If you’re looking for printable French curves or hip curves with measurement marks, here you go. I made both imperial (inches) and metric (centimeters) curves. The inch/centimeter marks are not numbered, so you can decide where you want to start numbering and add the numbers yourself. The pdfs have multiple pages – there are mirror image curves in case you need a curve facing the other way, and the French curves come in three sizes.
On my inkjet printer the scale only comes out right if I print on the highest quality print setting, so watch out for that. There are lots of fine lines in these drawings, too, so that’s another reason not to print with draft quality.
Either print the curves on heavy paper or print on regular paper and glue onto paperboard (such as a cereal box or notebook cover), then cut them out. The hip curves are too long to fit on a single sheet of paper, so cut along the borders and tape the two pieces together, then cut out the curve.
Click on the images below to download the pdfs.
Imperial French Curve
Imperial Hip Curve
Metric French Curves
Metric Hip Curve
Here are the French curves I made previously:
French Curves
And here are combination curves so you get several sizes in one:
Do you need more printable pattern drafting tools? Check out this printable L-square, too!
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Thanks a lot for these! you will be my sewing hero forever now and you will get a place of honour in my sewing room, guaranteed!
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[…] They have to be pivoted, but not as many times as a straight ruler. I had better results with my free printable curves than my Dritz Styling Design Ruler. The Dritz ruler gave me such poor results (up to 1/8” off […]
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Thanks a million! I needed a hip curve to alter a pattern but didn’t have one. I came looking for one to order and now I have one today. Things couldn’t be better.
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Thank you you so very MUCH!!!! wow who would think one would be printable!!!
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awesome!!! thank you very very very much
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Thank you very much. I don’t find anywhere french curves. I write about you on my blog.
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Thank you so much, you have no idea how much!!!!!!!!!!
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this is so helpful, thank you!! how do you know which size to use?
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The largest size is probably most useful for making clothing for the average adult. You have to already know the approximate shape you are going for – the French curve just helps you draw a smooth curve.
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[…] I also graded the side seams from a 16 at the bust to a 14 at the waist and a bit past a 16 at the new lower hem line. I used a hip curve I found online. […]
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thank you. i just want to start sewing, hope this is really help me 🙂
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[…] in the picture are a few things I use to help when tracing patterns, including a french curve I got FREE here. Those three pencils taped together with the emery board are what I use to add my 1.5 cm seam […]
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Thank you so very much for making these curves available. I am going to attempt to laminate them two sided!
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I laminated one with self-stick laminating sheets, and I use it all the time. It hasn’t worn out yet!
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thank u very much 🙂
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[…] (French curve). Tīmekļa plašumos ir pieejami izdrukājami lekālu šabloni, kā šeit – GrowYourOwnClothes blogā. Tādu var izdrukāt, izgriezt un uzlīmēt uz kartona pamatnes – budžetam […]
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I couldn’t believe that someone like you existed. Thank you so much. I am just starting to make my own clothes and trying t find these rulers but I have issues with buying on line. I was dreaming about making my own but alas where do i start,now all I need to do is to try to get my printer to work ( another disaster bought on line)
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Thankyou so much!!! Suddenly had an idea to see if there was such thing and there yours was!
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Very smart idea to have them printable. they are rather useful in the craft. Thank uoi
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I haven’t done much in my own clothes yet, and want to do some soon. What are these used for and how? (I will be doing some more research)
Thanks
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The curves are used to help you draw smooth lines when you alter patterns or make your own patterns. The curves with measurement marks can also be used to help you measure around a curve (I have another post about several ways to measure along curves).
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[…] (French curve). Tīmekļa plašumos ir pieejami izdrukājami lekālu šabloni, kā šeit – GrowYourOwnClothes blogā. Tādu var izdrukāt, izgriezt un uzlīmēt uz kartona pamatnes – budžetam […]
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[…] tailors curve (you can print one here– I use the largest size in my video as well as the hip […]
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Thanks SO much!
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Just what I was looking for! Awesome!
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[…] French curves (or download and print here) […]
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[…] https://growyourownclothes.com/2014/10/19/more-free-printable-french-curves-and-hip-curves/ […]
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Kudos… Thank you so much. Have made several attempt in buying one online through amazon but their shipping rate is high to my country.
Being a student without helpers, I have been saving to my last penny to order for one.
But with you, my dreams comes through. Deep from my heart I say big THANKS.
Please what is the paper size and the scale to print with?. I just download it now.
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The pdf’s are set up for US letter size paper, but they should also print on A4 without problems. To get the right scale, print from Adobe Acrobat Reader or another pdf reader (do not print from a web browser). When you print, set the scaling to 100% (or it may be called “no scaling” or “actual size” depending on which software you are using).
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By the way, this no longer is the case, 100 percent in Acrobat does not produce the correct measure of the bounding box nor a true scale. When printing at 155 percent to achieve this, doesn’t fit a 8.5×11 inch page. If you have a solution, fantastic, otherwise looks like will take a plethora of time using InDesign to get them set right. TIA
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I just did a test print in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, and they printed exactly to scale. Maybe in your printer settings you have the scale set to something else, and it is overriding the setting in Acrobat?
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OK… Thanks.
Your name will be on my wall and my design.
Thanks so much.
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Merci infiniment pour ces travaux.
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[…] of my readers was inspired by my free printable French curves to create a printable pattern drafting tool of her own, which she would like to share with […]
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[…] was using my printable French curves while working on a sewing pattern, and I found it useful to use two different sizes of curves. I […]
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Thanks so much. Ordered one in the mail but too slow in coming. This is a big help!
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Thanks a lot. I just thought of searching for a printable french curve as i could not afford one now. ateast i can use this till i buy one.
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Thank you very much! (-;
As we are currently in lockdown here in France this printable comes in very handy!
This allows me to destress a bit whilst sewing!
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[…] un vistazo a esta ubicación para ver curvas francesas descargables y curvas de cadera que puedes imprimir y usar en tu dibujo […]
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[…] Also wanted to mention that if you’re poor like me (cries), you can download free French curve printables off the interweb. I got mine from here: https://growyourownclothes.com/2014/10/19/more-free-printable-french-curves-and-hip-curves/ […]
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I am so very much grateful for this…I am a novice at sewing and in find this so useful….thank you much…
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Thank youuu so much big help!!!Godbless
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[…] French curves (or download and print here) […]
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Thank you so much!
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Thank you so much!
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Tip: if you only need these for the shape, you can trace them on plastic for a fancy transparent template 🙂
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Good tip! I actually did that, too. I saved a flat piece of clear plastic from one of those annoying blister packages, and I traced a curve onto it.
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I am looking to get acrylic rulers cut from your templates, if you had them in a different file format that could Safe me some time tracing vector graphics off them.
Happy to share them/put my final result on GitHub
(The regular quilting rulers and geometric shapes in metric and imperial weren’t as challenging)
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Here are some .svg files. Have fun with them.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AL3dGp9UdCh5Dr1WhE0O9Wcl53r-uoPK/view?usp=share_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mx6x7tFpvNGaOQIbXfgQ7qRQlSl4lB0y/view?usp=share_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HFwYMmdeGq7gss_pkG1wrLo28ZvKDh-a/view?usp=share_link
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Thank you for your fast reply
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Laser cut these on plexiglass, use them all the time
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Thank you very much saved me a lot.
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[…] take this handy printable French Curve ruler and lay it on the seamline of the underarm curve so that it matches […]
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[…] curve. You can use a curved ruler to do this or if you don’t have a curved ruler, you can print one. Don’t just draw a straight line connecting the two points, as it will not look quite right […]
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