SEWING TIPS

Treatment of the neck and armhole products

Sections of the neck and armholes can be purely vytachat piping or piping. Kroyatsya always piping
fabric with the same direction shared thread that details that need to process piping. The exception is
the fabric, embroidered with sequins, which is used for the treatment of lining fabric.
Carve out the piping with allowances on the perimeter. To
sections are not stretched, detail piping strengthen fleece lining.
Laying of piping with seam allowance priutyuzhte on the wrong
side of the fabric piping. Contours in the transfer piping.

Round Neck
Sew the piping parts, allowances and neaten seams razutyuzhte.
Neaten internal piping section. Pin piping to the neck facing to
the front side. Stitch. Cut the seam allowances close to the line,
in areas rounding nadsekite, 2mm before reaching the seam line
(1).
IMPORTANT: if you do not need otstrachivat neck, then iron
piping allowance. It does not have to be formed folds. The
preferred iron on a special cushion for ironing (2) or at the edge
of the ironing board. Then sew the piping to the next with a
seam allowance of pritachivaniya (3). Remove the piping to the
wrong side. Edge sweeps so that the seam was next folded on
the wrong side and was invisible from the front. You can choose
to defer the neck. Attach the piping to the allowance of a pair of
shoulder seams stitches. Zippers stitch before purely vytachat
neck. When pritachivaniya piping allowances short cuts piping
extend beyond the section (4). After you remove the piping on
the wrong side, turn allowances and sew the piping to the band
zippers (5).If the product has a board or cut with the first single
cut podbortom loosen podbort (piping section) on the front side,
and then pin the piping neck to neck. Cut the piping so that it
came on a short slice podbort the width of 1 cm (6). Sew the
piping. Cut seam allowances close to the line. Piping neck and
podbort (piping section), unscrew the wrong side and baste.
Priutyuzhte. Podbort (piping section) to sew turnery cap (7).
A Neck with V-Neck and Cuts Care
Is the same as round. To piping could twist on
the wrong side, at the top of nadsekite
allowances (8), respectively, in the corners
close to the stitching line.
You can clean vytachat armhole facings as
well as a round neck. It is particularly
convenient to carry out the side seams
together with piping products armholes. Then
you can adjust the width of the product by the
side seam allowances not otparyvaya piping. A
necessary condition for this: the allowances on the side seams and facings products should be the same
width.
This is done as follows: do the shoulder seams and piping on the product. Allowances and neaten seams
razutyuzhte. Neaten internal sections facings. On both sides of the product Cleave and armhole facings
right sides. Stitch. Cut the seam allowances close to the line, in areas fillets nadsekite in several
places, and then iron on the piping. I sew the piping to the seam allowance of close to the seam. A
single line of Sew side sections and piping products (9). Seam allowances and neaten razutyuzhte.
Remove the piping to the wrong side. Edge sweeps. I sew the piping to the allowance of the shoulder
and side seams.

One for Piping Cap and Armholes

When the model is sleeveless has narrow shoulders,

the neck and armholes piping are combined into one
piece. Because after all the grinding of circular
sections the piping cannot turn, shoulder seams should
remain open until. They grind later.
For this Neaten lower sections facings. Fold piping with
corresponding cuts the neck and armholes face to the
front side. Cleave cuts the neck and armholes,
matching the seam lines. Stitch, while the start /
finish the seam, respectively, 3 cm below the marked
line of the shoulder. At the beginning and end of the
seam, do tack on (10 and 10a).
Cut seam allowances close to the line. In front of
loosen piping on the wrong side, which stretch
between the shoulder sections of piping and before.
Upper sections forehand stretch between the piping on
the shoulder and back sections of the backrest. As a
result, in front and back and piping will form the front
side. Pin front to back along the marked line of
shoulder and Stitch. Then cleave the shoulder line on
the piping and also Stitch (11). Pull out a bit along the
front of the shoulder.
Allowances shoulder seams razutyuzhte. The most convenient way to do a long-handled spoon chef
(12). Then Cleave remaining open sections of the neck and armholes and Stitch (13). Before you pull
the edges of the back of the shoulder, and the piping will turn back automatically to the wrong side.
Priutyuzhte edge of the neck and armholes side facings. Fold the front with the back faces of the side
edges, and how products and facings. Sew a single line of products and side edges facings (14).

