Find Your Size
Sewing patterns usually give you a body chart and leave you to work out how much room the garment adds. These patterns give you the finished measurement of the garment instead, taken flat, so you can compare it against something already hanging in your wardrobe.
Measure a garment, not yourself
Find a top you own that fits the way you want the new one to fit. Lay it flat, smooth it out, and measure straight across from one underarm seam to the other. That number is the chest measurement. Measure from the highest point of the shoulder straight down to the hem for length.
Compare those two numbers against the size chart on the pattern page and cut the size that matches. If your favourite hoodie measures 22 inches across the chest, cut the size whose chest measurement is 22 inches.
Why the numbers look small
A flat measurement covers half the body. A garment measuring 22 inches across the chest goes around 44 inches of body and garment combined. The charts on every pattern page are flat measurements, so compare them against flat measurements.
Ease is already in the pattern
Ease is the difference between your body and the garment. These patterns are drafted with the ease the design needs, which for the Classic Fit Hoodie is a lot and for the Midi Slip Dress is very little. You do not need to add anything. Cutting a size up on an oversized pattern usually makes it look wrong rather than roomier.
Which measurement decides the size
- Sweatshirts, hoodies and zip-ups: chest. Sleeve and body length are graded with it.
- The slip dress: bust and waist. It is bias cut, so it moves with the body, but it is not forgiving through the waist seam.
- The beanie: head circumference, measured around the widest part just above the ears.
- Bags: one size, no fitting needed.
If you fall between sizes
Cut the larger size on a knit garment. The rib at the cuff and waist pulls the fit in, and a slightly loose sweatshirt reads as intentional. On the slip dress, cut the size that matches your waist and blend out to your bust at the side seam over a few inches.
Check before you cut fabric
Print the pattern, tape it together, and hold the front piece against your chest. It takes two minutes and it catches a size mistake while it is still free to fix. Remember that the paper includes seam allowance, so the finished garment sits slightly inside the paper edge.
When you know your size, print only that layer so there is one line to follow. Choosing fabric covers the weight each pattern needs, and seam allowance and finishing covers what happens after cutting.
Sizes and skill level are listed on every pattern in the catalogue. Anything still unclear is probably in the FAQ.