There is nothing as satisfying as self-made garment that fits perfectly, and nothing as demotivating as one that doesn't. When we are inspired but somehow our finished product doesn't quite match up to the inspiration, many factors could be to blame. Below are five simple tips for achieving the look of the model garment.

~ Tip 1 ~

Choose designs that suit your body. The fashion sphere is chock full of the fabulous, the stunning and the awe-inspiring, but not all of it suits our tastes and more importantly our body type. Take me for instance, I do not like wearing pencil skirts. My hip line is low and with my waist to hip ratio, a pencil is less flattering on me because with a tucked-in shirt I lose the smallness of my waist. I also do not like A-line garments because I have narrow hips. A-line suits a fuller hip. I am also cautious to not wear ruching around the hip, it tends to not sit neatly and can look floppy if not perfectly fitted. When choosing a look, pay close attention to the body-type of the wearer of the garment and how the garment fits their proportions.

~ Tip 2 ~

Choose the right fabric for the design. Your fabric choice is arguably the most important aspect of your design. Forget arguably; it is the most important. So many times I've seen a beautiful design ruined by a less-than-ideal fabric. Fabric choice can vary by texture, weight, the drape, the stretch. Sometimes a design calls for structure but we might use a soft fabric with too much "drape." This will ruin the lines of garment quite quickly. Conversely, if structure is what's needed, for example in the case of a blazer, then draping will will give a very unsatisfactory result, to say the least. If you find you are using a few layers of stabilizer to create structure, you have chosen the wrong fabric.

~ Tip 3 ~

Cut along the grain. Woven fabrics have a WARP and a WEFT grain. which are the vertical and horizontal threads. You will find that on the horizontal, the fabric will have stretch. Not cutting along the grain lines will make your garment unstable and sag in all the wrong places. Not to mention it will actually feel very uncomfortable because there will be a pull in one particular direction. When folding your fabric or even if the pattern does not call for folding, still ensure that the grains are straight. When folding the fabric, allow it to show you where it wants to go; don't pull or force it in any direction. Fabrics cut at the store are not usually straight and you might be tempted to fold along that line, but many times I find the fabric just will not line up easily. When you fold the fabric, look for creases at the fold like. Even the smallest crease will indicate that you are not folding straight.

~ Tip 4 ~

Cut straight and cut neatly. Pattern weights, sharp scissors and steady hands are your best friends when cutting for a flawless fit. Putting a garment together is like a puzzle. All the pieces are designed to work perfectly together. . .which means they have to be cut to their designated sizes. A crumpled fabric could add a quarter on to a panel and that can throw off the alignment of the other pieces.

~ Tip 5 ~

Do a fitting. You should always do a fitting of your garment as you sew. Not because the pattern tells you it should fit your proportions, doesn't mean it will in all cases. Before you add collars, sleeves, facing/lining, hem, etc, do a fitting. This will prevent excessive seam ripping at the end,

A bonus point

Use the designated seam allowance. When altering your garment you go bigger or smaller with the seams. Likewise, if you go too big or too small with the allowance, it will throw off the fit. Follow the seam allowance as described in the pattern.

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