Shopping List:
- Sewing Machine or over locker
- Old T-shirt or pants to cut up
- Existing clothes that fit your teddy for drafting a pattern
- Machine accessories including matching thread
- Pattern drafting paper, pen and paper scissors
Preparation:
Pattern drafting is a term that often ‘scares’ dress makers, who then shy away from it. Here is a quick and easy way to introduce you to pattern drafting and allow you to build confidence and skill.
1. Using your existing bear clothes, turn them inside out in order to include the seam allowance.
2. Starting with the front panel, place your bear shirt onto the pattern paper and trace around the seams; making sure you include all the seam allowances. Include a 12mm hem allowance around the neckline.
3. Once you have traced the front, fold it in half to ensure that both sides of the pattern are even. If they are not, redraw both sides to ensure consistency. At the bottom edge of shirt, add 2cm to allow for hem allowance.
4. To create back pattern, new drafters can repeat the steps above. If you would like to try something more challenging, follow point (a) below.
a. Lay the garment flat and look at the size and shape of the back. Ours turned out to be the same as the front. Using your front pattern, trace a second pattern from the existing front pattern leaving neckline. Using this draft, lay the pattern on the back of the shirt matching shoulder seams. Trace the back neckline and include a 12mm hem allowance. If your back is not the same size and shape, you will need to follow steps 4 above.
5. Repeat the tracing process for the sleeve. You will need to trace the sleeve in two steps, front and back. Trace front seam, mark the centre line, turn shirt over and trace back seam. The centre fold line will be needed later for matching shoulder seams. Don’t forget to include you seam allowance and a hem allowance is 12mm.
6. Cut out all patterns pieces.
Cutting:
1. Position the pattern pieces on your clothing, without overlapping, to cover any emblems or graphics.
HINT: You can position your patterns hem edges around the existing hems of your old clothes to save time hemming later, this will depend on the pattern placement while cutting
2. Prepare your clothing by cutting apart on seams so you have one layer of fabric rather than cutting through it all.
3. Pin your pattern pieces on and cut out. Mark centre line of sleeve.Sewing: All our seams are sewn using an overlocker, with a 6mm seam allowance. Hems were sewn with a twin needle. Alternatively, you can use a straight stich and zigzag stitch on your sewing machine to substitute the overlocker.
Sewing:
1. With right sides together, pin the front to the back. Overlock or sew the two shoulder seams and two sides seams, leaving the armholes open.
2. When constructing the sleeves, we included the hem from the garment. If you were unable to do this, you will need to hem your sleeve first. Fold the sleeve hem under 6mm. Fold again, and using a twin needle, stitch hem, making sure you have the right side up.
3. Fold the sleeve in half with right sides together and sew or overlock the side seam.
4. Pin sleeves into place, matching under sleeve seam to side seam and centre marking to shoulder seam. Sew or overlock in place.
5. Fold the neckline 6mm to the wrong side. Fold again. Using a twin needle, sew around the neckline, with the right side of fabric up.
6. For hemline, fold fabric 1cm to wrong side of fabric. Fold again. Twin needle on right side of fabric.
Cutting:
1. Position the pattern pieces on your clothing, without overlapping, to cover any emblems or graphics.
HINT: You can position your patterns hem edges around the existing hems of your old clothes to save time hemming later, this will depend on the pattern placement while cutting
2. Prepare your clothing by cutting apart on seams so you have one layer of fabric rather than cutting through it all.
3. Pin your pattern pieces on and cut out. Mark centre line of sleeve.Sewing: All our seams are sewn using an overlocker, with a 6mm seam allowance. Hems were sewn with a twin needle. Alternatively, you can use a straight stich and zigzag stitch on your sewing machine to substitute the overlocker.
Sewing:
All our seams are sewn using an overlocker, with a 6mm seam allowance. Hems were sewn with a twin needle. Alternatively, you can use a straight stich and zigzag stitch on your sewing machine to substitute the overlocker.
1. With right sides together, pin the front to the back. Overlock or sew the two shoulder seams and two sides seams, leaving the armholes open.
2. When constructing the sleeves, we included the hem from the garment. If you were unable to do this, you will need to hem your sleeve first. Fold the sleeve hem under 6mm. Fold again, and using a twin needle, stitch hem, making sure you have the right side up.
3. Fold the sleeve in half with right sides together and sew or overlock the side seam.
4. Pin sleeves into place, matching under sleeve seam to side seam and centre marking to shoulder seam. Sew or overlock in place.
5. Fold the neckline 6mm to the wrong side. Fold again. Using a twin needle, sew around the neckline, with the right side of fabric up.
6. For hemline, fold fabric 1cm to wrong side of fabric. Fold again. Twin needle on right side of fabric.
Congratulations on finishing your teddy bear clothes. Repeat the process to make pants and other re-purposed creations for your bears. 
ALL IMAGES ON THE SHIRTS/FABRICS ARE NOT OWNED BY SINGER, THEY ARE COPY RIGHT OF DC COMICS AND GREEN DAY.