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There are a couple different ways that you can make your own sewing patterns and by doing so you can save a lot of money.
The easiest way is to take an old garment and rip it apart with a seam ripper and use that as your pattern. When doing this you should take note as to whether the seams have been trimmed or cut back with a serger, if so, then you will have to cut the material a little bigger to give yourself a seam allowance.
Ideally you want to have a 5/8" seam allowance.
Another easy way to make a sewing pattern is to take a pattern which you already have and alter it. Most likely if it's a garment pattern you will have to alter it regardless in order for it to fit the shape of your body.
Instead of ruining the original pattern, (which will come in handy for future use,) simply take some tissue paper and iron it to get all the creases out. Depending on how long the pattern pieces are you may need to tape several pieces of tissue paper together in order to be able to trace the pattern in one piece.
Note: Make sure to iron the tissue paper before you tape it together. If you need to iron it again after it has been taped, make sure not to iron over the tape as the tape will stick to the iron. (I discovered this without trying.)
As you're tracing the pattern you want to make the necessary changes to the pattern, plus you should copy all lines, markings and any other information to make it easier to use the new pattern.
When copying from a pattern to make it your own, you're not limited to using only one pattern; you can use as many patterns as you like to make one pattern. For example if you like the top on one dress pattern, and the bottom of another, and the sleeves of yet another pattern, you can take all three and merge them together to come up with one pattern that you like.
Using this method can be tricky because you have to readjust lengths, widths, and other measurements in order for the pieces to fit together. A measuring tape, notepad and pen and a good calculator come in handy when pursuing it this way, but it can be well worth it.
(Please note that any pattern derived from this method should only be for personal use, as all patterns are copyrighted)
Last but not least, you can design your own from scratch. All you need to do is take your measurements and make a drawing using those measurements. Again you can use tissue paper with all the creases ironed out.
When the drawings are complete and they look about right, cut them out and pin them on you or the person whom the pattern is designed for. Make any necessary changes needed to make it fit the way you want.
It's difficult to see just by pinning the pattern how it will look after it is sewn, so it's a good idea to buy some cheap material, or use an old sheet, and sew the pattern together. This will give you a much better picture of what you need to with your design. (Your local Salvation Army store is a good place to look for cheap material or old sheets.)
It may seem frightening to design your own pattern from scratch, but really it's not that hard, it takes some trial and error and quite a bit of patience for the first few patterns, but then after that it will get easier.
However, if you are new to sewing you should stick with patterns which you are comfortable with; and then as your skills progress you can move on to designing your own.
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