"I never knew pants could fit so well!

"

Get the perfect fit

© 2018 Troubleshooting Fit a

 WELCOME!

Hi there, and welcome to the DIBY Club! If you’ve sewn your own jeans and can’t
seem to be happy with the fit, this ebook is just for you. We’ve demystified all of the
common alterations and pattern adjustments you will need to achieve the perfect fit.

– WHAT’S IN THE BOOK –

Grading Between Sizes 1
Height Adjusting Your Pants 4
Typical Adjustments 7

HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED?

FIND A FAVORITE PATTERN

© 2018 Troubleshooting Fit b

GRADING BETWEEN SIZES – BOTTOMS

Your measurements may fall into several sizes on the size chart. Rest assured, most everyone measures into a range of
sizes. This is why the perfect fitting garment is difficult to find in a store.

EXAMPLE MEASUREMENTS
The chart to the left shows where my
measurements fall on the size chart. You can
see that they span between four sizes.
We will use this for our grading tutorial below.

High Hip (6)

KNOWING WHERE TO GRADE
Knowing where to grade for each measurement can
help alleviate some uncertainty. Use the illustration to Full Hip (8)
understand what part of the pattern these measurements
are associated with.
Choose the rise
Note: Please see the finished garment measurement chart length size line that
to determine grading points for knee and ankle. They are corresponds with
pattern specific and depend on the intended fit or ease in your full hip size.
those locations.
Thigh (10)

WATCH THE GRADING VIDEO

TUTORIAL HERE

Knee (8)

Calf (10)

Ankle (6)

Ex. Sizes 6-10

© 2018 Grading Between Pant Sizes 3

CREATING THE GRADING PATH
Mark the locations where your measurements change sizes in the chart onto the pant leg pieces (and any corresponding
points on pocket pieces). From here you will simply create smooth transition curves between the dots along the lines like
illustrated below.

Correct Incorrect

© 2018 Grading Between Pant Sizes 4

WHY GRADING MATTERS
View the pictures below to see how grading your garment
properly can give you a much better fit.

USE CASE: JESSICA

Her measurements spanned between: 6 and 12

Wearing a size 10 for the entire pant Wearing jeans graded from size 6 to 12 and height adjusted

TIPS FOR GRADING SIZES

For the best fit possible you must utilize grading. Use these tips to make it even easier:
Print specific layers - If you measure into several sizes it is best to select to print each of those size layers when
printing the pattern so that you may easily adjust your curves.
Create smooth lines - The one rule above all others is to make sure that you draw your grading line gradually
and smoothly as illustrated on the previous page.
What to do if you’re between sizes - If you fall between sizes, as a general rule, mark your size location right in
between those lines on the pattern.
What if your hip through thigh shape is really different than the pattern piece - No woman is shaped the same.
If you feel like you have curves that don’t gently grade from full hip through the thigh it can be beneficial to
check your body’s measurements against the pattern pieces in a couple of extra locations. This could be upper
thigh, knee, ankle, etc. Be sure to take into account the seam allowances and the intended ease of the pattern.
If you more closely match different sizes in areas along the way be sure to grade in or out where necessary. But
don’t forget, you can always take in these locations post assembly too.

© 2018 Grading Between Pant Sizes 5

ADJUSTING FOR HEIGHT – PANTS

Do you often find that pants you buy in-store are too long or too short in the rise or legs? If your measurements are
different than these standard measurements, you will want to adjust for the difference.

DO YOU NEED TO ADJUST FOR HEIGHT?

Inseam - Vertical distance

from the midpoint of the
crotch to ball of the ankle

If your inseam is greater or

less than 28 1/2”(72.4cm)
you will want to adjust for
height.

HOW EXACTLY IS THIS DONE?

DO NOT simply add or remove length from the hem
of your pattern pieces. This length change must be
distributed throughout the pattern piece. Follow along as
we show you how easy it is to do!
Too long of an inseam will cause pooling in the thighs and
at the knees that cannot be properly fixed later on. Too
short of an inseam is equally irreversible.
1. Grade first – Be sure to get all of your pattern grading
done first. If you are unsure how to do this, please refer
Kelly wearing The Dauphine, with 2 1/2 inches of inseam length taken
out. to the grading tutorial in the previous section.

GET THE PRINTABLE HEIGHT

ADJUSTMENT CALCULATION
SHEET FOR PANT PATTERNS!
Keep track of the necessary measurements with
ease using this printable. Download it here.

2. Calculate your overall adjustment – Measure your full

inseam from crotch to the bottom of the ball of your
ankle. Then subtract 28.5” from that number. If you get
a positive number you will be ADDING this length to
your pant legs. If you get a negative number you will
be REMOVING this length from your pant legs. Write
this number down.

