So, you’ve got your hands on the Noa pinafore sewing pattern - yay! With its princess seams, optional waist adjuster and exposed zip, Noa is a polished style that looks great on so many body shapes. And because the pinafore is designed with shaping built in, it’s also a fab opportunity to practise fitting skills.
The good news? With a few simple tweaks, if you need it, you can get a custom fit that feels chef’s kiss perfect for your body. Let’s walk through some common adjustments you might want to make to your Noa…
What sizes are included in the Noa sewing pattern?
Whether you buy Noa as a printed or PDF pattern, there are 15 sizes included in every pattern, from UK 6-34 / US 2-30 / EUR 34-62.
Sizes UK 6-16 (TATB sizes 1-6) and UK 18-34 (TATB sizes 7-15) have been drafted, fitted and graded separately to create a better fit. The latter sizes account for a different set of proportions with a fuller bust (dressmaker's D cup as opposed to B cup in the smaller sizes) and to allow a bit more room at the waist.
Of course, this is just a starting point. You may want to alter the pattern to get a more bespoke fit tailored to your unique body shape. Keep reading...
How is the Noa pinafore intended to fit?
- Semi-fitted silhouette designed to skim the body without clinging - don't be tempted to make your Noa too fitted or it'll be tricky to get it on and off!
- Round neckline sits roughly at the collar bone, and the lowest point of the V neckline is 10cm (4in) lower
- High waistline seam hits above the natural waist
- Easy-fitting at the waist, with an optional D ring waist adjuster if you prefer a more cinched look
- Two hem lengths: mini or knee-length
What's a toile and do I need to make one?
A toile - or a "muslin" - is an initial mock up of your garment made in cheaper fabric so you can test the fit and decide if you want to make any adjustments before you cut into the good stuff. If you decide to make a toile, you should use fabric that is similar in weight and drape to the fabric you want to use for your final project, as it will affect how it hangs.
Can't summon the patience to make a separate toile? Make a "wearable toile" instead, which is a full version of the garment in fabric that you don't mind ditching if it doesn't fit straight out of the packet.
We recommend you make a toile for the Noa pinafore, or at least consider your first version a wearable toile, so that you can refine the fit to suit your body. If you don't have much suitable fabric to hand, you can make a toile just of the bodice so that you can test the fit around the shoulders, bust and waist. The skirt is relatively easy-fitting at the hips, so you can adjust this part as you sew.
We have a comprehensive blog post covering everything you need to know about toiles. Go check it out if you want to find out more!
How do I choose my sewing pattern size?
Using a flexible tape measure, find the circumference of your:
- full bust - take the measurement at the fullest point, usually around your nipples
- waist - where you bend at the side
- hips - the fullest part - it helps to turn to the side and look in a mirror to see where this is
Check the tape measure is sitting level with the floor - it can help to turn to the side and look in a mirror to check.
Circle your full bust, waist and hip measurements on the ‘Body Measurements’ chart in the pattern instructions. If your measurements all fall into one size, then this is the size you'll cut. If a measurement falls between sizes (for example, if your bust is 49in rather than 48in or 50in), it’s generally better to choose the larger size as you can take the pinafore in more easily than you can let it out.
However, it's common for your measurements to fall into different sizes too. In fact, most people's do! You can create a bespoke fit for you by grading between sizes. We'll come to that later, but if you want to lengthen or shorten the pattern, it's best to do this adjustment first before you tackle anything else.
A quick note on bust sizing: If you have a particularly large bust, choosing a size based solely on your full bust measurement can mean that you'll end up with a pinafore that's too big for you at the shoulders, upper chest and waist. If you know your bust is on the larger side, have a look at the sections below on fitting the princess seams and how to do a full bust adjustment on a bodice with princess seams.
How to lengthen or shorten the Noa pinafore
Our patterns are drafted for a height of 5"5 (165cm). If you're particularly taller or shorter than this, or know you have a long or short torso or legs, you can change the length of the pinafore to fit you better.
Remember! If you alter the length of one piece, make the same adjustment to any pieces that join it, so the seams still match up.
We have included the following sets of lengthen or shorten lines on the Noa pattern pieces:
1) Bodice length
- Noa's waist seam is designed to sit just above the natural waist.
- You can alter the length of the bodice using the "lengthen or shorten here" lines on the centre front, side front, side back and centre back bodice pieces.
- Remember to alter the length of all the bodice pieces by the same amount, including the front facing and front bodice interfacing strip pieces.
- If you alter the length of the bodice, the length of zip you need will be different to that recommended in the Noa supplies list. Add/subtract the amount you plan to lengthen/shorten the bodice by to find the zip length you need.
1) Skirt length
- You can lengthen or shorten the skirt length using the "lengthen or shorten here" lines on the front and back skirt pieces.
