A projector at my cutting table: what I learned by trying it—and why I still enjoy working with paper and scissors.
A question during my mother’s BRIGITTE test sew became the starting point for a size-selection tool. How body measurements, finished garment measurements, and the intended fit work together.
Over the past few months, a lot has taken shape here: a digital sewing pattern, instructions, photographs, and this website. With the BRIGITTE Blouse, I can now share what I’ve been working on.
Starting this new chapter with BARBARA et Co. was a conscious decision. I knew it would take my full commitment, and I wanted to feel ready for that. Getting to that point took time. Reflection helped me see how much I had missed designing and sewing. Since the beginning of 2026, I’ve been working on it alongside family life. In late July, I began putting those early ideas into practice, gradually shaping what can be seen here today. Much of it took shape at night, in the quiet hours after the house had settled down.
There is much more to a digital sewing pattern than patternmaking. Test garments are sewn, and each design is put through its paces. There are also sewing instructions, PDF files, photographs, the website, and marketing across social media platforms. Much of this happens in parallel, and each step brings a better understanding of how these areas work together.
I enjoy this variety. Tailoring and patternmaking are familiar to me; the digital side brings new tasks—from digitizing patterns and preparing the download files to building this website. I enjoy finding out how the different applications work and putting what I’ve learned into practice. The website took more time than I would have liked. At the same time, that work showed how much can be learned independently with time and curiosity. It all comes together in the finished sewing pattern.
The part I love most is seeing an idea become something you can wear. I also love coming back to something I’ve made: refining a design, checking a step again, or making an explanation clearer. For me, improving something is part of the pleasure of creating it. Often, a small change moves an idea forward or makes the sewing process easier. The same curiosity goes into the designs themselves: How does the fabric fall? Are the proportions right? Could a detail be simpler or more beautiful?
When I develop something, I start by looking closely: What is the current standard, what can today’s tools offer, and what does the person using it need? From there, I look for the next worthwhile step—a clearer explanation, a more thoughtful detail, or a simpler solution. That is how I build my own standards: through experience, curiosity, and a desire to make the sewing process a little easier.
I love details, including the ones that aren’t immediately visible. A beautiful lining can be the detail that makes me want a garment in the first place. To me, the inside deserves just as much thought as the outside.
Another reason I’m drawn to sewing patterns is the room they leave for individuality. It used to take some searching to find out where a garment someone was wearing had come from. Now, a photo and an image search can often lead straight to the same piece or something similar. That makes the chance to create something of my own even more appealing: choosing a fabric, changing a sleeve, noticing how one small decision alters the whole garment. Even when the starting point is the same pattern, the result can feel entirely your own.
As more of everyday life moves onto screens, I think making something with our hands will become even more valuable—even if it’s simply a hobby, like sewing. For someone whose working day revolves around entirely different things, it can offer a welcome change of pace. There’s something calming about focusing on fabric, a seam, and the next small step. That kind of hands-on work can bring a sense of balance. And there’s a particular satisfaction in watching a garment take shape, then holding it in your hands and being able to wear it.
BRIGITTE is the first pattern. Next, I’m planning a skirt that pairs well with the blouse. I’m also thinking about additional sleeve options—for summer or simply for a different look.
Here in the Journal, I’d like to share new designs, small steps forward, and the things that occupy my thoughts along the way. That includes observations and thoughts from everyday life, too.
I want to make the whole sewing process easier to follow. That starts before the first seam: with taking measurements, understanding the size charts, and choosing a starting size. The BRIGITTE Size Finder grew out of a moment during pattern testing when that first step wasn’t as clear as I wanted it to be.
When my mother test-sewed BRIGITTE, my first sewing pattern, I accompanied her through the process. I wanted her to work through each step herself, so I could see where the instructions helped and where questions remained. One of those questions came up at the body measurement chart.
Her bust, waist, and hip measurements didn’t all fall into the same size. Reading the chart could lead her toward EU 50, although the clothes she usually buys are EU 42 or 44, depending on the brand and cut. That understandably left her wondering: Why did the chart point to a different size from the one she usually wears? And which size should she choose for this blouse? I wanted her to be able to make that decision without me beside her.
