I generated and printed a pair of MyFit Leggings custom to my measurements and fabric stretch. I chose the wide side panel with high pocket with a 5" contour waistband.
(Did I misspell my own name when I saved my pattern? Sure did. lol)
We are going to be drawing a new inseam and removing a section from the front and back inseams. Then drawing a new long gusset to replace the missing section of fabric. The new gusset will go from knee to knee. The image below shows the front and back leg pieces only, the side panel and pocket pieces won't be affected by this hack.
In the Generator screens there is a page for crotch extensions, I used my front crotch extension number as a guide for determining how far up the front crotch rise to start the gusset. The crotch extension tells me how much of the crotch curve is between the legs, under the body.
My crotch extension in front is 2.375". I didn't want the gusset to start too far up the crotch curve, so I subtracted.5" from my crotch extension and measured 1.875" from the crotch point up the curve. This became my start point. The end point for the gusset is at the knee notch.
Draw a curved line to connect the gusset start point with the knee notch. The gusset should taper into the knee notch.
From the start point of the gusset, we now need to extend the front at the rise seam and draw a straight line to create the center fold for our front piece.
In the image below, the dot represents the place we measured to using the crotch extension. It is the start point for the new inseam. Draw a straight line that starts at the start point you marked in the rise, parallel to the grain line. Extend the top edge of the leggings to meet the new straight line you have drawn. Label the straight line with a fold marking so you don't forget to cut on the fold. These lines are represented in black below.
Onto the back: The new gusset should not take up so much of the back crotch curve that the gusset becomes visible when looking at the back. So we will use the triangle gusset lines to make sure the gusset does not extend too high. I have marked the tip of the triangle gusset for the starting point of my new inseam. The end point will be at the knee notch that will already be marked on your pattern.
Draw a curved line that connects the point at the end of the triangle gusset to the knee notch, the new curved line should taper into nothing when it reaches the knee notch. It will look very similar to what you have drawn on the front pattern piece.
To determine the measurements for the gusset:
To determine the length, measure the length of the new curved lines for front and back. (Pictured below.)
To determine the width of the gusset at the center fold, measure from the original crotch point to the line where the new inseam starts.
Cut down the line you have drawn for the new inseam to remove that section of the pattern piece from the front and back inseams, the removed sections of the pattern can be discarded.
Here are the measurements for my gusset.
Add the two width measurements together, mine were 1 7/8 + 2 1/8, which came out nicely to 4". My longest length measurement was for the back and measured 14 1/8". To start drafting my gusset, I drew a box that was 14.5" long and 4" wide.
I need to draw a line for the gusset back. For me, this line should 14 1/8" long. I angled my ruler so that the line would go from one corner to the middle of the box at other side.
Using the end of the gusset back line as my starting point, I angled the ruler to meet at the bottom line of my box. This line needs to be 13 5/8", so it will not reach back to the right corner of my box. That is ok. Draw your line starting at the left point and finishing at the bottom line of the box.
Your gusset should now look like this. We will next connect the two lines that are on the right.
Connect the point for the back gusset line to the front gusset line. The ruler will need to be angled slightly. The new line should still measure the same amount as the previous width, in my case 4".
Here is the new gusset, Add a fold marking at the straight line for the width and draw a grainline arrow parallel to the fold line. The new gusset is the triangle you have drawn. The box we used for drafting can now be ignored.
Gusset will be Cut 1 on the fold. The measurements we took before were only for one leg, cutting on the fold ensures the gusset is long enough to go from knee to knee.
You will notice that I am not adding any seam allowances to the gusset. That is because I didn't remove any seam allowances earlier so they are already calculated when we took our measurements.
Sewing Instrutctions:
Follow the pattern instructions until you get to the inseam. (Sew the Side panel with or without pocket, Sew the side seams, sew the back crotch seam.)
Your leggings should now be connected to each other at the sides, but the inseam is unsewn.
Make sure that your knee notches are still marked on your front and back legs. Mark them again if need be. Mark the center front of your front legs piece. Find the center front and center back of your gusset. Center back is marked with two clips in my picture.
With right sides together, clip your gusset to the center back crotch seam of your leggings at the center back of the gusset.
Continue to pin the gusset to the back leg, matching the end of the gusset to the knee notch. Once gusset is pinned into place along the whole length, sew using your selected seam allowance.
Once the gusset is sewn to the back leg, match the gusset front center to the center front of the pant, with right sides together. Match the gusset ends to the knee notches on the front leg. Press the seam from the gusset back towards the new seam you will be sewing.
Match the remainder of the inseam and pin or clip into place. Sew the entire inseam from ankle to ankle using your selected seam allowance. Make sure that the seam at the gusset ends is fully captured in the new seam.
That's it! Continue to the instructions for your selected waistband and ankle finishing and your new leggings, with long gusset and no front seam, are finished!
This was a really fun hack to work through and I am so happy with the results. I also like the long gusset-I've never made a pair with a long gusset before, consider me hooked. I topstitched with a reverse cover stitch on my pair to make the new seams really stand out in pictures, but that's an optional step.
The method detailed above would work for creating a long gusset even when you don't need a seamless front. Just skip the step where you create a new fold line for the front leg piece. Sew that inseam as normal right after sewing the back inseam. Gusset installation stays the same too.
Thanks for joining me today,
Cyn
Join us in our Facebook Group or tag us on Instagram so we can see how you utilize Apostrophe Patterns to make your creations.
One of the best things about a sleeper or romper pattern is that it is infinitely customizable. You can add ears, tail, belly “spots”, applique, “ruffs”, spines, foot covers, and more! Last year, my kids all wanted to be Pokemon, so I ended up customizing the MyFit Sleeper pattern for each child.
Of course, you can do more than what is included here, these are just some of the options available for adding to a sleeper to make a bodysuit costume for a child (or adult)!
The Pokemon I made for the kiddos were Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu, Eevee, and Sylveon. I will be including some of the additions from the Raichu and Eevee costumes.
If you want to have your additions stand up or be firm/stiff, you will need some kind of heavyweight interfacing. I used Pellon 50 that I cut a little smaller than the size of the pattern piece to give the ears, tails, and other pieces structure.
The first thing I did for each costume was to find a stock photo of each Pokemon, preferably from both front and the back. I made a list of the different things that needed to be added to each costume. For example, for Eevee, I needed to add ears, tail, and a mane. Since my daughter was going to be Eevee, she elected to have the female Eevee tail, which has hearts on the end.
For construction, the first step was to project (or you can enlarge and print) the ears and trace them on paper or cut the fabric directly.
Because the Eevee tail is round, I halved the tail piece and cut it as four separate panels and then cut the end of the tail piece in a curve to make the “heart” for the end of the tail. I sewed together the tail ends to the tail bottoms and then sewed those four complete pieces together to make the tail.
Because I needed the tail to stand up, I sewed a wire hanger into the back of the romper (sorry I don’t have pictures). Because I knew I’d need to do this, I picked a ½” seam allowance for the romper and used a zipper foot to sew down the edge of the inside of the seam allowance to enclose the wire hanger in the back and put the top end of the wire into the seam below the hood. Also, the opening of the tail was large, so I hand sewed it to the back around the edge of the tail so it would still be round after attachment. I used lightweight foam to stuff the tail to keep it from collapsing.