How to Shoulder Grind Very Narrow Slices (3 Cm or

Less)
Pin piping to the respective slices to face the front of the Stitch
and accurately marked to the shoulder seams. At the end of the
seam, do tack. Cut the seam allowances close to the line, in
areas nadsekite fillets. Remove the piping to the wrong side,
which stick one shoulder sections between product and piping.
Priutyuzhte. Sew right sides shoulder cuts, which will not
prihvatyvaya piping (15). Arrange seam allowances. Tuck in the
turnery shoulder seam allowances and sew a few stitches to
turn away butt edge (16).

How to Clean Bias Binding

Sections of the cut can be purely vytachat finished or cut
piping. Ready oblique Bakey cotton, matte or glossy, in a large
assortment in specialized stores. For vytachivaniya we
recommend finished, folded in half Bakey 4 cm wide.
Before you start, lay flat and Bakey priutyuzhte. You can also
carve oblique Bakey of lining fabric or underlying tissue flap.
Grind this: that on the wrong side of the piping had clean
edges, fold in half lengthwise slash Bake wrong side inward.
Priutyuzhte, making an oblique Bakey form a rounded neckline
- it's called "pull the edges" priposadit open sections (17).
Pin oblique Bakey shear neck facing to the front side so that
the fold inlay lying at a distance of approx. 1.5 cm from the
marked seam line, and open sections Bakey lying on allowance.
Sew Bake on the wrong side of the forehand and back exactly
along the marked line of the neck. Cut seam allowances close
to the seam, the areas nadsekite fillets (18). Remove the
oblique Bakey on the wrong side. Baste the edges (19).
Priutyuzhte. If necessary, a second shoulder seam Sew side
sections. At the same time, pay attention to the fact that
sections of the neck lying exactly on each other (20).
Razutyuzhte seam allowances, neaten and sew by hand along
the neck (21). At the request of the neck can defer.
In the treatment of inner corners Sew oblique Bakey to the
corner. Remove the oblique Bakey aside, as shown in Figure 22,
the fold secure pin. Then, as shown in Figure 23, add a slash
Bakey and Sew from the corner. Sweeps oblique Bakey.
Priutyuzhte.
In one corner lay the fold and sew. On the front side defer edge.
When processing the outer corner Sew oblique Bakey to the corner. Nadsekite allowance Bakey close
to the last stitch, then Stitch Bakey from the notch (24). In the corner diagonally nadsekite allowance.
Bakey swept out on the wrong side, at the corner lay the fold and sew.
Priutyuzhte edges and on the front side defer.

A few more tips

 To sections of the neck and armholes with the bias

binding vytachivanii not twisted, priutyuzhte from
the inside lining of fleece, so that the chain stitch
exactly coincided with the marked seam line. At
the same time pay attention to it. To cut the neck
/ armhole lying on ironing flat substrate.
 First, purely vytachayte armholes, and then grind
down the side sections.
 If the product does not have a zipper at the neck
of the first Stitch shoulder sections. Allowances
razutyuzhte seams and neaten.
 Unchanged leader among the fabrics that are used
to create female models, is knitted. From this
tissue create the most elegant and stylish model. They are pleasant and comfortable to wear
all year round. On the knitting factory created exclusive models jerseys that rivals well-known
brands for quality, but affordable to the widest range of consumers.
Summer dress with cape and stripes

Dress semiadherent silhouette with "stripes" in the side seams of contrasting fabric, sleeveless, with a
cape into fly-away. Dress cutting at the waist. Front two inverted pleats, side pockets with angled
entrance. On the back middle seam on top of the back tuck on the bottom - single fold.
Before you dress and cape on the neck of processed white piping. Basic dress with a zipper in the
middle seam, Drape with a cut above. Piping neck fastens with 2 hinged loops and 2 buttons. Drape
two-sided pleats on the shoulders. The folds are laid on the cape when sewing on shoulder seams on
the basis of dress.
Simulation Dress

