How To Tweak a Sewing Pattern To Make Your Clothes Fit

Have you ever finished a garment, held it up with pride, and then tried it on only to find it didn’t fit? Maybe the shoulders were a bit too wide, the waist was too loose, or the bust was pulling. It’s a common frustration that can make you want to put your sewing machine away for good.

Learning to tweak a sewing pattern is a game-changer for making your clothes fit. It’s not about finding the perfect pattern; it’s about making the pattern perfect for you. Let’s dive into some tailoring tips you should know!

What You’ll Need to Get Started

Before you start cutting into your precious pattern paper, it’s a good idea to gather a few essential tools. Having the right equipment on hand makes the process smoother and more accurate.

You will need these supplies:

• A flexible tape measure: This is for taking your body measurements.
• A clear ruler: A long, transparent ruler (around 18 inches) is fantastic because you can see the pattern lines underneath it while you make adjustments.
• Pattern tracing paper: Medical exam paper or specialty tracing paper works wonderfully. You’ll use this to create your modified pattern without altering the original.
• Pencils: Use a colored pencil to make your new lines stand out from the original pattern markings.
• Tape: Removable tape is also a must-have so that you can make changes without damaging the paper.

The Foundation of Fit: Accurate Measurements

The most critical step in pattern fitting is getting accurate body measurements. Commercial sewing patterns are designed for a “standard” figure, but very few of us match those exact proportions. Taking your own measurements allows you to see where your body differs from the pattern and where you’ll need to make adjustments.

If you’re making a top, you’ll need to measure your high bust, full bust, waist, back length, shoulder length, and upper arm circumference. For bottoms, the key measurements include your waist, high hip, full hip, and crotch length (also known as stride). It’s a good idea to have a friend help you, but you can also learn to measure yourself accurately.

Once you have your measurements, compare them to the size chart on the pattern envelope. Don’t be surprised if your measurements fall into different sizes for your bust, waist, and hips. This is completely normal! The next step, blending between sizes, is where the magic begins.

Making the Adjustments

With your measurements in hand, you’re ready to start adjusting the pattern. This might seem intimidating at first, but think of it as a puzzle. You’re just reshaping the pieces to fit you perfectly.

Blending Between Sizes

What do you do when your bust is a size 12, your waist is a size 14, and your hips are a size 10? You blend! Trace the size 12 line at the bust, then gently curve your traced line out to the size 14 line at the waist, and then back in to meet the size 10 line at the hips. This creates a smooth, customized pattern piece that follows your body’s curves.

Common Pattern Alterations

Beyond blending sizes, you may need to make more specific adjustments. These are some of the most frequent tweaks sewers make to achieve a better fit.

Lengthening or Shortening

Most patterns have lengthen/shorten lines. To lengthen a pattern piece, you simply cut along this line and spread the two pieces apart by the desired amount, filling the gap with tracing paper. To shorten, you’ll fold the pattern at the line to remove the excess length.

Bust Adjustments

Full Bust Adjustments (FBAs) and Small Bust Adjustments (SBAs) are very common. These involve adding or removing space across the bust area without changing the width of the shoulders or waist. The slash-and-spread method is a popular technique for this, where you cut the pattern and pivot the pieces to add or subtract volume.

Shoulder Adjustments

Do your shirts always feel too tight or too loose in the shoulders? A narrow or wide shoulder adjustment can fix this. You can also adjust for sloped or square shoulders to get the shoulder seam to sit correctly.

Pants Fitting

Fitting pants can feel like a big challenge, but it’s achievable. Common adjustments include altering the crotch depth for comfort, adjusting the thigh width, and making full or flat seat adjustments to get a smooth fit in the back.

Always Make a Muslin

After you’ve adjusted your paper pattern, you might be tempted to cut into your beautiful fabric. We strongly encourage you to resist this urge and make a muslin first. A muslin, or a test garment, is made from inexpensive fabric (like unbleached cotton muslin) and allows you to test your pattern adjustments before committing to your final fabric. Here’s what to do:

• Sew your muslin together using a long basting stitch, making it easy to rip out seams and make further changes.
• Try it on and look for any pulling, bagginess, or drag lines. These are clues that tell you where more tweaking is needed.
• Pin, tuck, and mark directly on your muslin until you’re happy with the fit.
• Afterward, you can transfer these final changes back to your paper pattern.

Get More Help and Supplies at Inspired to Sew

Learning to tweak a sewing pattern to make your clothes fit better is a process, and we promise you’ll master it with enough practice. The satisfaction of wearing a piece of clothing that you not only made but also tailored perfectly to your body is one of the greatest joys of sewing. It’s a skill that builds confidence and empowers you to create a wardrobe that is truly your own.

Here at Inspired to Sew, we understand that passion, and we want to help you bring your creative dreams to life. Our little sewing store was born from a dream, and we’ve built a community that shares a love for this craft. We believe in providing a welcoming, inspiring environment where you can find the materials you need, learn new skills, and feel encouraged on your sewing journey.

So gather your tools, take your measurements, and don’t be afraid to make those first cuts. And if you need a little guidance or a friendly face to cheer you on, please stop by the store. Let us inspire you!