Hi guys! So I know that I was planning on doing a) circle skirts and b) petticoats before anything else, but due to Animethon’s rapid approach and redeadlauren being my long-distance cosplay partner, I’m going to post this.This tutorial will get you to the point that you can have your fabric cut out; the next one will cover sewing.

First of all, here is the pattern I’ll be modifying: 

to suit this reference (areas to modify are circled in red):

The top will have a front-closure zipper and will fit over an undershirt to which the neck-bow will be attached. It’ll have false-pockets, bias tape and lace trim to finish the lower edges and cuffs, bottom-only puff sleeves, and the bow at the back : ) There is also facing along the front sides and back neck-edge.

I am making my jacket in size 10, one size down from my ‘measured’ size.

MATERIALS USED

• 1.75 meters of fabric (1.9 yds) for my jacket which is Size 10; more fabric will be needed for larger sizes and/or other alterations done by yourself :)
  
  You will also need:
  
  1. 1.0 meter of lightweight fusible interfacing for pattern parts 1 (x4 cut out), 7 (x1), and 3 (flap before modification)
  2. About 20 cm (~8”) white cotton twill for cuffs
  3. Notions:
     
     • 12” (30cm) zipper x1 (seperable; lightweight is good) 
     • Red Extra Wide dbl fold Bias Tape; 2 pkgs
     • Black Extra Wide dbl fold Bias Tape: 1 pkg
     • Black Dbl Fold Bias Tape (reg thickness): 1pkg
     • about 2-2.6 meters (2.2-2.9 yds) of lace trim for lower edge and cuffs (2 for size 10, increasing amounts for larger sizes)

TOOLS NEEDED

1) Ruler
2) Tape Measure
3) Pencil
4) Tape
5) Tracing paper / Parchment paper / Pattern-tracing paper, etc (2 pieces; one larger than the other.
6) Scissors (paper)
7) Fabric scissors, pins, marking pencil and/or pen for transferring markings
 

PATTERN PIECES NEEDED

1 - Front A, B
2- Side Front A,B
3- Flap A
4- Back A, B
5- Side Back A,B
7- Back Facing A,B
8- Sleeve A,B
cut out pattern pieces as normal. The rest can go back in the envelope.

First, We’re going to modify the lower edge of pieces 1, 2, 4, and 5

You may need some help for this part: You’re going to measure from the top line on piece 4 to the bottom of the pattern piece; next, measure from the base of your neck to where you want the jacket to sit LOWEST on you.

Note that the back of the Madoka school jackets come to a point along the lower edge; that’s going to be the VERY BOTTOM of your pattern piece. Next, I figured out the HIGHEST point of the lower edge (ie: at the side seam) and wrote that down. It ended up being 3 inches; in other words, I needed to make a slope from the side seam to  center-back on pieces 4 and 5, and use that same 3 inch measurement to draw the slopes on pieces 2 and 1 respectively.

I DREW A LINE 3 INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE OF PIECES 1, 2, 4 , AND 5. THIS IS YOUR REFERENCE FOR HOW TO DRAW THE NEW LOWER HEMLINE WHICH WILL BE FINISHED WITH BIAS TAPE.

This image shows 2 lines drawn in pencil on pattern piece 4, the BACK section. the top, steeper line is what I drew first BUT I forgot that I have 2 side back pieces and the line needs to extend across both of them (since they are sewn together in a princess seam). So, I matched up the two pieces as best I could and drew a connected line from center-back to side seam:

^^^ The line is highlighted for better viewing.

Next, I drew a line on piece 2 (side front), but I went from ‘corner to corner’:

It still matches the reference picture : O

Now for piece 1. There needs to be 3 things done to this piece:

1) Remove the overlap to account for the button
2) Mark the new lower hemline
3) Lengthen the piece (explained below)

Firstly, measure halfway between the dotted line on the righthand side of the pattern piece and the cutting-edge; mark with a pencil and draw a line. It should bisect the dots at the upper neckline edge.

This is how you’ll remove the overlap meant for buttons, so that we can install a zipper instead and have a clean front seam. You don’t need to do anything more complicated because a) a 5/8” allowance was already given here and will continue to exist and b) the curve will be taken out when we draw the lower hemline.

You should have a line drawn 3” from the very lower edge. Make sure it’s straight across, not tilted, and draw your new hemline from corner to corner in a MIRROR of what you did on piece 2. See below:

Again, please ignore the NON highlighted line, which was drawn before removing the overlap and is therefore incorrect.

Now, there’s one final step.

The original pattern instructions have you cut 4 pieces total of Pattern Piece 1, 2 of which will be used for facing. We’re still going to do that; however, pieces 2, 4, and 5 were given a 1.5” hemming allowance along the lower edge, so that after sewing the facing it would be turned up and have an even hemline.

TL;DR: Piece one needs to be lengthened to meet the new lower hemline we want.