1. Build a pattern dress

semiadherent
silhouette while using the
following gain freedom
encirclement:
2. putting to breast - 3 cm;
3. to putting the waist - 3.8
cm;
4. to putting thighs - 2 cm
5. Dress length of the back is
83 cm.
6. Evenly Sause dress side
seams 2.5 cm
7. Construct a line parallel to
the forehand side seam
and back, a distance of 1.5
cm. Then build "stripes" in
the form of a rectangle 3
cm wide (Fig. 1).
8. Building a piping neck width of 3 cm.
9. the planned entrance to the pocket and pocket bag.
10. Determine the position of the cape on the pattern of the dress. We outline a cutting waistline.
11. First segment tuck the back payments are apportioned into sections armholes, the average line
and the line of the neck (Fig. 2). On the rear panel of the skirt perform conical folds dilution
for single-sided. The depth of the folds 6 cm. We make the top section of the folds.
12. Breastplate and tuck Taliev prepayment translate into the side seam so that the end of the
dart was at a distance of 6 cm from the armhole (fig. 3). On the front panel of the skirt
perform conical folds dilution to counter. The depth of the crease 12 cm. We make top cut
counter folds.
Modeling capes

1. First, we carry out diversion middle line in front of the solution by reducing the chest dart (Fig.
4a). It is necessary for the best landing cape in front.
Then tuck the rest breastplate translate to an average line before and shorten tuck up to 7 cm
(Fig. 46). Next, we perform a conical dilution prior to 4 cm on the back, 10 cm at the bottom
line, and make out sections of the folds (Fig. 4c).
2. On the back of the shoulder tuck initially translate into the bottom line (Fig. 5a, b), and then
in the same way as in front of, perform conical dilution (Fig. 5c). Next, we make out the cut
and fold the bottom of the back of a smooth line.
Set dress patterns presented in the figure. 6.
Processing pockets sideways

Line entrance into the pocket can be straight, curved or

contoured, processing technology of this does not change.
Pocket with podkroynym sideways consists of two parts:
pocket bag and barrel. Typically, cuts out of pocket bag
fabric lining, not to increase the thickness of trousers.
Flank is cut may be integrally formed with the sacking of
the base fabric, but if enough material burlap can be carved
out of the pocket lining or cloth, and flank nastrachivaetsya
on burlap or sacking nastrachivaetsya on the flank straight
seam closed sections (Figure 1).

Selection depends on the ratio of the weld

thickness of the fabric core parts and pocket
bag.
At the entrance to the pocket allowance from
the wrong side of a strip of non-woven paste
severally or pritachivayut dolevik pocket for
protection from stretching (Figure 2).
Separately, a cut pocket bag to put the face on the front of the
product by matching the input line in the pocket Stitch (Figure 3). At
the entrance to the rounded lines of pocket allowances incised in
several places before reaching the line of 1 mm (Figure 4).
Press it seam allowances toward the pocket bag and lay a line at a
distance of 0.1 cm from the seam from burlap capturing both the
allowance. This line will not allow to turn out a pocket on the front
side.
Unscrew the pocket bag to the wrong side, priutyuzhit edge of the pocket, tucking
into a seam. Log in your pocket, you can defer to the front of the thread to match
the fabric or finishing (Figure 5).
The main item is put on the flank, aligning the line entrance to the pocket and tack
(Figure 6).
Sew inner sections of burlap and neaten (Figure 7). Side and
upper sections of burlap tack to the main part, they are trapped
in the side seams and SEWING pritachivaniya belt.
MODELING COLLAR RACKS

