Today’s question is…
How do you pick out a pattern to use for a project?
What pattern did you use for this costume?
I get a lot of people asking me what patterns I use for projects – and I try to mention it on my build pages, and I have a whole pattern index of my collection over on my pinterest!
The thing is, I can count on one hand the number of times I made NO changes to a pattern – and I think maybe once I tried to follow the pattern directions to a t. And I gave up halfway through and finished it my own way. I guess I’m just a rebel like that (in reality, I have a hard time reading/comprehending written instructions – I learn by doing.)
So, when I say I used this pattern for this project, it’s usually NOT exactly like the picture on the front and not made to the directions. I just try to find something that has “good bones” and go from there. Let me find an example.
Here’s the pattern I used for my Donna wedding dress, plus a picture of my finished Donna dress for reference:
The funny thing is, I already had a couple of nice, empire waisted formal dress patterns in my collection, but they all had little spaghetti straps. So I went and looked at the fabric store and bought this one – a empire waisted formal dress with spaghetti straps. LOL. So, I used the basic pattern pieces – the skirt, mostly. I liked the way this particular pattern was empire waisted but still fitted to the body. I took the pieces for the top, traced them onto paper, and then added the section to go over the shoulders – I pinned these pieces to my dressform and just kept playing with them, editing them and redrawing them until they were basically the shape I needed, then I used them to cut out some scrap fabric and test the shape/fit. THEN I cut out my real fabric.
Oftentimes the editing just happens on the fly without the steps of redrawing a pattern piece – if I know I want this piece to be shorter or less full, I’ll fold the pattern piece up as I’m pinning it onto the fabric, I cut something longer or fuller than the pattern piece. Changing the shape of a neckline from square to scoop just means remember not to cut to the pattern and cut the fabric differently.
I also use different pieces from different patterns a LOT, and I often times don’t remember that I did this (I just do it without really thinking about it), or don’t remember what pattern it was I used. Sleeves are the biggest thing this happens with – if the sleeve on the pattern isn’t right, I’ll just grab something else, cut it out, and go with that without ever really thinking about it. It happens with collar pieces a lot, too. Unless it’s really specific and “different” enough to stand out, I’m not going to file it away for future reference.
So, now that we’ve gone through that, I’m going to walk yall through my process of picking a pattern to use. I’m hoping to make Peggy Carter for DragonCon this year, and I have yet to even so much as glance at patterns, so yall are going to get my real-time thoughts as I look through stuff for something.
Now, straight off the bat, I know I’m not going to find something exact down to the seams. I’m going to find something that is close enough, and, as I make it, edit it to be more like the costume. So, first, I’m going to look through my own patterns to see if anything might work (and this is why I have a pattern index – it’s easier to scroll through this than paw through all my drawers of patterns).
So, just going through them, the first jacket I see is this one. I’m going to discard it because it’s a men’s jacket, and the extra editing needed to get it to fit is more than I want to tackle, when I KNOW I can find a women’s jacket pattern instead and not have to do that extra editing.
Next, I’ve got this one – it’s a nice shape but otherwise not very close.
Then, there’s this one – same deal, it’s not very close.
Now this one is interesting. Obviously it’s too long, the sleeves are too puffy, but it has a decent shape and a good start for the collar. It’s a contender.
That’s all I see at a glance in my own patterns – I have more at home that AREN’T in the pattern index (i need to update it…) so I can look through those, but for now, I’ll look online. I’ll check out Simplicity’s site, Butterick, McCall, Vogue, and KwikSew. (Full disclosure – when I said I hadn’t started looking for patterns that was a lie. I looked for vintage/vintage recreation patterns a couple of days ago but didn’t find much that was useful. I haven’t looked at regular patterns yet.)
Now, I always look at the costume section first, because there’s a bigger array of different and unusual things there. But, since this is something more specific, I’m going to go have a look at Vogue’s Vintage line first. Sadly, no luck there – nothing looks like a good starting place.
And nothing really good in Simplicity’s costume patterns on their site – I hate looking at the regular clothes sections online (too small pictures, too many things look a like), but here we go.
Oh, now this is interesting – good length, good sleeves. Collar is decent, would have to be slightly modified but not terrible. Leave off the pockets, edit for seams – it looks like a good starting point.
Now, even though I still have other companies to look at, I’m only going to glance through KwikSew. Simplicity and KwikSew are my preferred pattern companies, and that last pattern was good enough to the point I don’t feel I need to keep digging much further. And I don’t see a darn thing – glance real quick through McCall’s and I’m calling it a day. Y’all just followed along as I picked a pattern.
The skirt is much simpler, btw, I won’t even dig for something for that – I’ll probably just use this one and modify it to be more fitted.
Added on 4/16/15: Since I’ve long since finished this project now, here’s the finished product using the blazer pattern!
It could use a little more tweaking in the fit department but overall I’m pretty happy with it. You can read more over at my Peggy page in my portfolio.
Anyway, to wrap it up – when you’re looking for a pattern and there’s not something EXACT (which is going to be rare) – you just need to look at the bones. I’m picking that last one because the shape is good, and the sleeves/collar are close enough that they just need minor edits. The seams will need some playing with, but it’s a good start. That’s really all you’re looking for – a good start, a jumping off place, when looking for a pattern!