Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sewing and pattern

Yoga Pants Pattern?

gomichild — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:29:39 -0800

Looking for a sewing pattern for yoga pants. The pants pattern was originally in Burda World of Fashion 11/2007 (I don't have a copy of that magazine however). An example here.

This is similar but the Buy PDF button is broken and appears to have been broken for some time.

I can only purchase online because I am in Japan. Google-fu has failed me as to an alternative source to get this pattern.

Does anyone know of an online site where this (or similar) pattern is available?

Making a pattern from old slacks

sevenstars — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:55:35 -0800

Please help me make a pattern from my all-time best-fitting slacks--which no longer fit me. A few years ago I sacrificed my favorite worn slacks so I could make a copy of them, but apparently I waited too long. I laid the pieces out on some snazzy slipcover fabric and cut them to size, put them together, and voila--Palm Beach golf pants for the woman I used to be, if I used to be a skinny golfer. What do I do now to get a more accurate pattern? I'm thinking I should add an inch around each edge of the slacks, baste with a 5/8" seam, and see how it goes, but if you sew at all, you probably have a better idea.

Looking for classy, contemporary fabric and pattern shops online.

suimin — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:07:25 -0800

Are there any trendy, fashion-forward fabric and sewing-pattern shops online? One of my friends is teaching me the basics of how to follow a pattern to sew clothing. I've been to my local fabric shops and they all have similar fabrics available, and the same clothing-pattern brands, such as Vogue and Simplicity, etc.

Now, I don't want to waste my time sewing clothes that I'm not going to like. A lot of the fabrics available in my local stores are...matronly? Country-kitchen? I've seen lots of boring florals, unoriginal stripes, and tacky satins. Even the plaids are these obvious sugar-sweet color combinations.

The patterns, by and large, tend to be boxy, frumpy, and outdated. I found a few nice dress and skirt patterns, but it seemed odd that, out of so many catalogues, I could only find a handful of designs that seemed at all well-cut, sleek, or original. I personally know a lot of younger people who like making clothes, so why did so few of the patterns seem to appeal to a younger demographic?

So I wanted to check out the competition online before I purchased anything. I mean, I see clothes in stores made from beautiful, creative fabrics. They must get the fabric from somewhere, right? And I'd always assumed that clothes made by the individual would fit better than clothes that are mass produced--and yet, a lot of the common patterns seem to be designed to fit in a boxy, not-tailored way. So, are there any online fabric and pattern shops that are more cutting-edge? (They don't have to cater to beginning-level sewing or anything--I plan on getting good at this, eventually.) I'm willing to do some work on my own--if someone could even just point me in the right direction, maybe recommend a magazine or a blog, I'd really appreciate it. All the searches I've done online have led me to more of the same tacky stuff I can find in the fabric stores here, and I'm looking for something a little more attractive.

How to design a stuffed animal?

apfel — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:06:01 -0800

Sewingfilter: Please show me how to design a stuffed animal for my young niece. She wants a doggie doll, but I've never done anything with a snout before. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to design a pattern on my own. I've botched several attempts and am running low on scraps. I have a specific idea in mind but I can't seem to transfer it to fabric.

Specifically, I want to design a dog shaped ragdoll. Dog head, human body. Something simple, classy, similar in shape to this but with a long, upturned snout. The 3D aspect is throwing me off. I can't seem to get the crest/top of the snout to match up with the sides of the face. Usually the head comes out too fat and the nose comes out too thin.

Can any crafty design veterans recommend how to approach this project? Or at least good resources online on making your own pattern? None of my searches have brought up much.

I appreciate any help you guys are willing to throw at me.

El Gigante

e^2 — Sun, 27 May 2007 18:48:11 -0800

Help me make a luchador mask. I know a man with a very large head who loves lucha libre. This man had a regular old-fashioned hat made for him last year, because he hasn't fit pre-manufactured hats since he was twelve. It was the largest hat size the hatmaker had made by a half an inch in the band and had to be made in brown material instead of the black he originally asked for because the black material wasn't structurally strong enough to stand at that size. So you can see how ordering a mask online would probably not work for him, even with the stretchiness. He's considered a pro mask maker, but first I'd like to find out how difficult a basic stretchy mask would be to make. Preferably, if I could find a basic pattern that I could size up.

Bust from Bond

Count — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:42:42 -0800

Please help me with my sister's prom dress... My sister is graduating and I am making her a prom dress.
I've made the pattern for most of the body and the back, but am stuck on the front of the neck and the bust.
The neck/bustline of the orange dress worn by Solange in Casino Royale would be perfect for my sister's figure. When I contacted the designer of the dress (Jenny Packham) however, I was told that all pattern information is, understandably, confidential.
Does anyone know how I could imitate this cowel neckline, or if there is a pattern which has a similar neckline which I could use?
The prom is in late June, so I have lots of time to order and edit patterns.

Pattern for Marimekko "clover" bag?

misterbrandt — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 09:49:00 -0800

I saw this Marimekko 'clover' bag at a friend's house recently, and I would love to make something similar (well, the more identical the better) for my wife. Ideally, I would prefer a pre-existing pattern. Failing that, I would also accept instructions for how to make an accurate pattern from my friend's bag without ripping all the seams out. Part of the reason that I like this bag in particular is because the panels are cut so the bag has a little "bulge" -- i.e. they are all cut in fairly complex shapes (and my guess is if I tried to guesstimate a pattern, it would look like crap. The devil is in the details, etc.)

(I have read this thread on clothing, patterns, and copyright, but since this is for my wife (not for resale) I am not concerned about the issue of copying Marimekko's pattern. Unless you think I should be...

So: pattern? Or pattern-making tips?

Lead us not into the Garment District...

hermitosis — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:01:58 -0800

Fabric Stores in NYC? We want to buy fabric and patterns this afternoon. Despite our proximity to the Garment District, what we are looking for is a more comfortable, familiar shopping experience. Like when you go to gigantic fabric stores in the suburbs and there are five women all named Louise wearing red aprons who can answer all your questions. Call it a sociological craving.

Is there a store in (or accessible from) New York City that provides a less hectic, less cramped, friendly fabric-and-pattern-buying experience?