My version Frankenpatterned with Burda 8768.
Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90192
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Vogue 1204 Frankenpattern
Pattern picture:
My version Frankenpatterned with Burda 8768.
Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90192
My version Frankenpatterned with Burda 8768.
Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90192
Lekala 4275
Pattern picture:
My version:
Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90191
My version:
Lekala 5759
Pattern picture:
My version:
Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90190
My version:
Lekala 4026
Pattern picture:
My version:
Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90189
My version:
Lekala 5489
Pattern picture:
My version:
Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90188
My version:
Lekala 5757
Pattern picture:
My version:
Sorry for the bad pics. Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90186
My version:
Sorry for the bad pics. Review on patternreview: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/90186
Sewing with Lekala
Last updated on 20/12/2013.
Ok, so the thought of custom fitted sewing patterns finally got too tempting for me and I tried some patterns from Lekala. I know a lot of people are interested, so I am sharing my thoughts here.
For those whose are unfamiliar with Lekala, they are a Russian company who sell affordable patterns adjusted to your measurements, delivered via email.
General and about paying:
The measurements and additional fitting adjustments offered on the Russian site are as follows:
You can try to decipher your measurements and the difference made by the adjustments above by looking at the charts lower down on this page: http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=otvet
(The numbers of the measurements detailed below your string-to-order in the email correspond, as far as I could tell, to the following:
# DESCRIPTION
The exact size of the adjustments are RELATIVE to the 4 main measurements you enter, and the average body, but they do seem to be substantial adjustments as far as I can tell. As an example, for the Big 4 I usually shorten arms by 1.5 to 2 inches and Lekala's short arm option fits me perfectly.
I must admit that I did bombard their server with repeated requests for slightly differing strings until I had somewhat of an idea of the size of the adjustments.
You may still need to make some small fitting adjustments. For me, I have consistently had to add sway back adjustments and a shaping dart in the high bust region.
The adjustments that I usually have to do for the Big 4 but which Lekala does for me is: grade 2 sizes up from shoulder to hip, large Full Bust Adjustment, forward shoulder, short arm, wide arm, height. I usually make a tiny square shoulder for the Big 4 as well, but this is not necessary with Lekala. All in all, I'm happy to be free of having to do all that.
Lekala's sleeves/shoulders are drafted anatomically correctly (i.e. with a natural forward shoulder). Why can Vogue and the like not do that too? They also do not have the ridiculous amounts of cap ease found in the Big 4.
From the patterns that I have tried, the drafting appears to be consistent.
Tip: DO NOT BE COY ABOUT YOUR MEASUREMENTS. A lot of the patterns have ZERO design ease, particularly around the bust. Round up rather than down. Don't pull the measuring tape into your flesh. The widest part of my hips are quite low on my body, so I was worried that the shorter garments would be too wide on my high hip, but this did not happen. So, measure it on the widest wide bit. The measurement with the protruding belly is for folks with protruding bellies. If you have a relatively flat stomach like me you do not need to add room for your belly. I tested it once and it appears to shift the volume of the garment away from your behind towards your front, by the difference between the two hip measurements you specified.
I recommend that you do make a muslin of your first few garments, and complex/advanced garments (of which they offer plenty), for tweaking. However, I am pretty sure that you will never need to make multiple muslins of the same garment.
The focus is on fitting the upper body. If you find it difficult to fit trousers in the legs, you probably won't find a trouser solution here. However, if you use the "advanced order" option, you can enter a measurement for girth feet (21) which I believe is your thigh circumference based on the diagram on the answers page (http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=otvet).
About the patterns:
The selection is huge and mostly ready-to-wear styles. Classic styles and occasion wear are well represented. There are quite a few unusual gems, but fans of vintage styles might be a bit disappointed. Some of the older patterns are a bit "oligarch arm-candy" for my taste, but the newer patterns are exciting and wearable. They add new designs in a steady trickle. I'm sure everybody will find something that they like.
About ordering:
To order, click on the order button, then on the standard order screen, click on the String-to-order link to get the screen where you enter your string, password and email address.
Please note that the default file format for delivery is lek2. If you want a pdf, you need to select pdf. They also offer a plotter option for those lucky sods with access to a plotter. Patterns are sent without seam allowances as the default option. If you want seam allowances added, your unit balance will reduce by two units instead of one. I'm not sure, but I think the seam allowances they add are quite narrow.