For the mane, I used yarn that I looped and sewed onto the neckline before I added the hood. I snipped the bottom of the loops after they were sewed onto the neckline.
For the Raichu costume, there were a lot of complicated pieces. I started by tracing the ear and tail pieces. I freehanded the belly piece, just making sure that there was overlap for a seam allowance between the main and the belly pieces. Raichu required a belly piece, ears, cheek applique, and tail. This costume was complicated by the fact that the ears needed to stand up some and they are also three dimensional.
First, as with Eevee, I projected the pieces and traced or cut the fabric directly. In the case of the belly piece, I opened the romper pieces in Inkscape and added an ellipse to the pattern front and moved it around until I was satisfied with the placement. I cut around the ellipse making sure to include seam allowance and cut the bodice piece also including the extra seam allowance.
Because the tail piece is an odd shape with a lot of corners, when I was assembling, I didn’t sew the entire perimeter, but rather left 3-4” open where the long tail tube would need to be joined to the tail piece. If you do a shape like this, make sure to trim your points and snip into your corners and trim the seam allowances there. This will make your corners nice and sharp. You can also use a pin to pull the corners through more
After sewing the tail pieces, I added stiff sew in interfacing to give the tail body and structure. Because the tail is a weird shape with a small opening, I rolled up the interfacing to get it inside and then massaged it into place.
To sew the tail tube, I tried a new-to-me technique, taking a long thread tail and putting it down the inside of the tube to pull through at the end since I didn’t fancy turning a 50” tube. It worked really well and was a lot easier than turning by hand!
After sewing the tube, I needed to add it to the tail and I wanted to do it with seams enclosed, so I sewed it right sides together to the opening of the tail piece.
I pulled the tube through and then folded the side seams in so that they were enclosed and then sewed down the outside edge as close to the edge as I could. Tail, done!
To sew the belly piece in, I lined up the belly cutout and the front bodice pieces right sides together and sewed. Make sure you check that both belly pieces are in the same place on each side! I topstitched the seam allowance around the belly piece, but that is totally personal preference! Once your belly piece is in, you can then treat the whole thing like a complete front piece and sew the zipper in as in the pattern instructions.
Since I wanted to make sure that the belly piece was lined up, I followed the following procedure for putting in the zipper: I basted the front seam allowance with a 5mm straight stitch down the front the length of my zipper and then switched to a normal stitch length for the rest of the length. Next, I used my fingers to push open the seam allowance all the way down. I then used double sided tape (DST) on both sides of the zipper and lined it up on the opened seam allowance and sewed down one side of the zipper and up the other side making sure to go back and forth on the bottom a few extra times to secure the bottom of the zipper tape. After attaching the zipper on both sides, I ripped the basted stitches down the center and double checked that the zipper wasn’t terribly wonky and could easily open and close.
It’s really important to NOT do what I did the first time and forget to sew the tail into the back bodice pieces. I needed to seam rip and sew it in after the fact, but you can totally do this before and save yourself the angst.
Moving on to the hood, I assembled all my pieces and moved on to putting the ears in.
One of the best things about a three piece hood is that it is easy to put ears in any direction. Because the Raichu ears are a weird shape, I put interfacing in the ears and left tabs sticking out the bottom of the ears to attach to the hood.
To put on the cheek pieces, I first stitched around the outside with a straight stitch and then I did a 0.5mm stitch length and 2.0mm stitch width zigzag all the way around the outside of the cheek circle. You can also skip zigzagging around the outside as long as you’ve stitched around the outside and made sure your piece is secured. Other people have used embroidery machines to add eyes and cheek circles instead of electing for appliques.
Once all that is done, the rest is easy! Assemble your romper as in the instructions, add your feet (if you want to add shoe covers, you can just do the top of the foot and not the bottom, but I elected for cuffs on the arms and legs) or cuffs or hem.
Voila, it is finished!
The last step, put them on the excited children and take pictures, if you so choose. ;)
It is worth mentioning that a fair amount of work goes into costumes like these and it can be frustrating if an idea doesn’t work perfectly the first time or if something comes out a little wonky or not lined up perfectly. When stuff like that happens (especially with animal costumes, fictional or otherwise) I just remind myself that genetic variation is a thing and that
If you use the MyFit Sleeper to make costumes we would love to see your creation! Please join us in our Facebook Group and post or tag us on Instagram.
Happy creating, friends! <3
~Magdalene Jackson
]]>
It all started with this picture.
I realized I make almost every tee I make into a V-Neck, and I’ve got the process that works for me pretty figured out! It may take a bit of practice but I promise you can make beautiful V-Necks with only a TINY amount of math.
We’re going to start by cutting out our shirt. I start with the front and this is where I adjust the neckline. Choose how deep you want your vneck. I like the high crew as the base for this, but a lower V-Neck works exactly the same. We’re now going to draw a new curve following the line as per the images below. Mine ended up a bit deeper but it’s all good =)
You can practice cutting this on paper, or using a marker but I find it’s totally doable on the fly with a roller cutter.
Finish cutting out your back and sleeves, making sure you cut the back on the same line you started your front neckline (so in my version the high crew neck) so that the shoulders line up. The next thing we need to do is cut the new neckband!
Start by checking the width of your neckband on your original pattern - this is written on the band pattern piece. 2” works well with a ⅜ Seam allowance but since we choose our own in the generator you may want to adjust accordingly.
Next we have to measure our new neckline, I do this just on my mat using my finger to pivot.
This is where we do math - don’t worry it’s not that precise and there’s room for error. I measured 10” for the back and 17” for the front. My fabric is good stretchy with decent recovery, so unless it has super strong recovery I use 85%. If your fabric is a super strong athletic fabric, you can try 90%, and if it’s a very loose knit you can decrease this. It may take one or two tries but 85% works for me almost every time.
So the math:
Neckline length measured * 0.85 + 2”
For mine : 27*0.85+2” = 24.95 - I’m going to round this to 25. I always round to the easiest number to cut, there’s flexibility.
The 2” is for the V we’re going to cut into the end, make sure you add it after finding 85% of the length.
I’ve made a little calculator that does this for you, Imperial:
Metric:
If you’re working in cm, add 5cm for the V instead of 2”, the calculator above does this for you =)
To shape the “V” we’re going to find the centre of the band we just cut and mark a line as below - make this line half the width of your band. For my 2” band that’s a 1” long line.
After finding the centre, I use the 45 degree mark on my ruler to line up with the line we just drew. If you don’t have a quilting ruler you can measure from the top of your line to the corner and cut that way. We’re going to remove this triangle now.
Whew! We made it through all the math! We cut everything out! It’s FINALLY sewing time!
Follow the instructions for your shirt until you get to the neckband.
We’re going to start by sewing the point we cut out of the neckband, using a ⅜ “ or 1 cm seam allowance and a straight stitch (this is important for a nice sharp V!) Drop your needle in the centre and pivot. Snip in the middle as close to your stitches as you can.
We’re then going to fold the neckband length-wise, wrong sides together. We’re going to open the seam allowance of the V and line them up together. You can iron your neckband here, it makes the following steps easier. (I never iron so I won’t be doing that here =P )
This is also a good time to do two things:
Next line it up with the neckline! Use a pin and make sure you can see the pin from the wrong side of the shirt. We also want the pin/neckband as straight and vertical as possible
I now pivot the band and clip one side about an inch away - we’re going to sew one side at a time.