© 2018 Adjusting Pants For Height 6

3. Measure your thigh length – Begin by measuring from 6. Measure your calf length – Now measure from the
your crotch to the center of your knee cap. Write this center of your knee cap to the ball of your ankle. Write
measurement down. this measurement down.

Thigh length - Vertical

distance from the
midpoint of the crotch to
center of the knee cap

Calf length - Vertical

distance from the
midpoint of the knee cap
to ball of the ankle

4. Measure your pattern piece’s thigh length – Start
5/8” from the top of the pattern piece’s inseam and
measure down to the knee marking. Write this number
down. Note: Use the back leg pattern piece to calculate the
differences for the moto pant pattern.
7. Measure your pattern piece’s calf length – Measure
your pattern piece starting at the knee marking down
to the bottom, stopping at the pattern ankle marker.
Note: Use the back leg pattern piece to calculate the
differences for the moto pant pattern.

Crotch
Starting
down 5/8”

Knee
Knee

Stopping at
the pattern
ankle marker

Ankle

5. Calculate the difference – Use the following calculations. 8. Calculate the difference – Use the following calculations.
IF YOU ARE TALLER: IF YOU ARE TALLER:

DIFFERENCE = YOUR THIGH LENGTH – THE PATTERN’S DIFFERENCE = YOUR CALF LENGTH – THE PATTERN’S

IF YOU ARE SHORTER: IF YOU ARE SHORTER:

DIFFERENCE = THE PATTERN’S THIGH LENGTH – YOURS DIFFERENCE = THE PATTERN’S CALF LENGTH – YOURS

© 2018 Adjusting Pants For Height 7

9. Compare your adjustment totals – Add your total 12. Cut your pattern pieces at the calf – This location will
adjustment for the thigh length and calf length be marked on your pattern pieces. Do this on both the
together and compare it to the total inseam front and back leg pieces.
adjustment you calculated in step 2. Make sure that
the total between your thigh and calf adjustments are
equal to the total inseam adjustment. The total inseam
number is the more accurate measurement.
10. Cut your pattern pieces at the thigh – This location will
be marked on your pattern pieces. Do this on both the
front and back leg pieces.

Back Front
Leg Leg

Mid Thigh

Calf
Back Front
Leg Leg

13. Add or remove calf length – If you are removing length

you will overlap your pattern pieces by your difference
amount. If you are adding length you will separate
them by that much.

11. Add or remove thigh length – If you are removing

length you will overlap your pattern pieces by your
difference amount. If you are adding length you will
separate them by that much.

Example of
separating to
lengthen calf
length

14. Regrading – Now that the pattern is taped back

together the lines aren’t matching up. So we need to
smooth out these interruptions and effectively regrade
Example of the pattern pieces. To do this simply draw/trim smooth
overlapping to transition lines if you’ve added length or trim off excess
shorten thigh if you’ve removed length.
length You’re all done!

© 2018 Adjusting Pants For Height 8

IDENTIFYING COMMON FIT ISSUES + MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
It is very common to experience some rise fit issues on your first muslin of a pant pattern. Every woman has a different
hip and crotch shape, posture and hip angle. And unfortunately, there is no real great way to check your own shape
against a pattern without a practice run. Because of this we want to provide you with some basic diagnostics skills to
be able to recognize and make necessary alterations to our patterns in order to fit you.
You may have one or more of these fit issues occur at a time. Adjusting the pattern should be pretty straightforward
but it does take some trial and error. The good news is that you do this once and you’ll have the best fitting pants
forever after.

TOO LONG GOOD FIT

LEG INSEAM TOO LONG
If you get to the end of construction and wind up with
lots of fabric bunching at various places along the leg and
baggy knees, you likely forgot to adjust the pattern for your
inseam length. Please see the height adjusting section in
this e-book for a complete tutorial for this.

This adjustment can’t be

made after constructing
your pants.

CROTCH DEPTH TOO LONG

This is indicated by lines radiating downward away
from your crotch. The line often accompanies
excess fabric in the upper thigh.
FRONT To fix this, take a little off at the front crotch and
LEG gently grade it into the thigh on your front leg
pattern piece. Don’t take off more than 1/4” at a
time. You will be surprised how much of a difference
a little alteration can make!

This adjustment can be

made after constructing
your pants.

© 2018 Troubleshooting Fit 9

 CROTCH DEPTH TOO SHORT
Whiskers sweeping upward across your hips with
creasing at the crotch indicates the need to extend
the depth of the front crotch.
This fit issue can be accompanied with tightness at FRONT
the upper thigh. Making the illustrated adjustment LEG
will alleviate pulling. Do this a little bit at a time.
Start with letting out the front (only) crotch seam
allowance 1/4” and go from there to give your
pubic bone a little more space.

This adjustment can be made

after constructing your pants
(up to 1/4” adjustment).

