thank you for starting this video with the message about the fact that it is the PATTERN that needs to change and your body is beautiful and perfect just as it is! 💚
Thank you for this series. It has made it so much easier to fit pants on my large caboose, thunder thighs and waist 2 sizes smaller than my hips. Just finished my fourth pair, using four different patterns. Each required different changes and all came out well.
Best encouragement I have heard to make pattern fit to our body versus making our body fit the pattern. Delivered so sweetly. I am in process of reviewing your videos first on top down center out method before trying my next pair of pants. I feel inspired. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this and other videos, which I've only just discovered in the last couple days. I spent ages recording and patterning my crotch curve, using flexible rulers and the like - as you show in another video. After months/years (?!) of tweaking I felt I finally got a moulage/template that fits, in different fits from skin tight to loose. I have just heard of TDCO and wondered if I wasted that time, or if there is still an importance to actual 'shape' and not just length. This is really helpful, as it illustrates what is really the essence of it: 'size/length' actually DOES translate into shape, otherwise larger sized pants would not be graded at the crotch but would just be longer at centre back/front! It strikes me that the logic of what you have just demonstrated is --- that the best starting point for using commercial patterns for pants is NOT to choose your size based on waist/hip circumference measurements ---- but to choose your size based on the crotch curve! Taking in the waist and hip at the side is much, much easier ... I'm just going to go test my crotch curve template on larger sizes to see if this theory works .... (I think I might still test TDCO, since the importance of establishing a secure and stable waistband does make sense to me, as a starting point; but then using my own template for the one-leg fitting.)
:) Since this tutorial I have fine tuned my pants fitting process... TDCO was my great experiment into exploring whether or not you could fit any pattern to any body without touching the draft... That is one of TDCO's core principles ...Along with the crotch is a line not a curve. After exhaustive efforts to do this, I found these results (by working with over 200 women of all shapes and sizes)... TDCO works 100% of the time if you're fitting a pants pattern that does not touch your body after the full hip... So, wide leg pants, trousers and palazzo pants where the crotch curve hovers below your body. As I worked with more fitted pant styles and jeans, TDCO worked great for the lucky few who's shape agreed with the crotch curve. The rest needed traditional pants fitting adjustments to achieve a good fit. Using a separate pants fitting waistband is not a new idea... But, I did learn to use it while working with Ruth (the author of Practical Pants Fitting in Threads Magazine Issue #218) Fitting the waistband to yourself before you start fitting the pants muslin gives you an anchor to drape the fabric from. I also make body specific adjustments to the pattern to customize the shape of the pattern to agree with the shape of the body before cutting out the muslin. What I have taken from TDCO is starting with a single leg muslin & adding fit allowances above the waist and side seams. I use the single leg muslin for two things: Balancing the vertical length of the front/back leg & adjusting the crotch points by adding fitting allowances to the inseams. (Then I trim them back to 1/2" before adding the second leg to fine-tune the fit. This makes picking a starting size straight forward ... Use the full hip size that agrees with your body measurements. Then depending on the difference in shapes between the pattern and the body, I use a variety of adjustments to get the crotch into the right spot. It's very common to get the back crotch up where it should be... but the front crotch ends up being too low. I have an adjustment that just picks up the front crotch without hauling up the front to match (doing this tends to mess up the drape of the back leg because you're forcing the shape that doesn't agree to stretch up to a higher front curve.) Here's a tutorial sharing more about these things: th-cam.com/video/WflHfYM3jcs/w-d-xo.html Hope this helps! Happy Pants Fitting!
