Burda Style For people who sew

Hi there!

Anyone that have a tip on a good book on petite patterns? I’m so tired of patterns that are too big in the back… I’ve heard that “Sewing for real people” is good, anyone that know anything about that?

Thanks in advance!

ps. A long shoot here: any Swedish books?
pps. Is this really the forum for this kind of post? It’s very confusing…

Dec 13, 2009, 01.14 PM by queenvanilla

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  Dec 13, 2009, 03.36 PMby katexxxxxx

  The best way is to learn to draft you own patterns, using your personal measurements. If you want to learn to make commercial patterns fit, use something like Fast Fit: Easy Pattern Alterations for Every Figure by Sandra Betzina, or The Perfect Fit: A Practical Guide to Adjusting Sewing Patterms for a Professional Finish by Creative Publishing International, both of which cover all sorts of fitting issues and are excellent.
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  Dec 15, 2009, 10.42 PMby alisondahl

  Yes- this is the correct forum for this kind of posting. I will look into this for you and see if I find anything else that hasn’t been offered. You may want to experiment in the “Lengthen or Shorten here” line that you see on most professional patterns and shorten them to fit you better.
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  Jan 2, 2010, 08.54 PMby mlssfshn

  Use a fitting pattern like Vogue 1004 http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/patterns/sewingpatterns.pl?patternid=639 and make a muslin. You’ll need a friend to help with fitting and you can use google translator for this link http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_c/c-228.html of common alterations including a small back. You can use your fitting garment to draft your own patterns (I use this book on-line http://www.vintagesewing.info/1940s/42-mpd/mpd-toc-short.html) or make alterations to purchased ones.
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  Sep 3, 2010, 12.48 PMby ichigogirl

  I will second Zora: try Japanese books! I just made a few things from Drape Drape vol 2. I’m a size xs, 34 (Swedish sizing) and I have to make a M/L!

  Wow, such a different experience from sewing with western commercial patterns: if the size-chart says Hip 90cm’s you have to have 90cm hips, not 92 if the skirt is fitted or it will be too small.

  I love it. To actually be able to follow the size-charts straight off, relief!

  And Japanese patterns are usually designed for shorter body lengths too, I’ve seen 160cm’s and 163 cm’s, so it’s good for petit women.

  Even f you don’t read japanese, they’re usually very logic, with great pictures and quite easy to understand (with a bit of brain excersize included).