The first time you buy a pattern and get it home, it can look pretty intimidating. Once you learn your way around, though, it becomes a way for you to release your creativity! This project will take you through the steps involved in using a pattern, with a small, but useful project.
Here is the pattern I chose. The item we will make, a travel sewing kit, is circled in yellow.
The first step is to look at the yardage and notions needed. Sometimes this information is printed on the back of the pattern envelope, but for this pattern, it is printed on the instruction sheet inside the envelope.
Here are the fabrics I have chosen. I will be using a tapestry fabric for the outside of the kit and one of the pockets. The other pocket is an ivory jacquard fabric, and the inside of the kit will be a solid green. I also need a small amount of batting.
Once you have made sure you have all the fabric and notions required, it's time to look at the pattern layout illustration. This will show you the way the pattern designers feel is the best way to place your pattern pieces on the fabric. Usually, the pattern pieces are shown in white, and the fabric is shown in black. Look carefully; there will be notes telling you whether the fabric is placed in one layer or two, and if the fold is parallel with the selvage (the woven edge of the fabric), or folded crosswise.
Next, select the pattern pieces from the envelope. The envelope contains several sheets of lightweight tissue paper. Each sheet has several pattern pieces printed on it. Find the numbered pieces which are needed for the item you are making. (This info can be found on the instruction sheet.) Cut the pattern pieces carefully out of the tissue paper. Note that not all of the pieces you need will be next to each other, or even on the same sheet!
At this point, I will take all the pattern pieces I am NOT using, and the pattern envelope, and put them into a clear storage bag. This lets me keep all the unused pieces together and I don't have to struggle with refolding all the tissue sheets small enough to fit back in the pattern envelope. As I finish with each pattern piece for this project, it will go into this bag as well.
Following the layout on the instruction sheet, pin the pattern pieces to your fabric. There may be instructions printed on the pattern piece, such as how many of each piece to cut, or to use the same pattern piece to cut batting, for example. Here are the pattern pieces pinned to the tapestry fabric, before I cut them out. . .
. . . and here is what remains after cutting!
You will see various symbols printed on your pattern piece, and they each have a purpose. Some of the markings, such as pocket placement lines and buttonhole markings, need to be transferred to your fabric. You can use dressmaker's tracing paper and a tracing wheel, tailor's tacks, or dressmaker's chalk, depending on what mark you are transferring. The markings for the grainlines are the ones that look like a line with an arrowhead on each end. For the item you are making to come out right, especially in a garment, pattern pieces need to placed on the fabric carefully.
Each end of the grainline arrow needs to be the same distance from the selvage. If you look at these two pictures, you will see that the arrow is not quite parallel with the edge of the fabric. This means I would have to slide one end of the tissue one way or the other, until it is as close to perfect as I can get it.
Once we finish cutting out all of the pattern pieces, and have transferred any necessary markings, it is time to begin putting together our sewing kit!
Move on to the construction phase. Please be patient; there are a lot of pictures, and the page may take time to load.
