My new Tasi Robe/Jacket draft-it-yourself pattern is (I hope) the first in a series of draft-it-yourself patterns. I love that the style of pattern is accessible to all people, teaches about pattern drafting and gives the maker (that’s you!) the power to customize the design.
CHECK OUT THE TASI PATTERN IN THE SHOP
This draft-it-yourself pattern will walk you through each step of designing and drafting your own custom fit pattern. You choose the proportions you’d like and we give you the formulas to draft all the pattern pieces. If you’re new to designing things, it can be a little tricky deciding how much ease you like and the proportions that work best for you. So, for today’s blog post, I’m going to share a few tips for how to design the Tasi for you preferences.
Tip 1: Look for inspiration
A great place to start a design project is by looking for inspiration. Peruse Pinterest, Instagram or even ready-to-wear clothing companies to get ideas for how you’d like to design your garment. This inspiration can help when deciding ease and length and also give ideas for design details and fabric. I have a roundup of RTW inspiration for the Tasi here.
Tip 2: Think about proportions
While you’re sketching and draping fabric, think about proportions. Mostly, you’ll want to think about the length of the garment, the length of the sleeves and the ease in the sleeves and body.
You may decide that you like wearing a short cropped jacket with long sleeves that have a lot of ease. Or, you may like a very long jacket with narrow or elbow length sleeves. These things are all personal preference and very easy to adjust with the Tasi pattern
Tip 3: Look at garments already in your wardrobe
Do you have a similar robe or jacket already in your closet? Try it on and evaluate the ease, length and proportions to decide what works (or doesn’t) for you.
Tip 4: Drape the fabric over your body
If you already have the fabric you plan to use, you can drape it over your body to make a quick approximation of what a particular length would look like. Just grab your fabric and hang it from your shoulders while looking in a mirror. Adjust the fabric to different lengths to decide what you like best.
Tip 5: Sketch using a custom croquis
To help decide the proportions that work for you, try sketching out different design options on a custom croquis that matches your body. You make your own croquis by taking a photo of yourself and then tracing around it. Or, you can have one generated on the website My Body Model. I have a review of My Body Model here. And if you’re interested, the sewing planner in the photo above is available in my shop here.
Design takes practice so don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it just right the first time or two. (That said, I don’t think there are really “right” answers. Just preferences.) The more you design things, the more comfortable and confident you’ll become. If you need more help sewing your Tasi Robe or Jacket, make sure to check out the main sewalong page. And if you haven’t gotten a copy of the pattern yet, you can find it in the shop here. Happy sewing!
