How to do a Full Tummy Adjustment
Sewing patterns provide a great template for making your own clothes. Commercial patterns are an ideal way for beginners to start sewing with talented pattern makers who design so home sewers can sew their dream wardrobes with ready-made patterns.
However, people are diverse, coming in different shapes, sizes, and heights. Commercial patterns can’t meet all the variations that’s why learning how to adjust patterns to suit your body is a useful skill to have! Tammy Silver hopes this is a skill that you will gain through this tutorial!
Tools you will need:
- Skirt pattern
- Paper
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Tape measure
This illustration is of a standard skirt block. Most patterns will have these core elements to pay attention to. Patterns are usually drafted on the fold, meaning when the straight edge is placed along the fold line of the fabric and cut, both sides of the fabric will be one piece. The waistline, hipline, and hemline will also be marked.
On your body, use tape to measure from your waist down to the largest area of your belly. Using a pencil, mark this same distance on your pattern by drawing a horizontal line from the centre front line to the side seam.
Creating a full belly adjustment will produce excess fabric on the waist, which will be removed using a dart. To find the position of the dart – mark the centre point of the waistline and draw a straight vertical line down to meet the horizontal line.
At the side seam – draw a line from the waistline to the horizontal line, making sure the line is slightly diagonal.
Now all your lines are ready, time to cut into the pattern! The first section to cut is the horizontal line. Cut from the centre front line to the waistline.
You mustn’t cut all the way through so you can pivot the two pieces to adjust as needed.
Next, cut into the vertical line.
Remember not to cut all the way through so you can adjust the dart as needed.
Play around with the pivot points and once you’re happy, place paper behind your pattern and use tape to hold the pattern in place.
Use a pen to trace around the new pattern piece and cut it out.
You can use this technique to add a full belly to skirts and trousers. Once your new pattern is completed you can go ahead and cut your fabric or you can create a toile first to fix any fit issues that may occur.