@@JSternDesigns Thank you so much for this fantastic, detailed, helpful response! It explains the situation so well. It's a relief actually since I began to wonder if I had wasted a lot of time and could have just done TDCO but a niggling suspicion remained. The shape of my crotch curve is definitely not typical of patterns and one measurement will be 2 sizes smaller/bigger than another... The thing that finally cracked it for me was using a flexible ruler to find the actual shape of my crotch curve - and I was thrilled to see you have done the same and have a tutorial on it! From there, actually just taking a quarter of the circumference of the relevant point on the body (waist, high hip, etc.) plus ease gives me the best starting point for getting the base of the pelvis shape. Then adding design ease, other features, varying length of the crotch point etc to get the spectrum of leg width and cupping under the derriere, from palazzo to tight fit ... I'm enjoying your videos so much and explains what I was slowly finding out by myself by trial and error - but nowhere near as good as your videos. Thank you again!
So enjoying this series. Can't sew at the moment because of a broken wrist, but have bought a pattern and looked out fabric ready to sew when I can. Today's video showed a problem I would not have recognised until I got to adapting the pattern!
This was so helpful! I really love your videos, so educational. I am struggling with ready made patterns fitting ok at butt, way too baggy thighs and sometimes too long of a crotch length in the front - it’s been a journey 😅
I have some bags to sew up and a couple of quilts too, after that I will be able to start buying fabric little by little and begin filling my closet with items I enjoy wearing and look good wearing them 😁 I appreciate you and your sharing information, I'm able to understand your instruction style.
...I just finished an embroidered cushion cover for my daughter's 3rd grade classroom (for a bench in her reading nook)... Now I can get back to pants too! Thanks for following along with me!
How would you suggest I fit for a prominent butt and tummy? I.e. I have a "deep pelvis". I have a pants pattern where the waist size is right, the hip size is right (under the tummy) and the upper thigh is right, but it's still in effect too small. My butt wants to eat the crotch curve and it doesn't want to close over my "mommy tum" (bordering on becoming an "apron".
Check out this video that I did for Fit Tip Tuesday this week. It shows how to adjust your pattern for a prominent behind and how the grainline is affected. You might also need to lengthen the crotch points. th-cam.com/video/1zLIK7Ok5hY/w-d-xo.html Then, check out Fit Tip Tuesday next week... I'm continuing my series on "Body Specific Adjustments you may need before cutting out your Fit Muslin" with how to adjust your pattern for a prominent tummy. Thanks for fitting along with me
Question: if you choose the larger size for center front and back inseam to accommodate for the full inner thigh, do you then make the side seam smaller to adjust for the hip? When fitting my daughter her waist size is generally 2 sizes larger than her hip size. She has full inner thighs and calves, and a flat low bum.
That's a great questions. I think I would pick the size that agrees with your daughter's full hip. The waistline will have extra ease built-in because you straighten the side seam to create a little wedge before adding extra side seam allowance. Between the wedge and extra side seam allowance I think you'll have enough fabric to fit the waistline. To accommodate the full inner thigh, pick a larger size for the CB/crotch/inseam... Pick the same size for the front and the back so the inseams are the same length! Hope this helps Thanks for fitting along with me
Very insightful. I'm currently trying TDCO using Jessa Trousers by Tilly and the buttons. I've actually made 2 toiles now (size 4 and also size 5). The 4 fit lovely but I feel I can't really adjust it around the back (big bum maybe). Also the bottom of the crotch is tight. I'm thinking of using this method to scoop the crotch using the size 5 as I didn't have this issue with those.
It does sound like you need more crotch extension in the size 4... That's why I always add extra allowances to the inseams when I'm in the single leg stage of fitting... I can customize the depth of the pattern front to back by letting out the crotch extensions and inseams... Then I trim to 1/2" before cutting out the second leg. Hope that helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
I'm sorry, I'm not sure about that... I don't think Miriam is a knitter. In this tutorial I talking about watching her demo on TDCO. I don't think that demo was recorded. Hope this helps thanks for watching
That's a great question... and it points to the fact that I should have said to start with your full hip measurement... Check your upper thigh measurement to see how much ease you have a the top of the leg... If that's agreeing with size 12 too, then work with a straight size 12. You can fit the waist with darts and taking in the side seam at the waist. If you start with the size 8... I don't think you'll have enough room for your full hip (because the larger size 12 doesn't add to the full hip along the CB above the crotch.) Picking different sizes for side vs inseam is more about grading up if you need more room. Let me know if this makes sense. Thanks Jen
@@JSternDesigns Thanks, but not quite yet. If I understand you correctly, the above works if the pattern is graded only on the side seams, as in your second example. If it is graded both on CF/CB and side seams, your first example, the size 12 would indeed add to the full hip along the CB above the crotch @ 8:52 (??)