Using a basting/long straight stitch on a sewing machine start sewing from about 1” away from your centre pin. I find it makes a much cleaner V-neck band if I sew with the shirt on top of the band - it prevents the shirt from bunching up or gathering funny.
When you get to your pin, go slowly, hand crank if necessary and drop your needle at your pin, lift the presser foot and pivot to go down the other side. At this point make sure you adjust the shirt body so it’s smooth under your needle.
When finished basting, take a look and see how it looks on both sides. If it’s not super crooked, and looks good on both sides we get to move on! If not, adjust and rebaste until satisfied. This shirt took me two tries, but it’s taken me many more than that.
If you’re really patient you can hand baste this in instead (keep in mind your seam allowance!) I find the V sharpens out on the final sew so I considered this one fine =)
Now is the time to cut through the main bodice at the point until your stitching line. I find it always comes out nicer if I do this AFTER basting the band in. (Don’t mind my threads, I’m terrible for trimming and removing them, usually that’s my partners job before we leave the house.)
Our next step is sewing the neckline. I’m going to do this on my serger, but I’ve done many on my sewing machine. I like the lightning stitch!
Match your quarter pins and start sewing from the point of the V.
Once you get started, stretch to fit between your quarters until you get to your last pin/clip before the other side of the V. For the last bit you’ll continue to stretch but you’ll want to sew right off the other side, closing off your “loop” with a point at the V.
At this point I take a look to see if it’s straight and even. This one was not so I did another line of stitching to even it out on one side. Usually that solves it for me, since the baste already had it nicely lined up.
P.s. unless you’re writing a blog post and taking really close up pictures, only you’ll see that it’s a millimeter crooked once you’re almost done writing and already uploaded all the photos. Most folks won’t notice and I promise it still looks great on y’all!
Now it’s time to finish the shirt as per the instructions and then enjoy your new fancy V-Neck!
Fun fact: these legging are the MyFit riding tights.
Thanks for sewing with me!
Join us in our Facebook Group or tag us on Instagram so we can see how you utilize Apostrophe Patterns to make your creations.
// ]]>]]>
Bishop sleeves are full sleeves that are gathered at the wrist, and typically have some pooling just above the gathers. They are a great way to dress up a pattern and add just a little something extra.
We will be adding width and length to our MyFit sleeve to create a bishop sleeve.
I use medical bed paper for all my pattern hacking and alterations. I started by laying my sleeve piece atop my tracing paper with the sleeve head near the top edge, being sure there was plenty of room around the other 3 sides of the sleeve. I added 3 dotted lines down the sleeve, to designate my cutting lines. Because this was for a young child, 3 lines was enough, but you may opt for more slash lines on a sleeve meant for an adult or older teen. The first line was at the center of the sleeve. Then determine your slash placement by making sure the same distance measurement from the center line to the right or left for the next line.
In the image below, you will see a black line drawn below the sleeve. I drew my line 2.5" (6.5cm) below the sleeve. I added a small piece of tape to the top of my sleeve head at the center line to secure the sleeve pattern.
Cut on the dotted lines starting at the wrist of the sleeve and cutting towards the sleeve head. Do not completely cut through the sleeve. Stop cutting so that the slashes aren't completely severed and this will leave a "hinge" where the sleeve will then spread, but leave the length of the sleeve head intact.
At this point, you can spread as much or as little as you would like to add your desired fullness.
I put 1" (2.5cm) between the center slash, and 1.5" (3.8cm) between my outer slashes. Once you are happy with the separation, tape the slashed sleeve in place. Then draw the new sleeve seam as shown below. I used a ruler to draw a straight line from the underarm point down to my longer sleeve line.
Now add a curve to the wrist edge of your pattern piece. You can choose to curve for the whole length like I did, or focus the curve more on the back half of the sleeve for more pooling towards the back. I opted for the full curve and just free handed the curve, it was about 1/2" (1.2cm) lower than the new line I had drawn.
On my pattern below, you'll see that the original grain line arrow is now at an angle. Draw a new center line down the pattern starting at the sleeve head. This will be the new grainline instruction.
In the next post, we will construct the bodice and go through how I used the circle skirt and gathered skirt calculators to complete the look.
Thanks for joining me today, I look forward to finishing this dress with you.
Cyn
Join us in our Facebook Group or tag us on Instagram so we can see how you utilize Apostrophe Patterns to make your creations.
Do you ever get struck with inspiration and you just can't wait to make it a reality? I got to thinking that my daughter would look so cute in a wrap dress. I wanted it to be a fully functioning wrap dress. My hang up- she is a tricky to fit kid. Her chest and waist measurements often put her in a size 2, but at 5 years old-that isn't a deep enough armscye and definitely is missing much needed length.
The MyFit Tee was a perfect fix for that! In fact, I used only Apostrophe Patterns to make my whole vision a reality.
My first step was to take her measurements and get the tee printed. I cut the shirt along the waist marking.
After printing, I traced my front bodice piece to create a whole front bodice. I like to use medical bed paper for my pattern hacking and alterations. It worked really well for this project.
To create a wrap front, it's important to use a full front bodice.
After completing the trace of my pattern, I determined that it was still a little long at the waist level and shorted by about 1" (2.5cm)
The next step involves making a few decisions:
I wanted my wrap to go all the way to the sides, where long ties would be used to close the dress.
I also wanted a full coverage neckline, since this is for a child.
I drew a diagonal line from just below the shoulder seam that connected to the opposite side seam just above the hemline.
Make sure to transfer your grainline to the new pattern piece.
This pattern front will work with the back bodice piece since we didn't adjust the armscye or the shoulders. The sleeves will also fit because in the next blog post, we don't manipulate the sleeve head or the armscye.
In the next post we will hack the sleeves into bishop sleeves. After that, we will talk about the construction of this dress and how I used the circle skirt and gathered skirt calculators to complete my vision.
The final dress in this project is on the list of my favorite things I have ever made! I want to make one that is my size too.
Thanks for joining me today, I look forward to finishing this dress with you.
Cyn
Join us in our Facebook Group or tag us on Instagram so we can see how you utilize Apostrophe Patterns to make your creations.
My husband recently asked for some base layers which was a perfect time to hack on an exposed elastic waistband. Exposed elastic is also a great option when using the MyFit Leggings or MyFit Riding Tights to make boxers.
Step 1: Waistband options
When creating your pattern, select Yoga Waistband. This waistband is ideal, because it gives you a starting point for the length of the elastic as well as including a seam allowance along the waist edge. You will not need to print the waistband pages when printing your pattern.
(This image is taken from the MyFit Riding Tights screen, though all bottom patterns have a yoga waistband option.)
Step 2: Measure the elastic you plan to use.
My elastic was 2" and I entered that as my waistband height on the next screen of the generator.
Step 3: Elastic Length
On the waistband pattern piece, the measurements are included for those who prefer not to print. I used the length of the yoga band as my starting point for the elastic length. Stretch your elastic before measuring, then before cutting, wrap that length around your "waist" location. Elastic stretch varies so you may need to add to this length. My elastic was very stretchy, so I was able to use this length. Alternatively, you can use the Elastic Waistband Calculator to determine the elastic length.
