LivingSoft Northwest Subscriber Newsletter | Volume 11
by Kaaren Hoback
Many
people wonder what pattern preparation is and why they should bother.
Pattern preparation is taking the pattern you have printed from your
computer and preparing it for your fabric. There are little things you
can do, that are quick and simple, to both make the construction process
easier and assure that your garment will fit properly.
Once you have proven your measurement chart, the program will add ease,
fit and flare for the design or silhouette you have chosen. This is your
last chance to change your mind about the decisions you have made as to
neck depth, length, flare and ease before spending your fabric.
The very powerful tools you have at your disposal within the program
allow you to try things you have never seen in commercial patterns. You
have many more options with any Dress Shop design than you ever
could have with a commercial pattern. Some of the brightest ideas simply
won’t work well for you. They are fine in concept but fail the reality
test.
Plan, plan, plan! Check and double check! You are designing, and you are the
one making the decisions. Plan your decisions and keep track of them by
using the pattern summary option found under file. Write text notes
in the free form text field.
Print all patterns with the reference line and amounts on, as this gives you
landmarks to map your journey.
Tools and notions required:
Paper scissors
Colored pencils (You may find that all new cut lines can be done in red, and
all measurement lines in green pencil, so that you have consistency with all
your patterns.)
A French curve
A seam gauge marked in 1/8-inch increments, with a slider
An 18” clear ruler (I use one with very large numbers for ease in “seeing”.)
Binder clips (also known as bull dog clips)
Additional copy paper, pattern paper, or cheap interfacing to trace off
pattern bits
Regular tape
Single hole punch, available from discount and office supply stores.
Another handy tool is blue low-stick painter’s tape. I often use it to
attach pattern pieces to each other to build a pattern in the round that I
can try on.
Take
great care in taping your patterns together. My personal favorite method is
to tape on a large grid mat and use an 18-inch ruler. You may choose your
own method. Just make sure all pages are square, and that the A column pages
from A-1 to A-last are set so that all the registration marks on the right
hand side of the page are spaced exactly 3 inches apart at center. Also
verify that all B, C and maybe D columns’ left-hand pages accurately overlap
the corresponding right hand page of the previous column.
Once all the pages are taped, you need to finish your preparation before
cutting away excess paper. I complete the following steps for every pattern.
First, true all seam allowances. The stitch lines on the pattern are
correct. The cut lines are generally correct on straight areas, but
sometimes vary at armholes and necklines.
Take your
seam gauge and set the slider to your seam allowance width. (The program
uses 5/8th or 0.625 inches as default.) Run the slider along the stitch line
and make dashed marks with your colored pencil for the adjusted cut line.
Now adjust the darts. If the dart starts on a side seam at a
raw edge (such as at the waist or shoulder), fold the dart as it will be
sewn and pressed.
Use a
bulldog or binder clip to hold the dart closed so that you have both hands
free to cut at the corrected cut line.
For side seams, the side/elegant and French darts are all pressed so that
the fold of fabric on the wrong side is down. Cut away excess paper,
starting at the underarm and going toward the hem. Stop several inches above
the hem.
For pant waist darts, many books say to fold the dart(s) toward the center.
Frankly, I do mine toward the out seam, as I find it gives better shaping
for my body shape. If you plan to press the dart toward the center, start
cutting at the out seam, towards the center to form the proper dart cap. If
you are pressing toward the out seam, start at the center and cut toward the
out seam.
Only folding it out will accurately true a dart! One method of folding to
true a dart is to make sure that the dart legs overlap each other perfectly,
even if that means that the dart center or a dart leg needs to be trued!
Alternatively, you can use the midline of the dart as your presumptive start
point and adjust the dart legs.
Next, work with the hems (including sleeve hems). Turn the hem
under at the stitch line, toward the wrong side. Cut the excess paper up
from the bottom fold line. This will create little triangular pokeys that
may go in or out, depending on the stitch line above it.
Using these triangular pieces will mean that you no longer need to either
ease in excess fabric when hemming, or try and stretch the hem to fit.
True the shoulders and necklines. Start by placing the back
piece so that the neck faces you and the hem is pointing up.