If you want to use the lek2 file, you need to download a proprietary piece of software. I have been using it, because it allows you to move the pieces around on the print layout, leaving more room for you to draw in wider seam allowances. The software is in a Russian-English hybrid, so I would advise you to try it with one of the free patterns first if you are not a computer whizz. The version of the software you download has some of its functions disabled - you cannot amend the measurements of your pattern before printing, for instance. I think this is fair, considering the reasonable price of the patterns.
The length of time that your pattern takes to reach your email inbox seems to depend on the complexity of the pattern. I have had them take anything from a minute or two for a pattern for a simple unlined dress 4026 to half an hour for a lined fitted jacket (haven't made it up yet at time of writing).
Putting it together:
There is a lot of paper cutting and cellotaping required before you can use your pattern. It is not actually going to be be faster than doing fitting adjustments on a purchased paper pattern, but it does require less concentration.
Print with "no scaling" or at 100%. My printer does distort printouts by a few millimeters as its rollers warm up, but this has never been enough to cause problems.
The instructions provided (as a separate, manual download from the pattern page) comes in the form of Google-translated Russian-to-English text and is thus not always clear. There are better translations available on the English language site, but all the same I'm not sure that I would recommend Lekala for beginner sewists.
Their marking system is minimal, but I like it.
For me the hardest part has been matching pattern to fabric, as they do not give fabric recommendations much beyond indicating knit/woven. I suspect that the best course of action would be to hit the shops and try to find a similar garment in RTW and feel up its fabric as a guide.
I have to insert here that I found it tremendously interesting to look at the technical drawings. Because I am obsessed with Full Bust Adjustments, I wanted to know how they draft patterns that can easily adjust to go over all kinds of bumps and lumps. Some of the patterns are really clever in the way they use darts and gathers to shape the bust area. Conversely, I have spotted a number of seams that (depending on fabric grain) might be easy to eliminate once your pattern has been sized. They use so many different variations of princess seams that I will come to their site just to look for tips on how to redraft and adjust those pesky "no allowance for above waist adjustments" jobs from the Big Four.
Conclusion:
I think Lekala offers an excellent product, although the purchasing process can be a bit intimidating at first. They seem to have problems with their emails with attachments being blocked by overly strict spam filters, so you might want to add them to your email whitelist.
Congratulations on reading this far... and thank you. You may also want to read Fehrtrade's post on shopping with Lekala here: http://www.fehrtrade.com/article/493/how-to-buy-lekala-patterns
Happy sewing!
Postscript: For those who need pictures, I have now taken some screenshots (click to make them bigger):
Registration Step 1: http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=init
Now go buy a password for units to spend on models (patterns): http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=pr
Using Softkey: Follow the instructions - it looks confusing but is actually pretty standard. I didn't bother to fill in the fields properly and it doesn't matter. The site won't let you continue with the sale if the email addresses don't match - and that is the important bit.
You will get an automatically generated username and password sent to you so that you can log in again and view/pay for the transaction. I have only paid using Paypal.
Once you've paid Softkey, you get an email that looks like this:
Go back to Lekala and complete Step 2 (the second option) using the password from Softkey:
You will then receive an email like this one to confirm that your units have been added:
Now go make your String-to-Order (http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=get_st):
Within a few minutes you will get an email like this one - the length of the string depends on the adjustments you requested.
Now select the pattern you want and select the string-to-order option. Paste your string in the box and make sure that you have selected the options you want - the default file format is lek2.
Your pattern then arrives as an attachment in an email that looks like this:
Ok, so the thought of custom fitted sewing patterns finally got too tempting for me and I tried some patterns from Lekala. I know a lot of people are interested, so I am sharing my thoughts here.
For those whose are unfamiliar with Lekala, they are a Russian company who sell affordable patterns adjusted to your measurements, delivered via email.
General and about paying:
- There are a number of sites that sell Lekala patterns, including on CD. Most of them ask you for 4 measurements: height, under bust, waist and hip. For some people this may give a properly fitted pattern.
- The English language site now also offers the advanced fitting options. The English language site can be found here: http://www.lekala.co/ .
- The patterns on the Russian site are still a bit cheaper, which might add up if you plan to buy a lot. This post is about using the Russian site.
- If you don't know Russian, you are going to face a significant language barrier in accessing the patterns on the Russian site. The Russian site is here: http://leko-mail.net/mod-e.php
- The site is a bit difficult to browse - some pages are several layers deep. They seem to have cleaned it up a bit recently, though.
- Go to the registration page http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=init and complete Step 1. You will receive a 4 digit pin code to your email address.
- Now purchase your passwords / units.
