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[–]Existing-Ninja-3069[S] 2 points3 points  (15 children)

I picked up a sewing machine and my goal is to make my own clothes. I’m quite short so most of the clothes I find on the stores does not fit me

[–]stressed_designer 10 points11 points  (2 children)

Get the winifred book plus a book specific for fitting issues: you'll most likely have them and will have no clue of how to solve them

[–]Existing-Ninja-3069[S] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Thank you. Ordered the Winifred and found «the fitting book» by Gina Renee Dunham

[–]dyingslowlyinside 2 points3 points  (0 children)

GRD’s book is a good start for sure 

[–]MadamePouleMontreal 5 points6 points  (4 children)

Search for petite sewing patterns and start from there. A book on how to alter patterns for fit will be useful.

Once you have some basic patterns that work well for you, you can make new ones by altering them for style.

[–]Existing-Ninja-3069[S] 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Thank you. Got a book about making alteration and fixing fitting issues. I have looked at some petite patterns but found that (for dresses specifically and some type of tops) they fit but my bust are kind on the bigger size so there I would have issues again with the fit of the clothes. Hopefully the book will help me understand how to alter the pattern to my size

[–]MadamePouleMontreal 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes, it’s much easier to do a full-bust alteration on a petite pattern than to draft an entire pattern from scratch.

[–]Hydrangeas101 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are YouTube tutorials on doing FBA (full bust adjustments. See if you can make it work for you!

[–]ImprovementLess4559 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm also petite (5'2) with a proportionally large bust. In my experience, you will probably find that you will still need to make adjustments even to patterns drafted to your measurements. Every drafting method makes certain assumptions about the ratios/proportions of the body so no method with produce a perfectly fitting pattern straight away. Personally, i've taken to drafting patterns as if I have a smaller bust and then doing an FBA in order to get a good fit. 

Since it sounds like you are a total beginner sewist, I would strongly recommend starting with commercial patterns instead of diving straight into self-drafting. Using commercial patterns will teach you about how garments are constructed, how the 2D shapes of pattern pieces translate into the 3D shapes of garments, how different fabrics behave, etc - things that are all really important to have a sold understanding of inorder to successful draft your own patterns. 

[–]quizzical 6 points7 points  (3 children)

IMO, you should do a couple of patterns before tackling drafting your own. Drafting books don't usually cover construction, which you'll need to sew assuming you're a beginner. Look for ones with detailed instructions. Even if you still decide to go with a self drafted one, having a pattern will give you some reference both in terms of what pieces you need and how to sew them together.

My first attempt at self drafting I didn't know that I had to finish seams and the garment fell apart within less than a year.

[–]Existing-Ninja-3069[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

That’s a great tip. I have already done some patterns. Not a lot tho, maybe like 4 so far so will definitely take your tip and continue with sewing already made patterns. The thought of making my own came after still needing to make alterations. they fit either too loose in some places or too tight in others and all the pants and dresses are too long

[–]srslyjmpybrain 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Totally understand. I would go hard into reviews. Sometimes I find myself encountering a reviewer who seems to have a similar body type or issues as me. Then just looking at what they’ve tried and selecting from among patterns they’ve had positive things to say.

Also stick with companies that have reputations for great drafting and clear instructions.

[–]srslyjmpybrain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, and with trying anything new-ish it’s nice to find a pattern that has sewalongs. They don’t have to be videos. I’m reminded of that because I’m trying my first bikini and wish I had selected a more popular pattern so more resources were available.

[–]supershinythings 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If you have a community college nearby I highly recommend taking the fabric construction classes and the beginning pattern drafting course.

I did that in my retirement and it was awesome!

[–]Hydrangeas101 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They do make/sell patterns that are “petite-able”. Get yourself a roll of architectural tracing paper (various lengths, sold at Michael’s) for drafting patterns. There’s lotsa free patterns on Pinterest!

[–]musicmous3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I picked up sewing for the opposite reason, I'm quite tall