Sewing Patterns
Reading a Sewing Pattern
- Purchasing/Making a pattern (sewing perspective) – Helen’s Closet ‘lend’ a pattern ‘envelope’
- Premade pattern/Self made pattern
- Notches – purpose, function, types, marking fabric, best practices
- Grainlines
- Lengthen/Shorten Alterations lines
- Reading a pattern envelope/instructions – determine views, size
- Garment Ease – why, how much, placement, negative ease
- Seam allowance – purpose and function, size, best practices
Pattern Markings
Tip: When placing markings on a pattern – think about the order of construction of the garment, and what markings will be most relevant to the sewer when the garment is being sewn together.
Darts may not point to the apexes of the body if:
- The dart value has been moved as part of a design feature
- The darts are purely decorative and don’t affect the fit of the garment
- The majority of the fir value is absorbed into a seam line and the dart is purely decorative
The size of your seam allowance can be decided by considering:
- What type of fabric is being used
- What type of machine is being used
- What shape is the seam
- Will the seam need to be adjusted later to alter the fit of the garment
- How will the raw edge of the seam allowance be finished?
Notches are a form of communication between the pattern maker, cutter, and sewer. They are small indents that are marked on the outside edge of the pattern that are used to indicate:
- The value of the seam allowance
- The way that two seams should match each other
- The locations of any darts or other design features
When Notching:
- Only notch from one direction of a pattern corner to avoid the pattern corner becoming damaged
- Notch the stitching line that will be sewn first
- Don’t notch too far into the pattern, notches should only be about 3-5mm deep (so that they don’t show once the seam has been sewn)
A small hole through the pattern to indicate the location of a dart point, or other design feature (buttons and buttonholes, pleat positions, pocket positions) that is in the middle of a pattern and cannot be marked with a notch. The drill hole is done inside an area that cannot be seen once the garment is fully sewn.
Basic Rules:
- For darts, measure back from the dart point on the centre line of the dart
- For other details, square in from either corner of the detail to find your drill hole position
The decision of what grain line to use on a pattern should always be based on the individual fabric that you are working with.
Directional Grainlines – used when fabric had a one way printed design, texture, nap, or sheen