PATTERN HACKING

Pattern Hacking

I guess I’ve always pattern hacked. I mean - by just not adding a pocket to a shirt pattern, changing the pocket’s position or changing the pocket’s design slightly is pattern hacking to a greater or lesser extent. However, within the last few years pattern hacking has become a major tour de force. For me it comes from the fact that you have a pattern which gives you a great fitting garment but lacks the necessary design features of a desirable current look. For example, you may have the greatest fitting waistcoat pattern but it lacks the desired style seam lines. In my naive days I would have bought a new waistcoat pattern, thinking that I’d deal with the fit later. However, after the initial flurry and excitement of making the thing up I’d slump into a heap of disappointment because the fit wasn’t right even though the design was. I quickly learnt that fit is of great importance - style lines can be added later. This taught me to keep patterns which provided good fitting garments close to my chest - trace them off and keep them for a style update or rather a pattern hack at a later date.

Interestingly, pattern hacks can include fit changes as well as style changes. However, when there’s a fit change I often think that the techniques and procedures required often veer more towards pattern cutting in pattern cutting’s truest sense. Whereas style changes, although a process of pattern cutting is involved, let’s say, are often quicker, easier and are more decorative and don’t really require a deeper understanding of the principles of pattern cutting.

In the Thrifty Stitcher Blog Claire-Louise Hardie loosely defines fit changes as ‘large adjustments’ and style changes as ’small changes’. She goes on to suggest that by undertaking pattern hacking you can make many variations of the same garment without repeating the fitting process. Just think, each make could look completely different from the original, especially if you change the fabric, print or colour - but the great fit will always remain the same.

https://thethriftystitcher.co.uk/pattern-hacking/

In The Folds’ Blog: Top Tips for Pattern Hacking ( there are 9 of them) number 8 specifies the need for toile making. Indeed if you are pattern hacking and you’ve changed a thing or two I suggest you make a quick toile to see if you’ll be happy with the finished result in the actual fabric. This procedure is even more important if not necessary if it’s a large adjustment hack.

As implied in this blog when there’s a large adjustment hack involving pattern cutting it is important to remember that pattern cutting is a skill and can take quite a long time to master or at least get comfortable with. As such pattern cutting/hacking enables you to learn and add new skills to your sewing arsenal. It’s a process which requires patience, practice and time.

One more very important point to remember when hacking - point 5 from this blog - is to ALWAYS trace a copy of the original pattern. You like the fit so it’s important to have a point of reference from which you can look back at when you’re in the depths of hacking - if you need to that is. If there are several variations when working towards the perfected hack then you should date each variation ( so that you know the most recent).     

To ease you into the world of pattern hacking more and more Indie Pattern Designers are creating hacks on their own designs. Fundamentally it enables you to make new and exciting changes to a pattern whose fit you love without having to go through the scary first steps of hacking and/or pattern cutting all by yourself.  It also moves into the realms of sustainability: you buy a pattern once and update it, ‘individualise’ it, customise it to your heart’s content. The whole process can become very exciting and creative.   

We’ve got a pattern hack for you which is both exciting and creative. We’ve made sure that there are full instructions - to easily ease you into your pattern hacking journey. It’s for The Swing Smock.    

This is the pattern hack for The Swing Smock

It adds frills around the hem and armholes creating a cap sleeve. A good idea is to use a lighter contrasting fabric for the frills or even a bit of cotton lace.

To help you further we've got a video over on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/KtbBwELp3Pk?si=kElGto_JKvVcqSZx which we think is worth a look.