Very new to sewing using a pattern

How do you use sewing patterns? I have 3 daughters and two of the would use the same pattern, just different sizes. How do I preserve the pattern? Are you suppose to cut the paper? Or trace it? If I cut it then, I won't be able to use it again for the 2nd size. Sigh...help please. I want to make these dresses, but don't want to waste my money by messing up the pattern.

Thanks in advance for any help any of you can give me.

Thanks, Ritz

BTW, my Singer problems wll be resolved soon. The machine is in the shop.

Reply to
momiwithattitude
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If you want pointers on how to read a pattern, and do simple alterations, pop over to the Learning Zone on my web site (url in sig).

As for using different sized from the same pattern... Just trace off the pattern pieces in the sizes you need and remember to transfer all the notches, dots, placement lines, darts, grain line, and other marks. I don't usually bother, unless the pattern is hard to get, as I charge for my time for doing this and a second copy of the pattern works out cheaper! With patterns going on sale regularly in Joannes and such places for 99c, it might cost you less to get a second copy of the pattern than the paper you trace it onto!

Reply to
Kate Dicey

Thanks, Kate for the advice. I'm headed over to your site now.

Ritz

Reply to
momiwithattitude

May I suggest a slightly different tactic for your next projects? There's a pattern company called Kwik Sew that does books of kids patterns in various size ranges (babies, toddlers, children)...

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patterns are good basics that you can trace; they come with good instructions and methods for modifying the patterns so they're uniquelyyours. Very good value for the money. Kay

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

I loved using that for my grandchildren and I also use the one for myself. Although the adult are mostly for knits, they do give explicit directions for sewing them with non-knit fabrics. Emily

Reply to
CypSew

Reply to
sewingbythecea

Oh, now that is a totally childish, spolit-brat thing to do...

He must have been a real joy to have around.

me

On 15 Jun 2006 09:34:10 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote: .

Reply to
me

I use much the same technique, but I use small scraps of light-weight fusible interfacing instead of tape. There is an inexhaustible *free* supply in my sewing room. ;-)

Oh, Cea, how awful! What a brute! I hope they have all recovered.

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

That is really sick! I hope the door hit him in the rear as he left.

Reply to
Pogonip

Gad. You'd think a man would have enough pride to want you to wish he wasn't gone, instead of blessing the day you got rid of him.

Doreen in Alabama

Reply to
Doreen

I am so sorry you were subject to such vindictiveness. That is really sad.

Reply to
Phaedrine

If you are using the same patern, but need different sizes, why not fold back and pin the paper pattern to get the correct smaller size you need. Then after you cut out the cloth, use it to cut another paper pattern that will be the correct size to use next time. HTH Barbara in SC

Reply to
Bobbie Sews More

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

I have throughly enjoyed reading all of your inputs here. Thank you all. I ended up buying some newspaper print, a huge roll of it and traced the patterns out. And just filed away the original pattern, w/ instructions.

Now, for the original project at hand; I wasn't creating something for one of my kids at the time I wrote the topic. I just had a general question about patterns.

Now I have a more specific question.

I am trying to make a set of scrubs for my best friend. Like myself, she is short. So I was looking at the pants pattern. It says to make shorter, fold here. So I folded, like I did the top. Here is where I run into the problem. When I fold, my lines don't line up correctly. So the crotch area is off and so the line on the outter part of the pant leg. I don't know why I don't get this, but how do I transfer that to the newsprint, if I don't know where to draw the new lines to make them A)straight on the outter leg and B) resemble what the crotch area is suppose to be drawn out like?

Thanks again for all of your help!

Ritz

Reply to
momiwithattitude

After folding out the necessary length, draw in the new cutting lines. You should taper the lines from the outermost place to the new side/crotch/inner leg cutting line.

If you have a French curve it helps, you can connect the seam lines with curves rather than straight lines. If you had already cut the entire pattern out, you might have to pin or tape some scrap paper along the edge to draw in the new lines.

HTH,

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

I couldn't have put it better myself! :) If you want a technical term for it, it's called 'truing up' the lines.

Reply to
Kate Dicey

High praise indeed! Thanks,

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

Once you've "trued up" the seamline for either the front or the back of the pants, you can pin the front and back together at the outseam (side seam), matching the notches and curves along the way between the two pieces. Then you can cut your trued-up line, simultaneously transferring the truing to the other piece. Unpin the outseam, and do the same thing with the inseam.

Also, the lines they give you on patterns ("lengthen or shorten here") are more or less suggestions rather than commandments You may find that you're shorter than the pattern in the leg length only. Or you may be shorter than the pattern in the torso length... so do compare your own lengths to that of the pattern.

And once you get a pants pattern adjusted to the "these are great" stage, take the time to copy your adjusted pattern... I use tagboard and hang my patterns on hooks. Other folks use other methods.

Kay

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

I use newsprint and hang them on nails.

Before I had a devoted wall for this purpose, I kept them in 9"x12" envelopes and ironed them before use. (The envelopes patterns come in are *way* too small.)

The patterns I made before I bought the roll of newsprint are on almost anything. (It was about two years after I found the newspaper office before I caught them open!)

I don't recommend flimsy tissue paper, and most heartily don't recommend wallpaper -- it shatters. The cheaper grades of brown wrapping paper aren't bad, but are rather dark hanging on my wall. (Better grades are too thick to keep in envelopes.)

Packing paper is as good as newsprint if you iron it. Disposable non-woven towels are a bit stretchy, and don't iron flat.

The first batch of clearance non-woven interfacing was wonderful, the second batch was fuzzy and stretchy and quite useless. (I suspect the first batch of being surplus stabilizer from a garment factory; this was long before the advent of home embroidery machines, so I hadn't heard of stabilizer at the time.)

A piece of official pattern-making non-woven fabric was horrid: the texture was too coarse to write on, and it was so transparent that one couldn't be sure where the edges were. Shelf paper was excellent, but Woolworth's morphed and closed, and people no longer put paper on their shelves. Gift wrap often has a white side.

I also harbor two packages of spreadsheet paper -- ever wonder why those programs are called spreadsheets? -- and a roll of graph paper. Joy Beeson

Reply to
Joy Beeson

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