PATTERN HACKING

Deon Maas

What is Pattern Hacking?

Pattern hacking is customizing patterns for your own personal style. • The changes can be simple ones that don’t take much time or

effort but can still elevate the garment and make it special. • The changes can be major changes, as in combining one or

more patterns to make a one-of-a-kind garment. • The changes can be out of necessity (“Yikes! I don’t have

enough fabric!” or “I just cut a hole in my bodice!”)• The changes can be done just to feed the creative spirit or just

to experiment.

What holds us back from experimenting with pattern hacking or trying to be more creative

with our sewing?“I’m just not creative!”

•Believe that creativity can be learned and nurtured.•Be willing to experiment…remember that no one will arrest you if you mess up and most mistakes can be saved.•A garment doesn’t HAVE to be one way or another, so learn to go with the flow.•Learn to embrace happenstance and the problem-solving process.

“What if I make a mistake making something and waste time and money?”•Did you learn something? Then it wasn’t a waste of time or money.•Were you entertained? Then it wasn’t a waste of time or money.•Did it feed your creative spirit? Then it wasn’t a waste of time or money.•Did it help you practice a technique or avoid making a mistake in a future garment? Then it wasn’t a waste of time or money.

“I just don’t have any place to wear something creative?”It doesn’t matter whether you wear your finished garment or not. If it fed your creative spirit, you learned something, and you enjoyed making it, then it was worth making. It is art.

Jumpstart InspirationKeep a binder or a computer file of:

• Pictures of clothing with interesting details, styles and color or fabric combinations. These can be from magazines, catalogs, online catalogs, Pinterest, designers’ sites, etc.

• Techniques or links to demonstrations of techniques.• Pictures of nature, architecture, food, etc. with different textures, color combinations, lines, shapes, etc.

Often, before I start cutting something out, I’ll flip through my binder. I don’t necessarily copy anything, but just looking at the pictures stimulates my creativity and reminds me of the possibilities.

Creativity ExercisesIntentionally set up challenges for yourself:

•Restrict yourself to what you have on hand. Restrictions spur creativity. They make you think “beyond.”•Use two colors that don’t “go” together and make it work. A third color or repetition of elements can tie everything together.

•Give yourself a tight deadline and make spontaneous decisions.

Stuck?• Get someone else’s opinion about what to do. They will approach it from a different perspective. • Come back to it later. Sometimes doing an unrelated task will stimulate problem-solving.

SIMPLE PATTERN HACKS

Adding piping to a garment is a simple way of elevating a garment. (Left) Contrasting piping showcases a front band. (Upper right) Flat piping showcases a collar and helps emphasize a color in the motif. (Lower right) Piping outlines design details.

◦ Piping can be used:

◦ To separate odd juxtapositions of pattern pieces

◦ As a replacement for ribbing in a neckline

◦ To emphasize design lines

Using Selvages as Piping

Before cutting your fabric, see if the selvage is interesting. If so, cut it off precisely, allowing for seam allowance. Warning: The two selvages may not match. Both can be used in the same garment if preplanning for placement is done. Before inserting selvage piping in a garment, make sure you have enough for the intended area. Since the selvage may not have any “give”, you may need to only use it in straight seams or clip it for curved areas.

Custom-made piping can add a little spark to a garment. On the left (shown inside out), is piping made out of bias strips and thin cording from Pieces Be With You. The center top has piping made out of coordinating fabric. The top on the right has piping made from bias strips taken from a man’s shirt. This shirt yielded over 11 yards of 1 ¼” bias strips. Look for stripes or small interesting prints for custom-made piping. You may need to enlarge the opening to get it over your head.

Custom-made binding can be made by cutting bias strips 4 X the desired finished width. Stitch the binding on by machine. Fold raw edge inward to meet the raw edge of the seam. Fold to the reverse side, and then hand stitch or topstitch.

◦ The bias binding on the upper garment came from a man’s shirt.

◦ The bias trim on the lower left top coordinated it with a specific jacket and accents the design lines. Using binding on the edge of the knit overlay stabilized that edge.

◦ The bias binding on the lower right picture was selected because it looked like bubbles—to coordinate with the fish motifs on the fabric.

The buttons on the jacket were painted with blue paint, and then quickly wiped off so the blue only remained in the grooves. This helped them coordinate with the jacket.

Fabrics cut on the straight of grain can be used to bind straight edges of a garment. It can also be used to create very dramatic borders. On the upper picture, the top four strips of fabric are cut from yardage but appear as trim. The bottom two pictures show how a simple checkerboard print can be cut in two different ways to create two different border looks.

This jacket illustrates how binding cut on the straight of grain can be used on a straight edge and now bias binding would have to be used on curved pieces.

Custom-made trim can create a dramatic effect. This trim was created by cutting a strip of fabric and adding ready-made

ribbon to each side.

