In previous blogs I have written about how to set yourself up for sewing – how to thread your needle, how to wind your bobbin, how to pre-treat your fabric for dressmaking. So the next thing on my list is how to cut out your fabric for dressmaking. This is both an exciting and possibly scary prospect, so here are my 12 top tips and suggestions on how to make this part of the dressmaking process as easy and successful as possible.
1. Make sure you have pre-treated your fabric if its necessary – have a read through this blog post to check whether you need to complete this step and if so, how to do it.
2. True your fabric – this means making sure it is ‘on grain’ – i.e. the crosswise and lengthwise threads are all where they should be and not warped out of shape. The best way to do this is to make a snip into the fabric edge and then rip it across the width – selvedge to selvedge. This should give you a nice straight line which should be at right angles to your selvedge on both sides. Beware though, as depending on how the fabric has been cut at the fabric shop, this could take an inch or two off the fabric length. If your fabric doesn’t tear or you don’t want to loose too much of the length, the other option is to pick a single crosswise thread out with a pin and pull it all the way out. This should leave a empty space which you can cut down.
3. Lay out your fabric right sides facing on a nice flat surface so that the fabric is folded along its length – selvedges together. Ideally this would be on a table but it could be your floor if you don’t have a table big enough. The selvedges of the fabric should be directly on top of each other and both sides of the fabric should be completely flat with no wrinkles or puckers. Keep smoothing it flat with your hand until you achieve this. If your fabric is very lightweight and slippery, it may be best to lay it out completely flat without folding it. If this is the case, make sure you cut out all pieces as the pattern instructions state – see point five below.
4. Take note of the cutting layout in your pattern instructions. This will show you the best way to lay out your pattern pieces to make sure you make the best use of the fabric with as little waste as possible. Do note though, that the cutting layout diagrams are just a suggestion and you don’t have to stick to them religiously. If it makes sense to you to lay it out slightly differently, go for it!
5. Make sure you pay good attention to the notes on each pattern piece which tell you how many of each piece needs to be cut out and where. Some will need to be placed on the fold of the fabric, some will need just one piece, some you might need to cut out two or three times.
6. Look out for the grainline on each pattern piece. The grainline of the pattern needs to be parallel to the selvedge of the fabric. Lay the pattern piece down on the fabric and put a pin in one end of the grainline through into the fabric (**Beware of doing this with very delicate fabrics and perhaps just weigh the pattern down with a pattern weight instead). Measure at that point the distance from the grainline to the selvedge. Then shift the other end of the pattern so that the opposite end of the grainline is the same distance away from the selvedge. Your pattern will now be ‘on-grain’
7. Consider the best way for you to mark your fabric for cutting out. If you are using a tissue paper pattern, its usually easy to pin it to your fabric and then cut around the outside. If you are using a more heavy weight paper pattern, you might want to weigh the pattern down with weights to prevent it from moving and then draw around the outside of the pattern using chalk or disappearing pen. Once you have done this, I would usually take the pattern off the fabric and pin around the outside of the chalk line to hold the two layers of fabric in place whilst you cut them out.
8. If you are using a table to cut out and your fabric is much longer than the table, make sure that the end that goes beyond the edge of the table is supported (by a chair or something else) and not dangling off the edge. This could cause the fabric to stretch out which we definitely don’t want!
9. Ensure you are using the best cutting tool for your type of fabric. Sometimes this comes down to personal preference but if you are cutting out delicate, lightweight fabric like silk or rayon, a rotary cutter will help you to be more accurate than a pair of scissors. If using a rotary cutter take care of your table underneath and use a cutting mat to preserve its surface. If you are using scissors, make sure they are your dressmaking fabric scissors and not the pair that you use to cut paper! (See my blog post here on eight types of scissors for dressmaking)
10. Bear in mind the fabric you are using and its properties and / or design. If you are using fabric with a nap (e.g. velvet where if you draw your hand over it it feels smooth one way and not the other) then make sure that your pattern pieces are all placed in the same direction so that the nap of the fabric looks consistent throughout. If you are using a fun cotton print design which is directional, ensure that your pattern pieces are all placed in the correct direction so they look the right way round when the garment is worn. E.g. if you have a cotton poplin with dogs all over it, make sure they are all standing up, rather than being upside down! Also consider if you would like to pattern match your fabric – this is where the pattern or stripes on your fabric match up across your seams. This technique warrants a full blog post to itself so I won’t go into it further here!
11. Make sure your pattern pieces are smooth and flat and not wrinkled or creased. I usually iron my pattern pieces on a cool setting to flatten them out before pinning them on the fabric. A small wrinkle on the pattern could translate into a bigger anomaly on your fabric.
12. Consider stabilizing your fabric if its very lightweight or slippery. If you are using something like chiffon then you may need to stabilise it before snipping into it to get the best most accurate cut. You can do this by using a spray stabiliser to make it temporarily stiffer. (**Always read and implement the manufacturers instructions). Or you could lay a piece of tissue paper under your fabric and cut the fabric and tissue at the same time. However this option can blunt your scissors, so ensure you sharpen them afterwards.
So there are my top 12 tips for cutting out your fabric for dressmaking. They do also apply to most other sewing projects where you are using a pattern. The next step in the process would be to mark each pattern piece with any notches, buttonhole placements etc and I will cover this is another blog post.
Hope you found that useful!
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