Vintage Patterns: Sizing a Vintage Pattern

Vintage patterns are much in demand. Something about them attracts the novice and the expert alike. But when you look at vintage patterns, you'll notice that the sizes are not anything close to what we wear today. This makes it difficult to buy a pattern in your size. There's more to sizing a vintage pattern than simply looking at a number, so do your homework first.

Sizes are not the same today as they were 80 or even 40 years ago. So the safest way to pick the right sie is to ignore the size number completely. It's just a number and means nothing. When looking at a vintage pattern, first measure your chest or bust. Measure the largest point on your chest or bust and compare it to the measurements for the pattern you'd like to get. Then purchase the pattern that is right for your measurements. That's what's important.

But you also have to understand wearing ease. This is the difference between the garment measurements and the body measurements. To give an example of this, a pair of pants with a 32" waist might actually be designed for someone with a 30" waist to allow for comfort and movement. Vintage patterns have less wearing ease than their modern counterparts. You may have to add ease to make the garment comfortable. Consider sewing a test garment out of a cheap fabric to see if you'll have to make some adjustements (or even use a larger size).

Vintage Patterns: Purchasing Vintage Patterns

There's been a lot of interest in vintage clothing over the last few years. This interest has extended into the world of sewing. People with a sewing machine stashed in their basement are gathering their supplies and hunting for vintage patterns. But before you grab any old pattern from any old seller, there are some things you should know about purchasing these vintage sewing patterns.

First of all, if you've never used vintage patterns before, or are unsure what exactly makes a pattern vintage, buy only from a vendor who sells only (or at least mostly) vintage patterns. This person should be able to answer any questions you might have and can give you important information about bust measurements and other specifics.

Ask if the pattern is uncut. An uncut pattern is easier to work with because you won't have to deal with the alternations made by another sewer. If the pattern has been cut, ensure that all the pieces are there and relatively undamaged. Using a pattern that has been cut is fine, but you don't want to get it home only to realize that you're missing several key pieces.

Finally, if you have no familiarity with vintage patterns, start with something cheap and easy. Aim for a pattern that costs you between $7 and $15 dollars. The fewer number of pieces the better. Once you have some experience with vintage sewing patterns, you can venture into more complicated styles.

Working With Knitted Fabrics: Stabilizing Seams

Knits can be tricky and don't always behave the way other fabrics do. Seams can present a problem when you run them through a sewing machine, but you can fix this with a simple piece of interfacing. To stabilize a seam when working with slippery or lightweight knits, cut a narrow strip of lightweight interfacing. No more than an inch in width, preferably. Position the strip along the seam allowance and stitch the seam through all the layers. This will prevent the delicate fabric from being pushed beneath the machine throatplate during sewing.

Working With Knit Fabrics: Finishing Edges

Knits are different than other fabrics. They are constructed of interlocking loops, and as such they do not behave the way other fabrics might. When working with knitted fabrics, you have to take these differences into account. Because knits are formed of these all-important interlocking loops, the raw edges don't unravel and typically don't require much finishing. Sometimes trying to finishing seams and edgins only adds unnecessary bulk and ruins the line of the garment.

So how should you finish the seams of projects constructed with knits? This will depend on what you're making. Take a clue from clothes hanging on the rack at your favorite store. Many of these ready-to-wear items don't finish the edges at all, leaving them raw and so reducing bulk. You can follow suit. Or, if you really can't stand leaving raw edges, try a zigzag stitch. These can finish the edge without adding much bulk at all.