Overlap
the front piece shoulder stitch line so that the piece faces hem down. Fold
under the seam allowances of the shoulder seams and butt the pieces
together. Smooth the back neck curve using a pencil by “eye” or using a
French curve as shown. (This combo curve and square is my favorite, but you
can also get a set of French curves from an art supply shop, if this type is
difficult to find.)
Match the seam lines so they are perfect. Remember that if you are using a
shoulder dart, the dart should be clipped as it will be stitched and pressed
(toward the shoulder). Leaving the shoulder seam allowance folded under, you
can now take the front and back separately and cut away excess paper from
the cut line. This will again give you a perfect match when stitched,
avoiding excess fabric triangles at the ends of your seams.
Now match your side seam lines. Remember that any fitted garment, or one
that is derived from a fitted garment, such as Casual and Comfort fit
levels, will have some shaping at the waist. With any side darts folded out,
start at the underarm and overlay side seam stitch lines together. Make sure
you have a perfect match up, especially when you have used the shaper tool
for asymmetric hems. The princess and panel items should also have the side
to center panels matched up and smoothed as necessary.
Now prepare the sleeves. Walk the sleeve stitch line (pattern
print side down to the bodice print side up).
Start at
the underarm and walk toward the shoulder point and cap apex. When you get
to the armhole markings on the pattern, hole punch through both bodice and
sleeve so that you have exactly identical marking points. Continue on up to
the shoulder point. You should run out of armhole before you run out of
sleeve. Make a pencil mark at that point on the sleeve. Repeat for the back.
You now have a sleeve with the exact amount of cap ease easy to see! The
numbers on sleeve data, which show both armhole length and sleeve length
front and back, detail the cap ease, but this way is visual!
Next prepare the facings. This may be an issue, especially if
you have adjusted the neckline or used the shaper or closure tools. Lay the
facing on the piece it is to face. Clone the neckline (and armhole, if you
are using) of the fashion fabric to the facing. You can adjust facing
widths, by using the options tool.
To make an interfacing for the facing, you can reprint it using a different
seam allowance or none. Enter 0 to eliminate seam allowances. Make sure to
clearly mark the piece as interfacing. You may also draw your interfacing
lines on the base fashion fabric pattern and then trace it off onto pattern
paper, inexpensive sew-in interfacing, or something from carriff.com they
call sewing fabric. Clone the interfacing to the facing.
When you are doing a lining back piece for a jacket, there is a default
“action pleat” set for three inches, which you can adjust. Make sure to fold
this out, as it will be stitched before doing any back neck facing piece.
True the lining to the facing, which you may wish to gentle the curve on.
Remember that any changes you make are at the stitch line. After you make
any such changes, true the cut line for the seam allowance. You have now
completed the pattern preparation for any blouse, dress, pants, or skirt.
If you find a serious mismatch on your pattern pieces during the preparation
process:
- Double check that your pages are taped correctly at precisely 3 “apart on
the registration circles.
- Verify that your pages are aligned square at top and sides.
- Double check that your seam allowances on curves have all been trued to
your desired seam allowance width.
- Check you haven’t forgotten to fold out a dart, such as the shoulder dart.
- Verify that your changes to neck depth or width are accurately reflected
in the facings.
- Check that the collar extension to the back neck edge of a shawl or wing
collar is 1/8-inch longer for turn of cloth ease. Adjust as necessary for
your fabric weight.
If you prepare the pattern and take some key measurements against your known
chart, you will be able to accurately establish the exact total garment
ease, including collateral ease as well as design and wear ease at all
points on the pattern.
You will also have a fully prepared pattern that you can work from if you do
use hand drafting techniques to convert the straight of grain pattern to a
bias pattern or to adjust the shaping of a piece beyond what shapes are
currently available.
Using the reference lines at key landmarks on your pattern, you can easily
map button placement, embroidery and other wearable art locations and sizes.
When you have completed your garment, you can staple the pattern summary, a
scrap of the fabric and any notes you have created on your design sheet, for
an archival history of the garment to either repeat or modify for future
use.