SEWING BASICS - HOW TO READ AND FOLLOW A PATTERN PART II - MARKINGS & SYMBOLS

Theirs a secret language of sewing, and for those of you who aren't fluent I'd like to explain the four most basic symbols / markings of sewing patterns so that you can follow along.

CUTTING LINES

When you first cut out your pattern, you will need to cut around the 'cutting lines'. These are different depending upon what size of pattern you will be needing (reference Sewing Basics - Measuring Yourself). As shown in the picture (left), each cutting line is labelled and will have a different dash pattern to help you follow the correct line when cutting. *Note, if you wish to re-use this pattern for someone else who is a different size than you, you may wish to fold the pattern along the cutting lines*

PLACE ON FOLD

This marking (left) means that this pattern piece needs to be placed on the fold! Your fabric needs to be folded so that once the piece is cut, it can be unfolded to reveal a symmetrical shape in the fabric. Almost all pattern pieces either need to be cut on the fold, or include the notation 'cut two', in which case it's easiest to cut all of your pattern pieces on folded fabric (so that you don't have to pin and re-pin the pattern pieces multiple times).

NOTCHES

In this photo (left) is a good example of how to cut a notch. Notches are EXTREMELY important, and are used to match pieces together once they are cut out and the pattern is removed. Notches are symbolized by a triangle, or double notches by two triangles. Essentially, you cut along the cutting lines until you reach a notch, in which case you cut out a small triangle (or two for a double notch), so that once the pattern piece is removed the notches can still be seen.

GRAINLINES

Grainlines are the long arrow lines seen on the pattern pieces (left) which indicate the direction and positioning of the pattern piece on your fabric. The arrows should be perpendicular to the raw edges (where the fabric was cut), and run parallel to the fold of the fabric. Sometimes this line is not straight up and down a pattern piece and instead is on an angle, indicating that this piece likely needs a bit more stretch and should therefore be cut across the fabric grain.

I hope this was helpful in explaining the most basic markings and symbols. For more on getting started, check out my Sewing Basics posts including 'How to read and follow a pattern', 'Measuring Yourself', and 'Buying fabric & notions'. Make sure to check Sip & Sew regularly for new blog posts, and let me know how your sewing journey unfolds!

--Susan