Tip Of The Day: Fitting Clothing As You Sew

I’m working on sewing a new winter jacket for my husband – and seeing as we got a good snow fall this morning, it needs to get finished ASAP!

I’ve shared a couple of different tips and tricks for altering patterns before you sew, but there’s one I haven’t mentioned yet…

It’s important to try garments on as you sew them!

Patterns are rarely shaped to fit you.  They usually need some tweaking to get them just right.  And let’s face it – if you’re going to go to all that effort of sewing something, why not make sure it’s done correctly?

For instance – I’m a “pear” shape.  That means my shoulders are slimmer than my hips.  Most sewing patterns are designed for someone who is evenly balanced, hips and shoulders.  If I use a sewing pattern, without altering it – my tops are either too loose in the shoulders or too snug across the hips.

The solution?

After you’ve sewn in any darts or shaped seams into your garment – baste it together and try it on.  That will allow you to see if there’s a spot that needs to be taken in or altered somehow.

Hey – I’d much prefer to make a change in the early stages rather than having to undo a bunch of my sewing at the end!

image: Stock.xchg