Models collars can vary infinitely, but the basics are always the same. In the construction of all types of
collars is the rule: first the neck, then the collar.
For the most important pillars of collars, width and depth of the new mouth, not its form. However, if
the stand-up collar is constructed on the shelf and the back of the model with low-cut neck, the shape
of the neck is transferred to the new line of lower edge of the rack. The shape is determined by the
stand-up collar long line of the upper edge of the collar. The shorter the line the upper edge of collar,
the denser it is adjacent to the neck.
This article shows tselnovykroennye rack, the rack in products with lapels of different shapes, as well
as cutting the rack, built on the shelf and back with large neckline.
The basis for the construction of the collars is drawing basics semiadherent jacket silhouette, back
shelf and portrayed to the waist, as we consider only the construction of the collar.
Reception, tselnovykroennaya with
shelf and back

There are two types of racks tselnovykroennyh. In the first case the
collar is constructed tselnovykroennym with shelf and back, with
sections connected between the first side edges of the collar, which is
an extension of the shoulder and back sections of shelves.
In the second case the collar is constructed only with shelf
tselnovykroennym and stitch it to the back the neck.
Connect the sides of the chest darts and temporarily transfer her
solution to the waist.
Shelf back and neck to increase to a value due to model. For small
tselnovykroennoy rack shelves must extend neck and back shoulder 1.5 cm and deepen the middle of
the back neck 1 cm in the middle shelf of 1.5 cm.

Draw a new neck. On the back of the

neck is drawn at right angles to the
middle of the back. Draw construction
lines through the outermost point of the
new shelves and back neck.
From the top of the new shelves and
back neck draw perpendiculars to the
auxiliary lines, which defer the stand
height - 2.5 cm. To extend the middle
line back up and put it on the stand
height - 3 cm.
Along the middle of the shelf edge to
draw the line side. Mark the position of
the seat hinge / buttons.
Draw the upper edge of the collar-rack
according to the drawing. From the mid-point of the upper edge portion of the collar on the back draw
a line to the end of the dart cut into convex blades.This line is needed for the transfer of the solution
tuck into convex blades to the upper edge of the collar and to lengthen the upper edge of the collar on
the back.
On the extension of the shelf the upper edge of the collar for this model is not required, because a
narrow collar.
Details of cutting racks tselnovykroennoy with shelf and back
Cut back on the cut line to transfer darts
on convex blades. Translate tuck into
convex blades to the upper edge of the
rack.
After the transfer to the upper edge of
darts on the back of the collar should add
0.5 cm to each side of the dart, which
further lengthens the upper section of the
collar on the back.
Shorten tuck into convex blades 9-10 cm
from the back of the neck.
The inside of the collar and podbort a
copy of the drawing. Check the length of
the upper edge of the collar.
Correct sections at the interface and specify the direction of the warp threads.
High rack tselnovykroennaya with shelf and back

Tselnovykroennaya strut can have a greater height than the previous

model with the proviso that its upper edge line is long enough. For
this part of the solution chest tuck on the shelf is transferred to the
upper edge of the collar. As shown in the previous example, tuck
into convex blades also translates to the upper edge of the collar to
extend the upper edge of the collar on the back.
Shelve cut from the neck to the point of the center of the
chest.Connect the sides of the chest darts, a solution of 1 cm chest
darts transfer to the neck to increase it, the rest of the solution to
temporarily relocate to the waist.
For high tselnovykroennogo collar neck and back shelves extend on
the shoulder 2 cm and deepen the midline on the back of 1 cm. Draw
new neck, on the back - at right angles to the
center line.

Draw construction lines through the outermost

point of the new shelves and back neck.
From the top of the new neck back on the shelf
and draw perpendiculars to the auxiliary lines,
which defer the height of the stand-up collar - 6
cm. Extend the middle line back up and put on
her collar height - 6.5 cm.
Draw the top cut collar according to the
drawing.
From the mid-point of the upper edge portion of
the collar on the back draw a line to the end of
the dart cut into convex blades.

