I second this! A good explanation of how ease Should Work would be great. Many of my beginner errors seem to be related to ease - either too much or too little!

Adding ease is the most important step to follow in pattern-making after draping. Wearing ease is the minimum amount of room in your clothing that you feel comfortable with for normal body movement. It is the number of inches added to your actual body measurements that allow for this comfort room. Even though each person has varying likes and dislikes as to how they want their clothes to fit, the sewing industry basically accepts wearing ease to be roughly the dimensions below:

Bust: 3" (7.3cm)

Waist: 1" (2.5cm)

Hip: 2" (5cm)

Crotch depth: 5/8" (1.5cm)

Front crotch length: 5/8" (1.5cm)

Back crotch length: 5/8" (1.5cm)

While ease is included in the Burda patterns on this site and other professional patterns, you must take into account your own body's measurements when adding ease to your own patterns. Each body is different and patterns vary too. What is most important is to take your own body's measurements and compare those to the pattern you are working with. It is highly unlikely that a pattern you purchase will fit perfectly, if you have a good understanding of your own measurements, however, you can adjust your patterns for a perfect fit.

How to Measure Yourself:

BUST

* With your arms at your side, place the tape measure around the

fullest part of your chest, under your arms.

* Make sure that the tape measure remains parallel to the floor.
* The length indicated on the tape measure is your bust measurement.

WAIST

* While standing, wrap the tape measure around your natural waistline.
* Keep the tape comfortably loose.
* The length indicated on the tape measure is your waist measurement.

HIP

* While standing with your feet together, wrap the tape measure

around the fullest part of your body between your waist and your knees.

* This is approximately 20 centimetres below your waist.
* Make sure that the tape measure remains parallel to the floor.
* The length indicated on the tape measure is your hip measurement. 

Fast Fit offers "detailed descriptions to help you identify fitting problems followed by step-by-step alterations with photographs of altered pattern pieces".

Wow, ask and ye shall receive. This is really great info Alison, should help TONS to get things right in the future.

Thanks Alison, Do you think it would be offensive to ask a member who shares a pattern to add a note about design ease is asking too much? Nothing more than close fit, moderate, loose, and so on. Some do, many don't.
Nehmah

I was poking around some sites this evening and ran across this: www.leenas.com/English/macros.html (AS WRITTEN) Scroll down to the bottom of the first page for a very nice aid with regard to what fabrics are best used with what amount of design ease. Nehmah