LET’S JUST SAY IT – CAMEL TOE

If your lady bits are getting smashed and you have
lines radiating upward away from your crotch an
adjustment is needed.
To fix this you can deepen the rise of your front
crotch. Gently grade it into the rise just below your
zipper. Don’t take off more than 1/4” at a time.
FRONT You will be surprised how much a difference a little
LEG alteration can make! This adjustment increases the
length of the vertical rise, giving more room for the
length of your pubic bone.
This adjustment can be
made after constructing
your pants.

THE CROTCH “CLICK”

This is a fit issue that is most commonly diagnosed

after wearing your pants around for a day. The
physical signs of this one aren’t overtly apparent
but are obnoxiously obvious when you’re out and
about and you hear that awful click or pop noise
with every step.
FRONT
This is from a pubic bone that is set in farther than
LEG
the pattern is drafted for. To fix it, let out your crotch
curve a little bit. If altering post construction, reduce
the seam allowance in that area. You may also need
to reduce the crotch depth to resolve this issue.

This adjustment can be

made after constructing
your pants.

© 2018 Troubleshooting Fit 10

 FULL DERRIÈRE

If you were blessed with a larger than average

booty for your size you may commonly have
issues with pants developing stress lines radiating
outward from the center of the butt. This is usually
BACK only a problem on looser fitting pants or fabric that
LEG doesn’t have a lot of stretch.
To adjust for this increase the outseam at the hip
and the vertical rise length as illustrated. Start with
increments of 1/4” and go from there.

In most cases this adjustment

can’t be made after
constructing your pants.

TINY HINEY

This is a common alteration that apple shape hips

need. If the pant is saggy in the bottom, we need
to reduce the vertical rise length and take in the
crotch depth a little bit. Start with taking increments BACK
of about 1/4” off the back leg and take in these LEG
areas more as necessary.

This adjustment can be

made after constructing
your pants.

FULL TUMMY

If you have a full lower tummy and develop lines

radiating downward away from your zipper, an
adjustment is needed.
FRONT You can help alleviate this by increasing the rise.
LEG Cut straight down the middle of the front rise and
pivot the top piece to add a bit of extra length.
Don’t add more than 1/2” at a time.

This adjustment can’t be

made after constructing
your pants.

© 2018 Troubleshooting Fit 11

 SWAYBACK

If there is excess fabric pooling near the top of your

butt a swayback adjustment could solve your issue.
BACK
To correct this simply scoop a little bit off your back
LEG
leg rise. Start with 1/4” and increase from there. Do
not make any adjustments to the back yoke piece.

This adjustment can be

made after constructing
your pants.

WEDGIE / LOW DERRIÈRE

Is the back rise uncomfortable tight? If your bum is

hanging below the rise and you develop horizontal
lines just under each cheek you can resolve this
BACK issue by scooping the back rise a little deeper. This
LEG will give the bum a little more wiggle room. Follow
the illustration, adjusting only 1/4” at a time.

This adjustment can be

made after constructing
your pants.

FULL THIGHS

Are the thighs uncomfortably tight? If there are

lines radiating down diagonally from the upper
thigh area you can give yourself a little more room.
Simply let out the crotch depth a little bit at a time BACK
until they fit comfortably. LEG
Do this by extending the crotch depth out 1/4” at
a time. A little adjustment can go a long way. Be
aware that adjusting the pattern this way will add a
little room to the back rise of your pant.

This adjustment can be made

after constructing your pants
(up to 1/4” adjustment).

© 2018 Troubleshooting Fit 12

 THIN THIGHS

Do you have excess fabric at the thighs? If so, take

BACK a little more seam allowance off the front and back
LEG legs from the crotch down through mid thigh.
This will reduce your crotch length. If you are happy
with how the crotch is currently fitting you can
contour your thigh shape to blend into the existing
crotch depth at the top. Make this adjustment 1/8”
FRONT at a time to ensure the legs aren’t over tightened.
LEG
This adjustment can be
made after constructing
your pants.

PONES ON OUTSEAM
This is another issue that is very easy to spot. If there are lines (horizontal or diagonal) spanning accross the outseam at
your sides, the pant needs to be taken in at those locations. Turn your pant inside out and shave off 1/4” at a time until
they fit just right.
This adjustment can be
made after constructing
your pants.

BACK
LEG

FRONT
LEG

© 2018 Troubleshooting Fit 13

 PLUMBER’S CRACK

Ok we all know what a plumber’s crack is. That

dreaded cool breeze you feel floating around your
behind because your pants aren’t high enough in
the back.
BACK To correct this simply raise your back leg rise. Have
LEG someone help you measure how much you’ll want
to adjust while wearing your test version. Do not
make any adjustments to the back yoke piece.

This adjustment can’t be

made after constructing
your pants.

© 2018 Troubleshooting Fit 14