Details of cutting high rack

Cut back on the cut line to transfer darts on
convex blades. Translate tuck into convex
blades to the upper edge of the rack.
After the transfer to the upper edge of darts on
the back of the collar should add 0.7 cm to each
side of the dart, which further expand the collar
from behind.Shorten tuck into convex blades 9-
10 cm from the back of the neck.
The inside of the collar and podbort a copy of
the drawing. Check the length of the upper
edge of the collar. Correct sections at the
interface and specify the direction of the warp
threads.
Figured rack tselnovykroennaya with
shelf and back
This model with curly tselnovykroennoy rack looks particularly
impressive. Through such an original part of the product becomes
fashionable ease.
Shelve cut from the neck to the point of the center of the chest.
Connect the sides of the chest darts; 0.7 cm chest darts solution
to translate the neck to increase it, the rest of the solution to
temporarily relocate to the waist.
For this tselnovykroennogo collar neck shelves and back on the
shoulder to expand by 2 cm; deepen the middle shelf neck 1.5
cm in the middle and back to 1 cm.
Draw a new line of the neck, on the back -
at right angles to the center line. Draw
construction lines through the outermost
point of the new shelves and back neck.
From the top of the new shelves and back
neck draw perpendiculars to the auxiliary
lines, which defer the stand height - 4 cm.
Extend the middle line back up and put her
on the stand height - 4.5 cm.
Draw the upper section of the rack. On the
shelf collar to draw in accordance with the
model (see. Figure).
From the mid-point of the upper edge
portion of the collar on the back draw a line
to the end of the dart cut into convex
blades.

Details of cutting curly rack

Cut back on the cut line to transfer darts on
convex blades. Translate tuck into convex
blades to the upper edge of the rack.
After the transfer to the upper edge of
darts on the back of the collar should add
0.7 cm to each side of the dart, which
further expand the collar from
behind.Shorten tuck into convex blades 9-10
cm from the back of the neck.
The inside of the collar and podbort a copy
of the drawing. Check the length of the line of the upper edge of the collar. Adjust the cutoff line at
the interface and indicate the direction of the warp threads
The reception, with a shelf
tselnovykroennaya
This model shows the construction of the rack, shelf
tselnovykroennoy only. The advantage of this type of collar that
can change the length of the line of the upper edge of the collar
by changing the angle of inclination of the back of the collar.
Connect the sides of the chest darts and temporarily transfer the
solution to the sideline.
To expand on the back of the neck and the back shelves of 1.5
cm; in the middle of the back neck deepen 1 cm. Draw the new
neck to the back at a right angle to the midline.

Draw an auxiliary line through the

end points of the neck extended
only on the shelf. This auxiliary line
extended by an amount equal to the
value of the new length of the back
of the neck.
From the last point of the resulting
draw an auxiliary line perpendicular
to a length of 1 cm (for this
model).The larger the value, the
greater the angle the back of the
collar, the greater length of the line
and its upper edge, respectively, the
lower collar is adjacent to the neck
at the rear.
Draw the bottom line cut collar on
her back. At right angles to the
resulting line to draw the middle line of the rack.
From the top of the neck extended shelf
draw perpendicular to the reference line, for
which postponed the stand height - 4 cm.
Midline postpone collar 4.5 cm. Draw the
line of the upper edge of the collar.

Details of cutting the rack with a

shelf tselnovykroennoy
Podbort, tselnovykroenny with the inside of
the collar, with a copy of the drawing. Check
the length of the upper edge of the
collar. Correct sections at the interface and
specify the direction of the warp threads.
Reception, tselnovykroennaya with
shelf and back and shawl lapel
Based tselnovykroennyh collar racks can design a variety of models,
using various forms of the neck, sides, lapels and so on. In the
model presented below stand-up collar goes into the original lapel
resembling a shawl collar.
Shelve cut from the neck to the point of the center of the
chest.Connect the sides of the chest darts, 0.7 cm chest darts
solution to translate the neck to increase it, the rest of the solution
to temporarily relocate to the waist.
To this end, a neck collar and back to extend the shelf on the back
of 1.5 cm; deepen the middle of the back neck 1 cm. Draw new
neck, on the back - at right angles to the center line.

