Why your Knock Off Sucks | How to Make Patterns from your Clothes

[@sobreira-martyndesign3317]

Great tutorial! Question for you. Why do you prefer to use interfacing to make patterns as opposed to tissue paper? or Onion paper?

[@TheAwlNighter1]

It's mostly bc I got used to using it at my old job. I usually have interfacing on hand tho, and I like that I can cut the ink parts off and reuse the interfacing in a project later if I want. I also find it acts more like fabric so when I'm having to drape on a garment it usually lays better. It also doesn't rip as easily when I'm folding it like when I have to copy darts.

[@TheAwlNighter1]

But I say use what you're comfortable with and whatever you have on hand! It's better to get started with what you have than to go out and buy something specific for this.

[@fionafiona1146]

Interfacing also has longer softer fibers and therefore less crinkled and closer fit results (not that the difference is that big.

[@jkles1658]

Finally somebody who understands that if you don’t get the grain straight on the pattern, the garment will not hang correctly on your body when it’s finished. Thank you very much for explaining how to get the grain straight.

[@TheAwlNighter1]

It's a hard lesson to learn on your own! I'd rather let ppl know before they make that mistake. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@aimster2084]

This is by far the best tutorial I've seen yet, on how to duplicate clothes. Thanks!

[@itsmeJennaL]

This is amazing. I have been trying to copy a sports bra that I cant find in stock anywhere and it hasn't turned out right. This is the exact solution I needed, without even knowing it. Thank you beyond measure. ❤

[@dianez9211]

Thank you for your video. I appreciate those who go through the trouble of making videos and I especially like to be able to stop and start the video as I try out new skills.

[@gabrielafranz8854]

Thanks so much! It's been hard to find a professional approach to lifting patterns!

[@helanesteinmuller9279]

Thank you so much for the generosity, time and effort you have put into making this excellent video. 😍❤️

[@terriellenhenninger7938]

This is an excellent video. I have an hour glass shape and am only 5'1" and to find blouses that are a flattering fit is a challenge. I have a blouse that I found at a thrift store years ago that is a perfect silhouette for my shape. I am going to give this a try!

[@jeannie82024]

Wow, this is the best pattern making from your clothes! I love it! Thank you!!!

[@joecrafted]

This was awesome! Wow, so many great details you shared. Most other tutorials were just like "Oh trace your shirt..." Since my size is generally not found in most commercially available patterns, I wanted to use some of my favorite shirts that fit well as patterns for future projects. As a beginner, I think these tips will really help me avoid lots of frustration.

[@TheAwlNighter1]

I'm so glad you think it will help you! Let me know if you have any questions when you get started !

[@adadiaz7247]

Excellent tutorial ! I would like to see more like this. Thanks.

[@youtube_bryant3579]

This is going to be a great resource when I dive into pattern duping. Thank you!

[@TheAwlNighter1]

Glad you found it helpful! Let me know if you have any questions or some new tips when you get around to starting :)

[@mina8448]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us learning to make clothes! I wanted to ask if you had any advice on what to do when a shirt like this one has back pleats? I was hoping to see you approach in the video but it looks like you skipped that part when knocking off the pattern.

[@folasademohammed]

You're such a great tutor and your voice is so soothing.

[@TheAwlNighter1]

Thank you so much 🙂

[@TheOsiasya]

This is awesome thank you! I love to clone my dresses from Japan as a way to learn more about their design so I can hopefully design my own someday.

[@liiporta7964]

Wow this is exactly whats I needed. I have some dresses that I wanted to copy but didn't know how. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge😊

[@PermaPen]

Excellent! My previous copying efforts definitely sucked, so I'll try it the expert's way!

[@TheAwlNighter1]

Let me know how it goes or if you have questions! I have loads of tips that I'll probably do more videos showing.

[@fferreira20]

Thank you for this tutorial!

[@teac2652]

Wow! This is super helpful. Thank you so much!!

[@TheAwlNighter1]

Aw thank you! This video took awhile to make so this means alot to me!

[@01AWM]

it is really helpful..i appreciate this👍🏻 give one another video to make pattern without garment and i also want to know about stitching defects...it will be helpful for me

[@bluesSGL]

Can't wait to make a dupe of my Wrangler work shirt.

[@konige-tochteru.9295]

Really helpful and clear video. Thanks

[@MadelaineBarrett]

Very useful, thanks.

[@shellbell8062]

This is so helpful, thank you! Do you have any tips for bulkier fabrics? I want to trace a sherpa gilet.

