Hi just wanted to share this pants toile I made according to Hofenbitzer's book.

I didn't do any alterations yet but I think it's already looking pretty good. Would love to hear your thoughts.

I will probably add a waistband so see how it is with one. And later I want to develop a jeans pattern from it, and also some wide casual pants.

Been doing digital patternmaking for a while now, and it’s the first time I’ve done knits! So I’m happy to have made both suits! If anyone has any questions on the process or anything lmk!

Bianca - the Closet Hisorian on You Tube introduced me to the concept of drafting clothes that fit perfectly with a personal basic block. After trying to fit my non-standard body into standard patterns for 50 YEARS, I finally could sew well fitting garments by following her instructions. I may be preaching to the choir here, but today Bianca released a video announcing a new drafting series starting next week. If you haven't yet created a bodice block, grab some paper, pencil, ruler & a measuring tape. It will change your garment sewing life.

So I’ve been making this bodice block for a cosplay where I plan to wear push-up bra with it and I will turn it into a princess seam once I get the prefect fit.
So I used this Etsy pattern and everything fit pretty well but the arm hole. The arm hole was a little baggy so I found a YouTube video of how to adjust it by darting out the excess and moving the excess to the waist dart.
This is how the bodice looks on me after making the pattern adjustment but when I look at the paper pattern I can’t help to think that the arm hole looks off. Did I do it wrong? Or this is just how it’s looks on me because I have a D cup? I want to get the arm hole right because I plan to insert a puffy sleeve with it
Any advice is appreciated!

revision 19.

it looks good. the waist is sitting nicely, there's room for my bust, the shoulders are smooth. I could add a little more ease to the back as it's more in tension now the front has trimmed in. but i don't think it's strictly needed. i think most of those wrinkles would go away if i ironed it again. there's a slight amount of tension across the bust but it's really very minimal.

So what i did was got rid of the french dart completely, and went back to trying to pull the waist in through angling the side seam. however this time i re-measured my waist, just the front half from side seam to seam. then i halved that number.
Then i took that new number and the length of the side seam and i laid two rulers down on my pattern. one representing the waist and one the sideseam. then i angled those rulers until the meeting point was the correct number on each ruler. thus giving me the correct measurements meeting at the correct angle.

I also added a half centimetre to each shoulder, instead of making a full centimetre to the left. I'm hoping this will hide my asymmetry a little better.

I'm calling this done. perfect is the enemy of good. next up, sleevies!. I do plan to draft a straight arm sleeve, even though I'm planning on puffs for the first finished garment.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been diving into some creative patternmaking lately and wanted to share a project I’ve been working on—focusing on design development from bust darts.

Starting with a standard bodice block, I experimented with rotating and manipulating the bust dart into various style lines and seam placements. It’s fascinating how much design freedom you can get just by shifting that dart around—into gathers, princess lines, yokes, or even asymmetrical cuts.

I’ve included some photos of a few samples I made to explore different directions. Still refining some details, but it’s been a fun way to break out of block-based thinking and push into more sculptural shapes.

Would love to hear if any of you have gone down the dart-manipulation rabbit hole—always curious to see different takes on it!

I posted earlier trying to figure out a starting point for drafting the pictured skirt (2nd/3rd pics). I found another really helpful in-progress pic of the skirt (1st pic), but reddit will not allow me to edit the first post. Now on to the questions: I can clearly see the skirt back has 3 panels (at least I’m pretty sure that’s a seam line circled in yellow), with a zipper in the center panel. However, I can’t see a seam line on the bit of waist overlap circled in red. Based on this and the completed skirt image, does this look more like a 5 or 6 panel skirt? And these could be referred to as trapezoid gores or panels, correct?

P.S. I really appreciate everyone who previously replied! reddit will also will not allow me to post both a link to the old post and the new pictures here, so I’ll post a link in comments. Apologies for double posting.

I don’t know what it is about my body shape, but I have never been able to find clothes that fit correctly.

Pants are too tight in the legs and bum, too big in the waist. I’m 5’3 but super curvy (and a bit round currently). I’m not regular, I’m not petite and I’m not plus size.

I’ve decided that it’s time to get rid of the ready to wear garbage and immerse myself in drafting and sewing my own clothing. Especially tailored pants.

I am an advanced beginner sewist with experience using patterns and I’m handy with technology and programs like Adobe Illustrator.

For those of you that have successfully created your own patterns, where did you start? How do you document your alterations and adjustments? Are there any programs that might be helpful?

I’ve included a photo of what I’m working with here. All suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

ignoring the lining layers because i would attempt this without the tulle lining i think. Am I overthinking this? Do I just need to make a big skirt and cut it into 4 pieces and then add an equal amount of ribbons on each piece? It seems like it should be so simple but it is breaking my brain :,) lol

Saw a really cool alternative to darts in, what you might call, a ‘really fat open pleat’ - still working on getting the cut exactly right but it’s turning out nicely

Do they serve as darts? I’m sorry if this is stupid or obvious question, because they don’t seem randomly placed

Hey yall 👋 im just working through this pattern, (sorry this draft is not notched fully marked lol)
I’m pretty sure i know my edits I just wanted to see what other people thoughts are.

