Tips: sizing up: my method

Pattern Sizing:

I love Burda's patterns, but the magazine's regular patterns go up to EU 42 or 44 (US12/14). The magazines also provide plus size patterns so I know I fit in a size 48. But what to do with the regular sized patterns that do not go up to 48.

I took this jumpsuit featured in 'Burda Vintage '50's) as an example.

The largest size on this jumpsuit is 42, meaning I need to size up 3 sizes. I start by drawing the largest size (42). Then I place the lines and corners of size 42 on three sizes smaller (since I want to go three sizes up) so on 36.

For straight lines it is fairly easy. If the pattern piece is about 1 cm smaller between 36 and 42, it is also 1 cm between sizes 42 and 48.

Not only the width is larger in larger sizes, the height of the pattern pieces also go up as shoulders are rounder and need more space. In this instance you need to place the CORNERS of size 42 on the corners of size 36. Place the drawn corners of size 42 on the corners of 36 and draw the 'new' corners. You will shuffle the pattern around with every corner.

You will need to keep the pattern piece horizontally and vertically aligned. You do that by keeping your eye on the base lines. In the above case it is the two lines that come from the lower left corner. It is where all the pieces are measured from and where they start. Those lines need to be and stay parallel to the lines on the pattern sheet as you shuffle your copy around. Basically it assures you, you do not pivot your copied piece.

I like to center my piece over the piece on the pattern sheet for a last check. I place the drawn corners of size 42 on the corner of the pattern sheet and it should show a repetition. The dart in the top of the shorts moves about 2 mm with each size and so does my dart (in this case, three sizes mean 6 mm).

The part that forms the crotch gets longer and deeper with each size and so does my size. You can even put a ruler to the corners to see if the corners match, see the red lines.

The same also goes for creating smaller sizes. If you want two sizes smaller than 34, draw size 34, place these on size 38 and draw the corners again.

If you want to see how this jumpsuit fitted me see this post: