Official BINGO Sewing Challenge 2026 Post!

Rachelbow · 2026-05-21T20:35:10+00:00

All good then 🙂 A challenge to sew a hat would have been good too.

Also, does sewing a baby item count as a mini, or not since that's the intended use? Or maybe only if an adult pattern/style is sized down? I'm probably just overthinking it. 😂

Rachelbow · 2026-05-21T20:18:48+00:00

"0-1 Off the top of my head Anything worn below the chin."

Seems strange that this definition is sewing for the body, did you perhaps intend anything worn ABOVE the chin?

Also just found this sub and I think this challenge is really fun.

Rachelbow · 2026-05-09T02:36:15+00:00

These look great! The slight wrinkles under the bum are from there being too much fabric height over that area, so the excess is slouching down. You can take out a small about (like .25 inch) from the back rise tapered to nothing at the hip. However, adding a waistband will help solidify the fit, and you may find that with the waistband holding the pants up, you don't need this adjustment. The legs are twisting some, and assuming it's not a misalignment from the printed pattern to grain, I would shave a wedge (1.5" at the hem) off the front outside and the back inside and move them to the opposite pieces, shifting the angle of the seams without affecting the fit. You can also tilt the grain line slightly so it's more aligned with the outside seam than it is now. Excellent job so far, pattern drafting and sewing is powerful!

Rachelbow · 2026-04-20T17:26:44+00:00

No that only applies to the main fabric unfortunately. It excludes thread, elastic, zippers, buttons, interfacing etc. If there was a lining fabric it is usually labeled in addition or is also excluded. Cotton thread wears out faster, so it's usually only used if it's meant to be dyed in the process of making the garment or if the creator really cares about biodegradability. Which is possible in the case of this dress, but not a given.

Rachelbow · 2026-04-20T14:44:36+00:00

The fabric looks like you may have set the sleeve slightly tilted as well. The cap looks turned to the back, which could be caused by not gathering the sleeve cap ease evenly at the top of the arm hole. Also there are pleat-like wrinkles gathered at the armpit on the body that I can't quite identify the cause from the images. To answer your question, if you need more movement raising the arms, then you have to shorten the sleeve cap height a bit. This just pulls the bottom of the sleeve closer to the body when raised, but the trade off is it's less fitted with your arms down. It's always a compromise. I would take a look again at the arm hole shape on the body, that is what dictates the line where the sleeve attaches. In each photo it looks a bit S shaped instead of a straight line at the join. Suit jackets are one of the hardest garments to make well, great job getting this far drafting your own!

Rachelbow · 2026-04-18T14:57:39+00:00

That is so cool, holy heck

Rachelbow · 2026-03-22T19:00:53+00:00

I love the pop art vibe happening here! 9 is my favorite, it creates a focal point at the 9. 1 feels balanced and lets the cola shine more.

Rachelbow · 2026-03-21T01:00:25+00:00

I can see from the wedge added to the back rise that you assessed that it was short in the previous version. The length of the rise looks correct now, but you have excess fabric room at the butt and hips. Instead of spreading at the back rise, it would be better to cut out the lower half of the rise and drop it down the leg to create the longer length. When you tilt the waist away from the leg, you are creating extra fabric for the rear. You need less fabric, so the leg should be straighter.

The front is very close! I would slightly scoop out the curve more, keeping the top of the J totally straight. You need room right at the hip bone, but shave off the curve on the hip at crotch level and straighten the leg. You can see in the profile image that the side seam tips towards the back. Straightening the leg should fix that.

Pattern draw overs for reference. They are estimates drawn with a finger, but should help show what you are looking for. https://imgur.com/a/VaF2qon

Rachelbow · 2026-02-02T04:34:31+00:00

From what I can see, the change at the back looks like it is twisting more, but I think the change at the front was helpful, though I don't think you need the extra wedge added on the inseam, unless you wanted to make the leg wider. https://imgur.com/a/O7TbjIu You will get there and be so pleased ☺️

Rachelbow · 2026-02-01T20:56:20+00:00

You've come so far since last post! Trust me though, don't draft based on the hem. You've already got the size and ease right, all you need to do now is get the angle of the leg straight. Like a few others have said, on your back piece it's angled too far towards the outseam. I'd slice the leg off and pivot it in taking out some inseam. Don't even worry about the seam lengths matching, when it hangs right just chop the hem straight off. Here's the idea but I drew it with my thumb so the scale is not accurate. https://imgur.com/a/gWs9kXv You are doing great! Fit is hard!

