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Plus Size Sewing Patterns

Plus Size Sewing Patterns

Sewing your own clothes means you're no longer stuck with whatever the high street decides to make in your size. This collection brings together plus size sewing patterns from brands that draft for a fuller figure properly, rather than simply grading a smaller block upwards. You'll find dresses, tops, trousers, skirts, jackets and jumpsuits, from beginner makes through to more involved projects. Size ranges vary by brand, so check the individual pattern for its full range.
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A pattern drafted for a fuller figure is not the same as a small pattern scaled up. Grading a block up beyond its intended range distorts the proportions: the shoulders come out too wide, the bust darts land in the wrong place and the waist sits where it suits nobody. Brands that draft specifically for larger sizes start from a different block, with different bust, waist and hip relationships, which is why their patterns tend to need far less fitting work.

Cashmerette is the clearest example in this collection, drafting exclusively for curvy figures with cup sizes built into the pattern rather than left to you to adjust. Style Arc, Merchant & Mills, The Assembly Line, Named, Friday Pattern Company, Tessuti, Wardrobe By Me, Jalie and Closet Core Patterns are all here too, along with Sew House Seven, Chalk & Notch, Liesl + Co and Tilly and the Buttons. Between them they cover everyday separates, workwear-inspired shapes, occasion dresses and outerwear, so it's a spread of styles rather than a narrow band of what plus size sewing patterns are assumed to be.

Reading the size range

Size ranges in this collection vary between brands, and they're not all in UK sizing. Some are listed in UK sizes, some in US, and a few in EU, so a number on one envelope won't mean the same thing on another. Several brands also split a design across two separate patterns, one for the smaller range and one for the larger, so it's worth checking you're buying the right one. Always go by the finished measurements on the individual pattern rather than the size you'd normally buy on the high street.

Getting a better fit

Measure yourself properly before you cut, and compare those measurements to the pattern's own size chart rather than assuming. If you fall between sizes, which most people do, it's usually easier to blend between them than to force a single size to work. Patterns with cup sizing built in save you a full bust adjustment, which is the alteration that puts most people off. Making a toile in a cheap fabric first feels like a detour, but on a fitted dress or a pair of trousers it saves cutting into something you care about.

Choosing fabric for the pattern

Every pattern comes with its own fabric suggestions, and they're worth following, particularly the ones about drape. A pattern designed for a fluid viscose will look and hang quite differently made up in a crisp cotton, and on a larger garment that difference is more pronounced, not less. The product description on each pattern lists what it was drafted for. Order a sample of anything you're unsure about so you can feel the weight and drape before you buy the full length.

New to sewing clothes?

If this is your first garment, the beginner patterns collection is a gentler starting point, and several of those designs run into larger sizes. You can also browse all dress patterns or the full sewing pattern range.

What counts as a plus size sewing pattern?

Broadly, a pattern drafted for or extending into larger sizes, rather than a standard pattern graded up beyond its intended range. The patterns in this collection either come from brands that draft specifically for a fuller figure, such as Cashmerette, or are designs whose size range runs into the larger end. Size ranges differ between brands, so check the individual pattern for what it actually covers.

Why do the size ranges look inconsistent?

Because pattern brands don't share a sizing system. Some list UK sizes, some US, some EU, and the same number means different measurements depending on who drafted it. Several brands also release a design as two separate patterns covering different size bands. Always work from the finished measurements and the brand's own size chart rather than the size you'd buy ready-made.

Are these patterns suitable for beginners?

Some are. The collection ranges from simple, loose-fitting makes through to tailored jackets and fitted dresses, so it depends on the individual pattern. Each one lists its difficulty in the product description. If you're starting out, look for something unfitted with few closures, and have a look at our beginner patterns collection as well.

Do I still need to alter a plus size pattern?

Usually less than you would with a graded-up standard pattern, but most people still adjust something. Patterns with built-in cup sizing save you the full bust adjustment, which is the most common alteration. Blending between two sizes at the waist or hip is normal and nothing to worry about. A toile in cheap fabric is the quickest way to find out what needs changing before you cut your real cloth.

How much fabric will I need?

Check the pattern envelope or product description, as the requirement changes with the size you're making and the fabric width. Larger sizes need more than the headline figure quoted for the smallest size, and directional prints or nap add more again. If you're between quantities, buy the larger one, since dye lots vary and matching later isn't always possible.

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