Many sewers, motivated to see their pants sewn together, hurry through the layout, cutting, and marking process thinking the sewing process is the most important. Nothing can be more misleading. Accuracy and precision begins now with laying out your pattern and proceeds through the cutting and
marking. Working carefully now will result in a better-looking and better-fitting pair of pants. Careful preparation of your fabric for the sewing process is time well spent.
Layout
If your pattern does not have seam allowances included, add them in now. Add a minimum of 1 in. to side seams and inseams and 2 in. above the horizontal waistline on the front and back and % in. to the center crotch seams. If your pattern has seam allowances included, add enough to total 1 in. on side seams and inseams and 2 in. above the horizontal waistline. This will allow some extra alteration room and can always be trimmed. On the first page of your pattern guide sheet you will see various cutting diagrams. The pattern is laid on the fabric in these layouts in a particular way. Choose the layout that corresponds to the
pattern view, size, and fabric width you are using. If you are lining your pants, the lining fabric may be a different width than your pants fabric. If so, a different cutting layout will be used to correspond to your fabric width. Fold the fabric with the wrong sides out and selvages
together or as diagrammed in the cutting layout. Usually fabric will be folded along the length, parallel to the selvage. Whenever possible, place pattern pieces going in the same up/down direction. Some fabrics absorb or reflect light differently when viewed from opposite directions (top to bottom vs. bottom to top) . A color difference may be noticeable when worn if the pattern pieces are not laid out in the same direction.
Place the pants front and back on the fabric first. Next position the pattern pieces that require a folded fabric edge followed by any remaining pieces. If possible, reserve space along a single selvage to cut the waistband. For pieces that are marked with a grainline arrow, place a pin at one end of the grainline arrow. Measure between the pin and selvage or fold. Pivot the other end of the grainline arrow until it measures the same distance, then pin. Use pins or weights to secure the pattern to the fabric. Precisely measure each piece to ensure straight grain placement.
Cutting
As you begin to cut your fabric, here are some suggestions from my experience that help me cut accurately and prevent fabric distortion.
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Handle your fabric as little aspossible to prevent stretching.
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Use sharp shears with a benthandle. They allow you to keep the pattern and fabric flat on the solid cutting surface. Do not lift the shears off the cutting surface, and take long, even strokes.
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Hold the fabric down flat withyour free hand close to the edge of the pattern to prevent slippage. Use long, firm strokes on straight edges and shortened strokes around curves. A rotary cutter and mat can be used instead of shears.
Cutting doesn't have to be a chore with the right equipment and comfortable table height.
Cutting out notches away from the pattern provides more seam
allowance room for alterations.
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Cut multiple notches as one.If there isn't room to cut the notches out, designate their position by marking with tracing paper. I prefer cutting notches "out," away from the pattern until I'm sure of the fit (see the photo above). Cutting notches this way is important if you only have %-in. seam allowances. If you cut the V-shaped notch in toward your pattern, you reduce the size of the seam allowance. You compromise the usable amount of seam allowance for alteration purposes if your pattern fit was not previously proofed, as well as the amount left for
finishing your seams. If the notch is cut out, away from the pattern, the next time you use it you can mark the notches with a small snip in the edge of the fabric.
Marking
Pattern symbols are your road map through construction, so marking correctly is essential. Marking is done after the fabric is cut out but before the pattern pieces are removed.
Construction symbols to be marked include dots, stitching lines (such as topstitching line for fly zipper), foldlines, center front line for fly zipper, darts, tucks, pleats, buttonhole(s}, and pocket placement lines.
The methods and tools you use to mark depend on your fabric, the pattern symbol, and which side of the fabric that needs to be marked. You can choose from a variety of methods to mark your fabric. The most common are tracing, pin marking, tailor tacks, or baste marking with contrast ing thread. Some pattern mark ing may require two different marking methods and tools to transfer construction marks to your fabric. Most marking is done on the wrong side. Pleats, topstitching, and pocket place ment lines can be the exception. Some of the tools you may need include the following:
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Tracing paper and tracingwheel (choose the lightest color paper that is visible on your fabric)
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Dressmaker's pencil or tailor'schalk
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Fabric marking pen that is airTo mark fabric with a tracing wheel, place tracing paper against the wrong side of the fabric and run the wheel along the pattern markings.