Inclusive Sizing - Sewing Patterns

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First, some context: I started sewing because I have been super frustrated with the available options for plus size clothing. I don’t fit the “ideal body shape” for plus size brands, and frankly I’m fucking tired of cold shoulders, three-quarter sleeves, oversized floral tunics, and infantilizing Disney fandom.

I started sewing and then quickly realized that most patterns don’t come in my size, either. I started to learn pattern drafting by necessity, but also I’ve found some brands that either already have a larger size range, or are expanding their offerings. I’m writing this down so that the next time someone asks me where I find patterns, I can just link them here. Also as I try more pattern companies, I can add them to the list.

I will add the size range for each company with chest / waist / hip in inches as it’s available. Feel free to sub out “chest” with “bust” if your brain needs that to make sense of it. Most of these companies have metric on their website if you aren’t in the States and would like that info.

Extended sizes: at minimum 50” waist and/or 60” chest/hip (preferably both!)

  • Friday Pattern Company - SR: c 32-60 / w 24-53 / h 34-63 (Note they are expanding their size range, but have a link directly to the extended size patterns.)

  • Patterns for Pirates - SR: c30-60 / w 23-57 / h 34-64 Mostly patterns for knit fabrics, but the patterns usually have lots of options and they’re increasing their size range. That said - some of the older patterns only go up to a 3x so you’ll want to double check that. Individual patterns have size chart that includes high chest and bicep, so you can get a good idea if a pattern will fit you.

  • Cashmerette - SR c 40-60 / w 32-52 / h 42-62 Cashmerette is focused on larger bust sizes, and their sizing page includes high chest and bicep, so I’ll link it.

  • 100 Acts of Sewing - SR c 32-53 / w 26-54 / h 36-64 100 Acts of Sewing is so far the most beginner-sewist friendly, and the most apple-shape-friendly generally. When I self-draft I tend to start with one of the patterns from the Act of Sewing book.

Other Resources

Muna and Broad - SR: c 40-61/ h 41.5-71.5 - I haven’t sewn any of their patterns yet but I wanted to call them out specifically because if you are above their size range, they will grade their patterns up for you.

There are a lot of resources out there, with varying levels of accuracy and detail. The one that seems to be the go-to place is the Curvy Pattern Database. Ostensibly you can put your measurements in and filter for patterns, but I’ve not had much luck with the filters myself. There are no links, but the data might help you restrict your searches as you’re looking.

I’ve found some free size-inclusive patterns on Mood Sewciety. My camp shirt pattern is their Carya which I’ve modified to better fit myself. A word of caution that you get what you pay for, but there’s enough wheat in the chaff that I’ve found it worthwhile.

Also I want to mention Punk Frockers - because it’s a fun podcast, but also because they don’t discuss or promote patterns that don’t offer extended sizes. When they have pattern sponsors, they only accept sponsors who have sizes that meet my criteria above.

So What? Who Cares?

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A few years ago, the company where I then worked was doing Lean training for all of the business groups. No, we weren’t manufacturers, but there is some of the approach and philosophy that’s useful for teams as well.

The main thing I took away from that was this pair of questions: So What? and Who Cares? It’s not flippant as much as it is a sassy way to remember to look at underlying causes. What happens if we do this? What happens if we don’t do it? Who will be impacted, and how? It’s kind of the work equivalent of “will this matter in a year?”

So what? Who cares?

I’m fairly well exhausted by the idea that anything I see requires me to form and then express an opinion. The world is bigger than it’s ever been, and we have access to more information than we ever have. We are all trying to get through *waves* all of this, preferably not only living but thriving.

If I don’t know you personally, and you’re not affecting me or someone I love? I probably don’t care. I have a diminishing attention span (hell, and lifespan, because that’s how it works) and I prefer to spend them on the people and things that bring me joy. Sure, I’m sad about the state of global politics and everything being on fire and the ongoing pandemic and just . . . everything. Gen X kid here, I grew up thinking that the Russians were gonna nuke us any day now, and if the Russians didn’t get us, AIDS would. A lot of this is way too close to childhood drama/trauma to be comfortable. I just don’t need to be seen by the world, and I don’t have the energy to perform my life on a grander scale. I don’t have a big enough platform to have any influence, and I’m quite pleased about that. I find it delightful to check in with my friends from time to time and see how we can support each other. I do the community things that make sense to me and that I can do. I support the causes that matter to me, in ways that make sense for me. I have my social media sites limited to an hour daily across all of them, and it’s glorious. I may trim that down even more once I stop hitting the hour bump quite so often. I’m taking more walks and fewer photos; making more clothes and fewer arguments. Turns out as much as I miss social things - and boy howdy am I looking forward to easing back into a social life - social media isn’t a great substitute for me. And any time I feel the anxiety of missing a thing somewhere in the world, I pause and I ask myself two questions.

So What?

Who Cares?

To the least of folx

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You’ll pardon me if I update some biblical language to be slightly more modern and deliberately inclusive, I hope.