Question: when comparing the 2 types of pattern grading, wouldn’t the crotch lengthen significantly more on one type of graded pattern compared to the other as you choose a larger size?
The grading at the actual tip of the crotch is not likely to be significantly different because both the side and inseams are usually graded. The difference is when the grading between the waistline and crotch level is accomplished on the side seam vs being split between the side seam and the CF/CB seams. If the grading is split, the difference between sizes is split... so picking a larger size at the side seam only gives you half of the difference. ..(so you might have to go up two sizes instead of one)... Hope this helps! Thanks for watching
I think I might have picked the wrong size for my TDCO project but I am at a loss what to do, Jen. I have wide hips but thin thighs. I am a 20 in the hips but 12-14 in the thighs. I can get the front to look great but the back is awful. To get the back to hang nicely the crotch point is way too low but when I pull the crotch up at the wait band to where it should be I get a wedgie. I think I need to do a bigger size than the 14 on the inseam but then that will give me way too much fabric in the back thigh. Thoughts?
:) sorry you're having some issues! You can follow a bigger size along the crotch line... but then stop following it and go down a smaller inseam line... So you're working with a longer curve in the crotch, but not adding more to the inseam... Let me know if this makes sense. Thanks Jen
@@JSternDesigns Jen, I went with the 20 to the tip of the crotch and then the 14 inseam and I think y ou are right, I need more length in the crotch area. I will have a go at doing a 22 crotch seam and 14 inseam (I have a belly as well as wide hips). Will let you know how I go. Thank you so much for getting back to me, so very much appreciated. I know you are a busy girl. Looking foward to watching your jeans fitting video. :)
The actual shape of the crotch does not need to be the shape you're used to working with. If you need to take in the waistline because there's too much ease you can make bigger darts. I've been working with my private pants fitting students who have a variety of shapes and sizes... The straight part of the crotch curve has not caused a single fit issue :)
Yes, if you have a low flat butt you don't need more length in the crotch. You can choose the larger size along the crotch curve itself... then stop at the smaller inseam line. That way you've scooped but you do not add to the width of the leg! Hope this helps, Thanks for watching
I'm having such a hard time getting getting pants to fit and have been binging your videos! Could you please do a video about TDCO and if you need to move your crotch point significantly backward? Do I use a larger size for the front crotch than the back crotch? It seems I'm having a hard time getting a hold of a crotch curve that makes sense to start fitting from.
In most cases, you can take off some in the back and add it to the front if you need to move the inseam toward the back. To make this work with the top down center out method, choose the same size in the front... but extend it a couple sizes bigger past the tip of the crotch ... this will keep the front inseam the same length as the back inseam. Let me know if this helps!
thank you for starting this video with the message about the fact that it is the PATTERN that needs to change and your body is beautiful and perfect just as it is! 💚
It's so important to realize that it is the pattern's job to fit your beautiful unique shape... not the other way around! Thank you for watching!
Jen, I really appreciate how you bring things to a logical level so we can understand it. Thank you
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for fitting along with me
Everyone looks great in clothes that fit!
Yessss! That's why we sew for ourselves! Thanks for fitting along with me
Thank you for this series. It has made it so much easier to fit pants on my large caboose, thunder thighs and waist 2 sizes smaller than my hips. Just finished my fourth pair, using four different patterns. Each required different changes and all came out well.
So happy to hear! Thanks for fitting along with me
Best encouragement I have heard to make pattern fit to our body versus making our body fit the pattern. Delivered so sweetly. I am in process of reviewing your videos first on top down center out method before trying my next pair of pants. I feel inspired. Thank you.
