I am SnowdogGirl or Shelley, whichever. I sew, quilt, everything but spin and weave. I’m very interested in vintage clothing and historical patterns. I’m making my second custom dress form using bootstrap. It occurred to me that I wanted to replicate patterns I’ve seen and so downloaded this open-source software. I know absolutely nothing about how to use pattern making software or CAD. I’m plunging into the dark abyss!
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Hello & welcome to the Seamly forum, @SnowdogGirl
Oh, wow! I think you’re on the path of an amazing journey. Seamly software isn’t difficult to learn, if you already know how to make patterns by hand. It’s just a matter of getting to know the tools, which are a bit different than picking up a ruler of some sort.
Only one of the amazing advantages is that you put the measurements into a measurement file, which you add to the pattern when you start. After that, you use formulas that reference the measurements to create the lines and other objects that make up the pattern draft. This way, if you change the measurement file, the pattern will automatically resize from the one size to the other.
Please don’t hesitate to ask if you get stuck.
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Hi, I’m Michaela, I’m czech and I work in IT project management for about 20 years. In my spare time I like to sew (but I am relatively new at it) and I would love to redraw all my paper patterns into digital form 
I love this open source project and appreciate all the work you have done here, you are awesome!
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Hi @M1cha3la welcome to Seamly!
I have distant cousins on the Czech-Polish border, so it’s always exciting to meet a new person from Eastern Europe. I’ll probably faint if I ever run into a Kukuczka. Unfortunately I have not studied the western Slavic languages as I intended to, so we’d definitely welcome help translating, if you would like to see proper labeling.
But most of all, I hope you have an excellent time using Seamly! Feel free to post any questions, even ones you think must be super basic, in whichever language you prefer, if needed we’ll use Google or DeepL to render them into languages which we are familiar with.
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Welcome to the Seamly forums. We’re always here if you ever need help.
My thoughts exactly. Looks like there’s only about 15-20% of the sources translated to Czech.
@M1cha3la… if you’re ever interested in helping with the Czech translations I can help and quide you through the process.
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Hello. My name is Lenora. I grew up with my mom sewing the majority of clothes for us kids, but didn’t start sewing my own until about 2010, when I got frustrated about spending all day shopping for new clothes and could not find things that fit properly. I started with commercial patterns and would make some easy adjustments, so built up quite a supply of patterns. Then my mom gave me some sewing books and pattern drafting kit as she was trying to reduce what she had at home. That led me into making a pattern according to some of my measurements, which helped make the patterns fit better, but there were still other things that just were not working out, ie: shoulder seam falling behind shoulder, gaping neck, pants crotch not fitting. At the beginning of 2023, I was able to make a dress that did not have any issues with what I had been trying to figure out. I downloaded the Seamly software in 2023, but had not really started digging into it. In the past month I redid my measurements, and tried to encompass as many that were listed as possible, as it made sense when I read somewhere that the more measurements used, the more personalized the pattern.
I look forward to putting the program to use so that I do not have to worry about wondering what is the current pattern, and throwing away the wrong paper one because I have so many of them.
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Hello and welcome to the Seamly forum, @Sewingheart
Oh, wow! You have been on quite a journey.
I think that I did the same when I started making patterns, however, I find that using about 20 or 30 measurements is sufficient, depending on the pattern making system that you are using, the others are often half or quarter of another measurement.
Anyway, please be assured that we are here to help you with the software, so don’t hesitate to ask if you’re in doubt.
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That is only true if any given measurement is used in formulas when you draft a pattern. Which measurements are used… like @Grace said… is going to depend on the pattern system you use to draft a pattern.
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I am starting to see how different measurements are used for different purposes, which I am not beyond basic clothing ones at this time. I am getting a better understanding of how they all work together though.
After many try and delete of pattern drafts, I got a measuring tape that gives an electronic measurement and redid my bodice front measurements, putting little dots on the key points for measurement. I set about drafting the right angles lines, and then the arcs to get the shoulder tip and neck side points. I was very pleased when using 3 different arcs were really close for the shoulder tip, and then two arcs from there crossed at the point I had calculated by another means for the neck side.
That proved the importance of accuracy in measurement because I can input the exact measurement, 3.15, instead of rounding to 3.25.
Just yesterday I figured out the curves part for the patterns and the reverse symbol… doh. The pattern was looking good, so I decided to print it out without seam allowances so I could see how close the base pattern in fabric comes to my shape and what I need to adjust. I think I need to redo a couple of ‘length’ measurements because the printed pattern ended about an inch above my waist and widen the across chest measurement, but that is minor because after my husband pinned the material and took some pictures, there is no gaping armhole or neckline… YEAH!
Next will be the bodice back… and then tackling the dreaded pants…lol
I look forward to seeing what else this program can do while I also get a better understanding of my body shape.
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Oh, wow! You’re really brave 
A tip I picked up on the net somewhere… Make yourself some little square stickers with T & Lines on them. Put on a leotard or similar and stick these stickers on all of the appropriate points. Tie a string or elastic around bust, waist hips. Then measure from these stickers lines & T’s to the relevant points. You get much better accuracy this way, especially when you need to measure yourself.
Another tip… Draft a basic bodice that fits to the base of the neck, the shoulder tips, waist, etc. Once you have your basic bodice, you can draft a new, lower neck line or lengthen the waist to fit lower or change the armholes. These are all design features that you do on top of your basic bodice and all things are possible once you get the basic bodice to fit in all the right places.
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We used to do that in the costume shop when I was at the University. It was also recomended that actors or dancers wore leotards & tights so we were measuring the body, and not the clothes over the body.
Later when we had our shop we learned early on for school shows NOT to have students measuring themselves or others, but rather have a competent adult take measurments.
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