by E.D. Cameron

Created on: February 28, 2010

Ready to wear not wearing well?  To accentuate your curves and full figure, a homemade dress can save hours of frustration at the shops and fit like a glove to your unique and lovely shape.

The first step to finding a pattern perfect fit is to measure your figure.  Patterns are still formulated by pre-vanity sizing, so measurements can help get you a more accurate idea of your size.  Using tailor's tape, measure your bust, waist, hips-and whatever else your pattern might call for.

A great first stop on the hunt for free plus size patterns is burdastyle.com.  They have both Burda patterns and patterns submitted by users in a variety of looks and for a variety of fabrics.  This site is easy to search, and features patterns by ease of sewing and with pictures so its super user friendly.

Modern Sewing Patterns (http://m-sewing.com/) has a variety of free downloadable dress patterns in small, medium, large and extra large.  Their super cute sleeveless dress is perfect for the lazy days of summer, and the knitted dress with raglan sleeve is perfect for the plus size woman-guaranteed to contour to all your lovely curves.

Freeneedle.com is an aggregate of other sites, so its an easy to search database when looking for a unique pattern.  Using Free Needle's search I found this easy to sew dress from Prudent Baby (http://www.prudentbaby.com/2010/01/freestyle-hot-me ss-mommy-dress.html) which has a great tutorial and shows you how to make your own pattern for a perfect fit.  I also found another adorable summer dress here (http://wkdesigner.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/island-f louncer/) which teaches you how to make a pattern to fit your shape.  I also love this easy upcycle t-shirt dress (http://diyfashion.about.com/od/diypantsandskirts/ss /T-Shirt_Dress.htm) great for your favorite concert tee.

When in doubt, another great way to get freebies is to sign up with major pattern makers like Simplicity and McCalls.  They will often offer free patterns or out of print styles going at dirt cheap rates.  You can also cruise by major craft e-zines like Crafty Craft or Craftzine to see what is on offer.

No matter what pattern you select to start with, remember to think about how the dress will hang on your curves-pick fabrics and patterns that accentuate your body type.  Knits and jerseys look lovely and are comfortable on fuller figures, and stiff cottons can be fabulous when making a vintage design.  Patterns should be delicate and simple-too bold and it will immediately draw attention to any wobbly bits or problem zones.

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