while you attach the pin to hold the shirt and pattern paper together.
- When drawing a pattern, leave at least 2.5 cm between the 2 patterns for easier cutting.
