Pattern hacking is one of the best things about sewing for yourself. If you have a few well-fitting patterns on hand, you can create an almost infinite amount of wardrobe pieces—it’s magical!

Cashmerette patterns are designed to fit curvy bodies, and our instructions help guide sewists of all levels achieve their goals. We know that you’ve got ideas about how to customize our patterns— check out this post full of t-shirt hacks by our testers— but you might need a bit of guidance on the more complicated alterations.

This blog post rounds up some of our most popular pattern hacks, and you can see even more here. If you’d like to explore how to alter patterns for fit and style in depth, consider signing up for our Pattern Hacking for Curves Class.

How to Lengthen and Shorten Sewing Patterns to Create New Styles

In this section, a top becomes a dress, a dress becomes a top, cardigans become cropped sweaters, and T Shirt sleeves balloon into magnificence! While all Cashmerette patterns come with lengthen/shorten lines, sometimes it’s not quite as simple as using those lines or chopping off a pattern in order to create a new look (although, sometimes it is).

Add bishop sleeves to the Concord T Shirt

In these tutorials, we walk you step by step through the process of transforming garments with special attention to detail, so you don’t wind up with a strange looking hem or a wonky lining.

• Turn the Appleton Dress into the Appleton Top
• Swingy above-the-knee Holyoke Skirt
• Knee-length Holyoke Dress with patch pockets
• Holyoke Dress peplum top
• Turn the Fuller Cardigan into the Fuller Sweater
• Concord T-Shirt Dress
• Cropped Chilton Jacket Hack
• Add bishop sleeves to the Concord T Shirt

Knee Length Swingy Holyoke with Patch Pockets

Create a New Look with Specialty Fabrics and Design Details

You can turn a simple garment into a formal dress or even a costume with the right details. It just takes a little vision and maybe some fancy fabric to turn dreams to reality. Don’t think you have to buy a new pattern to make something special!

A Patchwork Fuller Cardigan Sweater

Check out these hacks that will add a little something special to your wardrobe!

• Add a sheer overlay to the Turner Dress
• Make the Webster Dress more fitted
• An Upton Dress dirndl hack for Oktoberfest
• Sew a tulip-back tank

How to Add Pockets to a Sewing Pattern

Pockets— they’re magical clothing upgrades that hold your valuable items; phone, car keys, snacks, you name it! We have a few hacks for adding pockets to Cashmerette Patterns that might just get you hooked on adding them to all your clothes!

• Add pockets to the Cashmerette Turner Dress
• Sporty Tobin Sweatshirt with sleeve pocket
• Knee-length Holyoke Dress with patch pockets

A sporty Tobin with phone pocket

And if you want a little more help getting going with pattern hacking, check out our Pattern Hacking for Curves online workshop where Jenny shows you how to make 10 different tops with a single pattern. (Includes a coupon for 30% off any Cashmerette pattern.)

Preview the Pattern Hacking for Curves Online Sewing Workshop

In Pattern Hacking for Curves, Jenny teaches you how to make all of these garments using just the Cashmerette Springfield Top!

All the tops you’ll make in the Pattern Hacking for Curves Class– all from the Springfield Top!

• A swing knit tank
• A ruffle-hemmed top
• A princess-seamed top
• A button-back or button-front blouse
• A top with cap or tulip sleeves  – the course includes an exclusive sleeve pattern piece for the Springfield
• A V-neck top with an all-in-one-facing which covers the neckline and armholes
• A cross-over back top
• A trapeze dress
• A back keyhole top with a neckline facing
• A top with a collar

What’s your favorite Cashmerette pattern hack? Tell us in the comments!