That experience reminded me how little a size label alone says about fit. The same size can be based on different body measurements at different clothing brands and sewing pattern companies. International labels add another layer of uncertainty: there is no fixed rule for matching EU, US, and UK sizes that applies equally to every company.
The US and UK labels in my charts serve as approximate international equivalents of my EU sizes. The body measurement chart and the finished garment measurements for each style remain the basis for size selection. This was another reason I wanted a Size Finder for my patterns: practical guidance based on actual body measurements, taking into account the intended ease and the fit shown on the model.
A body measurement chart describes the measurements used as the foundation for drafting a pattern. Those measurements provide a consistent construction reference; they don’t describe every person who will wear the garment.
The finished garment measurements show how large the completed blouse is. BRIGITTE is designed with a loose silhouette, so its measurements include room beyond the body measurements: wearing ease for comfort and movement, and design ease for its shape. Seam allowances serve a different purpose: they provide the fabric needed to sew the pieces together.
That is why I provide both charts. Comparing body measurements with the finished blouse measurements helps explain how much room each size provides. A usual store-bought size is a useful starting point and can also be the right choice for the pattern. Understanding the fit means reading the body measurements together with the finished garment measurements and the wearing and design ease. That is the connection I want to make clear: how the measurements translate into the silhouette shown, and how much room there is in the finished garment.
Even my own measurements don’t match every value in one chart column. I often wear EU 36, sometimes EU 34. I still look at the individual design and the finished measurements before deciding.
As a master bespoke tailor, I can picture how a measurement affects the pattern and the finished garment. My role is to make that knowledge accessible and explain the connection between the size charts and the ease built into the design. For my website, I wanted a Size Finder tailored to my own patterns: a way to help make sense of those measurements and choose a suitable starting size before cutting the fabric.
When I began working on my sewing pattern label at the beginning of this year, I knew from the outset that I wanted a Size Finder on my website. The experience of test-sewing with my mother reinforced that intention. I wanted to offer practical guidance that begins with size selection and would be available as soon as my website launched.
Through my earlier work in fashion, I was already very familiar with these measurements. That experience gave me a starting point for a tool tailored to BRIGITTE. I developed the Size Finder around the blouse’s finished measurements and the fit I intended, using rules that I defined for this pattern.
Each of my sewing patterns will have its own Size Finder. A skirt, a pair of pants, and a blouse have different fit requirements. A close-fitting design also needs different wearing and design ease from a loose silhouette. One set of fit rules would not reflect those differences. That is why I define the rules individually for each pattern, based on its cut, its finished measurements, and the ease I have chosen for the design.
The rules compare the entered body measurements with the finished garment measurements and the intended ease. The look shown on our model serves as the reference. I want to make it easier to choose a size that works with those measurements and comes as close as possible to the silhouette shown. I consider the fit carefully for each design. The Size Finder provides a starting point that can be checked against the finished measurements and the preferred amount of room.
The Size Finder takes bust, waist, and hip circumferences into account together and displays them beside the finished measurements of the suggested size. This makes the amount of room in the garment easier to understand. Upper arm circumference can also be added. Sleeve room is checked separately; it does not automatically change the suggested blouse size. The Size Finder shows a note when an area needs a closer check.
For my mother, the Size Finder’s suggestion aligned with the sizes she wears in store-bought clothes. For BRIGITTE, that meant EU 42 or 44, depending on the amount of room she preferred. That was a useful starting point for her. It showed how her familiar clothing size, her body measurements, and the blouse’s design ease could work together once those measurements were put into context. The aim is a blouse that feels comfortable and whose appearance and amount of room suit personal preferences.
The BRIGITTE Size Finder works within the pattern’s EU 32–50 range, labeled US 0–18 / UK 4–22 in my chart. It helps with size selection; it doesn’t create a custom pattern or guarantee a particular fit. Circumferences alone cannot describe every aspect of fit, and fabric, body proportions, and the preferred amount of room still matter.
Before cutting, the suggestion should be compared with the finished garment measurements. Blouse and sleeve lengths and the sleeve circumference where the flared section joins also need to be considered. A well-loved blouse in a similar style and fabric can provide a useful reference for the preferred amount of room. If the fit is uncertain or adjustments are needed, a test garment is a useful next step.
