Upsize A Jacket From An Existing Piece

[petersenj20]

I have this beautiful jacket i picked up at a yard sale for a buddy that was way too small for me. looks like a German style (think Hogans Heroes), very one of a kind and beautiful. Thanks to his lovely wife slicing it up with a razor I can disassemble it for a pattern.

How would I go about using as a pattern and making larger to fit me? it is a Large and I'm more like a 2X. I don't even know where to begin, except taking stitches apart.

[Undeadzombiehunter]

I would disassemble the jacket and trace them on to paper to make the pattern. Make sure there is plenty of paper around the drawn pattern to allow the re-drafting. If there are panels that are cut up or damaged, simply lay them flat and glue a layer of some stiff fabric over it to give the integrity required.

Then using another jacket than fits you, lay the pattern pieces over your fitting jacket and extrapolate the changes by drawing around the pattern those areas that need correction. Most jacket etc, have common pieces, front left, front right, yoke, sleeves etc.

Note: be wary of the right and wrong sides, and leave sufficient seam allowance around the actual part size.

I have done this once, on a simpler garment and it worked well.

Tony

[petersenj20]

I was hoping there was maybe a formula I could apply to up size each piece. would it work to increase each piece say 30% and everything still fit together properly?

[Undeadzombiehunter]

I doubt it. I am sure Sizes don't simply increase in every dimension proportionally.

Tony

[EquusCustomLeathers]

http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/make-a-pattern-larger-or-smaller

[petersenj20]

Very very informative. Now I'll need to try to envision which dimensions will change as i go. Thank you.