Draw construction lines through the outermost point of the neck and the back shelf.
From the top of the new shelves and
back neck draw perpendiculars to the
auxiliary lines, which defer the stand
height - 4 cm. Extend the middle line
back up and put her on the stand height
- 4.5 cm.
Along the middle of the shelf edge to
draw a line side and inflection lapel,
mark the location of buttons. Contents
sections lapel and collar.
From the mid-point of the upper edge
portion of the collar on the back draw a
line to the end of the dart cut into
convex blades. This line is needed for
the transfer of the solution to tuck
upper edge of the collar on the back,
and to lengthen the upper edge.
Details of cutting racks with shawl lapel
Cut back on the cut line to transfer
darts on convex blades. Translate tuck
into convex blades to the upper edge
of the rack.
After the transfer to the upper edge of
darts on the back of the collar should
add 0.7 cm to each side of the dart,
which further expand the collar from
behind.
Shorten tuck into convex blades 9-10
cm from the back of the neck.
The inside of the collar and podbort a
copy of the drawing. Check the length
of the upper edge of the collar.
Correct sections at the interface and specify the direction of the warp threads.
Cut rack in a product with lapels
Cutting stand-up collars in articles with different variants lapels
always look unique. If the extension of the neck on the shelf and
the back of the shoulder or the size of a large collar on the shelf
is very different from the size of the collar on the back, we
should copy the front part of the collar and use it in the
construction of cutting racks.
Connect the sides of the chest darts, a temporary solution is to
transfer to the waist.
To expand on the back of the neck and the back shelf 2.5 cm,
deepen the neck in the middle shelf of 4.5 cm and in the middle
of the back 1 cm. Draw a new line of neck and back shelves.

Along the middle of the shelf edge to draw the line side.
Draw the line of inflection lapel and mark
the location of buttons / loops. The
contours of the lapel and collar draw on
the shelf.
Build cutting collar on the basis of a right
angle. To do this, measure the length of
the new shelves and back of the neck and
put the resulting value of a horizontal line
from the starting point.From the resulting
point to defer up to 3 cm vertically to
determine the rise of the front of the
collar and draw the lower section of the
rack.
The height of the collar on the midline - 4
cm. The front of the collar with a copy of
the drawing and shelves combined with
drawing the collar (shaded area in the
figure of the collar).Finish the design of
the collar sections.
Details of cutting cutting racks in a product with lapels
Collar and podbort a copy of the
drawing.Check the length of the upper
edge of the collar. Increase the size of the
outer collar part on the value of the rim
obtachnogo seam.
Correct sections at the interface and
specify the direction of the warp threads.
Cut rack, built on a heavily enlarged
neck and back shelves
If a product model with greatly enhanced neck and high collar, the
collar of a line first on the shelf and the back, and then built the
collar copied and combined to produce a separate part of the
collar. Thus it turns the collar, the shape of which is adapted to
the neck of the model product.
Connect the sides of the chest darts, a temporary solution is to
transfer to the waist.

Shoulder length shelves and back in this model - 2 cm.

Draw a line model neck according to
the drawing. This line is also the lower
edge of the collar.
At right angles to the lower edge of the
collar to draw up a line corresponding
to the line on the middle shelf collar 7
cm in length. In parallel to this line
draw contours fastening collar.
At right angles to the lower edge of the
collar from the shoulder ledge and draw
back the sides of the collar by a length
of 7 cm.
Extend up the midline of the back and
put it on the neck of the model value of
the stand height - 7 cm. After the data
points to draw slices stand-up collar.

Details of cutting cut stand

Copy of the collar from the shelf back,
combine them along the lines of the sides -
to receive the item one of the collar. Print
this part of the collar and draw the
allowance for fastening the collar in the
form of an angle.
Correct sections at the interface and specify
the direction of the warp threads.
Cut rack of soft shapes, cut to
oblique, in a product with lapels
For this model, stand-up collar cut out whole lines of the upper
edge of the rectangle. The collar is cut out in an oblique
direction of the warp threads. When finished stitch collar in its
neck stretched slightly lower sections. With this beautiful collar
encircles the neck. The length of the lower edge of the collar is
determined in the drawing.
Connect the sides of the chest darts, its solution is to temporarily
relocate to the sideline.

