Im making a sundress
By jdoss23430
@jdoss23430 (379)
United States
July 18, 2008 5:14am CST
I got the bright idea to make a sundress. I sew alot of quilts and things like that but never by a pattern. Now I have to use a pattern and it is making me crazy ! ! I bought the pattern and it says that I need to make the dress 3 sizes bigger that that of which I would buy at the store, but then it says that the finished garment will be wayyyy to big ! I am sooo confused...lol My mom says that I need to make the size that goes with my measurements or it will be too small. Do any of you sew clothes? Do you get as confused as I do when looking at a pattern? lol
1 person likes this
3 responses
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
18 Jul 08
I do, do a lot of sewing, my sewing machine is always up on my dining room table!
I do not understand, what the directions are telling you....because you should be making the dress, the size that you normally wear! A lot of patterns come adaptable to 3 sizes....3 cutting lines for the fabric, and on the cutting line it will tell you which line is for which size! Use the cutting line that is the size that you normally wear! Remember, if it is too big, you can make it smaller, BUT, if it is too small, the fabric is already cut...and you can't make it bigger!
If you are still confused, take your pattern, and your fabric to your local Fabric STore, and keep asking, until one of the staff gives you answers that satisfy you! Do this before you cut the fabric. Cheers & Good Luck!
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
18 Jul 08
Remember, if it is too big, you can make it smaller, BUT, if it is too small, the fabric is already cut...and you can't make it bigger!
I sew as well and you are very right..if its made TOO SMALL the fabric is wasted BUT if its made larger it can ALWAYS be made smaller and altered as needed. 
1 person likes this
@jdoss23430 (379)
• United States
18 Jul 08
My confusion comes in at the point were normally I would wear a 6 or 7 store bought dress, but the pattern says that if you have a 34". bust and a 28". waist and 36" hips, which I do except that my waist is 29 instead of 28....lol Anyway, I scrolled down to the bottom of the package and it says that the finished garment size will have a 38 1/2" bust. I barely fill out a 34"....lol This is just crazy ! ! Oh well I have cut the pattern pieces out and am getting ready to sew them together....like you say...I can always make it smaller if need be :-) Thank you for your help ! ! :-)
1 person likes this
@teriharich (1)
• United States
23 Jul 08
The finished garment size includes what is called "ease." Every garment must have some ease for comfort. If a garment was cut exactly to your body measurements, it would be too tight and very uncomfortable if you were able to get it on your body at all. All manufactured patterns have the recommended amount of ease included.
@jd107nette (1454)
• Philippines
19 Mar 12
ahahahaha! i've always wanted to sew my clothes or at least my little nephew's clothes but all i can do is some mending. hahahah.. i've done a small sample shorts before and it was a waste. no one could wear it. i didn't use any pattern because i was pretty lazy to do one. hahahahha
@cowgirl03051979 (918)
• United States
29 Nov 11
i love wearing little sun dresses during the warm summer months and i love making them too they are so much fun and there are so many different little flirty fabrics and patterns that you can use the easiest i think for me to make is a long tank top type with spagetti straps the pattern that you have does sound very confusing i usually do not even use a pattern i just make up the stitches from off of the top of my head if i were you though i would take that pattern back to the store and get an easier one that i could understand or you could just expierment with it on some scrap fabric
