Pattern grading

All sewing patterns, especially free patterns, have a limited range of sizes. In this guide, you will get tips on how to grade sizes—that is how to make more sizes than those included in the pattern.
A prerequisite for using this guide is that you have at least two consecutive sizes in your pattern.

Please also note that this guide assumes that the size adjustment is the same for all sizes. For example, that each size increases by 2 cm in sleeve length. So, if you have more than two sizes it is an advantage, so you can check that they increase by the same measurement for each size.
In this guide, I have used the sleeve from the pattern Festfin klänning.

You will need:

• Transparent or Semi-Transparent Pattern Paper
• Pencil
• Ruler

You can click on the images to make them larger.

In this example, I am going to make one size larger. I have sizes 116 and 122 on the pattern.

Start by tracing the largest size. In the guide, I have chosen to only trace one line at a time so that it will be clearer.

I have used a green pen where I traced size 122.

If you are going to make a smaller size instead, you trace the smallest pattern size.

You need to trace the new size, 128 in this case, one line at a time. I have chosen the elbow line as the first line.

Now I move the traced line for the elbow down to size 116 so that it matches up with the 116 line, and then I trace size 122 again.

I have used a pencil for the new size.

I move the green line back to its size, which is 122, and then I fill in the part of the line that is missing on my new size; 128.

I have filled this in with a red pen.

I then move on to the next line on the pattern, the inseam of the sleeve in this case.

Trace size 122, move it to 116, trace 122 again as the new size, move 122 back to its own line on the pattern, and complete the missing part of the line.

You continue like this, one line at a time, until you have traced all the lines on the pattern.

When you have finished grading your pattern, place your traced size 122 back so that it matches the pattern's size 122.

You will then see how the new size, 128 in this case, looks in comparison to the pattern's sizes and see if it is evenly distributed and logical in comparison to the size increments between the pattern sizes.