- Measure the nape to hem measurement for your chosen version of Noa on your own body to help you decide whether to lengthen or shorten the skirt before cutting.
- Noa pinafore has a generous 35cm (1 3/8in) hem allowance, so you can tweak the final length before hemming.
For more in-depth help on how to lengthen or shorten pattern pieces, see our dedicated tutorial (with video!) here.
Grading between bust, waist and hip sizes
If your bust, waist and hip are different sizes, you can grade between sizes to create a bespoke fit - here's how...
For different bust and waist sizes:
Starting at the bust notch, redraw the princess seams on all four bodice pattern pieces, so that they gradually taper from your bust size at the top to your waist size at the bottom.
Make sure to use the front and back facings that match your bust size, and pick the waist seam at the top of the skirt pieces that matches your waist size.
For different waist and hip sizes:
Starting 15mm (5/8in) down from the top of the waist seam, redraw the side seams on the front skirt and back skirt, from your waist size at the top to your hip size at the hip notch. As the skirt pattern pieces have curved side seams you can use a pattern master or French curve to help get a nice smooth line.
Remember to pick the waist seam at the bottom of the bodice pieces that matches your waist size, and mark the darts on the front and back skirts that correspond to your waist size too.
TIP: If you're grading to a smaller waist size from a larger hip size, make sure to check the finished waist measurement isn't drastically smaller than your hip measurement, or it'll be tricky to get your finished pinafore on and off! As a general guide, we wouldn’t recommend grading down to a waist size that is more than two sizes smaller than your hip size. Instead pick a waist size no more than two sizes smaller than your hip size, and then use the D ring adjuster to cinch in the waist, if that's the kind of look you prefer.
For more help on how to combine sewing pattern sizes, see our in-depth our tutorial here (+ video!).
Fitting a princess seam bodice
Spending the time to make a toile of Noa can really help you to see where you might need to take in or let out the princess seams, to suit your unique shape.
In this example, the bodice fits well across our model's full bust and waist, but it's loose across her upper chest.
To fix this, we pinned this excess out evenly across both of the front princess seams, and marked the new seam line on the toile.
TIP: Don’t be tempted to pin too closely to your body - Noa is a casual, semi-fitted design, rather than a figure-hugging one.
Next, we transferred this new stitching line to the side front and centre front bodices, and drew in the new cutting lines 15mm (5/8in) away from the stitching lines. Notice that this has made the front armhole shorter, so the front facing needed to be altered too, so that it matched the bodices along the front armhole seam.
In this example, the bodice fits the model's shoulders and waist well, but it's tight across her full bust, with drag lines pointing from bust towards the side seams and creasing above the bust.
To fix this, we opened up both princess seams over the bust to release the tension causing the drag lines, and then measured the gap to find out how much extra width needed to be added to the pattern. This gap on our model's toile was more than 15mm (5/8in), which indicated we needed to do a full bust adjustment (FBA). Find details on this in the section below on how to do a full bust adjustment on a bodice with princess seams.
If the gap on your toile is less than 15mm (5/8in), you might be able to get away with not doing a FBA. Instead, try adding the extra width you need at the bust by redrawing the front princess seam on the side front bodice, as shown above.
You will then need to measure your new side front princess seam, and lengthen the centre front bodice to match. Don't forget to also lengthen the front facing so that it still matches the front bodice along the front opening, and you'll need a longer zip to account for the longer front opening too.
How do I do a full bust adjustment on a bodice with princess seams?
Sizes 1-6 in our patterns (or UK 6-16 / US 2-12) are drafted for a 5cm (2in) difference between the high bust and full bust, while sizes 7-15 (or UK 18-34 / US 14-30) are drafted for a 10cm (4in) difference between the high bust and full bust.
If the difference between your high bust and full bust is significantly more than this for the size you’re making, or you've made a toile of Noa and you need more than 15mm (5/8in) extra room in the bust, then you might benefit from a full bust adjustment (FBA).
Check out our blog post on how to do a full bust adjustment on a princess seam bodice. It's packed full of step-by-step diagrams to show you how to do this adjustment.
Why this matters
Taking a little bit of extra time and effort to make a toile, grade between sizes, and alter the princess seams if you need to will give you a polished, comfortable pinafore that you'll reach for again and again.
With that being said, don't overwhelm yourself with too many changes or fall into the trap of trying to overfit Noa - sometimes good enough is more than good enough 😊
You’ve got this!
We can’t wait to see your Noa pinafore. Share your makes on Instagram and tag @TillyButtons with #SewingNoa - we’d love to feature yours!
Author: Frances Wakefield
Photos: Jane Looker
Models: Jessica Harriott-Kerr + Rita Fitchett
