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7 tips for working with patterns

| Date posted: March 15th, 2011

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You’ve found the perfect pattern. You may want to rush through the cutting and get right to sewing. While it may be tempting (yes, I’ve done it myself), to get the most from your pattern and perhaps spare yourself some sweat and tears, take the time to follow these basic tips.

  • Item 1 Before you purchase the pattern, carefully check out the garment lines illustrated on the back of the envelope. You may love the style pictured on the front but be sure the cut is right for you. If it’s not, keep looking!
  • Item 2 Be sure to purchase the correct size range of pattern. Take your measurements and compare them to the measurements on the pattern envelope. Just like in retail stores, sizes can vary between brands.
  • Item 3 Read all of the instructions before you begin. Oh, the heartaches I could have saved myself in the past if I’d always done this!
  • Item 4 Use paper scissors to cut out pattern pieces—do not use your fabric cutting shears—it will dull them. I also cut out the pattern pieces I’m not using as I find it makes it easier to re-fold and store for future use.
  • Item 5 Before pinning to your fabric, iron the pattern pieces using low heat with no steam to ensure they lie flat.
  • Item 6 Mark notches and other pattern markings well. I keep brightly coloured thread for this purpose. If there are multiple markings, I use a different coloured thread for each set; it doesn’t take much longer and makes matching up pieces a cinch.
  • Item 7 Use a large clear freezer bag to keep everything together. Less hide-and-seek, more sewing!

I find that the more I sew, the more opportunities I have to learn from my mistakes. What sewing lessons have you learned the hard way? Please share—we can all benefit from them then!

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Sewing has always been a part of Christine's life, One of her earliest & fondest memories is that of her mother sewing in the family room. Christine started making doll clothes by hand at a...

Reader Comments

  • http://JLTFK.blogspot.com Joyce

    I’ve always had trouble understanding commercial patterns. Why would you use thread to mark the notches? Thanks! :)

  • Deborah Dunlevy

    Do you need any sewing teachers?? I have been sewing for 40 years and it is always the hobby I go back to when I need to get more energy.

  • http://www.mukweto.com Jacqueline

    Practice on a fabric you don’t care about first.
    Double check, triple check before you cut the fabric.
    Pay attention if instructions say trace on the right side or wrong side of fabric for mirror pieces.

  • Chantel

    Never thought to use thread to make the notches. Great idea!

  • http://none Elizabeth

    Avoid working with fabric which has right and wrong sides which are difficult to differentiate and if you do use such fabric be sure to make marks when cutting that show which side isthe wrong side.

  • http://www.thirtysevenwest.com Linda Bryan

    Found you on Twitter. You have some great tips for selecting patterns, cutting (taking care of those fabric scissors-something I’m adamant about) storage of items when done with pre-sewing part of project. Some super practical tips!

  • FrancesMC

    The standard recommendation for marking notches is to make small snips in the fabric edge. Also, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use a marker pencil at that spot in the seam allowance, provided that you will be able to see the markings and that they will not show through on the right side.

    Make sure your fabric doesn’t have a one-way design or a nap (e.g., corduroy) before cutting. If it does, you will have to lay out all your pattern pieces in the same direction. Fabric with a nap also looks different depending on the direction from which you are looking.

    Don’t use plaids or checks when you are starting out. They need to be matched at the seams which is a complication you don’t need.

  • http://www.LoveSewing.com Denise Wild

    Love all these tips! I use a marking pencil to mark my notches. (Snipping or cutting into the fabric edge will weaken the seam allowance and will cause difficulties when finishing the raw edge.) Also, make SURE you pre-treat your fabric to prevent distortion after the garment has been sewn.