How To Draft A Pattern From Your Favourite Clothing

How to Turn Commercial Clothing into your Own Patterns

Posted by Katharine Sophia

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After buying the most amazing fabric in the world I discovered I didn't have the pattern to suit it. Enter my favourite skirt and some sewing scrutiny. This is how I did it...

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You Will Need (4 things)

  • Your chosen Fabric
  • Coordinating Thread
  • Pattern Paper/A3 paper
  • Your chosen Garment to copy

Steps (6 steps, 120 minutes)

  1. 1

    Take your chosen garment and turn it inside out and fold it in half. I chose this floral mini skirt from New Look. I also looked at how it had been put together. It was pretty simply put together - a front skirt and two back pieces with a centre back zip.
    I traced around the skirt and added an inch for seam allowance as I went.
    I then cut the piece out, I only needed one as I'm clever! You'll see why.

  2. 2

    Then pin and cut. Once on the fold and then another... not on the fold so that you get two matching pieces.

  3. 3

    Enlist your crafting cat to help you out.

  4. 4

    Now, I stupidly didn't photograph cutting out the waistband and creating it. But basically I lay the skirt on the fabric and cut double the amount it showed me that I needed.
    I then sewed it along the edge, fold it over and sewed it again.

  5. 5

    Once my zip was inserted it was finished and ready!

  6. 6

    MAKING THE PATTERN

    Essentially, this is a tracing exercise, but you need to look carefully at where the seams have been sewn together. For example, if you're making a top, look at all the seams and make each pattern piece in turn, rather than just tracing around the shape. For good measure add an inch for seam allowance to each edge and connect them all.