Fit Tutorials and Hacks

Many years ago, I attended a lecture in Saville Row given by a female Tailor who created bespoke suits and evening wear for business women in the City of London. She appeared on the stage of the lecture hall in the most exquisitely tailored suit and spoke about her 25 years of tailoring experience, describing techniques she used to measure individual bodies and common fit issues. The thing that most stuck in my mind from that lecture was that she said that no two bodies are the same. Every single body is different. And that even if the measurements appeared to be the same, the small differences in the way we hold our bodies and curves, create variations that she as a tailor could see and address in her fittings.

Learning to make your own clothes is an exciting and sometimes challenging adventure. And one of the best things about it is being able to adjust sewing patterns to suit your own body shape and adapt them so that they become your own unique design.

I would always recommend making a test version (a toile or muslin) when you are using a sewing pattern for the first time, as it’s a great way to check the fit of your sewing pattern and to practise how to put it together. In the fashion industry the standard fabric using for toiles is cotton calico, which can be used for sewing patterns that are designed for woven, non-stretch garments. To make a toile for a sewing pattern that uses knit or stretch fabrics, try to find a fabric that has a similar stretch to the fabric that you would like to make your final garment in.

On this page I will be sharing fit tutorials and hacks of my sewing patterns to help you to adjust and alter your clothes. It’s a work in progress, so do check back to see what I have added or sign up to my newsletter to hear more.