Reply To: Plus Size to Big For Pattern

[the_professors_assistantKeymaster]

Got it.  Well, as you’re probably aware now, you can’t use retail sizing to pick out your pattern.  Your pattern sizing will always be a larger number than the retail size.  They just have their own system.  If you go here, you can see the full measurement chart used by Simplicity.  Based on your measurements, I would say you’re a 30W.  Simplicity (and the other pattern companies) do carry a selection of patterns for plus size measurements.  You can see Simplicity’s here.    I looked at a couple of them and, unfortunately, I don’t know if it’s standard but it seems the largest they carry is 28W, which is one size smaller than what you need.  The good news is that it’s only smaller by a couple inches and if you follow our commercial pattern alterations on bust increase and waist increase (hip increase is soon to follow), I think you can make these patterns work for you.  As always, I recommend that when you do any alteration, always make a muslin that you can baste together to make sure that you’re going to like alterations before using more expensive fabric.  Also, it probably wouldn’t hurt to inquire with the pattern companies themselves, because the more people who do that, the more they will realize that there is a demand for the larger sizes.  Good luck!