Step 4: Attach Elastic
Close your elastic into a loop by overlapping the elastic ends by .5" and sewing it together using a zig zag stitch over each raw edge. If you have a different method you prefer for closing elastic, like butting the ends together or using a fabric scrap to join the edges, use that method.
Quarter the elastic and the waist opening of your pants.
With elastic against the right side of the fabric, match the quarter points. If you are using a large seam allowance, place the elastic below the fabric edge, but still within the seam allowance. I used a 1/4" seam allowance, so put my elastic edge at the raw edge. If I had used a 1/2" seam allowance, I would have placed the elastic 1/4" below the raw edge.
Sew using your selected seam allowance, being sure that if using a serger you do not cut the elastic with the blade.
Turn elastic up, and optionally topstitch the seam down to the pant using a zig zag or coverstitch.
Switching to an exposed elastic is an easy and quick hack, I'm off to make a similar pair for my son to go under his soccer uniform.
Please join us in our FB Group or tag us on Instagram to share your MyFit makes or if you have any questions.
~Cynthia
In a fully lined bra, these seams can occasionally create a bulky seam or some sensory discomfort. Using a flat front option for the lining can be an effective way to address and minimize these concerns.
The key to making this method work:
I worked in Inkscape to demonstrate how these two options can pair together. The black pattern will be the shaped front and the red pattern will be the flat front for the lining. Notice that the back piece is identical and you can't see the black pattern underneath. That is true also when we look at the straps and front neckline.
Princess seam pattern in black and Flat front in red. The black is not visible because the patterns are identical.
Horizontal Front in black and Flat front in red. The black pattern below is hidden because the patterns are identical.
The change is visible when we look at the front patterns. Using Inkscape, I moved the front pattern pieces so that the notches lined up. This better demonstrates how well these options will work together. I also generated these demonstrations with 0 seam allowance to make it clearer.
The black pattern pieces are the Princess seam option, with the flat front in red. Once sewn, the side seam will match up with the lining.
The black pattern pieces are the Horizontal seam option, with the flat front in red. Once sewn, the side seams will match up with the lining.
Once you have your patterns ready, cut the shaped front pieces out of your main fabric and the flat front pieces out of your lining fabric.
Follow the instructions for constructing the flat front lining, and the shaped front piece. Once the main and lining are sewn, the side seams will match up and you can continue to assemble the bra following the pattern instructions to complete a bra with a seamless lining.
Please join us in our FB Group or tag us on Instagram to share your makes or if you have any questions.
~Cynthia and the AP Team
The number of style options in MyFit patterns makes them among the most versatile PDF sewing patterns available. On the MyFit Joggers, there are six waistband options alone. The large number of style options, means the combination of options, plus the pattern’s adjustments for fabric stretch and body measurements means the possible different patterns that can be generated is almost unlimited.
For certain options however, some limits or caveats have to be added as a warning to avoid unwanted results from a combination of options that ends up being incompatible.
The flat-front waistband on the MyFit Joggers is one option that doesn’t work in all situations, and this post explains how to ensure it works as intended.
Why is the flat-front waistband challenging to get right in a joggers pattern?
The MyFit Joggers pattern is likely the only PDF sewing pattern that offers a flat-front/elastic band waistband on a joggers pattern. The reason others don't offer that option is that by design joggers don't taper in at the waist like trousers do.
On a joggers pattern the waist opening is set by the hip size, which is part of why they are so comfortable. When body measurements have a high waist to hip ratio there's a lot of fabric that needs to be gathered into the waistband. With the flat-front option that means all the gathering has to be in the small back waist area, which can lead to excessive gathering in some situations.
**A note about MyFit bottoms patterns, waist is defined as top of waistband, not natural waist. Hip should be taken at the fullest part below "waist" that is above the crotch. **
Here are some tips to get the best results with the flat-front waistband option on the MyFit Joggers pattern:
Extend gathering over pocket area to make the flat front waistband work better for more fabrics and body measurements
A stylish way to hack the flat front elastic waistband option so gathering is done over a larger area and looks more subtle, is to add pockets and extend the back/elastic portion of the waistband over the pocket area.
Here are the steps:
The result will look like this, with some variation in pocket style.
I hope this helps you navigate the Flat front, elastic back waistband for the MyFit Joggers.
Please join us in our FB Group or tag us on Instagram to share your makes or if you have any questions.
~Cynthia and the AP Team
Comparing your first pattern to your adjusted pattern is an excellent way to check the changes before moving back to fabric. There are two ways to do this. First, by printing a miniature copy of your pattern in both the test and the adjusted pattern. Second, by using a free program called Inkscape, to overlay the two patterns digitally.
We have prepared two blog posts to walk you through both methods:
]]>
You will need to have downloaded and installed Inkscape. Inkscape is a free program and a great tool, especially when comparing patterns. You can find it here. Click on your operating system to begin the download.
Before opening Inkscape we need to download your patterns. For ease when comparing, you will want to go back into your project, and using the previous button to navigate, find this page and select the option for the fewest number of pattern pieces. This will eliminate duplicates and make it easier to find the pieces we need. This is not an option on all Apostrophe Patterns at this time, if your pattern does not include this option, please proceed to the next step.
When doing a digital comparison in Inkscape, we use projector files. After selecting the fewest number of pages, if applicable, use the next buttons until you reach the file selection page. Select Projector File in the drop down menu, press next and download your original pattern as a projector file.
Then, use the previous buttons to go into the measurement pages or the style option pages and make your desired changes. Once your changes are made, use the next buttons to get back to the download page. Change your project name, select save, and then download again.
Once both patterns are downloaded it is time to get started in Inkscape. When you first open Inkscape, you will see this screen. Select New document.
After Inkscape loads, select File, Open. Then find your original pattern.
You should be looking at this screen now, which will have your pattern visible. The first step to take is to select the whole pattern and Group it together using ctrl + g.
Then I like to zoom the pattern to fit my screen. The red arrow is pointing to the zoom menu. Once open, select the circled zoom option. This will enlarge your selection to fit the window and make the pattern easier to view and manipulate. Be sure to click the black arrow in the red box right away, or anything you click will just continue to zoom the screen.
Next, open the adjusted pattern using the same method as above. (File, Open.)
Once again, select the whole pattern. Before grouping, change the color of the lines to better differentiate which pattern is which. The color can be changed by holding the shift key and clicking the color of your choice. The color options can be found along the bottom of the screen. In this case, I chose blue.
Once the color has been changed, it is time to group the pattern pieces. Instead of grouping the whole pattern as was done for the original, I find it best to group each pattern piece individually, since changes to measurements and options can adjust a pattern piece's location. To compare all the pieces correctly, they need to move independently of one another. For the joggers pattern, it is most important to compare leg front and back, so those are the only two grouped and they are grouped separately of one another.
After grouping the leg front and the leg back, copy just one using ctrl + c. I started with the leg back. Then click over to your original pattern window and paste, using ctrl + v. Your screen should now look similar to this.
You can move the blue pattern piece to overlay the corresponding pattern piece while it is still selected, as indicated by the dotted line surrounding it, by using the up and down arrows on your keyboard or by hovering your mouse over the pattern piece and when the icon has 4 arrows, click and drag the piece to overlay. You can then use the up/down/right/left arrows to adjust until it is overlaid correctly.
