Sewing Patterns and Fabrics: What Should You Keep in Mind?

Dear users, dear authors,
What should you keep in mind when working with sewing patterns and fabrics?

You should always make sure the pattern matches the fabric, because you can’t use a blouse pattern for a T-shirt unless it’s specifically designed for that purpose. A blouse is made from non-stretch fabric 99.9% of the time, whereas a T-shirt is made from jersey, which, as we all know, is stretchy. The finished patterns always include what’s called the “ease allowance,” and this is why some patterns can’t be used for every fabric.
This “ease” is the amount of width that allows the garment to fit well and comfortably; depending on the type of garment, it ranges from 2 cm to 3–4 cm, not including the seam allowance, which is added separately and is typically between 0.75 cm and 1 cm.
A pattern should always be placed along the grainline, as shown here, because the pattern features long lines with an arrow indicating the direction in which the pattern must be placed—namely, along the grainline. You can determine the grainline by laying the fabric lengthwise on the table, selvedge to selvedge. When cutting, I would place the right side of the fabric facing inward so that the wrong side of the fabric is facing up. This way, you can easily mark your placement marks, etc., without ruining the *beautiful right side* of the fabric.

Best regards, Inge

Great info, Inge.

Ease of fit sounds especially good. The older you get, the more important it seems to be. I also didn’t know that for blouses and shirts, different measurements are used even within the same size—precisely because of comfort and the stretchiness of the fabric. Thanks for the info—you’ve made us smarter.

Best regards, Ina

You’ve summarized that very well, Inge!

Patterns usually include fabric recommendations. Stretchable vs. non-stretchable are very important distinctions, but they’re not the only ones!

For example, a sweatshirt fabric stretches very differently from jersey!

I would always follow the pattern designer’s recommendation. Some patterns call for “bi-elastic” fabrics. I would definitely take that advice to heart!

Best regards,
Sonja

Great tips so far!
One more thing just came to mind:

• With size charts that list circumferences, you need to measure yourself to find the appropriate starting size(s) for comparison; with ready-made measurement charts, you need a comparable garment (or circumferences plus a comfort allowance, though I personally find that more complicated)
•  Sometimes seam allowances are already included in the pattern; in that case, you shouldn’t add them again and should stick to those measurements when sewing
• Add seam allowances only to seams, not to fold lines or open edges that are to be finished with bias tape (this can easily happen in the heat of the moment)
• Pre-wash fabrics according to how the finished garment will be washed, since they often shrink or warp slightly; for fabrics that fray, it’s best to neaten the pattern pieces before sewing if you don’t have a serger—that way, you’ll have the best access to them