#131: Self-Drafting for Fitting Success with Elisalex Jewell

Check Your Thread

Do you want to create well fitting clothes, but you’re put off by having to make lots of changes to your pattern plus multiple toiles to test the fit? My guest, Elisalex Jewell, is an anythor and one of the founders of sewing pattern brand By Hand London. Elisalex tells us why self drafting using your own body measurements might be for you.

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Elisalex Jewell is the co-founder of sewing pattern brand By Hand London. You can also follow her on Instagram (@elisalex).

Elisalex´s mum is Orsola de Castro (@orsoladecastro), the co-founder and creative director of Fashion Revolution, a not-for-profit activism movement which works towards a sustainable fashion industry

Elisalex has written a book with self-drafting tutorials and hacks called ‘Made to Measure: An Easy Guide to Drafting and Sewing a Custom Wardrobe’.

Elisalex prefers dot and cross paper for pattern drafting. UK-based people can order it from William Gee and from Morplan, among others.

Elisalex recommends DIY Daisy´s book, ‘Sew It Yourself’. You can listen to my conversation with Daisy:

• Ep. #46: DIY Drafting and Inclusive Sewing with Daisy Braid

Rosie Martin has the blog ‘DIY Couture’ and wrote the book ‘No Patterns Needed: DIY Couture from Simple Shapes’.

Elisalex featured on Episode 30 of The New Craft House Podcast.

By Hand London’s circle skirt calculator is the original draft-it-yourself pattern!

Find all of By Hand London’s Draft It Yourself products on their website, including the Lucy dress (pictured below):