- Buy a password for 10 patterns here: http://www.softkey.net/catalog/program.php?ID=100317&preview=1 . After paying and entering your email address, you will receive an email with a 15-digit password which is your proof that you have paid for units.
- There is a third party involved in the payment process on the Russian site (so I just added a fourth and paid by Paypal).
- Go back to the registration page and complete step 2 (the second option): http://leko-mail.net/init.html . Use the SAME email address that you used to register on the site to link your pin, emails address and units password.
- When you purchase a pattern, choose the pin payment option and enter the 4 digit pin (Step 3).
- You can order a number of free patterns without making a purchase.
- I have not used step 4 yet, but I think it is to check your unit balance.
The measurements and additional fitting adjustments offered on the Russian site are as follows:
- Height (in cm)
- Under bust (in cm)
- Waist (in cm)
- Hip without belly projecting (i.e. measured around the widest part) (in cm)
- Hip with belly projecting (place a ruler vertically on your belly and then measure around the ruler and your hips at the widest point). (in cm)
- Leg length (short, normal, long)
- Arm length (short, normal, long)
- Waist length (short, normal, long)
- Neck length (short, normal, long)
- Height of bust point (low, normal, high)
- Distance between bust points (close-set, normal, wide-set)
- Neck girth (thin, normal, wide)
- Arm girth (normal, wide, very wide)
- Shoulder width (narrow, normal, broad)
- Back width (narrow, normal, broad)
- Chest width (narrow, normal, broad)
You can try to decipher your measurements and the difference made by the adjustments above by looking at the charts lower down on this page: http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=otvet
(The numbers of the measurements detailed below your string-to-order in the email correspond, as far as I could tell, to the following:
# DESCRIPTION
1 * Height
13 Neck Girth
14 High Bust
15 Bust over full back
16 * Bust at
Apex
17 Underbust
18 * Waist
19 * Hip
with belly projecting
20 * Hip
21 Thigh girth
22 Knee girth
23 Calf girth
24 Ankle girth
25 Outseam
26 Inseam
27 Inside leg length
28 Upper arm girth
29 Wrist
30 Wrist over thumb joint
31 Shoulder width
32 Inner arm length?
33 Neck to wrist?
35 Bust height
36 Front waist length
38 Shoulder arc length
39 Back armhole height
40 Back length
41 Oblique shoulder
43 Back Waist length
44 ?
45 Front chest width
46 Nipple spacing
47 Back width
48 Head girth
57 Arm cross-section/width?
76 ?
77 Crotch arc
Please use the above with a very large pinch of salt - I give no guarantee that it is correct.)
The exact size of the adjustments are RELATIVE to the 4 main measurements you enter, and the average body, but they do seem to be substantial adjustments as far as I can tell. As an example, for the Big 4 I usually shorten arms by 1.5 to 2 inches and Lekala's short arm option fits me perfectly.
I must admit that I did bombard their server with repeated requests for slightly differing strings until I had somewhat of an idea of the size of the adjustments.
You may still need to make some small fitting adjustments. For me, I have consistently had to add sway back adjustments and a shaping dart in the high bust region.
The adjustments that I usually have to do for the Big 4 but which Lekala does for me is: grade 2 sizes up from shoulder to hip, large Full Bust Adjustment, forward shoulder, short arm, wide arm, height. I usually make a tiny square shoulder for the Big 4 as well, but this is not necessary with Lekala. All in all, I'm happy to be free of having to do all that.
Lekala's sleeves/shoulders are drafted anatomically correctly (i.e. with a natural forward shoulder). Why can Vogue and the like not do that too? They also do not have the ridiculous amounts of cap ease found in the Big 4.
From the patterns that I have tried, the drafting appears to be consistent.
Tip: DO NOT BE COY ABOUT YOUR MEASUREMENTS. A lot of the patterns have ZERO design ease, particularly around the bust. Round up rather than down. Don't pull the measuring tape into your flesh. The widest part of my hips are quite low on my body, so I was worried that the shorter garments would be too wide on my high hip, but this did not happen. So, measure it on the widest wide bit. The measurement with the protruding belly is for folks with protruding bellies. If you have a relatively flat stomach like me you do not need to add room for your belly. I tested it once and it appears to shift the volume of the garment away from your behind towards your front, by the difference between the two hip measurements you specified.
I recommend that you do make a muslin of your first few garments, and complex/advanced garments (of which they offer plenty), for tweaking. However, I am pretty sure that you will never need to make multiple muslins of the same garment.