An idea has presented itself in several ways over the past few weeks, and it won’t let go of me until I write it down: accommodating the least of a group helps everyone in the group.

Actually it probably started with this 99% Invisible episode on Curb Cuts. I’ve never heard anyone complain about a curb cut in a sidewalk, but I know a number of folks with mobility aids that depend on them to navigate the city. And frankly they make life a lot easier if you’re on a bike, or pushing a stroller, for two examples.

There are so many opportunities for this kind of thinking in the States right now. (I can’t speak to the rest of the world, because I haven’t left the States in a number of years.) Making voting easier for the folks who are the most remote or disenfranchised makes voting easier for everyone. Supporting our unhoused neighbors in finding services and housing helps everyone else, because it makes the community generally healthier and happier. Making that next PowerPoint easily visible from the back of the room - even if we’re on a Zoom call - helps everyone to more easily understand your presentation. I see this almost every day, and maybe if I point it out, more folx will see it too.

As ever, wear your mask, wash your hands, drink your water, call your people. <3

Still going …

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Protests. Pandemic. Summer. All still going.

We are up around day 100 of protests here. There’s no way the current city council agrees to demands, and I think the protests will go until the elections.

I really don’t want to comment on the Federal madness except to say this:

VOTE. Not just for federal stuff because the local stuff will affect your life a lot more. Register immediately if you’re eligible and unregistered. There are plenty of places to sort that out; here is one

Slate guide

And So It Goes

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(This post needs a better title but I can’t edit it after publish and I’m too tired to copy and paste into a new post.)

I did not anticipate this. It’s nearly July and most of us here in Portland are still meant to be in some form of isolation.

I had a whole thing about the coronavirus outbreak - oh, 2020 - but frankly we are on day 27 of ongoing protests here in Portland and everything is wild. I know we’ve seen weeks of protest before, certainly before my time in Stumptown, but this FEELS different. It’s still bad, and I don’t think it gets better easily, but I’m starting to see actual movement on restructuring city budgets to remove things from the police department that the police shouldn’t be responsible for. I’m seeing a lot more of my white friends step up to dig into the work of anti-racism. I have the tiniest glimmer of hope that our Black friends, neighbors, and colleagues might one day not feel the boot of systemic racism and violence quite so heavily on their hearts and necks.

That sentence is fucking depressing for the truth of it.

I’m no expert but here is something that’s been impressed to my brain in the past month: Find the people already doing the work you want to support. (I promise you, they are out here.) Show up, ask them how you can help, then fucking step up and help. Wash your hands, put on your mask, and do whatever it is that you can do with your current resources. People are dying because white folks are letting them die. Because WE are letting cops get away with murder, and because we haven’t demanded change in our local, state, and federal government.

Real talk y’all: I haven’t been close to my family in a long time, but you better believe if someone was killing my cousins I would be all the way up in that DA office looking for some fucking arrests.

If you need somewhere to get started, search the internet for a Black Lives Matter organization in your town. Write or call your local government. Local Mutual Aid networks have been surfacing, too.

All the usual stuff applies: Take care of yourself. Tell the people you love that you love them. Wash your hands, put on your mask. Black Lives Matter.

I’ll leave you with something more light-hearted in case anyone actually sees this. It’s a reminder that everything may be grim, but Portland will still be Portland. Oh but first I should tell you maybe don’t open this at work or around the babies, eh? Naked Protests

Nobody owes you a mask

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So it’s been a month or so that we have all been staying physically distant. Recently the CDC added a recommendation to wear a mask when we must be outdoors. Of course, the craftiest folks immediately starting sewing their own, and then it happened.

oh I’d love one of those!

how much to make me one?

do you have any more fabric?

And one by one I’ve watched my friends who sew either fend off these demands, or give in to them until they’re exhausted. I’ve watched Etsy shops stock up, sell out, and then post notes that they’re out of fabric for making masks.

I’m going to add to the weight of this the folks I imagine are complaining about $15-20 for a handmade mask when mass produced ones are so much cheaper.

There are numerous videos on YouTube on how to cobble your own mask even if you don’t sew or don’t have much time. Most of the ones I’ve seen involve a little cutting and folding at most.

You can do the thing, and you should! (Well I assume most of you can. Not trying to dig at folks who might be disabled, obviously.)

Also? Crafting is a skill. Sewing, crochet, knitting, all take time to learn and hours to produce on top of the material cost. Not everyone is interested in commoditizing their hobby, and that’s a reasonable thing.

I’ll part with a quick note: if someone’s response to learning that I went to culinary school is “when are you going to cook for me?” They are not a friend and I don’t let them into my circle. Same with crafting stuff. I love to share things but the minute someone puts an expectation on it, the expectation sucks the joy out of it.

I hope you are well, practicing your physical distancing to the best of your ability, and taking care of yourself as best you can. Be kind to yourselves, and maybe be a little extra kind to your crafter friends ok?