Reply To: how to enlarge a pattern to Plus size 5X/6X

[the_professors_assistantKeymaster]

Dear Professor,
Thanks very much for your encouragement and your tips! Unfortunately, I had already used this article as a guide to increasing the garment size, ( I need to increase by multiple sizes) and I guess I did not do it well. I tried to cut and space the pattern to effectively add a panels, and I tried the other version of adding proportional width on the sides, both methods mentioned in the article. I love your suggestion of making a muslin versions for the various parts of the pattern and my body to test the fit. I’ve wasted lots of very expensive fabric playing with seams and trying to get things to drape and fit well, and also I’ve left myself with a garment that has holes and stretches from tear outs. I’m going to keep trying, and in addition to working with muslin, I will try increase each section to fit my size for that part.. Thanks for the tips, and I’ll let you know how I do with this. Someday, I hope you can do a tutorial on pattern grading to help all those without patterns that fit. But I am learning each time I goof up, and I thank you for everything. I have come a long way, and I would never have even attempted sewing anything before much less trying to figure out pattern grading. Many Thanks!!