Pattern Grading

Okay, some of you may have seen a weird version of this post, which I published accidentally. Sorry for the retcon ...

Anyway, Kate (who earlier had a question about Hawaiian dresses, which you all answered in record time), writes:

I recently acquired some AWESOME Vogue Special Designs dress patterns, but they are several sizes too small and about 10 inches too tiny for me in the bust/waist.

I am learning to redraft my own patterns, but in the meantime I would be happy to pay somebody for their expertise in resizing my small patterns into my size and tracing them onto pattern paper for use in my sewing room. Do you know of any companies or individuals who offer this type of service?

While I am in the mood to pay others to help with my sewing, are you aware of any companies that offer the service of cutting and marking patterns, then mailing the patters, fabric, and cut pieces back to the owner to complete the sewing?

I am so eager to sew that I am looking for shortcuts to speed up production time. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you.

I know nothing about grading but I found this nice post from Kathleen about grading machines. (I'm always in favor of more gadgets ...)

And this, from the Threads site, too.

And the pattern above? Is just an example of the kind of thing I'd grade if I could ...

Comments

[the_lazymilliner]

I'm not aware of any such service, but I'll bet the Bakelite buttons in my collection that there were many companies that did kind of thing in the past. I think I even have a vintage fabric card circa. 1930s for door-to-door salesmen would leave behind for prospective customers.

[Sandy]

Thanks for the posting. I just traced a 1950s pattern which I am going to have to grade up a size. So this is right on time for me.

[Dana]

I've used the cut and spread method from the Threads magazine and had really good luck.

[Sew Bettie]

That pattern is amazing. I think I may need that dress.

[Jamie]

Angela at www.blesseddesigns.net does pattern grading and probably anything else you'd need for a fee.(I'm not affiliated, just a very satisfied customer)

[Vegan]

What's with the pocket flaps on the bust in that pattern? I doubt those are functional pockets, so they were added for purely esthetic reasons? Probably anyone over the age of 10 would not want those pocket flaps on there.

[Chantelle]

Thanks for posting the Threads grading method. I had been using the sensibility instructions but they don't give accurate vertical grade amounts. I was using the other instructions to grade a pattern up 10". When I looked at the "finished" product, I realized that the underarm and CF measurements couldn't possibly be the same for both me and someone who was 10" smaller around than I am! I found the Threads instructions and use those now.I love how the stripes in the pattern go in lots of different directions :) I wish I was creative enough to make that happen.

[Belle]

What is retcon?

[Lavon]

THANKS FOR THE TREADS ARTICLE IT WILL COME IN HANDY. i HAD THAT BEFORE AND ACCIDENTLY TOSS IT AWAY.

[okaykay]

this post READ MY MIND. i can't tell you how freaky that is. that is why your blog is my daily salvation.last night i finished my first sewing project on my new machine (that's how i discovered your blog by the way...your post on "buying a machine" and all the intelligent comments were incredibly helpful). cutting out the pieces was the least enjoyable part (it was a throw cushion consisting of two squares and a rectangle!) the grading article is also timely as i just made use of the momspattern discount and ordered my dream-wardrobe-in-waiting with no regard to size :)

[Adrienne]

Yes, thanks for the THREADS version as stated above by chantelle. I did not like the S&S one either; I usually use my drafted sloper and begin there, and yell, cry and scream the rest of the way. God Bless.

[belphebe]

If Kate (or anyone) manages to find a company that will cut out the patterns and mark them, let me know! Although, I'd probably continue to do it myself, since I've gotten used to altering patterns for me. Still, it would be nice to have the option of getting someone else cut everything out.Years ago, my landlady did all the pattern layout and cutting for me, and I really appreciated it. I wonder if I can find her and convince her to do that again?

[Anonymous]

This is off-topic, but....I figured out how to fix the beloved-yet-infamous Walk-Away dress. Anyone want to hear about it?-Sandra

[Erin]

Dear Sandra,Yes, please!

[Belle]

Sandra, I was just talking about the walkaway dress yesterday. Please share!

[Anonymous]

Ladies, start by making a muslin (aka a Sloper) of your torso. Have a good friend help and mark with permanent markers things like high & low underarms. Then you can put the paper pattern on your "torso" and expand using the Threads method. Use this for costumes all the time

[Cara]

I don't know this with absolute certainty, but I'm willing to bet that if you posted a request on Etsy's 'alchemy' tab, you could find someone who loves grading patterns and would be willing to do so for a fee.

[Anonymous]

Well, we all know the problems inherent in the pattern of the Walk Away dress. It pulls to the back, AND the front creeps up your legs. So... first, reduce the mass at the back by making it a HALF circle. THEN, and this is important, the front creeps up because it's a sheath pulled flat against your body. And you're trying to anchor the whole damn thing at the waist, but there's no waist seam. So make one. Cut it at the waist, and replace the straight skirt that clings and creeps with a quarter-circle skirt (with the top edge going, oh, half way around your waist). My new Walk Away dress is not entirely finished, but it's cute and twirly and adorable, and a vast improvment on my first one! It sits at the waist, doesn't creep up, and doesn't pull anywhere! Bonus-you use less material!-Sandra

[Cookie]

Wow...is that featured dress a faux corset = faurset? I think a contemporary Princess Aurora might wear that, traipsing through the woods and singing :)

[astrojen]

Thank you so much ; once again Erin you have taught me more things I have never would of put into constructive thought. I wondered about this , but I had no clue what it was called. Thanks to the ladies who posted tips.My favorite blog for sure

[Kristen]

i know a lady who knows how to draft patterns. i'll ask her about grading and then aim her at this post. that pattern is so fantastic! SO! FANTASTIC!

[Doris]

Thanls for the post, I'm planning to re-size (okay, UP-size) some of my favorites later this summer...

[Allison S-K]

@ Sandra: you are a genius for figuring this out and saving me the trouble for my next walk-away. Now, where did you put your pockets?

[3KillerBs]

Thanks for that information.I'm learning to draft patterns, but learning to grade will be invaluable for getting things like collars and cuffs right.

[lorrwill]

Great and timely post because I usually find patterns I love that are too tiny or (more often than not) too big and not by just a little, too. Yay for ADAD!Now is it just me, or do the ladies on this pattern look really, really snooty? I mean, yeah you look all that and the dress is fantabulous but really! The down the nose thing?