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classic women’s shirt pattern

vera_wasiuta | Posted in Patterns on

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I have a couple of commercially made linen shirts which are cut generously and are wonderfully wearable.I have not been able to find a pattern that is classic,generous in dimensions and well designed(ie not”easy”).Anyone know of a currently available pattern??

Replies

  1. Bill_Stewart | | #1

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    Vera, If you really like the shirts you have, why don't you punch off a pattern and make them? Do you know how to punch off a pattern from a ready made garment? Bill

    1. Julia_Fletcher | | #2

      *Bill - I'd love to know how to punch off a pattern from a RTW garment. Julia

      1. vera_ | | #3

        *Bill..no I dont know how to punch off a pattern.Where can I find out how to do it? vera

        1. Carla_Clarke | | #4

          *Hi Bill,Are you willing to share your punch method for copying clothes. I would greatly appreciate it. I have a ragged, fragile pair of khaki's that I love.Thanks,Carla Clarke

          1. Bill_Stewart | | #5

            *The basic technique is really quite simple. On a cutting board I lay down a piece of end-roll newsprint that I buy from our local newspaper. To copy a garment, start with one "pattern section" - ie a shirt front. If the original has a long straight edge I rule that line and pin the garment edge or semline to the ruled line. smooth out the rest of the section and hold in place wiht weights or pins,BUT DO NOT PIN ON THE SEAMLINE. now simply "punch" along the seamlines of the garment section. be sure you pick a starting point and punch around the entire piece til you reach where you started. when you are sure you have done this, remove the garment and play connect the dots. these are the seamlines. noww ADD seam allowances. continue, each garment section in turn. If you have a folded piece such as a sleeve, rule down the center of the paper and place folded section with the fold along the line, punch around, flip the other side to the other side of the line, match your top and bottom points on the fold and punch around the second side, connect the dots and ADD seam allowancaes. * * continued * * *

          2. Bill_Stewart | | #6

            ** * continued * * * In an area with darts, ie skirt, I trace or punch around the largest area I can that does NOT have the dart as described above. Usually, the darted area will be folded over loosely while I work the large area because the dart "pulls". when I get to the dart area I smooth out to the dart point, place a pin in the point, and work on one side of the dart area up to the dart line - ie center front to first dart. measure the fold at top or dart and measure over double this amount at the top point of dart leg on the paper to know where the other leg of dart should sit. smooth out that area and punch. remove and connect dots. It should look like a regular darted skirt front. pants, skirts, blouses, coats,etc can all be punched this way. just make sure the fine pin or needle you punch with does not snag the fabric of original garment. BIll

          3. Bill_Stewart | | #7

            *Try this with something simple the first couple of times and keep in mind what the pattern "SHOULD" look like based on a knowledge of pattern pieces. Sleeves at the crown are a litle tricky since they are eased in and you have to restore the ease in the punched pattern. I measure the center fold of a one piece sleeve and place an arbitrary mark one center line of paper to know how high the crown should be. then shape the curve as stitched in the garment and tweek the curves up and out slightly to meet the true underarm seamline points and the messured height of the sleeve. you can then comparae this to a standard patern to see if it looks right. You wouldn't believe what can be copied this way, with a little patience and thought about how a garment if put together. If you have questions, please ask. Be glad to answer. I figured this out for myself 30 years ago and use it all the time. Bill

          4. Bill_Stewart | | #8

            *The basic technique is really quite simple. On a cutting board I lay down a piece of end-roll newsprint that I buy from our local newspaper. To copy a garment, start with one "pattern section" - ie a shirt front. If the original has a long straight edge I rule that line and pin the garment edge or semline to the ruled line. smooth out the rest of the section and hold in place wiht weights or pins,BUT DO NOT PIN ON THE SEAMLINE. now simply "punch" along the seamlines of the garment section. be sure you pick a starting point and punch around the entire piece til you reach where you started. when you are sure you have done this, remove the garment and play connect the dots. these are the seamlines. noww ADD seam allowances. continue, each garment section in turn. If you have a folded piece such as a sleeve, rule down the center of the paper and place folded section with the fold along the line, punch around, flip the other side to the other side of the line, match your top and bottom points on the fold and punch around the second side, connect the dots and ADD seam allowancaes. * * continued * * *

          5. TJ | | #9

            *There are at least 2 books on this that might help (pictures!): Making Patterns from Finished Clothes by Rusty Bensussen (Sterling Publishing 1985) and a newer one "Patterns from Finished Clothes: REcreating the Clothes you Love" by Tracy Doyle (STerling/Lark 1996). is Lark's website (which also shows the Folkwear patterns); it has the Doyle book under the category of Sewing books.Or, if you find a pattern, let me know! That sounds like the kind of linen shirt I have wished for all summer...TJ

          6. Bill_Stewart | | #10

            *Just goes to show what might make a book of interest to someone else. I've done it so long, I thought it had occured to everyone else already also. Glad to know a book IS out there. Maybe it will interest more people in a useful technique. Bill

          7. Julia_Fletcher | | #11

            *Just ordered Tracy Doyle's book (Patterns from Finished Clothes) from http://www.amazon.com where it was $11.96 for the paperback. Lark Books only had the hardback at $27.95.

          8. shifra_goldstein | | #12

            *Bill, I just read your instructions, thanks. I didn't get the dart part clear: what if the dart is cut and you can't measure how deep it was? I hope you understand my question!

          9. Bill_Stewart | | #13

            *Shifra, if the dart legs have been trimmed out as in grading or reducing bulk, then trace a single thread line from the top of each side of the sewn dart down to a point the same length as the sewn dart point and measure across - this shoud give you the same amount. If in a knit turn to the inside and try to do the same thing with the knit loops. Bill

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