Has anyone had experience using the Lutterloh System for creating customized patterns from miniature patterns using a few key measurements? The system is marketed by Design to Fit.
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I am new to this site. I have used the Lutterloh system for several years. The patterns turn out just fine, but you must still adjust them just as you would any other pattern. And don't forget to add seam allowances. If you are basically a small person but with a lot of upholstery, using your actual bust measurement may give you a pattern that is way too big through the shoulders. Use any company's pattern envelope to select a smaller size that you think may fit you better through the shoulders and get the bust measurement in centimeters. After you use that measurement to draft your pattern, you can increase the bust and waist as needed. There are no construction directions. You must already know how to put garments together or have other references to guide you. The thing I like about the system is that I can make any size pattern I like and, if I make changes to a pattern and mess it up, I can quickly draft another one. The initial outlay for the system is expensive but is worth it if you like to do a lot of experimenting or sew for a lot of family members.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. After I posted my question I discovered a lot of messages (pro and con) from years ago about the system. I am an experienced sewer and I'm going to give it a try!
I think you will really like it. If you are interested, I have a few more bits of advice:
1. You hear people talking about swapping pattern parts. This is not exactly true. You cannot just draft the sleeve from one pattern and stick it on the bodice of another pattern. You must draft the bodice of the pattern with the desired sleeve and superimpose it on the pattern of the desired bodice and make adjustments--just as you would do with any other type of patterns.
2. The patterns have a "European" fit, a lot like Burda.
3. The necessary and integral extension on the tape measure has numbers on one side of the tape where you stick your pushpin. Make sure that, when you measure out to where you put your dot on your paper, you use the same side of the tape. I'm not talking about frontside and underside. I mean left and right sides, sort of, but, as you pivot the tape around the center point like the hands on a clock you can easily lose track of which side to mark on and it can spoil your pattern. This may only make sense to you when you get the tape and patterns in your hands.
4. As a push-pinning and marking surface I use a fan-fold, corrugated cardboard cutting board topped with a very thin sheet of cork that's about 2 by 4 feet. The cardboard by itself let the pushpin jiggle loose and the cork by itself was too thin for the thickness of the pushpin shaft.
5. A piece of transparent tape will reinforce the pin hole on your original pattern, but I prefer to photo copy the pattern page. Superimpose your photocopy over the original page and hold them up to a strong light to make sure the machine didn't change the size.
6. If you are making the larger pattern pieces you can use heavy brown paper or newsprint or whatever and tape your pattern on top. If you are making smaller pieces, use tracing paper and tape the paper on top of your pattern page so the page doesn't interfere with placing your dots. I use Scotch Removable tape to hold the patttern page down. Again, this will make more sense when you actually start working with it.
Good luck!
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