Lutterloh Is Here!
The Lutterloh book from 1962 is here! There are some really nifty patterns in this book and I am excited to try it out. None are really my style, but a few coat patterns are quite nice, and I think I am going to try those out first. There are also some neat patterns for men and children.
In case you are wondering, what is this Lutterloh??? Let me explain. Lutterloh patterns are produced and marketed by a German company by the same name. The pattern company started in 1935 and is still going strong (they must be doing something right); the system is based on a sort of radial drafting (which was and is popular in costume houses and such), whereby a tiny pattern is enlarged based on certain measurements are numbers. The Lutterloh system is based on the Golden Rule, which was used (and I am sure still is) by artists for hundreds of years. The Golden Rule actually consists of a number of formulae, for example; the height of the body is equal to five times the length for the face, so and so forth.
The system comes as kit, with a book of patterns and a special cm measuring tape which has a special formula attached to one end. The patterns are drafted based on just two measurements; the bust and and hip. All drafting above and including the waist are based on the bust measurement, and everything below the waist is based on the hip measurement. You are can get a more thorough look at the system here: Come Sew Lutterloh With Me.
Many people on many sewing lists dismiss the system as being bogus and silly, yet many swear by it! I have seen quite a few garments based on this system, and they fit perfectly! The system is not without work, one still has to make adjustments to the patterns, but they are minimal, not as numerous as have to made to the big four patterns. Measurements (even if they are just two), must be taken very accurately, and there are no sewing instructions at all! Since I have never sewn with commercial patterns, this is fine by me, I have had to rely on all sorts of books to sew my garments and therefore know of no other way of sewing. The patterns do not include seam allowances, and because they are made in Germany, they have the European fit, which is found in the much praised Burda patterns.
I am excited and I do hope they work very well for me. I love my sewing software, but frankly, it's too much work having to get my measurements taken every year or so (since they do change as we age). Besides, I have NEVER got a great fit right off the bat, the fit is really close, but I still have to tweak it. There is no such thing as a great fit out of the package, because fit is not just about the measurements and body shape; it's a lot more than that.
In case you are wondering, what is this Lutterloh??? Let me explain. Lutterloh patterns are produced and marketed by a German company by the same name. The pattern company started in 1935 and is still going strong (they must be doing something right); the system is based on a sort of radial drafting (which was and is popular in costume houses and such), whereby a tiny pattern is enlarged based on certain measurements are numbers. The Lutterloh system is based on the Golden Rule, which was used (and I am sure still is) by artists for hundreds of years. The Golden Rule actually consists of a number of formulae, for example; the height of the body is equal to five times the length for the face, so and so forth.
The system comes as kit, with a book of patterns and a special cm measuring tape which has a special formula attached to one end. The patterns are drafted based on just two measurements; the bust and and hip. All drafting above and including the waist are based on the bust measurement, and everything below the waist is based on the hip measurement. You are can get a more thorough look at the system here: Come Sew Lutterloh With Me.
Many people on many sewing lists dismiss the system as being bogus and silly, yet many swear by it! I have seen quite a few garments based on this system, and they fit perfectly! The system is not without work, one still has to make adjustments to the patterns, but they are minimal, not as numerous as have to made to the big four patterns. Measurements (even if they are just two), must be taken very accurately, and there are no sewing instructions at all! Since I have never sewn with commercial patterns, this is fine by me, I have had to rely on all sorts of books to sew my garments and therefore know of no other way of sewing. The patterns do not include seam allowances, and because they are made in Germany, they have the European fit, which is found in the much praised Burda patterns.
I am excited and I do hope they work very well for me. I love my sewing software, but frankly, it's too much work having to get my measurements taken every year or so (since they do change as we age). Besides, I have NEVER got a great fit right off the bat, the fit is really close, but I still have to tweak it. There is no such thing as a great fit out of the package, because fit is not just about the measurements and body shape; it's a lot more than that.
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