The focus is on fitting the upper body. If you find it difficult to fit trousers in the legs, you probably won't find a trouser solution here. However, if you use the "advanced order" option, you can enter a measurement for girth feet (21) which I believe is your thigh circumference based on the diagram on the answers page (http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=otvet).
About the patterns:
The selection is huge and mostly ready-to-wear styles. Classic styles and occasion wear are well represented. There are quite a few unusual gems, but fans of vintage styles might be a bit disappointed. Some of the older patterns are a bit "oligarch arm-candy" for my taste, but the newer patterns are exciting and wearable. They add new designs in a steady trickle. I'm sure everybody will find something that they like.
About ordering:
To order, click on the order button, then on the standard order screen, click on the String-to-order link to get the screen where you enter your string, password and email address.
Please note that the default file format for delivery is lek2. If you want a pdf, you need to select pdf. They also offer a plotter option for those lucky sods with access to a plotter. Patterns are sent without seam allowances as the default option. If you want seam allowances added, your unit balance will reduce by two units instead of one. I'm not sure, but I think the seam allowances they add are quite narrow.
If you want to use the lek2 file, you need to download a proprietary piece of software. I have been using it, because it allows you to move the pieces around on the print layout, leaving more room for you to draw in wider seam allowances. The software is in a Russian-English hybrid, so I would advise you to try it with one of the free patterns first if you are not a computer whizz. The version of the software you download has some of its functions disabled - you cannot amend the measurements of your pattern before printing, for instance. I think this is fair, considering the reasonable price of the patterns.
The length of time that your pattern takes to reach your email inbox seems to depend on the complexity of the pattern. I have had them take anything from a minute or two for a pattern for a simple unlined dress 4026 to half an hour for a lined fitted jacket (haven't made it up yet at time of writing).
Putting it together:
There is a lot of paper cutting and cellotaping required before you can use your pattern. It is not actually going to be be faster than doing fitting adjustments on a purchased paper pattern, but it does require less concentration.
Print with "no scaling" or at 100%. My printer does distort printouts by a few millimeters as its rollers warm up, but this has never been enough to cause problems.
The instructions provided (as a separate, manual download from the pattern page) comes in the form of Google-translated Russian-to-English text and is thus not always clear. There are better translations available on the English language site, but all the same I'm not sure that I would recommend Lekala for beginner sewists.
Their marking system is minimal, but I like it.
For me the hardest part has been matching pattern to fabric, as they do not give fabric recommendations much beyond indicating knit/woven. I suspect that the best course of action would be to hit the shops and try to find a similar garment in RTW and feel up its fabric as a guide.
I have to insert here that I found it tremendously interesting to look at the technical drawings. Because I am obsessed with Full Bust Adjustments, I wanted to know how they draft patterns that can easily adjust to go over all kinds of bumps and lumps. Some of the patterns are really clever in the way they use darts and gathers to shape the bust area. Conversely, I have spotted a number of seams that (depending on fabric grain) might be easy to eliminate once your pattern has been sized. They use so many different variations of princess seams that I will come to their site just to look for tips on how to redraft and adjust those pesky "no allowance for above waist adjustments" jobs from the Big Four.
Conclusion:
I think Lekala offers an excellent product, although the purchasing process can be a bit intimidating at first. They seem to have problems with their emails with attachments being blocked by overly strict spam filters, so you might want to add them to your email whitelist.
Congratulations on reading this far... and thank you. You may also want to read Fehrtrade's post on shopping with Lekala here: http://www.fehrtrade.com/article/493/how-to-buy-lekala-patterns
Happy sewing!
Postscript: For those who need pictures, I have now taken some screenshots (click to make them bigger):
Registration Step 1: http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=init
Now go buy a password for units to spend on models (patterns): http://leko-mail.net/mod-pe.php?reg=pr
Using Softkey: Follow the instructions - it looks confusing but is actually pretty standard. I didn't bother to fill in the fields properly and it doesn't matter. The site won't let you continue with the sale if the email addresses don't match - and that is the important bit.
You will get an automatically generated username and password sent to you so that you can log in again and view/pay for the transaction. I have only paid using Paypal.
Once you've paid Softkey, you get an email that looks like this:
Go back to Lekala and complete Step 2 (the second option) using the password from Softkey:
You will then receive an email like this one to confirm that your units have been added:
Within a few minutes you will get an email like this one - the length of the string depends on the adjustments you requested.
And that's it! And yes, I am paranoid. ;D
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