Shoulder length shelves and back for this model - 2 cm.

Draw a line on the edge of the board a
distance of 8 cm from the middle of the
shelf. Draw the neck of the model according
to the drawing.
Draw the outline of the collar on the shelf
and insert curly shelves tselnovykroennoy
lapel and podbortom. Draw back of the
collar on the back according to the
drawing.The height of the stand-up collar -
7 cm.
Measure the length of the upper edge of the
collar and the back on the shelf.

Details of cutting cutting soft rack form

This stand-up collar cut out in an oblique
direction of the warp threads, whole of fly
back in the form of a rectangle. The length
of the lower edge of the collar is equal to
the length of the upper edge of the collar
and the back on the shelf, which is
measured in the drawing.
Curly insertion of shelves,
tselnovykroennuyu lapel and podbortom,
copied from the mirrored copy of the
drawing and the fold line. Connect the sides
of the chest darts.
Correct sections at the interface and
specify the direction of the warp threads.
PATTERN EVENING LONG DRESS WITH A
COLLAR-CASCADE

To construct a pattern of long evening dress with

 a collar-needed
 basic cascade
 dress block according to size of client
 and single-joint sleeve.
This model provides for the construction of the dress raglan sleeves, but it can be replaced by single-
seam sleeve or sleeveless dress build as the summer version.
Building on the front of the sleeve before the evening dresses
Armholes extend 1 cm by cutting the top
darts solution (Figure 1)
Shoulder line at the armhole raise 0.5 cm.

Patterns of single-seam sleeves cut in half

vertically so that the cut passes the exact
center of the sleeve from the highest point
doused sleeves to the bottom of the
sleeve. We get the front and rear (elbow)
half sleeves.
The front of the sleeve push in OKATO 2 cm
and combined with prepayment so that the
shoulder line parts arranged back to back
(no gap). The hose should be located at a
slight angle, which you can vary
independently, depending on the model
chosen dress.
Draw a new line of the upper edge of the
sleeve. Through the new neck from its
summit to postpone 4 cm down and draw a
line from here armhole / doused sleeves
raglan cut (with closed tuck in the bulge of
the breast).
To construct a model of the neck through the middle postpone
prepayment 13.5 cm down.
In parallel, the mid-line forehand at a distance of 15 cm from
the edge of the board to hold it.

Built before evening dress

Draw the front of the dress in the mirror without sleeves.
Draw cutting lines in accordance with Fig.2.
 Construction of the elbow of the sleeve on the
back of an evening dress

Long evening dress from the waist is 85 cm.

Armholes extend 1 cm by reducing solution tuck into convex
blades (Figure 3)
Shoulder line at the armhole raise 1 cm.
Second segment apart sleeves doused in 2 cm, combined
with the back so that the shoulder line parts arranged back
to back (no gap).
Draw a new line of the upper edge of the sleeve.
Through the new neck from its summit to postpone 4 cm
down and draw a line from here armhole / doused sleeves
raglan cut.

Construction of the collar

Day-stage construction of the collar copy drawing

before the line side to the edge of the waist line, and
combine on the shoulder with a fragment of a
drawing back.
Build a collar in accordance with Figure 4.
Copy part of the collar and draw on it incision lines
(Figure 5).
Details of the long cut evening dress with
a collar-cascade
Pattern left side of the prepayment, the front of
the sleeve
All items are copied from a drawing cut and cut
on the relevant lines (Figure 6).
Connect the sides of the top of the darts on the
sleeve.
Pay attention to the direction of the warp
threads.