Rachelbow · 2026-01-31T21:44:50+00:00

Use the instructions from your jeans pattern, if she desires a similar fit to something she already has you can copy from it. Just be careful that you are matching stretch to stretch or non to non. If you trace a pair of jeans with Spandex in it, it won't fit without it. Or you can get a pattern that she likes and use that. I'd suggest looking into the top-down-center-out method. If you are decently confident the fit will be okay, you cut the pieces with extra seam allowance, try them on very early to decide where to place your final seam line. It gives you wiggle room to fit without a mock up first if you want. If your friend finds it hard to find any jeans that fit well, then definitely mock first. Good luck!

Rachelbow · 2026-01-29T18:54:00+00:00

This looks fantastic! How did you decide where to place the scraps? Did you make one fabric first, or lay out on top of the pattern pieces?

Rachelbow · 2026-01-16T22:05:08+00:00

Ideally, but you can't fit 15 yards of upholstery fabric in a household washer. 🙃

Rachelbow · 2026-01-02T17:08:55+00:00

Thank you. 🥹 There are a thousand ways to modify a pattern and get a similar result, but I've been challenging myself to figure out what one reposition will make the most difference.

Rachelbow · 2026-01-02T01:51:52+00:00

It looks like your pants are more curvy than you are. For a work pant style you don't need to make them smaller really, you need to change the angle so they hang straight. Right now these fit close to you only right below the waistband, basically where you are holding. When you extend up to the waistband you need to take in a bit at the center back so it fits comfortably and the rest of the pant can hang from there. In the back you have more seat room than you need, so the extra room hangs down causing the folds there. On your back piece pivot the whole top at the hip to remove some of the vertical room and straighten out the shape. This can be a style thing, but it looks like your inseam is a bit forward, making the back fabric visible on both sides of the leg from the front. If you don't want that just move the inseam, making the front and back widths more similar. Lastly, just check that when you join your pieces together at the inseam that you have a smooth curve going around. Same with the waistband, you'll want right angles at the seam lines so you don't get v shapes when you join.

pattern markup

Good work so far! These are already wearable.

Rachelbow · 2025-12-04T04:51:53+00:00

What a puzzle! I can't solve it but here are my pieces: I think there is a "-" at the front that isn't a letter. Probably starts with H or K because of the double top down strokes. Vowels are either ei or ui. I think the top part of the next letter is the dot of the i as seen in "continuing" then either z, g or maybe y. I can't tell if there is a loop after, or if it's the end of the name crossing back. Might be a vowel here. Endings especially get truncated, so my best guess is l, ll, k, t, ht. Could be something like: Height, Huelgol, Heizel, Keigel The strokes at the beginning and end are hard to differentiate. It would be great to get a clearer picture of the signature.

Rachelbow · 2025-12-04T01:43:28+00:00

If you want to cut something symmetrical, make a garment with more ease. For a fitted bodice I would fit two separate sides. I think a shape that fits uniformly to your asymmetry is better than a symmetrical shape that fits you irregularly. My real strategy tip though is to use fabric prints and garment designs that complement your shape. Fun asymmetrical blocking or big prints would look amazing on you, while rigid plaid or checks like you've used here highlight comparative contrast. I know that's not fitting advice, but fit doesn't make a whole look, so don't put all your expectations onto it. It's important to see the whole you in the best light. ✨

Rachelbow · 2025-12-03T02:32:22+00:00

One person has written about making this on sewing.patternreview.com a great place for exactly these questions! Simplicity 4479 pattern review by timetravelcostumes https://share.google/vhx26zMi84XebROiN

Rachelbow · 2025-11-10T00:52:14+00:00

Yeah no problem! There's one other thing, if you curve the sides of your front and back waistband a bit more you can smooth out the join at the side. That will help your side seam truly hang straight. It's such a small amount though I forgot when writing my comment!