:) I'm so excited that you're going to give this a try! Thank you for fitting along with me
Thank you so much for this and other videos, which I've only just discovered in the last couple days.
I spent ages recording and patterning my crotch curve, using flexible rulers and the like - as you show in another video. After months/years (?!) of tweaking I felt I finally got a moulage/template that fits, in different fits from skin tight to loose.
I have just heard of TDCO and wondered if I wasted that time, or if there is still an importance to actual 'shape' and not just length. This is really helpful, as it illustrates what is really the essence of it: 'size/length' actually DOES translate into shape, otherwise larger sized pants would not be graded at the crotch but would just be longer at centre back/front!
It strikes me that the logic of what you have just demonstrated is --- that the best starting point for using commercial patterns for pants is NOT to choose your size based on waist/hip circumference measurements ---- but to choose your size based on the crotch curve! Taking in the waist and hip at the side is much, much easier ...
I'm just going to go test my crotch curve template on larger sizes to see if this theory works ....
(I think I might still test TDCO, since the importance of establishing a secure and stable waistband does make sense to me, as a starting point; but then using my own template for the one-leg fitting.)
:) Since this tutorial I have fine tuned my pants fitting process... TDCO was my great experiment into exploring whether or not you could fit any pattern to any body without touching the draft... That is one of TDCO's core principles ...Along with the crotch is a line not a curve. After exhaustive efforts to do this, I found these results (by working with over 200 women of all shapes and sizes)... TDCO works 100% of the time if you're fitting a pants pattern that does not touch your body after the full hip... So, wide leg pants, trousers and palazzo pants where the crotch curve hovers below your body. As I worked with more fitted pant styles and jeans, TDCO worked great for the lucky few who's shape agreed with the crotch curve. The rest needed traditional pants fitting adjustments to achieve a good fit. Using a separate pants fitting waistband is not a new idea... But, I did learn to use it while working with Ruth (the author of Practical Pants Fitting in Threads Magazine Issue #218) Fitting the waistband to yourself before you start fitting the pants muslin gives you an anchor to drape the fabric from. I also make body specific adjustments to the pattern to customize the shape of the pattern to agree with the shape of the body before cutting out the muslin. What I have taken from TDCO is starting with a single leg muslin & adding fit allowances above the waist and side seams. I use the single leg muslin for two things: Balancing the vertical length of the front/back leg & adjusting the crotch points by adding fitting allowances to the inseams. (Then I trim them back to 1/2" before adding the second leg to fine-tune the fit. This makes picking a starting size straight forward ... Use the full hip size that agrees with your body measurements. Then depending on the difference in shapes between the pattern and the body, I use a variety of adjustments to get the crotch into the right spot. It's very common to get the back crotch up where it should be... but the front crotch ends up being too low. I have an adjustment that just picks up the front crotch without hauling up the front to match (doing this tends to mess up the drape of the back leg because you're forcing the shape that doesn't agree to stretch up to a higher front curve.) Here's a tutorial sharing more about these things: th-cam.com/video/WflHfYM3jcs/w-d-xo.html Hope this helps! Happy Pants Fitting!
@@JSternDesigns Thank you so much for this fantastic, detailed, helpful response! It explains the situation so well.
It's a relief actually since I began to wonder if I had wasted a lot of time and could have just done TDCO but a niggling suspicion remained. The shape of my crotch curve is definitely not typical of patterns and one measurement will be 2 sizes smaller/bigger than another...
The thing that finally cracked it for me was using a flexible ruler to find the actual shape of my crotch curve - and I was thrilled to see you have done the same and have a tutorial on it! From there, actually just taking a quarter of the circumference of the relevant point on the body (waist, high hip, etc.) plus ease gives me the best starting point for getting the base of the pelvis shape. Then adding design ease, other features, varying length of the crotch point etc to get the spectrum of leg width and cupping under the derriere, from palazzo to tight fit ...
