Easy Fitting the Palmer/Pletsch Way: Pants
Pati Palmer & Melissa Watson
Class Preview
0:36
- In-depth Instruction; over 130 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Introduction to Tissue Fitting
16:26
Meet the founder of the Palmer/Pletsch fitting system, Pati Palmer, and her daughter, Melissa Watson, an accomplished fashion designer herself. Together they teach the system that allows any sewer to get a great fit without having to make a muslin. You'll get started with choosing the correct size and reinforcing a tissue pattern (not included).
Fitting Yourself
19:03
Melissa shows how you can fit the tissue pattern to yourself when you don't have a fitting buddy handy. Learn how to align the pattern pieces with your waistband and recognize areas that will need adjustment. You'll see how to make alterations such as adding fullness to the front thighs, taking in fullness at the back and lengthening the rise for a higher waistband.
Pati's Fitting
26:47
With Pati as the fitting model, Melissa demonstrates how one pattern adjustment can affect other areas. Learn how to shorten the crotch seam on your pants, adjust for a full tummy and take in for a flat derrière. A second fitting helps you refine your adjustments and get the exact look you want for your pants.
Jan's Fitting
20:09
If you find yourself making the same difficult adjustments on every pattern, it might be time to try a different size. Melissa shows how going up a size can put critical pattern features where you want them, leaving you with easier alterations. You'll see how to adjust for a flatter tummy and derrière, with tucks that keep the side seam in the right place, and an altered waistband seam to remove excess fabric.
Jamie's Fitting
23:43
If you have a fuller figure, you might have struggled with finding pants that fit well both front and back, as well as in length. Melissa shows how to make alterations when your body's curves don't conform to one size all the way around a pattern, so you can get the look you want without sacrificing comfort.
Fabric Fittings
15:05
Check out the fabric fitting for the assortment of pants altered in earlier lessons and see how easy it is to go from tissue fitting straight to a nearly-finished garment. Melissa shares some ways you can tweak your fit depending on the fabric you're using, and Patti offers a terrific technique for attaching your waistband evenly.
Finished Pants & Final Tips
7:48
Your pants are finished! How do they look? Pati and Melissa offer some final tips on fitting and evaluate the pants made after fitting models in the class. Follow their advice, and you'll soon have some perfectly fitting and great-looking trousers of your own!
Discover techniques for creating perfect-fitting pants quickly, easily and consistently. No muslins or trial-and-error necessary! Join sewing experts Pati Palmer and Melissa Watson as they teach you to use tissue-fitting techniques for different body types and a variety of figure variations. Start with how to choose the correct pattern size for your body and even how to fit yourself without a partner. Build the skills to recognize when pattern areas such as the thighs, tummy, backside, crotch length and more need adjustment. Then, learn to make all the necessary alterations right on the tissue pattern! The results are pants with a flattering fit, every time from front to back and top to bottom.
Important Pattern Information
The sewing pattern on which this class is based — McCall’s 6901 — is not included with your purchase.
Pati Palmer & Melissa Watson
Pati Palmer is a pattern designer and sewing instructor with more than 37 years of experience. She has designed more than 200 patterns for The McCall Pattern Company, and she's the author of 10 sewing books. Pati taught sewing seminars throughout North America and Australia for 15 years before establishing the Palmer/Pletsch International School of Sewing in Portland, Oregon. Melissa Watson is Pati's daughter, so it's no surprise that her love of fashion and sewing can be traced all the way back to childhood. Melissa designed a line of print fabrics for Springs Creative and co-designed the DIY Line for McCall's. Soon after that, she began designing for the Palmer/Pletsch line at McCall's creating patterns that appeal to the next generation of sewers.
Bonus materials available after purchase