I’m about 10kg into the overweight category, and most of that is firmly deposited around my middle, especially on my front.  This is where Lekala patterns are a godsend.  Enter Lekala 4590.

Lekala patterns are ordered to your measurements.  How fabulous is that!  It does take a little while to figure out their ease – generally their drawing of the garment on a person helps with that – and it also takes a little while to figure out what tweaks you need.

For me, entering the measurements on the “main” tab – my height, full bust, underbust, waist, hip and full hip – seems to work quite well.  The “full hip” adjustment puts more of the waist measurement at the front, which is where I need it. It doesn’t just distribute the circumferential measurement evenly between the front and the back pattern pieces, so I end up with the back waist measurement smaller than the front waist measurement. Perfect!

I’ve tried some of the other adjustments on this tab, such as narrow shoulders, before, but through trial and error have discovered that I don’t actually need those.

Lekala  patterns are very reasonably priced, so it’s well worth trying out a few of these adjustments to see which ones you do and don’t need.  They have a few free patterns as well, so it really is minimal risk to order, print and re-sew with each of those changes to see what works best with your shape.  Even if you only go with the basic measurements, as I do, with Lekala you end up with a pattern that requires much less alteration than most.

The fabric is a substantial textured knit that was a gift from a lovely sewing friend but originally came from Darn Cheap Fabrics. It probably isn’t my best colours – a much cooler palette than usual – but I really like the fabric and it is very cosy to wear. The neckband is meant to be interfaced for structure – I decided to leave out the interfacing as the fabric is pretty beefy.

There are pockets in the angled side seams. I made them from the same fabric as the rest of the dress, but they would have been better in something more lightweight.

Although Lekala patterns (and Bootstrap patterns) are drafted to your measurements, you still need to choose patterns that you feel most work with your shape. Their patterns will fit, but will they look and feel good on you? I still don’t choose patterns with a fitted waist; it’s just not my style. If you haven’t given Lekala (or Bootstrap Fashion, who use the same software) a go yet, I highly recommend them.