Choosing your size and adapting your sewing pattern

Hello hello!

At Maison Fauve, the summer was studious and we did our back-to-school homework well. You may not know it, but we offer you on our site a very complete guide to help you adapt your sewing patterns: the little guide to custom sewing . And we have enriched it with new chapters. But let's take things in order...

Sew your wardrobe

The pleasure of sewing your wardrobe lies not only in the idea of ​​creating your garment but also in the fact that this creation fits you perfectly.

At Maison Fauve, we offer sewing patterns graded from 34 to 52, for a height of 1m65 in 36. The grading process will involve an enlargement in "size" but also in stature as we go up in sizes. The test phase will make it possible to ensure consistency in the proportions, the fall, the expected look, whatever the size. And to take up again if necessary the elements that a "classic" grading does not take into account: do not oversize the shoulders in large sizes, adjust the position of the waist line, consider the accuracy of the volumes. The work carried out during the test phase will give the final pattern, envisaged on many body types. Our patterns are presented on several women during the shooting. The choice of size for our models is made using the size chart of the pattern, and the finished garment measurement chart which is now offered for all our new models.

Know how to choose your size

It all starts with choosing the size. You have 2 tools to help you:

• The size chart: it tells you the recommended size according to your measurements

• The finished garment measurement chart: it tells you about the dimensions of the garment once sewn. For patterns designed for warp and weft fabrics, the measurements do not take into account any elasticity of the material.

The values ​​in these 2 tables are different because you have to take into account the ease, that is to say the extra cm that will allow you to be comfortable in your garment. The ease value is easily calculated by subtracting the body measurement from the size chart from that of the finished garment. It will be very high on deliberately loose garments (like the ease at the waist and hips of the Mia dress , or that of the Pam coat with an oversized cut) and lower on more fitted garments like the Manhattan jacket .

To begin, I recommend that you analyze the garment. If you are sewing pants, the chest measurement is not taken into account in choosing the size. If you are sewing a fitted jacket, the ease has been designed so that the garment is comfortable, there is no need to oversize if your measurements match the table, but you should not choose the size below if you are between 2 sizes. If you are sewing a dress with a large width, the ease will be very generous on the hips and the waist and chest will be the value to favor. Look at the presentation photos of the models to see the proposed fall.

Example of a jacket, with the Métropolis sewing pattern in 42:

• The chest gradation value is 96/98 cm

• The value of the finished garment chest measurement (and buttoned) is 108.2 cm

So you have an ease that will be more than 10 cm. The Metropolis jacket is a mid-season jacket, it will allow you to wear a medium-thickness sweater underneath without any worries. The model is true to size.

Example of a straight blouse with the Skyline shirt in 38:

• The chest gradation value is 88/90 cm

• The value of the finished garment chest measurement is 108 cm

The ease value is 18 cm, which is consistent with the flexibility of the model which is not intended to be adjusted. Do not undersize the garment by taking a smaller size.

Example of a pair of pants with the Brooklyn pants in 44:

• The gradation value is 76/78 cm for the waist and 104/106 cm for the hips

• The finished garment measurements are 90 cm for the waist and 111 cm for the hips with pleats closed and 121 cm with pleats open

The ease is 12 cm of ease for the waist. The set of pleats allows a minimum ease of 5 cm (but the pleats are not stitched up to the pelvis) and a maximum of 15 cm (but the pleats are not designed to open completely). We therefore fall back on an ease of around 12 cm for the pelvis. The model offers generous ease, which is why we explain that if you are between 2 sizes in the grading table, you can use the lower size.

In all cases, and even more so for slightly complex projects such as a lined jacket or coat, a jumpsuit or even a pair of trousers, we recommend that you sew a toile .

To sew a canvas, that is to say?

Fashion houses systematically do fittings on their models before the shows. The know-how and accuracy of the pattern-making is undeniable. But the idea is to dress the women who parade in clothes that fall perfectly, adapted to each person's body shape.

The toile will be the "trial" version of your garment. You choose an ordinary, inexpensive fabric and sew a draft of your garment: no need to sew finishing elements such as ruffles, decorative tabs, patch or piped pockets for example, and you skip the lining. The idea is to validate your choice of size and identify any adjustments to be made. You can draw marks on it, adjust it if necessary. And you will take these modifications into account to transfer them to your pattern.

The other situation for which the canvas is essential is when you have difficulty choosing your size because you are between several sizes in the grading table, especially for pieces where several measurements are essential such as a long dress with a marked waist, pants pressed at the waist, a jumpsuit, or if you are not in the indicated stature. And we have everything planned to support you and consider many scenarios!

A Free Guide to Custom Sewing

This guide aims to assist you in adjusting your patterns. It is a free sewing pattern method that we have tried to make as accessible as possible through diagrams.

A sewing pattern will never be able to suit all body types: for example, the height of the bust is not necessarily identical between 2 women of the same height and size in the table. The position of the chest can also vary. And of course, our guide has been designed for all seamstresses who need specific adjustments:

• Strong Breast Enhancement (FBA)

• Adapting a trouser pattern

• How to grade a pattern between sizes

Etc., there are 19 chapters in total to answer many questions!

Download the guide

What's new in our free sewing guide

A few months ago, we organized a large survey to understand what your needs were, and how to support you even better in your sewing projects. Many of you thanked us for making our guide available, and sent us 2 adjustments that were not present:

• Adjust the position of the chest clips on jackets, dresses and blouses so that the chest is perfectly fitted by the garment

• Move a shoulder seam to have a perfectly positioned sleeve head

They are now offered in this updated guide! This improvement work is a first step towards the content that we will be able to create thanks to your numerous feedbacks. We will come back to you in September with all the results collected following the questionnaire , and we will explain to you how we will continue to offer you free supports that will make sewing even more accessible and enjoyable, whether you are a beginner or more expert seamstress.

Great discovery from our guide!