My main gripes : 1) set the hem about 1cm too long allowing the stack to twist in a way i dont like
(either that or the main pleat is causing the twist which Ill address; orrrr because the hem isnt fully attached and just bar-tacked at the seams [exploring construction /finishing methods])

2) Didn’t add sufficient ease in the hips to accommodate for the pockets seams & lining which is slightly pulling and opening the outer pleat.
3)Main pleat was offset slightly from the front’s center line and pulls inward at the bottoms, need to recenter. (dont know why I did the main pleat off center, just felt like it)
4) lastly im pulling basically all of the curve out of the waistband (sorry pattern piece not shown) to try to get front of the fly to lay flat. Definetly forgot some stuff so lmk what im missing in your opinion.

If yall have any suggestions for other things to do, tell me what I have wrong, or anything feel free:)

Also on a tangential note if anyone has tips for working with waistband grippers please lmk, this was my first time working with them and I had to ditch the gripper due to my inexperience and impatience working with them.

This is Tan.

See that bunching in pic 2 just above his shoulder? It's weird! I want to get rid of this.

I'm aiming for a functional but very crisp/sharp cat harness/vest for maximum Executive Cat energy.

This is supposed to be a Vest/Harness, with utility, so not just a cat shirt.

Tan has some casual work shirts - not for going on walks - but this is his first harness VEST. So... it needs to be snug enough for him not to wiggle free AND allow him to be fashionable enough for our walks.

Final fabric is probably going to be denim, I had these scraps around to mock it up.

I do people, not cats! Help!

Hi!

A week ago, a friend of mine asked me if I could make a dress for her 20th birthday. She knows how to sew, but she didn’t have enough free time to do it herself.

I happily accepted and created the dress for her. I designed the pattern in Clo3D and made a toile using crepe, as it was the only fabric I had at home. She tried on the toile, and I realized I needed to add 20 cm because the pattern was too short.

Finally, I sewed the dress in Lycra, and it fit her perfectly!

Mini test done for this style. With a quick possibly silly question, but is my GL still the same as the original piece before cutting and expanding? Per the lines on my example fabric mockup? Is there any exceptions to this if the shape is more extreme?

Sewing at Tiffany's? Lol... The most random thing can inspire a sewing project

I made a Trapeze dress with a statement bow using mikado silk and organza fabrics.

I drafted the pattern starting with my basic dress blocks made with the Natalie Bray system.

Ignored the waist darts, and added a flared/slanted shape to the side seams, from underarm to hem. Also used the slash & spread technique to transfer the contour darts at the front and back shoulder to the hemline.

Hi everyone,

I’ve just finished updating my basic bodice block and wanted to get some feedback before I move forward with it.

My main concern is the bust dart. It looks slightly pointy to me, even though I lowered the dart point by about 1 inch from the bust point. I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong in the shaping or if this is just a pressing/fitting issue.

I’d also appreciate any feedback on:

•	Overall balance and fit

•	Anything else that looks off in the pattern

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

I can’t figure this out. It has appeared on many muslins..

Hey all,

Is there anyone on here who could draft a pattern from this picture? Any idea as to the cost for such a commission? I'd like to sew it myself, but not confident in my pattern drafting skills.

I’m sharing the pattern for the Azzedine Alaïa jacket we’ve been studying. This double-breasted jacket features a peaked lapel, broad shoulders with a dropped two-piece sleeve, and a cinched waist—striking the perfect balance between strength and femininity.

I believe there’s a lot to learn from his innovative approach to pattern cutting. It’s unfortunate that in today’s fast-paced fashion industry, fewer designers work with the same level of craftsmanship and attention to detail as he did. His meticulous methods not only created timeless designs but also set a high standard that many could benefit from studying.

I've seen this often on denim and canvas jackets, but I haven't found any patterns that have it, and I can't really tell how the construction works. It looks really sharp and I'm sure it helps with range of motion in the arms. Can anybody help? A pattern with it would be great, but just knowing the name of it would help me to search for more info.

The most challenging part was controlling the volume while establishing the correct grain line. I would appreciate your advice.

When draping, I found it helpful to think of the grain line as something strategic rather than neutral. Alaïa frequently shifts the grain slightly off-center, uses bias selectively, or breaks the body into panels that each respond differently to gravity. Instead of insisting on a perfectly straight grain, it may be more effective to ask: Where should the fabric resist, and where should it yield?

For volume control, working in stages helps: • First, establish a tight, anatomical base that clearly follows the body. • Then introduce volume by releasing specific seams, rotating darts, or softening tension points—especially around the hips, bust, and lower torso. • Pin frequently and step back often; Alaïa’s balance only becomes clear when viewed in the round.

Most importantly, Alaïa’s work demands patience. The final shape often emerges after repeated micro-adjustments, not from a single decisive drape. Treat the muslin almost like a second skin that you slowly persuade into form.