I like to line up pants patterns by matching the crotch points, as I find that helps me see best what changes have been made. That is my preference and you may prefer lining up at the side seams.
Repeat with the other pattern pieces. Return to the adjusted pattern window, copy the piece, and paste it into the original pattern window. Then drag it to the right position and use the arrows to make small adjustments until it is overlaid correctly.
Now that the front and back leg pieces have both been overlaid onto the original pattern, the changes can be evaluated. In this case, the only change made to my pattern was to use the Knock Knee/Full inner thigh adjustment. The change this adjustment makes can be seen clearly now, the fabric of the leg is more toward the center of the body/inseams.
Comparing patterns saves time and fabric by allowing us to easily see how measurement and style changes can affect the pattern.
If you prefer printed comparisons, please see the blog post here.
Please join us in our FB Group or tag us on Instagram to share your makes or if you have any questions.
~Cynthia and the AP Team
Let’s first walk through printing the patterns. To do this, go back into your project, use the previous button until you get to the page that asks how you would like your pattern pieces. For mini patterns, you will want to select as few pieces as possible. This option may is not available on all AP patterns yet, so your pattern may not have this. If not available, please proceed to the next step.
Use the next buttons to get to the file selection page, and then select the A0 file from the drop down menu.
Then continue to the next screen and download your pattern.
Now for the adjusted pattern, use the previous buttons to go into the measurement pages or the style option pages and make your desired changes. Once your changes are made, use the next buttons to get back to the download page. Change your project name, select save, and then download again.
Open both pattern files in Adobe Acrobat Reader, preferably on a computer, not mobile. Once the patterns load, start with your first file and select print.
On your printer options, you will need to make a few changes.
1- Select Fit or Fit to page.
2- Change your selected pages to print: here I have opted to print only the leg front and back of my joggers pattern. Double check in the print preview that all necessary pieces are there.
3- Check if you need to change the page orientation as well. I selected portrait.
4-Print
Once your patterns are printed, collect your coloring tools and scissors. I chose to use crayons to color in my adjusted pattern pieces. Coloring the adjusted pieces will help differentiate which pattern is which while comparing. In the pattern below, I added a knock knee adjustment and made no other changes.
Place the adjusted piece above or below the original pattern piece to see the changes. I like to line the patterns up at the crotch point.
In this comparison, the adjusted pattern is colored in blue and laid on top of the original pattern. At the hem line the difference of the knock knee/full inner thigh adjustment is visible peaking out.
Comparing patterns saves time and fabric by allowing us to easily see how measurement and style changes can affect the pattern.
If you prefer digital comparisons, Inkscape is a great tool. You can find that post here.
Please join us in our FB Group or tag us on Instagram to share your makes or if you have any questions.
~Cynthia and the AP Team
(Image from MyFit Jogger waistband selection screen.)
Topstitching a waistband is aesthetically pleasing, but is also practical and useful. Elastic can twist inside a waistband, which causes discomfort and can affect the way your garment sits on your body. Topstitching the waistband prevents the elastic from twisting, and therefore, can increase comfort.
Topstitching the waistband will take place after the waistband has been attached to the garment, elastic is inserted, and the hole used to insert the elastic has been closed. Your waistband should look similar to below. The fabric will gather on itself since the elastic is smaller than the waistband.
After the waistband is attached with the elastic inside, determine how many rows of topstitching you would like based on how wide your elastic is. Mark where you want your topstitching to be and use a seam gauge, if desired, to be sure you have straight topstitching.
In the image below, I used 2" (5cm) elastic. I opted for 2 rows of topstitching, each approx. 5/8" (1.5cm) from the seam and the top edge of the waistband. My stitching lines are marked by 2 pins.
Use a straight stitch. Stretch the elastic by holding the waistband/elastic with both hands, one behind the presser foot and the other in front. You want the elastic to be stretched as much as you can without stretching the waistband. Sew completely around the waistband, maintaining stretch of the elastic. You will need to stop and reposition your hands as you make your way around the waistband. Be sure that you are not tugging on or pushing the waistband, but are applying stretch only and allowing the feed dogs to move the waistband through the machine.
Stretching the elastic is important to this method. Without keeping the elastic stretched, your elastic will be limited, stitches will pop, and your finish will not be even.
When you have reached the start of your stitches, backstitch a few stitches to secure your topstitching.
Then repeat this process for the next lines of topstitching until you have completed your desired amount. You will need to stretch the elastic for each row of topstitching.
When you release the elastic, you will have a nicely gathered waistband.
Thanks for joining me today and learning how to finish an elastic waistband with topstitching. ~Cynthia
]]>
Patterns from Apostrophe Patterns are automatically generated to body measurements entered and style options selected. But even the best pattern algorithms need a human eye to look over the results and check that the resulting pattern looks reasonable, catch any mistaken measurement entries, or just review to adjust selected options before printing (or projecting) and cutting fabric.
How to preview your pattern
The easiest way to do a screen preview of your pattern is to select “Projector File” on the page size selection screen in the Apostrophe pattern generator.
Then press Next button and Download button on last screen. This will download a PDF file with your pattern, and you can double click that to open it and review it.
For a more detailed review, it is best to get the file opened in a PDF reader, like Adobe Acrobat Reader on computer, or Xodo PDF Reader on mobile.
When reviewing pattern, you can do the following checks:
Using measuring tools to analyze your pattern
In many cases, it’s also a good idea to review the pattern in more depth, using the measuring tools in your PDF reader app. Measuring the pieces is helpful to see what the ease is in various places, and to check that lengths of inseams, sleeves and overall girth have generated correctly.
When comparing pattern pieces to body measurements, we have to account for seam allowances on pattern pieces when measuring them to have an accurate ease calculation. One easy way to do that with Apostrophe pattern generators is to set the seam allowance to 0 in the program for your pattern. (Make sure to then download pattern without saving, so your saved pattern keeps your proper seam allowance. Or save the pattern with a new name such as No SA added at the end, so you keep it separate.)
Then if you measure your zero seam allowance pattern, you can directly compare pattern measurements to body measurements, to understand how much ease the pattern is including.
To measure pieces use ruler in the measuring tools in your PDF reader:
In menu select Edit>Manage Tools and click Open under "Measure".
A ruler will show up in toolbars - click the ruler and measure any distances on pattern.
You will see a box in corner with measurement, you can also zoom in to see the measured amount on the ruler drawn on pattern.
Xodo PDF Reader is a free PDF reader app available from the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store.
The measuring tools in Xodo can be easier to use than the Adobe tools, so it can be helpful to do the measuring in Xodo even if you are printing or projecting pattern from computer afterwards.
In Xodo to measure pattern, use the following steps:
Click down arrow at top of screen to change to Measure mode and the ruler tool will appear in toolbar.
Draw a line with the ruler tool in the area you want to measure.
Then click X at bottom to close ruler tool.
Next zoom in on the line and you will see the measurement in small type.
Bunny Costume Pattern Measuring
Taking the time to do the steps above to measure the Bunny Costume pattern PDF is especially recommended if sewing it in larger child or adult sizes.
