Have you ever bought a garment and loved it so much you wished you’d bought it in every color, and three of each?
If so, then you know how I feel about this fuchsia knit top. The fit is perfect, I love the style, it’s utterly comfortable and I adore the color.
Sadly, though, it’s showing the love and getting a bit ragged around the edges. So today I’m making a pattern from it so I can make copies over and over.
This is a fairly simple garment to copy, there’s no fancy inner seaming, it’s just a front, back and sleeves. The trick will be finding a knit with a similar amount of stretch so the fit will be the same.
To copy the front and back, first pin the side seams together. Also, turn one sleeve wrong side out and place it inside the other. Use large sheets of paper (newsprint, tissue paper, tracing paper) on a padded surface, such as an ironing board.
Line up the front center fold on a straight line of the paper and pin in place along the fold, then use a serrated edge tracing wheel
You can’t see the marks in the photos, but the teeth of the tracing wheel will leave lines that you can draw over to make your pattern.
Continue, leaving pins in at pivot points then smoothing out the fabric so you can trace each section.
If using a knit, be careful not to stretch it out of shape.
When doing the sleeves, fold one sleeve in half, mark a long straight line in the center of your pattern and line up the fold to that. Trace one half, mark whether it’s the front or back, then flip the sleeve to the other side of the line and trace the other half of the sleeve.
Add seam allowances, make notes to yourself about pertinent information and you have a pattern!
Now I’m off to buy some more fuchsia knit. 🙂
Do you have any garments you’d like to clone?
Yes, I can see why you love that top–the color and weight make it suitable for cool weather whatever the season. I’d wear the heck out of it, too. Will be interested to see what fabric you find for the clone.
I just ordered some fabric that LOOKS close on the computer monitor. . I got fuchsia, teal and black.
Here’s hoping the weight and stretch are right. How I miss our local family fabric store.
Wow so much work! I do love your sewing projects…you’re quite the seamstress! Myself..I just buy one in every color right from the get go! 😉