I'm enjoying your videos so much and explains what I was slowly finding out by myself by trial and error - but nowhere near as good as your videos. Thank you again!
So enjoying this series. Can't sew at the moment because of a broken wrist, but have bought a pattern and looked out fabric ready to sew when I can. Today's video showed a problem I would not have recognised until I got to adapting the pattern!
So happy to hear that you're enjoying this series! I'm excited for you to sew pants. Thanks for watching
I am totally a show me learner. Thank you for this
:)
This makes so much sense 💡
So happy to hear, thanks for fitting along with me
This was so helpful! I really love your videos, so educational. I am struggling with ready made patterns fitting ok at butt, way too baggy thighs and sometimes too long of a crotch length in the front - it’s been a journey 😅
So happy this helps you!! Thanks for fitting along with me
This is great information! Thanks for sharing 🙏
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for fitting pants with me!
Thank you! I learned so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for your logical presentation!
My pleasure! Thanks for fitting along with me
That makes so much sense! 🥰🙌🏻
So happy to hear! Thanks for fitting along with me
I have some bags to sew up and a couple of quilts too, after that I will be able to start buying fabric little by little and begin filling my closet with items I enjoy wearing and look good wearing them 😁 I appreciate you and your sharing information, I'm able to understand your instruction style.
...I just finished an embroidered cushion cover for my daughter's 3rd grade classroom (for a bench in her reading nook)... Now I can get back to pants too! Thanks for following along with me!
How would you suggest I fit for a prominent butt and tummy? I.e. I have a "deep pelvis". I have a pants pattern where the waist size is right, the hip size is right (under the tummy) and the upper thigh is right, but it's still in effect too small. My butt wants to eat the crotch curve and it doesn't want to close over my "mommy tum" (bordering on becoming an "apron".
Check out this video that I did for Fit Tip Tuesday this week. It shows how to adjust your pattern for a prominent behind and how the grainline is affected. You might also need to lengthen the crotch points. th-cam.com/video/1zLIK7Ok5hY/w-d-xo.html Then, check out Fit Tip Tuesday next week... I'm continuing my series on "Body Specific Adjustments you may need before cutting out your Fit Muslin" with how to adjust your pattern for a prominent tummy. Thanks for fitting along with me
@@JSternDesigns Thank you so much! I'll wait until after Tuesday to make my next muslin, then. 😊
Question: if you choose the larger size for center front and back inseam to accommodate for the full inner thigh, do you then make the side seam smaller to adjust for the hip? When fitting my daughter her waist size is generally 2 sizes larger than her hip size. She has full inner thighs and calves, and a flat low bum.
That's a great questions. I think I would pick the size that agrees with your daughter's full hip. The waistline will have extra ease built-in because you straighten the side seam to create a little wedge before adding extra side seam allowance. Between the wedge and extra side seam allowance I think you'll have enough fabric to fit the waistline. To accommodate the full inner thigh, pick a larger size for the CB/crotch/inseam... Pick the same size for the front and the back so the inseams are the same length! Hope this helps Thanks for fitting along with me
Very insightful. I'm currently trying TDCO using Jessa Trousers by Tilly and the buttons. I've actually made 2 toiles now (size 4 and also size 5). The 4 fit lovely but I feel I can't really adjust it around the back (big bum maybe). Also the bottom of the crotch is tight. I'm thinking of using this method to scoop the crotch using the size 5 as I didn't have this issue with those.
It does sound like you need more crotch extension in the size 4... That's why I always add extra allowances to the inseams when I'm in the single leg stage of fitting... I can customize the depth of the pattern front to back by letting out the crotch extensions and inseams... Then I trim to 1/2" before cutting out the second leg. Hope that helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
@@JSternDesigns thank you for the advice. I've ended up using size 5 and this is better in the crotch.
I couldn’t find the link to Miriam Jane check in ravelry!?