This pattern is different than other Apostrophe patterns that have undergone extensive testing in many body sizes. The Bunny Costume pattern is a quickly released free pattern released to have fun with before Halloween and has mainly been tested on small children and dolls (adult fit has been tested as parts of other patterns, but not extensive costume-specific adult testing yet). This pattern will disappear after Halloween to undergo testing and be released at a later date.
If you want to use it for adult sizes as a fun pattern for Halloween, measuring these areas will allow you to preview how it will fit before cutting fabric, so you can make adjustments and ensure your muslin/test garment is a good success:
If measurements show inconsistency with body measurements, such as not enough ease, or too much ease (keep in mind for the Bunny pattern it is a costume fit, so the ease should be generous in some areas, especially the crotch/girth), you can adjust measurements to customize the fit. Or you can also email the details to jill@apostrophepatterns.com or post in the Apostrophe Patterns Facebook group to see if the pattern can be adjusted, if there seems to be an error in how it is drawing.
~Cynthia and the Apostrophe Team
]]>
"Ease" is a very common term to hear in reference to sewing. So, what is it and can it be adjusted to obtain a desired fit with Apostrophe Patterns?
“Ease” is the difference between body measurements and fabric measurements once sewn up (also called finished measurements). It describes how the garment will fit on the body.
Ease can be a positive number, which means the fabric is bigger than the body, and more ease means a looser fit. This is often referred to as "Positive Ease."
Ease can also be a negative number. “Negative ease” is when the fabric is smaller than the body and the fabric has to stretch to fit over the body. Socks all have negative ease, as do leggings, swimsuits, and many other types of garments made from knit fabrics or stretch woven fabrics.
In the Apostrophe Patterns’ MyFit Joggers and MyFit Underwear, ease amounts are included in the downloaded pattern at the bottom of the measurement summary.
See this blog post to learn how to preview your pattern on screen, before printing or projecting. Previewing a pattern is a good step for reviewing your pattern, the amounts of ease, and understand how it will fit before cutting fabric.
This is an example of the ease listed on a MyFit Joggers pattern:
To change the ease amounts, and customize the fit further than the Slim, Regular, Lounge fit options included in the pattern (along with Tapered, Straight and Flared leg options), we can use two methods:
Actual measurement + amount of ease you want = Modified measurement + ease amount stated on pattern
For example:
Actual measurement 15” + amount of ease you want 1”= 16”
Modified measurement 14” + ease amount stated on pattern 2”= 16”
For other patterns that don’t have ease amounts listed, we can use measuring tools in PDF Reader software to measure the pattern pieces on screen and understand how much positive, or negative ease is included in the pattern, to help check how pattern will fit in advance of cutting fabric. See this blog post to learn the ways we can do that.
If you have any other ease related questions, we'd be happy to answer them in our Facebook Group. ~Cynthia and the Apostrophe Team
]]>
I started with my daughters measurements and used the capri option so the legging would end just below the knee. For this method, I used the side seam option so that the pattern would have a front and back piece.
The leg finish is set the same as my seam allowance again.
Here are my pattern pieces, I printed the quarter circle skirt twice-one piece for the leg front and one for the leg back. I measured the leg opening minus seam allowances and used that as the waist measurement for my circle skirt and measured from the bottom of the knee to the floor to get the desired length for the circle skirt. Choose the Cut in 2 option for the quarter circle skirt.
Next we will secure the skirt pattern to the bottom of the leg pattern so that we get a single pattern. Start by folding the patterns length wise and marking the center of each pattern. Mark the center at the knee of the leg and the waist of the quarter circle skirt. I drew a purple line to make my fold visible.
Match the edges of the pattern at the fold. The curved corners of the skirt will overlap the sides of the leg. Make sure that the skirt is straight and even. Tape the patterns together. Repeat for the other leg.
In this image you can see both front and back leg patterns. Cut two of each front and back, mirror image. When cutting, smooth out the join of the skirt to leg bottom. The fabric in this image is folded, so I end up with 2 of each piece that are mirror images of each other.
Once everything is cut out, this is what you will have. 2 fronts, 2 backs, and a waistband piece.
The leggings pattern instructions have the crotch sewn first, but because of the new shape of the pattern, I thought it best to sew the side seams, then inseams first and finish with the leg in leg method. Follow these steps for both legs. With right sides together, match a front leg with a back leg at the side seam. Pin and sew the side seam.
Now pin and sew the inseam. **Note: You pattern may have a longer back inseam than front, that is normal for some measurement sets. In that case, Pin starting at the bottom of the inseam up to the knee point, then ease the back inseam into the front by gently stretching the front inseam to match.
Now that both legs are sewn together, we will use the leg in leg method to sew the crotch seams. Turn one leg right side out and the other wrong side out. Pull the leg that is right sides out onto your arm, then pull the wrong side out leg over the leg on your arm, being sure that the seams are in the same place on your arm. This makes it really easy to line up the crotch seams and sew them in one pass.
Once the crotch is sewn up, refer to the tutorial to a attach your chosen waistband. Then hem the bottom of the pants.
Here they are all finished. I love that this method has a continuous leg with no joining seam at the knee. This method gives a much different look than the first method, both methods have been a big hit for us though. My daughter has gotten lots of compliments from strangers since these made it into her wardrobe.
I hope you feel inspired! If you make some bell bottoms using this method, please come share it in the Apostrophe Patterns fb group or if you share on Instagram, tag @apostrophe.patterns so we can see your creations!
Thanks for joining me- Cynthia
Interested in a different technique? Try Method #1
]]>
I am working with the MyFit Leggings and the Add a Circle Skirt to anything patterns to show you how I made bell bottoms for my daughter. She loves fun clothes and watching her walk in the finished bell bottoms is one of my favorite things ever. Lots of kick steps.
For this method, I used a full circle skirt and the pant has a connecting seam just below the knee.
I started with my daughters measurements and used the capri option so the legging would end just below the knee.
Notice that I changed the leg finish and instead of choosing a large hem I made it match my seam allowance. I did this since that will be where I attach the circle skirt.
I measured the leg opening and used that as the waist measurement for my circle skirt and measured from the bottom of the knee to the floor to get the desired length for the circle skirt. I chose the cut in one piece option for the circle skirt.
Here are my printed patterns. Notice the fold markings on two sides of the skirt piece. I'll show you how I cut that.
I first fold the fabric up enough so that the whole pattern can rest on the folded section. Continue this fold the whole length of your fabric, you need it to be straight for the next step. I use a long ruler, move the pattern from the fabric, and fold from the unfolded edge of the fabric over the ruler. Then gently pull the ruler out without disrupting the folds.
Here I have lifted the edge of the fabric for a visual. The fabric should now have a folded square with 2 folds on the bottom edge and one fold on the side.
Place the pattern back over the fabric with the fold markings on the folds. Cut your pattern out and repeat to get a second skirt for the other leg.
The leggings pattern instructions have the crotch sewn first, but to reduce bulk when attaching the circle skirts, I decided to sew the inseams first. Follow these steps for both legs. With right sides together, pin and sew the inseam.
**Note: You pattern may have a longer back inseam than front, that is normal for some measurement sets. In that case, ease the back into the front by gently stretching the front inseam to match.
Turn the leg right side out and mark the seam and the halfway mark from the seam.
Mark the center of the circle skirt opening in two places, at the halfway mark as well.
With the right side of the skirt matching the right side of the pant leg, match the halfway points you have already marked. Sew the seam to attach the circle skirt.
