by Cecile » Mon 17 Aug, 2020 8:41 pm
Couple of questions. What kind of fabric are you planning to use? What is the fabric of the top you want to copy? This will make a big difference to how your finished garment will fit. For instance, if the top you want to copy is a knit (stretch), and the fabric you want to buy is a woven (non-stretch), or vice versa you may have size issues. Do you want set-in or raglan sleeve? 1.5cm seam allowace is what the "big four" pattern companies use. If I am overlocking on knit I use 6mm. Most of my downloaded patterns uave 1cm.
Rule of thumb for a more or less "regular" sized person (less than 150cm around the hips) is your finished length (plus hem allowance) plus the length of your sleeve (plus hem allowance again) is the amount of fabric you want to buy. You will need more for a hood. Don't worry about yards vs metres. Measure yourself metric, then use the calculator built into your computer to convert it to imperial (yards.) You can not get a men's large out of a yard.
How will you sew it, what kind of machine? Regular sewing machine, overlocker? A regular machine is OK, but if the fabric has a lot of stretch the stitches will rip while you wear it and you will cry. If you are going to sew featherweight woven stuff, you may find that some machines simply can't handle the fabric. Moondog can't sew this on either of his machines, but even my vintage machine will handle it. Your mileage may vary.
Personally, I do NOT recommend a beginner sewing without a pattern. I've got 50+ years' sewing experience and I have yet to trace off an existing garment and have it fit properly. There are thousands of amazing (and sometimes free) downloadable patterns out there for basic t-shirts. After all, if you're not putting in a zipper, a basic t-shirt will be all you need. Adding stuff like pockets, zippers, buttons etc adds complexity but isn't that hard if you have a good pattern to follow. Modern PDF patterns that you download are amazingly detailed and easy to follow. Patterns these days are multi size. NEVER cut them, trace your size off onto thin transparent paper. Most people too don't fit into only one size. You may need one size for your chest, larger around the belly, then smaller hips, etc. Even slender people often have to adjust patterns to fit.
Anyhoo, a few things to ponder. I am happy if you want to bounce anything off me.