Zippers can be used as decorative elements in garments. In the upper photograph, a broken metal zipper was used as piping instead of ribbing. Since it has no “give’ the opening must be larger than the head. The zipper for the lower left top was longer than needed, so extends to the center back as zipper “piping.” An exposed accent zipper was inserted in the center front seam on the lower right top

Interesting ribbing can be made using other knit fabrics, rather than traditional ribbing. Care needs to be taken determining the length needed as the stretch can vary wildly. The trim above is taken from the same knit as the lower right top. The lower right top has coordinated trim from still another knit. The upper right trim was strategically cut from self fabric.

Strategically-cut border

prints provide a

multitude of options for

ribbing.

NOT-SO-SIMPLE PATTERN HACKS

◦ Color or print blocking can be fun and difficult at the same time. It is one way of solving the “Oh-my-gosh-I-don’t-have-enough-fabric” issue. There are now patterns available with color/print blocking suggestions built in if you need help getting started. ◦ For help coordinating prints, please refer to Kenneth King’s article in Threads #188. ◦ Pairing a print with a solid fabric is often a safe choice or a larger print may work with a smaller print, stripes or dots with similar color combinations.

This top has solid black on the bottom (the visually heaviest color), a stripe in the middle section (visually medium weight) and the lightest color at the top and on the sleeves. This draws the eye upward. You may want to put the fabric most flattering next to your face. Also remember that the eye is drawn to the area that is most different than the rest (the crumpled cowl neck in the lightest fabric draws your eye).

Sometimes necessity (i.e., lack of fabric) dictates how a pattern has to be laid out, but careful thought can create a dramatic garment. Left: Placing the dark section of the motif in this knit fabric in the center front helps draw the eye upward. For knits, check the stretch in both directions as some adjustments may need to be made. Center: Border prints and striped motifs read differently depending on whether they are used horizontally or vertically. Right: The side panels of this princess-seamed jacket had to be placed on the cross grain but are less noticeable because the strong center motif draws the eye away and the arm partially covers it.

Patterns from independent pattern makers sometimes don’t fit me. One time, I took a class from Diane Ericson, who advised me to use a favorite pattern as the base pattern, and then just borrow the elements from her patterns. It was excellent advice. Here is her Java Jacket, which looked fabulous on her, but not me, and my dress using elements of her pattern, which looked fabulous on me! I only had to adjust the length of the “flap” and the front placket to line up with my pattern.

I liked the front band and the back detail on the Dana Marie Jakarta Jacket. I made it up as is (left two photos) but found several things didn’t work for me. It wasn’t wasted time because the experimentation gave me valuable information for the final project. I traced the front edge onto my basic pattern, lengthened my pattern, added patch pockets, and used the front band pattern pieces. My second jacket’s first version is show on the upper right.

◦My final interpretation of the Jakarta Jacket is shown on the left. I ended up simplifying the front band and placing the back detail at the (snap) closure. I borrowed the button and tassel from the first jacket. The patchwork detail was carried onto the patch pockets and in the sleeve details. Sashikostitching added interest.

Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 6596 had a collar and lines I really liked. Although I liked the zipper and trim detail I did, this jacket turned out too big for me. I knew I wouldn’t wear it even if I took it in.

Could I combine V8323 (C), my favorite top pattern, and B 6596 to get a zippered top that fit me better, but had the neckline I liked?• I traced off the center front

and center back pattern pieces from V8323 onto a piece of pattern paper.

• I lined up the CF lines on both patterns and the shoulder seam.

• I traced the B6596 front neckline on the new V8323 CF pattern.

• I traced the higher neckline on the V8323 CB pattern.

• When I cut the first top out, I placed the CF on the selvage because wanted to put a zipper in the CF. I cut a facing to reinforce the front…

B6596

…resulting in this top.

Conclusion: Remember in the beginning when I said it doesn’t matter if you don’t wear what you made because…if you learned something, if making it fed your creative spirit and you enjoyed making it…it was worth it because it is art?

I thoroughly enjoy what I make by displaying it in my own little “art gallery.” I change the garment every week or so. People don’t worry that the artwork in their home has a purpose, they just enjoy it. So I just enjoy things I make even if I rarely wear them.

Happy Pattern Hacking, Everyone!

For more information on pattern hacking, please check out my blog at: https://antiouchpouchdeonmaas.wordpress.com/

Patterns shown in presentation:

◦ Slide 6: Upper right-The Butonit Coat Too

◦ Slide 6: Lower right: V1494

◦ Slide 7: V8982, V8323,

◦ Slide 8: B6254

◦ Slide 9: V8982, unknown tops

◦ Slide 10: Lower left: M7247, others unknown

◦ Slide 13: V9004

◦ Slide 14: V8323/B6596, V8691

◦ Slide 18: Left: variation of S1538

◦ Slide 18: Right and top: V9244

◦ Slide 19: B6377 modified

◦ Slide 20: V8691, V9358, V1644 modified

◦ The remainder of the patterns are either on the slide or are unknown.

◦ Please consider using some of your sheltering time to make an ASG Anti-Ouch Pouch mastectomy pillow! Directions and video on the ASG website.