[@TheAwlNighter1]

I like to trace from the inside on thicker items, especially if the outside is fluffy and the inside is flat. There's definitely a bit of guessing when it comes to fluffy fabrics, at least for me, so take lots of measurements and compare!

[@DangelyOnes]

Amazingly well done! Thank you.

[@pj89-96]

Thank you so much for doing this video!!

[@TheAwlNighter1]

You're welcome! I hope it's helpful for you!

[@FraeuleinWanderlust]

Thank you very much for this video!! Also the shirt you use is absolutly fabulous. :)

[@TheAwlNighter1]

Thank you! Yes we love Reptar in this house hahaha

[@barbaramatthews4735]

I picked apart seams on one of my blouses. It was both relaxing and satisfying, picking out the seams. I realize it is not necessary to pick it apart. I wasn't planning on wearing it again, and picking it apart was a final goodbye. It also gave me insight on the construction on this shirt. It is an old worn-out shirt that I don't wear any longer. I've also gained a few extra pounds and need to add a size. I love this video because it is informative. The collar seemed wonky on paper. I will try again using interfacing and your tips.

[@halflearned2190]

Super helpful!

[@Chimchiri]

Thanks for the great video, I really needed that :) One question though: Why not just use the interfacing as a pattern? Why is paper preferred?

[@TheAwlNighter1]

You totally can! I like to transfer to paper so it will last longer. I find most interfacing stretches in at least one direction and can warp easily if not taken care of (I'm super guilty of this).

[@deniseblake6214]

Fascinating!

[@loramartinez2062]

Great job!

[@Nsh311]

Hi The Awl-Nighter. Thank you for your video, very informative. I was wondering if instead of making paper patterns, one could take the garment apart and keep that as pattern rather than make a paper pattern.

[@Nsh311]

Why are patterns made of paper?

[@TheAwlNighter1]

@@Nsh311 you can but you run the risk of accidental cutting your pieces off grain which will make them lay weird or twist on you. If you want to go that route, I suggest using a heavy interfacing and fusing it to the pieces so their shape can't be skewed as easily!

[@Nsh311]

@@TheAwlNighter1 Thank you so much. You suggestion makes absolute sense to me now. I wondered why all the tutorials on KZbin were on making paper patterns. I have some old garments which fit me well. I am willing to take them apart and remake them in a new fabric. The fusing method sounds like a brilliant idea. Have you ever done that yourself? It would be great to see a tutorial on how to trace patterns once you have taken them apart. Some times the obvious is not so obvious especially to a newcomer. I haven’t seen a tutorial on that. Mercy.

[@TheAwlNighter1]

@@Nsh311 Yes, I've done it a few times when I've draped a design onto a mannequin with muslin. The trickiest part is making sure that the fabric isn't warped or skewed in any way before fusing, which can be hard if it's a garment you've been wearing or if the garment was originally cut a little off grain. As long as it's not *too* skewed it should work just fine, though! It's mostly thinner, slinkier materials/designs that will give you the most trouble.

[@tara_nguyen]

can you make a video on how to do the shirt button placket?

[@marlykurtzernarvaez3514]

Hello! Thank you so much for the step by step tutorial. You explain things very clearly and concisely -- believe me, my 2020-addled brain really appreciates!! I've been rubbing off a man's shirt pattern, pausing your tutorial and doing my best to follow along with your instructions. So far I did the yoke, the collar stand and the collar and the sleeve. Today, I got to the back bodice of the shirt and noticed that the center back on it curves a little away from the vertical line I drew as my grain line. No matter how hard I try to keep the garment's C.B. flush to the drafted straight line, --smoothing out the fabric, etc.,-- there's a definite curve. There are two pleats under the shoulder line, btw. So my question is: Is a slight back bodice normal or common in commercial patterns? (Is it because modern people have terrible posture from hunching over our devices?) Thanks in advance for your guidance. And happy new year!

[@TheAwlNighter1]

Does your shirt have a seam down cb? I'm not as knowledgeable on men's clothing, but some women's clothing will have a curved cb seam to help nip in the waist for a more fitted look. Maybe your shirt is doing the same thing. If there's no seam then it can't be curved (if I'm understanding the style of shirt you have right). Could the grain line of your shirt be warped?

[@marlykurtzernarvaez3514]

@@TheAwlNighter1 Hi again! No, there is no seam line, but I will check the grain line. I'll also double check to make sure that I laid it out correctly and smoothly before attempting to rub it off again. Thank you so much for your answer.

