Modifying Sewing Patterns

Dear users, dear authors,
Can you modify sewing patterns, or is that not a good idea?

Modifying sewing patterns is possible, and it’s really not rocket science, BUT if you do, you should think carefully beforehand about what you want to change and whether that change will work well with the cut and style of the pattern or garment—because, to put it bluntly, you can’t really turn a ball gown into an everyday work dress just by altering the pattern; the fabric itself usually makes that impossible. If I *only* want to change the size, it should never be more than 2 sizes up or down—in centimeters, no more than about 3 cm in width. Anything else requires a new pattern, otherwise the fit will suffer and it won’t sit right in the front or back. If you do make adjustments, the centimeters should be added or subtracted evenly all around—never just on the sides—or it’ll look like a botched job. For tops, you need to consider the neckline: if it’s already quite generous, you should think about whether you want to make it even wider, because narrowing a wide neckline is a problem in itself—you can’t change something that isn’t there to begin with. With men’s pants, you also need to consider the back pockets—you don’t want them to end up in the crease of the butt after the alteration ;-)—and you need to make sure the fly stays centered on the front of the pants and doesn’t shift to the right or left. With store-bought patterns, the alteration lines are very often already marked; that is, if you want to adjust the length, you’re well advised to stick to these lines. If you want to make a garment wider, you shouldn’t add width to the sides; instead, split the pattern piece and insert the required width there, because you have to take the bust width and back width into account. Many people say those few centimeters don’t matter, BUT they do—because if the finished garment ends up hanging badly on you, you won’t be satisfied either. As you can see, this is really a science in itself, and as easy as it might seem to make a quick alteration, it can backfire. However, there’s plenty of information online about alterations—you just have to dig through it.

Best regards, Inge

Oh wow.
That’s complicated and probably best left to the pros.

It’s complicated and probably more something for professionals.

@ Josefa,
you’re telling the truth there.

Best regards, Inge

The selection of sewing patterns online is actually quite large. So there should be an alternative available, and for that reason, I assume that someone without formal training as a tailor probably shouldn’t make major alterations. 

That's right, Josefa

Best regards, Inge

Josefa, for example, I have to alter every pattern I buy because my upper body is about 3.5 cm shorter on the right than on the left, so my right shoulder sits lower. My grandpa and my mom had the same thing. With store-bought clothes, I always look like I’m wearing something that doesn’t fit me, and with the alterations, it’s only noticeable when I’m standing right in front of someone. That’s why I’ve made a few basic patterns of my own so I don’t have to do this every time—because making an alteration like this is always such a tedious process. I have to shorten the pattern on the right side by about 3.5, sometimes 4 cm in total, and then adjust the armhole again. When I buy a great pattern, I usually buy twice as much fabric for the top. I sew the first piece of fabric exactly according to the pattern, try it on, and then my husband has to step in—he pins it down piece by piece, then we cut it apart, sew along the pinned lines, and put the piece back together. We repeat this process until it fits perfectly. Then I take the *well-fitting piece* completely apart, use it to create my own pattern, and sew it with the *good fabric*. It’s easy to spend a good two days working on a pattern like this—often even longer.

Best regards, Inge

Can you also design your own sewing patterns?

Inge is a real pro! And I also like her humorous way of putting things: "...because if the finished piece ends up hanging on you like you stole it, you won't be happy either."

As a beginner at sewing, I’ve already had my first little experiences with altering patterns. It’s true, it’s not that easy. It’s best to always take it slow and be careful. I made a paper pattern for my shirt and kept adjusting it to my figure until I liked it. Patterns are a bit like off-the-rack fashion. Ready-made patterns are based on average measurements. But who actually has those? By and large, they may fit. It’s no different with store-bought clothes. How many clothes do you have to try on before one fits properly and has the right color, the right cut, the right pattern, and the right fabric? There are often a lot of disappointing purchases among them that you’re not 100% happy with.

But usually, your expectations for the fit of a garment increase when you sew it yourself. Then it really should fit properly. I cut out my preferred pattern in some not-so-nice fabrics, pinned it together, and then carefully tried it on. That already lets you see where you still need to take something in. Then you adjust the pattern and do another fitting.

Yes, it’s all detailed work. The sewing itself is much quicker. But beforehand, a self-sewn garment does involve a bit more work. In the end, though, you have something unique, handmade, and perfectly fitting.

Best regards, Ina

@ina,
when will you be posting more sewing tutorials?

Yes, I actually studied pattern drafting once, Josefa.

Best regards, Inge

Dear Josefa, I don’t have anything planned in that area right now. I’m currently working hard to learn more about this myself. As part of this learning process, I’ve already purchased a few sewing patterns here on CP. Some were very good, and others were absolutely terrible. This has shown me that you really need to be an expert in your field—even when it comes to sewing patterns—so that buyers can successfully follow along and recreate the project.

Best regards, Ina

But I don’t create sewing patterns for strangers, Josefa, because no one pays me for that time and effort. I only do that for my family and myself.

Kind regards, Inge

I’d like to differentiate the question a bit more (as always 😅).

What Inge and Ina describe above, I would call a sewing pattern adjustment (to your own body measurements), and that is actually more the norm.
Because, as mentioned above, very few people have the standard measurements that patterns are generally drafted for.

Here you can already make life easier for yourself if you know your body shape and choose the pattern or the pattern designer accordingly. Nowadays there are quite a few companies/authors who create patterns specifically for petite women, narrow shoulders, curvy figures, etc., etc.

In my opinion, how important an exact adjustment is also depends on the project, e.g. an evening dress made from non-stretch fabric - very important  /  a T-shirt dress made from stretch fabric - less important.

You don’t have to learn pattern drafting for that, but it helps and saves fabric if you read up a bit on sewing pattern adjustments and fit. There are special books on this, and you can often find quite a lot on the websites of the respective companies/authors as well.

By sewing pattern modification, I would understand what is referred to in English as pattern hacking: changing visual details on the finished piece.
So, for example, short puff sleeves instead of the simple long sleeves provided in the pattern. Different collar or neckline shapes. Button placket instead of a zipper.
This also works wonderfully for accessories, bags, home textiles, and so on. The companies/authors themselves often already provide some ideas for that, too.

Great info here in this thread—thanks, everyone.