After attaching the skirt to both legs, we will use the leg in leg method to sew the crotch seams. Turn one leg right side out and the other wrong side out. Pull the leg that is right sides out onto your arm, then pull the wrong side out leg over the leg on your arm, being sure that the seams are in the same place on your arm. This makes it really easy to line up the crotch seams and sew them in one pass.
Once the crotch is sewn up, refer to the tutorial to a attach your chosen waistband. Then hem the bottom of the circle skirt.
Look at these all finished, so much fun and lots of drama! My daughter was having a blast kicking these out while she walked for extra effect.
I hope you feel inspired! If you make some bell bottoms using this method, please come share it in the Apostrophe Patterns fb group or if you share on Instagram, tag @apostrophe.patterns so we can see your creations!
Thanks for joining me- Cynthia
Interested in a different technique? Try Method #2
]]>
To help understand all the options and how to measure for each one, there’s a post which walks through all the steps for each pattern:
Caption: The maternity waistband options on the MyFit patterns can be customized to your preferred location and width.
Hope this helps, If you have more questions please join our Facebook Group.
-Cynthia and the Apostrophe Team
]]>
Our MyFit Leggings PDF Pattern is the answer to your ill fitting leggings problems. The MyFit Leggings program utilizes your actual body measurements to create a pattern that will fit you just right. With a built in Maternity option, you can create perfect fitting leggings during pregnancy too with a waistband customized to your preferences. .
To get the best fit for your maternity waistband, let's take an in depth look at measuring for the MyFit Leggings while pregnant. The MyFit Leggings has 4 waistband options and all can be used during maternity, but choosing the Maternity option changes how we take a few of the measurements.
For all the maternity waistband options in the MyFit Leggings pattern the waist will be defined as:
Waist: waist measurement should be taken at the desired waistband seam line (not at top of waistband as we would in non-maternity). Waist measurement will be the circumference of the torso connecting the spots where we measure rise and depth to in front and back. Waist does not have to be level to ground, it can be tipped like our rise and depth.
Measuring rise and depth for maternity waistbands:
Option 1: Over the belly, Yoga or Contour
For over the belly maternity band, measure front depth (light blue) and front rise (dark blue) to under belly (approximate location of public bone). This will be location of waistband seam.
Depth will often be in the 2-4” range, and rise a bit larger (front rise will often be only slightly larger than front depth).
Measure back depth (light blue) and back rise (dark blue) to approximately similar level on back, as band is same width on back as front (like front, we are measuring to location of waistband seam, not top of waistband).
Fabric stretch will make waistband higher in front somewhat, so depth can be higher in back to ensure seam isn’t too low.
Depth will often be in the 3-6” range, and rise larger than that, but measured to same point.
Please note: The default for the maternity contour waistband is a height of 6" (15cm) and the default height for the maternity yoga waistband is 8" (20cm). While these are the default settings, you will be asked if you prefer a different height and can input your preference.
Option 2: Low belly maternity band, elastic or yoga
For low belly maternity band, measure front depth (light blue) and front rise (dark blue) to same location as for over the belly band (approximate location of public bone). This will be location of waistband seam. Just like over the belly band, we are not measuring to top of waistband. Use the custom height option in the pattern to adjust band height to be desired height.
For low belly maternity band, back depth (light blue) and back rise (dark blue) will be measured to higher level than than front depth and rise, because when band is narrower, we need to ensure waistband is tipped so there is enough coverage in back.
Back depth for low belly band might be in the 5-8” range, with back rise larger and measured to same point. Again it is measured to desired location of waistband seam, and height of waistband will be added by program to that location we measure to.
Height of the waistband will be determined by either the width of your elastic if choosing elastic waistband or if choosing yoga band, the generator will take you to a screen asking how tall you would like your waistband to me. For low belly maternity yoga band, 3" (7.5cm) may be preferred.
Option 3: Under Belly Band, elastic or yoga
For under belly band, you may want to make band height fairly narrow, 1-2” for example. Keep in mind under the belly band may be prone to rolling. Changing to elastic instead of fabric band is an option to avoid rolling.
For under the belly maternity band, measure front depth (light blue) and front rise (dark blue) to even lower location, so that band remains as low as possible. This will be location of waistband seam. Just like over the belly or low belly band, we are not measuring to top of waistband.
As explained above, for low belly band back depth (light blue) and back rise (dark blue) will be measured to higher level than than front depth and rise, because when band is narrower, we need to ensure waistband is tipped so there is enough coverage in back.
Back depth for low belly or under belly band might be in the 5-8” range, with back rise larger and measured to same point. Again it is measured to desired location of waistband seam, and desired height of waistband will be added by program.
I hope this helps you create perfect fitting maternity leggings. Please join us in our Facebook Group to share your Leggings or if you have any questions, we are always available to answer them.
Thanks for joining us today, Cynthia and the Apostrophe Team
See Also:
]]>Our MyFit Joggers PDF Pattern is the answer to your ill fitting pull-on pants problems. The MyFit Joggers program utilizes your actual body measurements to create a pattern that will fit you just right. With a built-in Maternity option, you can create perfect fitting joggers during pregnancy, customized to your waistband preferences.
To get the best fit for your maternity waistband, let's take an in depth look at measuring for the MyFit Joggers while pregnant. The MyFit Joggers has multiple waistband options-one specific to maternity, but the others can be used as well if we measure correctly.
Option 1: Maternity Waistband
For the Maternity Waistband the waist is defined as:
Waist: waist measurement should be taken at the desired waistband seam line (not at top of waistband as we would in non-maternity). Waist measurement will be the circumference of the torso connecting the spots where we measure rise and depth to in front and back. Waist does not have to be level to ground, it can be tipped like our rise and depth.
For over the belly maternity band, measure front depth (light blue) and front rise (dark blue) to under belly (approximate location of public bone). This will be location of waistband seam.
Depth will often be in the 2-4” range, and rise a bit larger (front rise will often be only slightly larger than front depth).
Measure back depth (light blue) and back rise (dark blue) to a slightly higher point (a few inches) on back as band is narrower in back (like front, we are measuring to location of waistband seam, not top of waistband). The generator will determine the difference between front and back waistband height based on other measurements entered.
Rise will be higher than depth, but should both be measured to the same top location.
The Maternity waistband also comes with another optional measurement to specify the top of the belly circumference, and it should be taken where the top of the waistband will be. **Using this measurement does not impact rise and depth measurements. **
The default height at front of the Maternity waistband is 8", but as seen below, is customizable to your preference, the height at back will be determined based on several measurements.
Option 2: Low belly maternity band
To utilize other waistband types in the Jogger's pattern while pregnant, define waist as:
Waist: waist measurement should be taken at the desired top of waistband -just as we would when not selecting maternity. Waist measurement will be the circumference of the torso connecting the spots where we measure rise and depth to in front and back. Waist does not have to be level to ground, it can be tipped like our rise and depth.
For low belly maternity band, measure front depth (light blue) and front rise (dark blue) to top of desired waistband height.
Height of the waistband will be determined by either the width of your elastic if choosing elastic waistband or if choosing yoga band, the generator will take you to a screen asking how tall you would like your waistband to me. For low belly maternity yoga band, 3" (7.5cm) may be preferred.