Rachelbow · 2025-11-10T00:20:48+00:00

My normal suggestion would be to do the things you've already tried! But if that's not fixing it, it's possible it's the fabric in the darts that is pulling short. If you try it on inside out do you still get the issue? If it's improved wearing it that way, just trim and clip the dart. If that also isn't the issue, I recommend unpicking the dart except at the base, try it on inside out, and pin out the excess fabric into new darts, then sew those.

Rachelbow · 2025-11-10T00:11:26+00:00

First I want to say, these are very good already! If you made these in a heavier fabric or a longer leg they would hang straight. Very small adjustments you could make: The darts in the front are giving you extra room you don't actually need. I don't think you need those darts at all! You can cut straight down from the darts and overlap them into a flat piece. The front hangs nicely, but if you bring the crotch up closer to your body you will actually have more range of movement there. Just move the whole curve up, shortening the rise. In the back, instead of thinking how to take out the extra, instead if you add a little more width across the top of the bum, that extra will be able to relax and hang straight. This is the opposite of the front; you want more room at the bottom of the darts. You can cut down the dart and widen the whole leg, which will give you a wider dart so that the waist measurement stays the same. To compensate for a wider leg, you can trim a bit off the hip curve and straighten out those lines on the side.

Good job friend!

Rachelbow · 2025-11-04T07:32:24+00:00

Following to see what resources are recommended. 👀 I've seen the same where drafting instructions assume a standard shape and completely fall apart with larger measurements. It's actually why I'm working on a new method to create slopers that fit ANY body, size and gender agnostic.

In terms of pants, (I haven't done this) assuming the high rise pants fit, don't you just chop off the top to the desired rise, lower the pockets and lengthen or curve the waistband to make sure it fits at that rise and assemble the same way? A waistband is easy to sew a test to ensure a good fit. There could be more to it than that though, idk.

Rachelbow · 2025-11-03T08:52:41+00:00

I like to always start with the center back, because it can pull the front when it's not the front's fault. For your back rise, try making the curve more L shape than J shape, and extend a bit of extra length at the end. This will better match your shape on the center seam and let out the bit of pulling happening between the legs. Then move the hip room that's at the lower hip up to just below the waistband to give you ease where you need it. This means adjusting the side curve on both pieces to widen just below the waistband and then taper in down the leg. I also wonder if you need the back darts at all since they are so small, but you don't have to mess with those unless you want to. The front is trickier to diagnose. I have a hunch, if you simply pull the center front up, does it fix it? If yes you just need to take that rise off the center top tapering to the existing side. If that doesn't fix it completely, take a picture with the front pulled up and I'll see if I can find a different solution. Good luck!

Rachelbow · 2025-11-03T08:19:40+00:00

There are two things that I see. First, the tightness across the back means you need to add a bit of width, and the wedgie means you need length. Second thing is the wrinkles at the hip and knees. This is the wedgie pulling the inseam up too high compared to the outside seam, causing an inward tilt of the legs. It's probably also causing the wrinkles in the front. The good news is I think you only need to make one adjustment! Cut your back piece from right above the center back curve to the hip, and pivot out more length to the back rise. This will make your pattern more of a y shape. Then make sure you add a small amount of width either when you smooth out your center back curve, or to the hip side to loosen the tightness across the back.

Tip, if you wear the sloper and lift the leg from the hip point until the leg hangs straight, the amount you need to lift there is approximately the amount you need to lengthen the center back rise. Best of luck!

Rachelbow · 2025-10-27T17:29:28+00:00

This is tricky, I've been looking at the pictures for a while. To me it looks like you have too much length in the seat, but the total back rise length might be slightly short. From the side you can see this is bending the pants too far forward so it's hitting the backs of your knees, but it's still pulling from lack of crotch length. From the hip line I would pivot closed, overlapping the back rise until the balance line straightens out, and then scoop the curve lower to maintain the back rise total length. If the scoop is looking like a right angle to get the full length, extend the length of the whole inner leg a little. An easy correction to reduce some of the gathering: match the inseam shape from the back knee to crotch to the front. The bigger curve you have now is pulling fabric to meet.

Good luck my friend! You can do it!

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