Pre-muslin pattern proofing

I am curious how many of you out there proof your patterns before you make something? Until I started taking classes with E, I would just look at the measurements on the back and pick the most appropriate, cut it and sew it. That's what we're supposed to do right? Well, sort of.

E suggests doing what she calls "proofing the pattern." Having now done it a few times, I can see that it does improve the results, you get a good feel for how much ease you have and if like me (ie practically everyone), you're sort of all over the measurements table, which size you should cut and where you might have to adjust.

This is how I found out that, though I'm 5'7", very Germanic and often buy the "long" or "tall" size in commercial clothing, apparently I'm "petite." What?!?

To proof your pattern, you want to measure on your body your various circumferences and the vertical distance from one horizontal measurement to the next (see diagram left). Then you measure your pattern, on the pattern look at where the bust line is for the size, sometimes it's nicely drawn on, and measure the vertical distance down from the shoulder and compare it to yours.

At x inches down, what size are you around and what size is the pattern around? Do they have the bust point further down or up than yours is? If so you might need to shorten at the top. Remember to remove seam allowances and consider you will need some design and wearing ease.

Sometimes for the horizontal they will have a finished size, and
you can use that for the horizontal or also measure the pattern across.

Then you do the same for the waist line, measure down from the bust point on your self and the pattern, is the vertical distance too long for you? This is where I'm "petite," the waist line is typically too far down for the length of my torso and I need to use the lengthen/shorten line to adjust.

Now, measuring the horizontal distance might require you to measure several pieces - front, back, side pieces and can get complicated very quickly! But it will reduce the odds that you cut something and start putting it together to realize it's too small or put in lots of pipping or other details that make it hard to take in later. Good luck!

Next step in my jacket odyssey: making my muslin!