For low belly maternity band, back depth (light blue) and back rise (dark blue) will be measured to higher level than than front depth and rise, because when band is narrower, we need to ensure waistband is tipped so there is enough coverage in back.
Back depth for low belly band might be in the 5-8” range, with back rise larger and measured to same point.
Option 3: Under Belly Band, elastic or yoga
To utilize other waistband types in the Jogger's pattern while pregnant, define waist as:
Waist: waist measurement should be taken at the desired top of waistband -just as we would when not selecting maternity. Waist measurement will be the circumference of the torso connecting the spots where we measure rise and depth to in front and back. Waist does not have to be level to ground, it can be tipped like our rise and depth.
For under belly band, you may want to make band height fairly narrow, 1-2” for example. Keep in mind under the belly band may be prone to rolling. Changing to elastic instead of fabric band is an option to avoid rolling.
For under the belly maternity band, measure front depth (light blue) and front rise (dark blue) to even lower location, so that band remains as low as possible. This will be location of top of waistband.
As explained above, for low belly band back depth (light blue) and back rise (dark blue) will be measured to higher level than than front depth and rise, because when band is narrower, we need to ensure waistband is tipped so there is enough coverage in back.
Back depth for low belly or under belly band might be in the 5-8” range, with back rise larger and measured to same point. Again it is measured to top of waistband.
I hope this helps on your path to perfect fitting maternity joggers! If you have any questions or want to share your Joggers, we are always available in our Facebook group , We Hope to see you there.
Thanks for joining us today, Cynthia and the Apostrophe Team
Our MyFit Underwear PDF Pattern is the answer to your ill fitting underwear problems. The MyFit Underwear program utilizes your actual body measurements to create a pattern that will fit you just right. By customizing how we take our measurements, you can have perfectly fitting underwear throughout pregnancy.
To get the best fit for your maternity underwear, let's take an in depth look at measuring for the MyFit Underwear while pregnant. The MyFit Underwear has multiple waistband options that can be used to get just the fit you are looking for.
For all waistband options the waist will be defined as:
Waist: The waist measurement should be taken at the desired top of waistband - just as we would when measuring for non-maternity underwear. The waist measurement will be the circumference of the torso connecting the spots where we measure rise and depth to in front and back. The waist does not have to be level to ground, it can be tipped like our rise and depth.
The MyFit Underwear has multiple waistband options, all of which will work, although a contour band may not be the best choice during pregnancy as it is usually most helpful when the waist is smaller than hips.
The crossover bands with dual front is a nice option during pregnancy since the center front dips and the dual front adds extra protection and support. The crossover band is skill level confident beginner waistband finishing so we recommend sewing a yoga band waistband first to check fit. In our Facebook group we have a video walkthrough to assist with the Crossover Waistband.
Option 1: Low belly Rise
For a low belly maternity band, measure front depth (light blue) and front rise (dark blue) to the top of the desired waistband.
The height of the waistband will be determined by either the width of your elastic if choosing elastic waistband, preset height for binding, or if choosing bands, the generator will take you to a screen asking how tall you would like your waistband to be. For low belly maternity band, 3" (7.5cm) may be preferred.
For a low belly maternity band, the back depth (light blue) and back rise (dark blue) will be measured to a higher level than than the front depth and rise, because when the band is narrower, we need to ensure the waistband is tipped so there is enough coverage in back.
The back depth for a low belly band might be in the 5-8” range, with the back rise larger and measured to same point.
Option 2: Under Belly Rise
For the under belly band, you may want to make band height fairly narrow, 1-2” for example. Keep in mind under the belly band may be prone to rolling. Changing to elastic instead of fabric band is an option to avoid rolling.
For an under the belly maternity band, measure front depth (light blue) and front rise (dark blue) to even lower location, so that band remains as low as possible. This will be location of top of waistband.
As explained above, for a low belly band back depth (light blue) and back rise (dark blue) will be measured to higher level than than front depth and rise, because when band is narrower, we need to ensure the waistband is tipped so there is enough coverage in back.
Back depth for low belly or under belly band might be in the 5-8” range, with back rise larger and measured to same point. Again it is measured to top of waistband.
I hope this helps on your path to perfect fitting maternity underwear! If you have any questions or want to share your underwear, we are always available in our Facebook group and we would love to see you there.
Thanks for joining us today, Cynthia and the Apostrophe Team
See also:
I started off taking some measurements of my hand and arm. I thought that the rise part of the leggings would work well in the valley between my forefinger and thumb.
The "waist" measurement is taken at the knuckle at the bottom of the finger. Marked W. Use the split measurement option and put the full measurement into both boxes.
The "hip" measurement is taken at the base of the valley between the forefinger and thumb. Marked H. Use the split measurement option and put the full measurement into both boxes.
*Since we are using one "leg" for each hand, the waist and hip circumferences need to be doubled so that each leg will have enough width to encircle the hand. This is accomplished by entering the full measurement into each split measurement box*
On the next screen, select "Capri" when asked how long you want your leggings.
The "thigh" measurement is taken just below the lowest knuckle on the thumb. Marked T.
The "knee" measurement is taken at the wrist. Marked K.
The "calf" measurement is taken at the end point for your wrist guard. Marked C.
For the inseam measurements, crotch to knee will be the Hip to knee, and crotch to hem will be from hip to calf.
Crotch depth was taken from waist to hip, as a straight measurement.
Crotch Rise was taken following the curve from my hip to knee marking. There was not a lot of difference between the two, that will work fine for the wrist guard.
For waistband style, Select elastic. I said I was using 1" elastic, but I will not be adding any.
For fit: Snug.
Panel: Choose Side Seam
These are my finished measurements. Save and then download, I like to always download a projector or A0 copy to preview what my pattern will look like.
Looks good! Use the previous button to go back and select your preferred download method. I downloaded and printed a letter file. As you can see, my inseam lines aren't straight-that is great on leggings when accounting for different shaped legs, but it was unnecessary for the wrist guard, so I straightened the lines.
You'll notice that I have a front and back piece generated, we are only going to use the Front piece, It will be cut on the fold. Cut 2.
For comfort and based on how my nerves in my hands react to things, I need my seams to be on the outside, and the pictures will follow that. If seams aren't an issue for you, your seams can be on the inside. Just make sure to use right sides together.
I have pinned and clipped to show the construction. Following your chosen seam allowance, sew down the clipped sides with a stretch stitch or you may choose to serge. Then, start at the top of the rise, and following your chosen seam allowance, sew to the double pins. The double pins to the seam on the clipped edge is the opening for your thumb. I left open 1", which ends up being a 2 inch opening.
I used white thread to make the stitching visible. At this point, if your seams are on the outside you can choose to carefully fold the seam allowance to one side and topstitch with a stretch stitch or coverstitch, and to hem the top and bottom edges with a stretch stitch or a coverstitch.
My fabric is an athletic knit so I opted not to hem. The athletic knit will hold up and for my purposes, I wanted to eliminate any extra bulk. I also opted not to topstitch my seam allowance for the same reason.
Repeat for the other side, and you have your own set of wrist sleeves.
I hope you'll share any that you make with me in the Apostrophe Patterns Facebook group.
Thanks for joining me today! ~Cynthia
***The content of this blog post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or equipment.***
]]>