My Top Pattern Tips for Choosing
and Working With a Pattern

• Clothing manufacturers figured out a long time ago that they could sell a lot more clothing to women by making us think we’re smaller than we are which means your sewing size will be about two sizes larger than what you buy ready made. Know what your measurements really are and check the envelope's size chart carefully to make the right choice.

• Make sure the style you choose is right for your body type. For fashion purposes, women's bodies can be defined as one of five basic types: Hourglass, Triangle, Inverted Triangle, Slim Rectangle and Wide Rectangle. If you decide on a style that does not compliment your body shape, you may not be happy with the final results no matter how well you have sewn it. An excellent resource for understanding body types and the styles of clothing which compliment each (as well as those which do not compliment) is this pamphlet by the Home Sewing Association.

• Press each pattern piece (with a warm iron) before you pin it to the fabric. Creases and wrinkles can throw off your seam lines and mess up your finished project. (Yep, I had to learn this lesson the hard way!)

• If you like a particular pattern and know you will be using if over and over again, you might want to stablize and preserve the pieces by fusing them to a lightweight iron-on interfacing.

• If your pattern has multiple sizing on it and you want to make one or more of each (i.e. small, medium, and large), before you cut the tissue, trace each size onto specially made pattern tracing paper. I know, you think I'm nuts, but have you seen some of the prices on patterns? Yes, it can be a bit of work, but if your pattern does not have a lot of pieces, tracing is a lot cheaper than buying two or three of the same one. However, if it does have a lot of pieces, go ahead and shell out the money or you WILL go nuts!

• Easy to sew designs often have very few pieces and no details in the construction. Which also means that the finished garment is probably very plain (and boring). If you find a look you like, check to see if the same style is available in a regular pattern with more pieces that you would be comfortable sewing. Don’t be afraid to open the envelope and look at the instruction page to see if it’s within your skill range before you buy it. (Just be sure to fold it back nicely for the next shopper.) Of course, if you have a machine that also does embroidery, you can take anything from plain to fabulous in no time! Which is one of the many reasons machine embroidery is so popular.

• Transferring pattern markings using a tracing wheel often results in your pattern piece getting torn up. You can place a piece of gauze tape or paper tape (like the kind used to keep a bandage on a wound) on the top or the underside of the pattern along the dart line or other marking line to keep this to a minimum.

• If your pattern has a lot of pieces, you know what a pain it is to get them all folded and back into the envelope. Why even try? Plain gallon sized plastic storage or freezer bags work great to hold it all. Note: Freezer bags give you an area to write on should you want to jot down a note or date or whatever about the project. Yes, you can buy these specifically designed for this from your local sewing center, but you'll pay a lot more.

Resources for More Pattern Tips

There are sewing magazines that have many wonderful articles and tips on working with patterns. Oftentimes, you can find these articles and tips published on-line at their websites. I have included an excellent article below that is worth reading.

From Threads magazine:

Stop! Are you Sure that Pattern Will Work? Link to pattern article.