Cloning 101

Everybody has that one item of clothing in our closet that we love, and this technique is great for duplicating that item or making sure your pattern fits you perfectly. In this post, I will be teaching a method that allows you to create patterns from existing clothing items. You do not have to take apart the original item you are cloning in any way.

For this project you will need:

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An item of clothing you would like to clone

Scissors

Large pieces of paper, I use wrapping paper

Marker or pencil

Straight pins, or a tracing wheel

Soft Surface, such as carpet

Ruler

Step 1: Find a piece of clothing you are looking to clone; I used my favorite pair of shorts.

Step 2: Lay flat the first section you are cloning, (ex: the sleeve or collar) I started with the leg opening. Make sure there is nothing else folded behind it.

Step 3: With your straight pins, pierce through the fabric into the paper, and finally through the carpet. Only pin the edges down; these holes will be used to add the lines. Pin no further than one inch apart.

Step 4: Once your section is completely outlined with pins, take them out and move your clothing item.

Step 5: You are left with small dots that your pins made, use those as a guideline to draw out your pattern piece. Use your ruler for a straight edge.

Step 6: Add a seam allowance around the lines you just drew over the perforations.

Step 7: I had an elastic waistband on my shorts. With elastic, be sure to stretch it out to its full length before pinning.

Step 8: Continue with every section and be sure to label each piece and how many to cut.

Step 9: Once everything is done, cut your patterns; be mindful of the appropriate lines to cut.

This form of pattern making is the most reliable and not to mention the easiest. Being able to create your own patterns saves money and elevates your sewing skills. Happy sewing!