I'm sorry, I'm not sure about that... I don't think Miriam is a knitter. In this tutorial I talking about watching her demo on TDCO. I don't think that demo was recorded. Hope this helps thanks for watching
If you are a size 8 waist, size 12 hips, use size 12 for CF/B and inseam, and size 8 for side seam? Thanks. Otherwise, very clear and helpful.
That's a great question... and it points to the fact that I should have said to start with your full hip measurement... Check your upper thigh measurement to see how much ease you have a the top of the leg... If that's agreeing with size 12 too, then work with a straight size 12. You can fit the waist with darts and taking in the side seam at the waist. If you start with the size 8... I don't think you'll have enough room for your full hip (because the larger size 12 doesn't add to the full hip along the CB above the crotch.) Picking different sizes for side vs inseam is more about grading up if you need more room. Let me know if this makes sense. Thanks Jen
@@JSternDesigns Thanks, but not quite yet. If I understand you correctly, the above works if the pattern is graded only on the side seams, as in your second example. If it is graded both on CF/CB and side seams, your first example, the size 12 would indeed add to the full hip along the CB above the crotch @ 8:52 (??)
Question: when comparing the 2 types of pattern grading, wouldn’t the crotch lengthen significantly more on one type of graded pattern compared to the other as you choose a larger size?
The grading at the actual tip of the crotch is not likely to be significantly different because both the side and inseams are usually graded. The difference is when the grading between the waistline and crotch level is accomplished on the side seam vs being split between the side seam and the CF/CB seams. If the grading is split, the difference between sizes is split... so picking a larger size at the side seam only gives you half of the difference. ..(so you might have to go up two sizes instead of one)... Hope this helps! Thanks for watching
@@JSternDesigns Thank you!
I think I might have picked the wrong size for my TDCO project but I am at a loss what to do, Jen. I have wide hips but thin thighs. I am a 20 in the hips but 12-14 in the thighs. I can get the front to look great but the back is awful. To get the back to hang nicely the crotch point is way too low but when I pull the crotch up at the wait band to where it should be I get a wedgie. I think I need to do a bigger size than the 14 on the inseam but then that will give me way too much fabric in the back thigh. Thoughts?
:) sorry you're having some issues! You can follow a bigger size along the crotch line... but then stop following it and go down a smaller inseam line... So you're working with a longer curve in the crotch, but not adding more to the inseam... Let me know if this makes sense. Thanks Jen
@@JSternDesigns Jen, I went with the 20 to the tip of the crotch and then the 14 inseam and I think y ou are right, I need more length in the crotch area. I will have a go at doing a 22 crotch seam and 14 inseam (I have a belly as well as wide hips). Will let you know how I go. Thank you so much for getting back to me, so very much appreciated. I know you are a busy girl. Looking foward to watching your jeans fitting video. :)
what if the slope of the straight part of the crotch curve doesn't fit my body?
The actual shape of the crotch does not need to be the shape you're used to working with. If you need to take in the waistline because there's too much ease you can make bigger darts. I've been working with my private pants fitting students who have a variety of shapes and sizes... The straight part of the crotch curve has not caused a single fit issue :)
What about a low flat butt? From experience on trying to draft patterns, adding to the crotch points adds to baggy butt.
Yes, if you have a low flat butt you don't need more length in the crotch. You can choose the larger size along the crotch curve itself... then stop at the smaller inseam line. That way you've scooped but you do not add to the width of the leg! Hope this helps, Thanks for watching
🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Thanks!!
I'm having such a hard time getting getting pants to fit and have been binging your videos! Could you please do a video about TDCO and if you need to move your crotch point significantly backward? Do I use a larger size for the front crotch than the back crotch? It seems I'm having a hard time getting a hold of a crotch curve that makes sense to start fitting from.
In most cases, you can take off some in the back and add it to the front if you need to move the inseam toward the back. To make this work with the top down center out method, choose the same size in the front... but extend it a couple sizes bigger past the tip of the crotch ... this will keep the front inseam the same length as the back inseam. Let me know if this helps!
@@JSternDesigns Thanks! Will do!