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Q&A for How to Read a Sewing Pattern
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QuestionWhy doesn't your ready-to-wear size usually match your pattern size?Kpoene Kofi-Bruce is a tailor, couture wedding gown designer, and the Creative Director of Mignonette Bridal and Ette the Wedding Tailor in Chicago, Illinois. With nearly two decades of experience as a wedding gown designer, small business owner, and vintage sewing enthusiast, Kpoene specializes in wedding gown design and the social history of wedding dresses. She received a BA in Creative Writing from Middlebury College and studied the business of fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program and the Chicago Fashion Incubator and has written about wedding fashion for Jezebel, Catalyst, the Sun Times, and XO Jane.Ready-to-wear sizes and pattern sizes don’t use the same measuring system. Pattern sizing is very different from standard clothing sizing, for instance, if you normally buy a size 8 dress you might end up needing a size 14 pattern. If you using a commercial pattern, look at the pattern measurements and not the pattern size.
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QuestionHow do I mark the dots?Community AnswerYou can mark them with tailor's chalk, a small piece of painters tape, or by placing a pin crossways. Any of these methods will serve as a reminder to you that the stitch line ends there.
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QuestionStep 3, regarding notches: although the notches on my pattern point inward, I think I'm actually supposed to cut an outward-facing notch, correct? Or does it matter?Community AnswerIt really doesn't matter. The reason they point inward is because some individuals like to just make a slit in the seam allowance instead of going outside the seam allowance to cut the point.
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QuestionWhat does it mean when they say the "outside" or the "inside" of the dress?Community AnswerIf I am understanding your question correctly, the inside of the dress would be the part that the pattern is not printed on, or the part that would touch your skin when you are wearing it. The outside would be the patterned side, or the part that is facing outward. The outside and inside in this case are also known as the "right" and "wrong" sides, respectively.
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QuestionHow do I know which pieces to sew together?Community AnswerEvery pattern is different. The instructions will specify which pieces to sew together.
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QuestionHow do I sew a pattern?Community Answer
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QuestionOn a cutting layout, what does "piece 3 4 is cut of elastic" mean?Community AnswerThis is the amount of elastic is needed for the project/garment. Lay this pattern piece on the required width of elastic and cut to match the length of this pattern piece.
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