3 fit adjustments to make before you start sewing
Pre-toile adjustments to save you time and frustration
Today I wanted to share some tips with you about pre-toile adjustments and a quick video with something actionable you can put into practice straight away on all your sewing patterns..
Pretoile adjustments
A pre-toile adjustment is an adjustment you can make to your pattern before you even start sewing.
There are 3 that make a big difference to your patterns before you even sew anything.. saving you time, fabric and let's be honest.. patience!!
1. Using finished garment measurements
You may have seen on your sewing patterns that you often have a 'body measurements' chart and 'finished garment measurements' chart.
The finished garment measurements are the size of the actual pattern (and the garment) rather than the size of your body.
Sewing pattern will always have ease - this is extra space in the garment to allow for movement. Once you've got an idea of your size from the body measurement chart, it's important to check the finished garment measurements around your body.
You can reference the finished garment measurements to test out which size is right for you - I'll share a video below to show you how to use them.
2. Making bust adjustments
Have you heard of the term 'sewing cup size'? It's different to your bra cup size - it's the difference between your high bust and full bust measurement.
High bust measurement is taken above the bust - to measure your high bust, place the tape measurement under the armpits and below your shoulder blades.
Full bust measurement should be around the middle/fullest part of the bust.
Most sewing patterns are drafted for a 'B-sewing cup', which means there is 2 inches between the high and full bust measurement, although some offer different cup sizes.
If your sewing cup size doesn't match the pattern's intended size, or you find that clothes are often tight or loose around the bust, then you may need to do a 'full bust adjustment' or a 'small bust adjustment'.
How to pick your size based on high and full bust measurements:
It helps to pick your size based on your high bust measurement first, as this indicates the top and shoulder area of the pattern.
Select the same size for the full bust (even if the measurements don't match) because it's easier to do a full bust adjustment than select based on the full bust and alter the whole top of the pattern.
Because you can calculate your sewing cup size and compare it to the pattern - it means you’re able to do a bust adjustments before you sew a toile if you need to - so your toile or sewing pattern will be one step closer to fitting before you even begin.
We'll go more in depth on bust adjustments inside fitting foundations so you can easily work out if you need one and learn a simple method to adjust the pattern.
3. Checking vertical lengths
If you're taking your measurements at the bust, waist or hip and think about where they sit on your body. Then have a look 5cm above or below one of those areas - depending on the curves of your body, it's likely to be a very different measurement!
This is why it's really important to ensure that the key areas on the pattern are in the right place on your body. As this can make a big difference to the fit of your toiles.
In Fitting Foundations, this is one of the important pre-toile adjustments that students have said made a big difference. I show you how to accurately measure the pattern and your body to compare the two, and how to make adjustments to ensure the bust, waist, and hips are in the right place before you begin.
So you're setting yourself up for success and can view the pattern as it's intended once it's on the body. From there, we can sew a toile and check the rest of the fit on the pattern.
"I took Alys' fitting foundations course and it was beyond my expectations; from the content taught to the support received throughout the course.
Alys put so much effort into making sure that everything was covered and I could see that in the content of the PDFs and the videos. I don't know what Alys is going to release next but I already know I'm going to be signing up for it 🤍.
Thank you Alys for sharing your knowledge in this course and the hard work you've put into making the content easily understandable for beginners like me.”
- Bolly
Join us in Fitting Foundations..
In Fitting Foundations, you'll learn how to get confident in taking your measurements and doing pre-toile adjustments to set you up for success.
As well as how to fit garments on yourself and test the adjustments on the toile. Meaning you can check that they actually work, before you amend the pattern.
I break everything down into bite-sized techniques so you can follow along and learn in a fun and easy way!
You'll end the course with a custom block that fits your body, so you can use it to draft your own designs or test the fit of your sewing patterns.
Doors are closing soon, and it'll likely be the only time I'm running the course in 2026. So if you're interested in getting a good fit on the clothes you sew this year, I'd love for you to join us!
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch!
Alys 💕
