Creating with Flat Pattern

I can be a very picky person when it comes to paying a high price for clothes. I look at all of the details- how will the fabric hold up? Can I throw it in the washer and forget about it? Will I have to fix this zipper or these buttons after I wear it once? Did the manufacturer sew it in a way that I know will hold up over time, or are the seams already falling apart?

I’m that person that looks crazy in Anthropology, because I’m looking up the skirt of the mannequin to check how the hem is sewn. Not to be creepy, although it is fun to embarrass whomever I’m shopping with this way, but because I don’t want to spend $200 to take something home and fix it. I’ll usually end up with nothing, because I know that if I make it myself using the flat pattern method, I can come up with something that fits me 1000x’s better than anything in any store. It will be made out of fabric I know will last, with finishes that I like, and nothing will be too short, too tight, or too expensive.

Flat pattern allows you to create slopers based on your measurements, and therefore make patterns that were made for your body. It has nothing to do with what any store or pattern company assumes your measurements to be. You get to have your bust, waist, and hip curves exactly where they actually are. You get to decide everything about what you’re going to wear– from zipper placement, to darts, fit, sleeve length and everything in-between. It can be daunting to some people that everything is in your hands and it’s your decision, but the freedom you gain from that allows you see everything in a different light.

Suddenly, it makes sense why the shoulder seams of your shirts fall to the top of your arms. You’ll understand why a skirt made out of stiff fabric fits everywhere but gapes at the back of your waist, and why that dress you love has never fit you quite right. You’ll look at everything you buy in a whole new light, because you’ll be able to see what’s actually fitting you correctly, and what’s completely wrong.

I recently used flat pattern to create a cute corduroy skirt, because all of the ones I found didn’t match up with how I wanted it to fit.

I chose the soft fabric, zipper detail, buttons, pocket depth, and everything else about it! It’s absolutely fantastic, and everything I was looking for.

If you’re interested in making your own slopers and finding out much more about patterns in general, a Flat Pattern 101 class starts next Thursday night, at 6:00 PM. There’s still time for you to get your book, pattern paper, and round up lots of ideas for Flat Pattern 102!