For some time now I’ve dreamed of publishing my own sewing patterns. I have a lot of sewing experience and many clothing design ideas. A few years ago I drafted an underwear block for the purpose of using up my knitwear scraps to sew my own.
Since that time, I’ve thought about where to start as a pattern designer, that is, what kind of garment should I begin with? I decided to start with something that I’d already designed for myself and that other people would find useful to sew.
After the type of garment was chosen, the next step was to grade the pattern in a range of sizes to fit other people. I’d made the briefs for myself several times and knew that my size works. Drafting blocks for different sizes and knowing that those also work well is what matters most when designing clothing patterns. Knowing that my design is the best it can be is what I’m most focused on achieving.
For awhile it’s been a back burner project, something that I worked on when I had spare time in between my other works. I’ve found that it requires a great deal of patience, because not all my attempts are a success. Every attempt involves making a test garment for fitting, and this takes time. I’ve redrawn and sewn size medium three times before the fit was right. I’ve recently perfected the size small sample on my first try and that was a great feeling.
My recent focus has been on locating other sources of the correct stretch material to sew these with. I bought some fabric from Joann’s to start with, and sewed a pair for myself:
Underwear construction for home sewing is often marketed as a “quick and easy” make, yet the truth is that it needs the same attention to detail given to a larger garment in order to be successful.
This recent pair fits me well, and are very comfy.
I’ll be continuing my work on perfecting the rest of the size range for publication. It isn’t easy, there are a lot of details that need attention to prepare for this that I hadn’t realized when I began. It’s a learning journey, one that I hope to continue sharing with all of you.
Take care and thanks for reading 🙂
Sewcoordinated 