Cut along the ‘lengthen or shorten here’ line on piece one, as shown:

Now cut a strip of paper, measured 1.5” with 1/4” each on the top and bottom. Tape it to the pattern piece, matching the black lines to the lines on the strip:

And tape it. Your lines should meet exactly:

You’ve now finished the modifications needed for a proper lower hemline!

(picture coming soon)

DO NOT CUT ALONG THE MODIFIED HEMLINE LINES WHEN CUTTING OUT YOUR FABRIC. Cut out your pattern pieces on the fabric (cut piece 1 along the new center-front line, but leave the lower edge alone) and MARK YOUR FABRIC PIECES WITH THE HEMLINE MARKINGS.

That way, AFTER sewing them all together you can cut along the lower hemline and be SURE that all the lines meet where they’re supposed to.

Now on to the sleeves

We want the sleeves to have a smooth, non-poofy shoulder and a poof lower down. Measure from the widest part of your bust (in line with the nipple) down to your wrist. Write that measurement down [Measure A] . Now, pattern piece 8 (sleeve) has a 1.5” hem allowance as well which we are also going to choose to ignore. Because of that, however, you need to subtract 1.5” from Measure A. THEN, take the new total [Measure B]. Use your tape measure and measure from Piece 8’s Hemline up to Measure B and make markings. Use the ruler to draw a straight line across.

The top line is incorrect and didn’t take into account the hem allowance at the bottom of the piece. The lower line is also incorrect. Measure above the line you just drew a 5/8” seam allowance, this will be needed later.

Use tracing paper to copy down the top of Piece 8, from the curve, markings (the notches and dots), side pieces, and along the line marking Measure B.

On THIS Piece measure a 5/8” seam allowance BELOW your line.

I’m using THIS concept to create the puff sleeve, which will be ATTACHED to the ‘regular sleeve’ in the hopes of giving more support to the puff and comfort to the user.

Hence, you’ll need to cut out Piece 8 (sleeve) from your fabric as normal and ALSO cut out the segment for the poof. I’ll explain more later.

Take your traced pattern piece and draw a straight line as shown on the above; you see how the top of the sleeve pattern curves? Draw a line across the widest part of the sleeve, from the bottom of the curve to the other side. Then draw a line at the midpoint (it should bisect the topmost dot on the curve).

From there, measure along the horizontal line 1.25” until the pattern has 8 pieces (7 vertical lines total, including the one marking midpoint)

Cut along the vertical lines so you have 8 sections total.

Now we’re going to piece them together on the 2nd sheet of tracing paper and tape them down :D In order to give the lower edge the poofiness, we’re going to have to gather it. As such, I’m giving 1” of space between all the sections, while along the top edge the lines are going to just touch at the corners. when we gather the lower edge of the sleeve poof, the sides and top curve should resume the shape of the original sleeve piece.

I drew a cross on my 2nd piece of tracing paper mimicking the midpoint-line and the horizontal one crossing the widest point, and used the top of the vertical line as my starting point. From there, I just measured 0.5” from either side of the line at the very bottom point and taped my segments down. Then I put 1” of space between each subsequent piece on either side. Since this doesn’t make much sense, have a visual:

In the end after all the measuring and taping, it should look like this:

Now transfer the old notches and dots from the 1st tracing onto the second one. Cut around the sides and top curve, but leave the lower edge alone for a second.

We need a little extra fabric to give the proper poof. From the looks of the how-to-puff-sleeve image, you measure from your lower edge to the line-across-your-widest point, which on my piece was 3.5”. so I folded my traced piece in half and approximated a line below it, which at the lowest point was 3.5” from the original ‘lower edge’.  However, experience proved this was too much to give it. I folded my traced piece in half and approximated a line below it, about 1.5” LESS than the 3.5” (2.0”) The lowest point should lie across the midpoint-line, by the way.

Then I folded my piece in half along the midpoint and cut a single time so that it is equal on both sides:

Et Voila!

Now I just removed the top part to give this derpy looking thing (you see why I transfered the markings from the ‘cut-out-traced-sleeve-top?)

And that’s that! :D

NOW YOU CAN CUT OUT YOUR FABRIC!

Cut out the following as normal:

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

*** On pieces 2, 4, and 5, MARK THE NEW LOWER HEMLINE ON THE FABRIC with a marking pencil, marker, or tailors chalk.

Cut out the following with slight changes:

1 - cut out the left hand side (with notches) and upper neckline as usual, but cut along the line you drew at the center-front instead of along the curved edge until you reach the ‘regular’ bottom hemline. Then follow the pattern again. *** REMEMBER: You need 4 pieces of this in total because 2 will be facings on the inside.

Also cut out:

Your poofy-sleeve pattern piece (2 pieces of fabric needed)
INTERFACING; For pieces 1 (2x the pattern on folded-over interfacing), 7 (once on fold), 3 (remnant for flaps)

AND NOW WE’RE ALMOST READY TO SEW : )

CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO