The Perfect Fit!

Early on in my stay here in Melbourne, you may remember that I met a woman (Maria) at the Australian Quilt Market who had designed a ruler called The Pattern Drafter.  At the market, Maria had given me a very quick demo on making a pattern sloper for a bodice and showed me a muslin she had created using her Drafter.  Using only her ruler and a measuring tape, she told me that you could create a sloper for a bodice, a skirt, pants or a sleeve.  Taken together, these slopers are all that is needed to create custom designed clothing that will fit each individual, using your own body measurements. 

Naturally, I was curious and wanted to know more.  She told me that she would have some workshops coming up at the beginning of the year that would provide a hands-on experience using her ruler. 

I kept in touch with Maria over the holidays and agreed to meet her after I returned from our trip to New Zealand.  Finally, the appointed day arrived and I traveled two hours by train, to a town in the state of Victoria called Bendigo.   Maria met me at the train station and took me to her studio for the workshop.  Our time together was less of a workshop and more of a private tutorial on how to use the ruler.

During our time together, we created a sloper for dress and pants.  It went so quick I had just enough time to sew up the muslin for the dress before heading back to Melbourne.  The muslin sample fit like a glove!   My time with Maria was like meeting an old friend, she was a pleasure to meet and work with.  We had much in common and I enjoyed talking to her during our time together.

One of the things I was most interested in drafting was a pattern for a pair of nicely fitting pants.  If you know me at all you know that I almost always wear a skirt.  This is partly due to the fact that I have a very hard time finding pants to fit nicely that are not too tight, too low in the waist and do not ride down when I sit down. 

Well , as I write this blog, I am wearing a pair of pants.  A pair of dark denim city shorts to be exact.  For the waistband, I made a facing and after sewing it on, understitched it to help hold it in place.  I placed the zipper in the center back so that there is no extra bulk over my tummy or hips.  Regardless of where I placed the zipper, I had the freedom to make them any way I so desired.  I even had control over the length.  It is wonderful to know that I now have a workable pants pattern.  And, I won’t stop here.  I see a dressy pair of jeans in my future along with linen capris and a wide leg pair of trousers for the fall.

At the moment, a have few extra pounds on me.  (I didn’t know the food in Australia would be so good!)   My point in bringing this up is that when I proceed in making another pair of pants and have lost some of this extra fluff, I will still have the Drafter to make myself another pattern.  I will always be able to make a nicely fitting pair of pants for myself.  Same goes for a blouse, jacket, dress, skirt – whatever! 

Do you have a problem with measurements from where you are not the same size on top as on the bottom half?  Using the Pattern Drafter it doesn’t matter as long as you take accurate measurements.  My measurements are currently in centimeters, but it could be in any form.  At first I felt apprehensive, but I don’t find that to be a problem.  Why you ask?  Because a number is a number is a number.  Once you have taken the necessary measurements in centimeters (or whatever sizing) you only work with those numbers.

Lastly my fellow sewista’s — just so you aren’t left out — you won’t have to travel to Australia to purchase this wonder ruler or take a workshop.  Just Make It Sew in Burlington, New Jersey will be the first among shops in the States to satisfy your curiosity and quest for the perfect fit!  I will be offering a workshop on the Pattern Drafter soon after I return from Down Under.  Check out the JustMakeitSew website for more details and reserve your spot now for this class.  I will have a few of these wonder rulers for sale and will be taking orders for more if needed.