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| I love this product's versatility: Wrap foods and make patterns from it too! |
Ever since sewing blogger Adriana posted about using Glad Press 'n Seal® to make patterns from her clothes, I've been wanting to give it a try. This past weekend I sat down with my Press 'n Seal to turn a favorite RTW vest into a workable pattern. Readers,
this technique is so easy you're going to want to toss a box of the plastic wrap in your grocery cart today. Here are the simple steps I used to make a pattern:
- Set up your work area: You need a table, strong enough lighting so you can see the details in your RTW garment, Glad Press 'n Seal, and a felt-tip marker.
- Identify all the pieces of your garment before you begin tracing. My princess-seamed vest has a center front, side fronts, center back, side backs, and a stand-up collar.
- Lay your garment on the table and smooth it out as flat as possible. Then place a sheet of Press 'n Seal on top of the piece you're going to trace first. With your hands, press the plastic film firmly onto your garment so it adheres flat and without forming wrinkles in the plastic.
- Take a felt-tip marker and trace along all the seamlines and edges of the piece, like the center front, for example.
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| Here I traced the vest's center front using a felt-tip marker and Glad Press 'n Seal. |
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each piece of your garment. Obviously if you have duplicate pieces, like the side fronts, you only have to trace one. For my center back piece, which would normally be cut on the fold, I carefully folded my vest's back and traced the folded edge.
- Now get out your tracing paper, carbon transfer paper, and your double-wheeled tracing wheel. Lay the plastic wrap pattern pieces you've just drawn on top of your tracing paper (which is on top of your face-up transfer paper) and smooth them flat. Trace along all the seamlines and edges, adding the appropriate amount of seam allowance. For my vest I gave it a one-inch seam allowance.
- Cut out each pattern piece and label each; for example, "Vest side front, cut 2." Draw grainlines on each piece, and you've got a complete pattern from your RTW garment.
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| All the pieces to my vest pattern traced from the plastic wrap onto tracing paper. I labeled each piece and added grainlines. |
Depending on what you're making from your plastic wrap pattern, you may want to take the time to
make a muslin before cutting into your fashion fabric. I skipped this step since my new vest will be made out of a similar-type fabric as the original vest. If you'd like more information about
how to handle trickier things like darts and sleeves, I recommend you take a look at the book
Patternmaking for a Perfect Fit, where the author shares her techniques for copying RTW garments you already own. Items like pencil skirts, t-shirts and vests are
good initial projects for this.
As I write this post I've now sewn all the new vest's seams and it fits me just like the RTW vest. As soon as I finish it I'll share photos, hopefully next week. I'm so
happy with the results I'm already going through my closet to see which of my RTW clothes I want to knock off next using this technique.
Back soon!
26 comments:
I would not have thought about using Press n Seal for pattern tracing. What a great idea. Thanks for sharing this step by step.
Thanks for your timely post, because today I was thinking I'd like to copy a RTW blouse. I haven't heard of this method before but it sounds perfect, and much easier than any other method I've read about. What a great idea so thanks for passing on this info.
Will any felt-tip pen work (like the ones kids use to colour their artwork)? Or would it have to be a permanent marker pen (like a Sharpie for instance) please? We don't have GLAD wrap here in the UK & felt-tip pens are all water-based inks, so I'd worry that it would not stay put onto the plastic of the wrap-sheets?
Thanks, Claire :)
What did you do to find the grainline?
I love the technique and am ready to buy Press n Seal - today! But you didn't mention facings - do you improvise there?
What a great idea! I am definitely trying this. Thank you!
That is genius!! Crafty people are so smart and resourceful! Sadly, I don't think I like any of my store bought clothes enough to copy them ;(
To answer your questions:
1. Yes, any felt-tip pen will work. I used my kids' water-based pens. Just don't use too fat of a point as it will make your tracing less precise.
2. I drew the grainlines based on past knowledge of grainlines in princess-seamed jackets. You could always find a similar pattern in your stash and consult that for grainlines.
3. My vest does not have facings but you would treat them the same as the other garment pieces: just trace and add seamlines and edges.
Glad you guys like this tip!
Hi,
I use pattern tracing paper and a needle point marking tool and just go around the seam of the clothing, I get an accurate mark and only sometimes do I go over it with marker usually the holes are enough to see the lines.
:O)
Snow, try the Press 'n Seal method. I think you'll like the way it clings to the clothes so you really can take an accurate impression.
Oh, thanks SO MUCH for posting this! I have a RTW item I want to copy and the only method I knew was using muslin and pencil -- which is such a pain I've put off tracing it for about 4 months now. This will definitely be so much easier! Putting it on my grocery list right now.
Thanks! Looks really interesting.
O.K. Lindsay Press and Seal it is. I have to say it is addictive to copy clothes that you already own and like the way they fit. I started with tee shirts and tops, right after Christmas I'll tackle more items.:O)
A while back, Kathleen Fasanella posted a method for making a bodice sloper using saran wrap. I wonder if this stuff would be even better.
http://tinyurl.com/23aeo6w
What stores in the NYC area carry Press 'n Seal? I went to the Glad website, but didn't see a store locator. I see that it is available from Amazon. Still, I'd prefer to start out with a single roll.
Another recommended method about which I've read involves using buff-colored silk organza. I'm sure that works well, too, but this method seems so much cheaper.
Reader,
I never go into grocery stores here as I buy my groceries closer to home. So I don't know where you'd find it in NYC. But here's a link to buying it from Kmart online for $4.99: http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_9990000018268412P
What a great idea! Now all we need is for Press 'n Seal to be available in Australia!
Thank you, Lindsay. If I don't find it in the immediate vicinity, I'll try Kmart or Target.
Hmm. What a great idea! Can't wait to see how yours turns out!
Cool tip! I'm too cheap to buy Press'n'Seal so I've just done it by laying the garment on top of tissue paper. But for a more complicated piece, I'll have to spring for the Press'n'Seal--though by this point there's not much RTW left in my closet to copy!
Cool idea - I'll wait and see where the Aussie girls get their Press N Seal from - I'm pretty sure we don't have it here ... and I'm curious about what it's food related use is for ... why is it sticky?
Handmade, it's not sticky. I'd say it's more clingy, but not like regular plastic wrap. I guess you have to try it to see what I mean.
Another good use for Press N Seal in the sewing room is to create a teflon foot .... when sewing something that is grabby, I cut a couple of pieces of PNS and stick it to each side of the foot ... presto, a reasonable facsimile of a teflon foot.
I tried this awhile ago and agree, fantastic results and easy to use. Also, I found a 3-pack of the stuff at my local warehouse store (mine is BJs, but it's like Sam's Club or Costco) and stocked up.
Thanks, Lindsay. Great tip.
Great idea. Love the stuff. I've already used it for masking off glass so I could paint around it, making impromptu restraints to hold lengths of unruly trim....anybody ever try covering a food container with it? ;-)
What a great idea, can't wait to try it!
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