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| Sewing Nuggets Fitting – Couture Fitting Topic: Fitting – Couture Fitting Couture Is A Tradition Of Excellence. Anyone that aspires to produce a couture garment exhibits expert sewing skills and knows the personal satisfaction of creating something made to fit her figure. Couture fit is the best fit that can be achieved. Many skills are required to reach this level of perfection. Generally, a seamstress creates a garment that fits around the body and has the correct length proportions. A couturier demands exact standards of proportion and balance, which are essential to enhance the detail and design of the garment. Here is a step-by-step guide to determine pattern adjustments for figure variations to help develop couture-fitting expertise. What You’ll Need · Basic style commercial pattern, such as McCall’s 2401 (a semi-fitted classic dress that requires fitting expertise). · Medium weight calico or muslin fabric (amount determined by pattern envelope) · Pattern-tracing cloth. · Graph paper · Pattern weights · ½” Wide elastic (length determined by measurements) · Skirt-hem marker · Plumb line (length of string with small weight attached to one end). Establish Pattern Size Measure your key body measurements to select the most appropriate pattern size. Bust: around the fullest part of the bust and straight across the back. Chest: around the body, under the arms above the fullest part of the bust. Waist: around the body at the natural indentation of the waistline. Hip: around the fullest part of the hips usually 7” to 9” below the waistline. Compare body measurements, with the size chart on the pattern envelope to establish which size pattern to purchase. (Adjustments will be made to the pattern for figure variations before the fabric is cut.) The standard cup size, for many patterns is a B cup. When the chest measurement is subtracted from the full-bust measurement and there’s a difference of more than 2”, select the pattern size by the chest measurement. If a smaller size chest measurement is selected, often the back, neckline, shoulder line and armhole are a good fit. Tissue Fitting Cut the pattern along the cutting lines that correspond to the appropriate size. Transfer the pattern markings for the bust point, waistline and hip line; use a soft colored pencil to draw lines across the front and back pattern pieces at a right angle to the grainline (1). These lines will identify if your bust, waist and hip proportions are the same as the standard pattern proportions. Pin the pattern half (right side) together to prepare it for tissue fitting. First pin the darts and then pin the shoulder and side seams 5/8” from the pattern edge. Pin the sleeve pattern pieces together in the same way the fabric would be assembled to make the garment. Leave the sleeve separate from the front and back pattern pieces. Have someone assist you when couture-fitting your garment. Wear a close fitting T-shirt or camisole. Lift your arm and slip or the half pattern. Position the pattern armhole close to your body. Make sure the shoulder line and side seam are in the correct positions. To hold the pattern to your body, pin a length of elastic so it’s slightly loose around your natural waistline and over the pattern. Also pin the pattern to your T-shirt at the center front and center back along the neckline. Slip on the pinned sleeve; pin it to the pattern half along the stitching lines. Put your arms down by your side, and look at how the pattern fits to determine if adjustments are required (2). Look at the bustline, waistline and hip lines drawn on the pattern to see if they’re in the correct positions on the body and parallel to the floor. Mark any changes needed on the pattern tissue. Often when the pattern proportions are adjusted to conform to the body length, fewer adjustments are needed to shape the pattern around the body. Fit the length proportions first (down the body), and then fit the circumference (around the body). If you have a full bust, round abdomen, or a broad back or full seat, more pattern adjustments need to be made to accommodate these areas. Slash and spread the pattern where needed for a proper fit; try on the pattern again. Repeat until the half pattern fits at the center front and center back with added ease for movement. Drop a plumb line from the center from neck edge to the hem. If the pattern isn’t aligned at any specific area, such as the bust, measure the distance between the pattern and the plumb line. That’s the amount to increase the pattern tissue for it to fit correctly. Follow the same procedure to fit the back pattern piece. Toile Fitting After precisely measuring, sizing and shaping the pattern tissue, unpin the pattern and cut a prototype using calico or muslin fabric. This is referred to as “toile fitting.” The toile is shaped to the body to produce a unique form. Each refinement to the toile is completed in order; length proportion, circumference body curvature, bone structure and posture. This method produces the perfect balance and line that flatters the figure. A toile has repeated fittings after every adjustment until the shape and the seamlines move in the most flattering way and compliment the style of the garment. After cutting, draw horizontal lines on the toile at the bustline, waistline and hip line using a soft colored pencil. Draw vertical lines at the center front and center back from the neckline to the hemline. These lines are essential to see if the figure is balanced and the garment hangs correctly. The toile consists of left and right front, back and sleeve pieces. Baste the toile by machine following the pattern guidesheet. Previously only half of the paper pattern was fitted. Now try on the prototype garment to check for balance and symmetry (3). Hang a plumb line from the neckline to hemline so it’s perpendicular to the floor. Determine the symmetry of your figure. A lower shoulder, a higher hip or any other bone structure irregularity will produce uneven proportions on either side of the plumb line. Adjust the toile to disguise figure variations and correct the way the garment hangs. Pin extra fabric or remove stitches and make adjustments where needed. Hang a plumb line from the armhole along the side seams to establish balanced posture. A seam that swings forward or backward requires adjustment. Mark a new seamline on the toile if needed. After adjustments have been made, use a skirt-hem marker to check that the hip line is perfectly parallel to the floor all around the body (4). One adjustment can affect another area of the garment. It’s essential to adjust patterns in the correct order. Look at the garment draglines and wrinkles to determine where to fine tune and improve fit. Master Pattern Use the toile to produce a new pattern that’s unique to your figure – couture fit. Turn the modified toile inside out and draw the dart stitching lines on the front and back before removing the stitching. Using a sharp pair of scissors, accurately cut on the stitching lines to remove the sleeves from the body. Cut away the seam allowances on the sleeve seams, shoulders, sides and back. Separate the toile pieces; iron to remove any creases. Place a large sheet of graph paper, or dressmaker’s squared pattern paper, on a flat work surface and position the toile pieces over the paper. You may need to work with one toile piece at a time. Outline the cut edges of the toile pieces to mark the stitching line of the new pattern. Mark a solid line 5/8” away for a seam allowance. The bust, waist and hip lines establish the new pattern grainline. Draw the grainline onto each pattern piece at a right angle to the horizontal lines on the toile section. Transfer the darts to the paper. Using the original pattern as a guide, transfer all balance markings and details to the new pattern. The pattern may require minor changes for the garment to fit properly when made in your chosen fabric. Fabrics that are loosely woven, made from twisted yarn or contain Lycra will fit more comfortably because they have stretch and allow for more movement. You can fit these fabrics closer to the body than you would a woven fabric that has no stretch. A closer fit achieved by taking in the side seams only. When a couture fit is established, balance and line will not be distorted or altered when the side seams are taken in or let out to accommodate different fabrics. Pictures marked 1 – 4 referred to above are located below, please click on link. -------- Sewing Nugget “Fitting - Couture” is an article excerpted from “Sew News Magazine’s January/February 2008 Issue”. The article was written by Gill Arnold. Gill Arnold, has an obsessive love for sewing, which has driven her career through a wide range of sewing-related experiences. In 1997 she became Sewing World magazine’s pattern specialist and now offers her own sewing courses known as Gill Arnold Dressmaker Training. She lives in To learn more above Gill Arnold, please visit please click here. Sew News’ Magazine is sold exclusively at Amazon, their website www.sewnews.com and newsstands. Sewing World’s Magazine is sold exclusively at Amazon, their website and newsstands. For further details or to purchase please click on the respective names below: Magazines If you are interested in further insights on the subject of Couture Fitting, please click the below link which will take you to a selection of books on the subject. Sewing Places |