The Size Finder may display a note about checking an entry or the units, or it may be unable to suggest a size within its supported range. That describes the limits of the Size Finder. When the body measurements are correct, the finished measurement chart provides a basis for comparing sizes directly and considering any adjustments needed.
BRIGITTE is the starting point. Testing it with my mother reminded me how much can be learned by listening and following a process from someone else’s perspective. I want that attention to carry through the whole pattern, making the steps from size selection to sewing clearer and easier to follow.
Try the BRIGITTE Size Finder → View the measurement charts →
When I founded BARBARA et Co., I wanted to understand what a digital sewing pattern should offer today. Which file formats do people use? What do they need when printing at home, using a copyshop, or cutting with a projector? Looking at the current standard gave me a starting point. Then came the work on the details: What could I explain more clearly, prepare more thoughtfully, or make easier to use?
That included the Projector file—and a way of working that was new to me. As a German Master Tailor and Patternmaker, I had never cut fabric using a projected pattern.
The word projector initially made me think of movie night rather than my cutting table. A darkened room, glowing lines on fabric, and no paper pattern to handle, pin down, or cover with handwritten notes. In my imagination, it felt quite far from the way I had worked for years.
I enjoy working directly on a pattern. I mark changes, trim a section, add a note, and keep the paper pieces. Laying them out is part of the pleasure, too: moving pieces around on the fabric, turning them, trying another arrangement, and finding an economical layout. I like that little puzzle.
My skepticism was mostly about my own habits. I could only find out whether the other method suited me by actually trying it.
If I offer a Projector file with my sewing pattern, I want to understand how people use it. I didn’t want to check that format off a list without getting to know the process myself. There’s more than one way to reach a good result, and I think it helps to understand ways of working beyond your own familiar routine.
So I bought a projector and started setting it up. I felt a little hesitant. For example, how do I focus the projector?
First, I set up the projector myself and calibrated the projection using the conventional method. After that, I also tried Pattern Projector, a free web app developed by Courtney Pattison that makes working with projector sewing patterns easier. The app is one possible aid, not a requirement for my files.
Thank you, Courtney, for this helpful app and for sharing it with the sewing community. Anyone who would like to support her work can do so through Buy Me a Coffee.
After setting everything up and checking it, I could project the pattern onto the fabric. Yes, it works. The photograph shows BRIGITTE’s flared sleeve projected onto my fabric.
The advantages are easy to understand. Cutting directly from a projected pattern removes the need for a printed paper pattern for that cutting session. You can skip printing, taping individual pages together, or having the pattern plotted at a copyshop. The pattern file stays digital, and there are no large paper sheets to store.
Once the setup is in place and suits your workspace, this method can save some preparation steps. I can see why people enjoy using it.
It still takes preparation. The projection, scale, and alignment need to be correct and checked before cutting. The fabric also needs to stay securely in place: a projected line won’t hold it down. How bright the workspace can be depends on the projector, the surrounding light, and the contrast on the fabric, among other factors. My experience with my setup is therefore not a rule for every device.
For my trial, I needed to adjust the lighting. I prefer a bright room and my familiar working routine. Darkening the workspace was one of my initial concerns, and it remained a consideration after trying it.
I also enjoy the paper pattern itself as a working material. I can see my changes directly, write notes on it, and later take that same pattern out of my archive. Changes and notes can be made digitally, too; working directly with paper is particularly familiar to me. I also love pinning the paper pattern to the fabric. For me, that is part of the pleasure of cutting.
I bought a rotary cutter for the trial as well. I mostly associate that tool with patchwork and quilting. I still prefer scissors. I’m used to working with them, and they suit the way I cut. That is not a technical limitation of projection. Tool choice also depends on the setup, the material, and the way you like to work.
It was an interesting experience, and I’m glad I tried it. For now, I’m happy to keep using my much-loved paper patterns. I’m also open to hearing about other experiences and trying a setup that might suit my way of working better.
For my label, I want to keep the choice open. If you enjoy using a projector, you can use the dedicated Projector file. If you prefer paper, the print formats are there for you. My preferred tool doesn’t have to be yours.
What matters to me is preparing the files carefully and helping you understand how to use them. You decide which method brings you more enjoyment and fits into your sewing routine. Many roads lead to Rome. For now, mine still involves paper and scissors.
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