How To Lengthen A Dressmaking Pattern

Lengthening a dressmaking pattern piece is an easy way to improve the fit of your handmade clothes. Here’s how….

Firstly decide how much you need to lengthen your pattern by
Find the lengthen / shorten line on your pattern which is usually a double line
If your pattern doesn’t have one, you can create your own by drawing a line which is perpendicular to the grainline in an area which doesn’t have any other style lines like darts or pleats
Cut across the lengthen / shorten line to separate the pattern piece into two
On a separate piece of paper draw out two parallel lines - the distance between the lines should be the amount you want to lengthen your pattern by
Take the top piece of your pattern, align it with the top line and stick it down
Extend the grainline downwards or if its a cut on fold piece, extend that edge downwards
Now take your lower piece and align it with the second line, making sure that the grainline or straight line at the sides are matched up and tape it down
Re-draw the seams at the sides of the insertion and cut away the additional paper
Ensure that you do the same to any corresponding pattern pieces and you are done!
Look out for my other video where I go through the process for shortening a pattern which is very similar!