Replies

1. 
   user-47928 | Feb 16, 2005 02:12pm | #1

   You can flatfell most seams, and I always flatfell shirt seams - unless they are silk, then I french seam. Have a look through Vogues site, their men's patterns are usually quite good.

   Marion

1. 
   sanpancho | Feb 16, 2005 11:20pm | #2

   Thank you Marion! Found a Vogue pattern for a dress shirt that
   is exactly what I was looking for. I've another related question: I have
   an old worn-out sport shirt which fits great- would it be possible
   to use it as a pattern if I took it apart? Thanks again. sanpancho

1. 
   Jean | Feb 16, 2005 11:46pm | #3

   Butting in here,  but--

   Sure you can, if you want to sacrifice it. That's always hard to do.

1. 
   tiffr800 | Feb 17, 2005 05:45am | #4

   You don't have to sacrifice it! 

   It's possible to make a "rub-off" of a garment, creating a pattern without destroying the garment. 

   Lay out your garment (in this case, a shirt) on a hard surface, and lay the muslin over the part you're going to trace.  Each section or piece will be traced separately, which sometimes requires some shifting or adjusting.  Use a chunk of colored tailor's wax or chalk to "rub" over the edges or seams so that their image shows up on the muslin.

   For parts like the sleeves, mark the top fold of the sleeve by inserting pins along the line- when you "rub" over the sleeve from one side, make sure to rub over the pins.  This way, you can match up the pins when you flip over to do the second half.    Things like pleats can be rubbed over, then cut and split apart the appropriate amount.

   This isn't the greatest description of how to do this, but I hope you can get the idea.  With some practice you can get a pretty accurate pattern of the existing garment.

   Hope it helps!  -Tiffany

1. 
   Jean | Feb 17, 2005 06:11am | #5

   I've done something similar for kids clothes, but not for an adult.This should be very helpful to sanpancho.

2. 
   user-47928 | Feb 17, 2005 12:38pm | #6

   Nothing to do with shirts, but I've just shown my 13 year old your vecro one liner and as a 2nd year latin student he was impressed.

   Marion

3. 
   Jean | Feb 17, 2005 05:00pm | #7

   They still teach Latin? Wonderful.  The saying is not mine, I must admit I stole it from a list that someone posted over on Cook's Talk a while back. Maybe I can find it for you..

   Yes, here they are. He will enjoy them.

   Domino vobiscum.

   The pizza guy is here.

   Sharpei diem.

   Seize the wrinkled dog.

   Nucleo predicus dispella conducticus.

   Remove foil before microwaving.

   Motorolus interruptus.

   Hold on, I'm going into a tunnel.

   Bodicus mutilatimus, unemploymi forevercus.

   Better take the nose ring out before the job interview.

   E Pluribus Tupac.

   Rap is everywhere.

   Veni, vidi, Pesci.

   I came, I saw, I moidered da bum.

   Veni, vidi, Velcro.

   I came; I saw; I stuck around.

   Ignoramus microsoftis multa pecunia dat.

   Yeah, where DO I want to go today??

   Sic semper tyrannus.

   Your dinosaur is ill.

   No Quid Pro Quo.

   I'm Sorry, We're All Out of Quid.

   Tempo fugit.

   I drove my Ford off a bridge.

   Modem non carbarundum.

   I need a new modem.

   Carpe dentum

   Go soak your dentures.

   E pluribus septum.

   Multiple nose piercings.

4. 
   FitnessNut | Feb 17, 2005 06:41pm | #8

   LOL! These are good.....I may have to appropriate one myself!

5. 
   sanpancho | Feb 17, 2005 10:24pm | #9

   Thank you for all the great advice- I will try Tiffany's "rub-off" technique
   and spare a great-fitting, if somewhat worn, old shirt. The marvelous "Latin"
   humor certainly helped to brighten a grey, rainy San Francisco day!
   sanpancho

6. 
   user-47928 | Feb 17, 2005 10:59pm | #10

   Thank you for those. I don't know about the States, but Latin is (suposedly) a growing subject in England, not in the majority of schools but my son certainly does it. Good luck with the shirt sanpancho.

   Marion

2. 
   apple | Feb 22, 2005 10:47pm | #11

   Patterns from Finished Clothes by Tracy Doyle is a great book.  It goes into great detail, showing how to trace off pattern pieces from a garment without taking it apart or harming it.  I've used the tecniques a number of times.

1. 
   sanpancho | Feb 23, 2005 01:18am | #12

   Thank you for the tip. I'll look for the book- it sounds as it it would
   be very useful.
   sanpancho

1. 
   Aless | Mar 08, 2005 01:43am | #13

   Don't know if this original (probably not), but it works for me.

   When I want to copy an existing garment (especially a great T-shirt I've bought), I use quite stiff tracing paper and thickish pins.

   I pin the garment out on my heavy-duty cardboard cutting board (the concertina variety),a section at a time, with very heavy duty pins that I never use to pin fabric pieces together when constructing.

   Then I push a pin vertically into the garment along the seams,thus making quite clear holes in the heavy paper underneath in an outline of the garment section I'm copying. Take the garment off the paper, and draw from pin hole to pin hole to define the section shape.Repeat for each section, until you have your own 'pattern layout' .  Don't forget to add seam allowances, hems, etc. Darts might be a bit trickier, but it can be done.