How to Make your own Pattern

for what?

For clothes

Aw I was going to do a how to of this a while ago but my computer went kaput.

The best advice I can give you, as a beginner I assume, is to start as simply as possible.

Like if you want a dress, make it two panels, one front, one back. Once it's together you can add structures by adding darts and things.

Eventually you'll start to look at clothes and you'll end up destructing them in your mind (at least that's what happened to me. I can't concentrate on films anymore... gaah!)

I'd suggest you buy a few patterns and make clothes out of them to begin with to get an idea of how clothes work. You can always take apart existing clothes you don't wear to see.

Try to practice on a big stuffed teddy bear. Make a shirt or pants with elastic for it. Now make one bigger for a toddler or baby. Then try making your own.

Those patterns you see at the craft and sewing stores have patterns that are inexpensive and easy to try for starters. Keep an eye for a pattern that has very few pieces in its assembly.
If you have a old worn out or out of date dress or skirt that fits you try deconstructing it so you know how it is sewn together. It's important to add to the seam allowance since serger machines cut off some of the seam allowance as it is sewn. You must understand the order of a patterns construction. I've taken brown paper grocery bags and outlined the dress or shirt on to it. Keep in mind the direction of the grain of your fabric. Pin and cut it out increasing those areas where a serger machine may have cut off fabric, about a 1/4 inch all around. If you are clever early on, dresses and tops can be placed on the fold of a fabric to speed things up in cutting it out.

I've never done it before but I'm guessing that once you know how to do certain things you can make up you own it's the same with knitting.

Two sites I suggest to check out is burdastyle and vintagesewing.info, I love them both and use them alot.

I once had a tutoral for making patterns out of clothes, it went something like this...find a peice of clothing that fis you well and you like the style/cut etc. then cut along were all the seams are and then trace around them on your fabric leaving seam/hem allowence..then just sew it all together...not sure if it works but it would be usefull if it did.

pink peanut, those sites are great! cheeers

do you have charity shops in canada? cos you can get patterns for pennies at them. I would recommend learing how to make pattern blocks, also called slopers/fitting shells, and then dart manipulation. I found loads of info on vintagesewing info
http://vintagesewing.info/1940s/42-mpd/mpd-02.html