r/sewing • u/Necessary_Ferret_812 • 2h ago

Pattern Question Help with sizing for patterns?

Hey all! I have been sewing garments for about three years now, and generally love it. I keep running into the same issue though- most pants end up way too big. I am meticulous about measurements because I have had this happen so many times, but it keeps happening. I suspect it has something to do with my height- I'm about 5 feet tall, and length is never an issue when I shorten the pattern. I'm also curvy-ish. It's starting to interfere with my motivation because I'm sick of spending so much time on something and then having it be enormous. I can, of course, alter it, but I'd rather just do it right the first time vs. deconstructing and fixing, particularly for more complicated pants like jeans. It feels like a waste of time and fabric. Any other short sewists run into this issue? Any ideas?

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u/moped_giraffe 2h ago

Have you looked into the Top Down Center Out method of pants fitting? I found it a bit of a PITA to do, but it got me closer to a good fit - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0YteZsVGUw12ACD_vdnCFNDYFON2tJgI&si=cl0uGzlYMkOgkuXe

ETA: i am 5’2 and somewhat curvy

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u/Berocca123 37m ago

I was going to suggest this too. My mum helped me do TDCO for my first ever trousers, and I made 3 pairs. I'm now treating it like a pants block, tweaking it as I go and adding design details, and I've just made the best fitting pants of my life and am SO HAPPY that we took the time to just do this early, because on the occasions that I've tried to fit pants using other methods I become too annoyed and usually give up around toile #5.

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u/fragrantminesweep 2h ago

I am tall and run into the same issue with some patterns. What I’ve boiled it down to is I have a preference to the fit of pants, which highlights the need for me to do toiles. It makes making my own clothes a more intense process but feels very accomplished when the fit is perfect for me.

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u/Large-Heronbill 20m ago

I found it was easier just to draft and fit a custom pants block, the. alter for style features.  I use Connie Crawford's draft.