[@marlykurtzernarvaez3514]

@@TheAwlNighter1 Hello there! I'm back again because I thought you might be interested in an update. I'm almost done with the muslin I made based on your incredibly helpful video on rubbing off a shirt. I chose a long sleeve shirt for my boyfriend because I love to make life harder for myself evidently. The good news is: It fits!! The back bodice had 2 pleats so I used this video for adding pleats to a pattern: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXLMk3WLjc1knNE The hardest part so far has been the placket on the sleeve cuff. Rubbing off that piece did not work out as well, so I took out my Reader's Digest guide to sewing and tried to draft one on my own. Which also came out terrible, but I'm getting closer. I'm practicing that part a few times before embarking on the odyssey that is making the shirt out of the beautiful cotton I bought. I did notice some cool details in the original shirt. #1. The collar was reinforced with some jean selvedge fabric, which I thought was neat. (The brand is a famous jeans company.) #2. The underlap placket (or however you call it) in the cuff was also denim. Maybe they re-use some of the scraps. I am so definitely going to be using those 2 tricks. Be well and stay safe out there and thanks again for your helpful channel.

[@TheAwlNighter1]

I totally missed your comment! I'm so glad you've made good progress! I love that book btw. It's probably my favorite book for sewing techniques. As much as I like creating from scratch, taking apart and knocking off other garments can teach you so much!

[@heidiklepsch2074]

This is an excellent tutorial. Thank you! ♥️ I'll be trying this! However, the repetitive pinging in the background music is driving me utterly mad! It sounds like an alarm I'm missing or a hospital device needing to be plugged in... it's such a small thing that most likely won't notice, but it's sending my anxiety through the roof and is highly distracting from what you're saying. I cannot relax and focus because of it. I unfortunately had to stop watching at about 5 minutes... my brain couldn't take it anymore. I will be attempting watching the full thing later on because I want to try this technique, but with a brain like mine, the background pinging can totally prevent me from being able to learn from your expertise!

[@TheAwlNighter1]

So sorry to hear that! I can't do anything to change the audio unfortunately. I'm a bit behind on captioning, but I will definitely add captions as soon as I can!

[@nannie4207]

I went downstairs to see if I left my fridge open!!!!!

[@Ciurciuch]

Hello, thanks for this helpful video!! 🙂 I have a one question,what if shirt that i want clone have a darts? Can I just pretend that they dont exist?

[@TheAwlNighter1]

I would pin down center back/front (not sure where your darts are located), then measure and pin out the darts in your interfacing before pinning the rest of the interfacing down. Hopefully that's not too confusing! If you have a dress form, you might find it easier to pin the darts out while the garment is hanging.

[@Ciurciuch]

@@TheAwlNighter1 Thank you soooo much!!:)

[@aaliyahbeeby]

could taking the garment apart from the seams and tracing it that way be another way to clone a garment?

[@TheAwlNighter1]

Absolutely! I think thats probably the most accurate to do it. It is riskier if the fabric is fragile or if you have alot of inner construction you have to put back together, but that's only if you care to sew it back together!

[@TheMaster4534]

Would be helpful for noob cosplayers, at least a template from comfy existing clothes

[@barbaraferron7994]

What about gathered pieces?

[@TheAwlNighter1]

I used to gather the fusing directly on the garment until I got a fullness I felt was correct. Now I measure very close to the gathered seam, ungathering underneath my tape measure, and transfer to the pattern. This way can be difficult if you don't know what the shape should be. Early on it's hard to tell if a piece should be a rectangle or have a mounded top. So pay close attention to the grain line to make sure you're not making assumptions about what the pattern shape is.

[@MaryAnnNytowl]

Why don't you add the selvage around these pieces as you go? It's got me a bit confused, frankly.

[@gartoy]

Why didn't you clone the back as a pattern?

[@TheAwlNighter1]

I did. Did I leave that clip out? I can't remember.

[@Detman101]

Damnit...I'm spending more money on fabric with all the screw-ups. I could have just bought the friggin shirt at this point. I'm starting to think that making clothes isn't for me....😮‍💨😮‍💨

[@songbanana8]

Does this method work for knit fabrics as well or just woven?

[@TheAwlNighter1]

It works for all fabrics!

[@songbanana8]

The Awl-Nighter Thank you! I’m going to try to clone my favorite t shirt!

[@VampireSquirrel]

uhh its called a reptaur, hes not a dinosaur

[@TheAwlNighter1]

Yep! Reptar is probably my favorite 90s cartoon character 🙃