Pattern right side of the prepayment

Cut slits along the lines of the item and push the
side of the part, in accordance with Figure 7.
Specify the direction of the warp threads.
Pattern backless dress, elbow of the sleeve
Items copied from the drawing and cut the
respective lines (Figure 8).
The sleeve cut through the elbow and connect the sides of the line of darts bottom.
Specify the direction of the warp threads.
Pattern-collar stage
Cut slits along the lines of the collar and push the side of the part to the specified value (Figure 9).
Specify the direction of the thread.
Defining style: How to dress for your shape
proportion |prəˈpôr sh ən| (noun):
a part, share, or number considered in comparative relation to a whole
Whenever I’m dressing someone, be it myself or a client or a friend, one of the very first things I study
are their proportions. You see, sizes and numbers really don’t matter, but if you want to create a
balanced impression, proportions definitely do. Once you understand them thoroughly, choosing
flattering clothes is almost child’s play. Necklines, the length of sleeves and hemlines, the shape of the
shoulders, skirt style or pant legs – everything has to do with proportions. I made this little illustration
to get you started:
How to use the illustration

The best way to do this is to strip down to pretty much nothing, or at least something fitted, then
stand in front of full-figure mirror (and please, throw any negative thoughts about your wonderful body
out the window). Study how the areas from my illustration relate to each other on your body.
If you want, you can use a measuring tape to see how the numbers relate to each other, especially if
you think it is hard to simply see it. I, for instance, have a bust of about 41″/104 cm, a waist of 33″/83
cm and hips of 44″/111 cm – but here’s the thing: the actual numbers are not what’s important
here. You can’t tell, for instance, if a bust of 41″/104 cm is “large” or not purely based on the
number; you need to see it in comparison to the width of the shoulders, the waist and the hips.
This is where those numbers can make things easier. In my case, we can see that my hips are slightly
wider than my bust, for instance, and we can also see that my waist is smaller than my hips and bust.
With a little effort and practice, though, you’ll definitely be able to see the proportions without any
measurements. With that in mind, I suggest you skip the measuring tape if you tend to obsess over
measurements and sizes and such. Remember, the actual number or size doesn’t matter, only how they
relate to each other.
Some of the relations are easier to see than others. One of the trickier ones is between your upper and
lower body (no. 4 and 8 in my illustration). The girl in the illustration is built rather like me, so her
torso is rather short. If she had a long torso, it would probably look more like this:
According to my experience, people with defined waists usually have an average or short upper body,
whereas the longer torso will usually be straighter. If you’ve often complained that you have a never-
ending derrière, you might simply have a short torso, making the distance between your waist and
where your butt ends, larger than if you have a longer upper body.
How to dress your proportions
Fashion often plays rather dramatically with proportions, especially in magazine editorials (so there’s
a tip if you need to look more edgy/avant garde/make a statement!). Still, what most people think
looks best is when there is balance between the upper and lower body, and between the shoulders and
hips. Most bodies aren’t perfectly balanced, but there are plenty of tricks to create that illusion. Allow
me to – yet again – illustrate, with one “right” and one “wrong” outfit for our girl:
We can all agree that the “wrong” outfit is very wrong, no? The outline for the body is the same for
both looks, so what exactly is it that makes them so different? The most important answer, I think,
is lines. Allow me:
The mind is a funny thing, you see. When you see a line, your eye and mind automatically follows it,
and this movement kind of enhances the line, making it, in a way, longer. Most of us knows that
horizontal stripes will make something look wider, and that vertical lines do the opposite, but there
are much more subtle uses of lines of which we can take advantage.

In the “right” outfit above, you can see how both the necklace and neckline of the top create a V,
which makes the torso longer, prevents the dreaded uni-boob, and also lengthens the neck. The flowy
bottom of the skirt prevents a harsh line that cuts of the legs, and even the shoes have a V-opening to
elongate the legs even more. The belt blends in with the skirt, so it doesn’t create a harsh line, but
still draws attention to the waist.
In the “wrong” outfit, the top is… well, Cookie and I simply couldn’t think of any body that would look
good in this. The high neckline shortens the neck considerably. The raglan sleeves make the bust look
huge (especially paired with all that ruching), and it certainly doesn’t help that they cut off the arm at
its widest point. The wide cuff bracelets divide the arms even more. From the bust down, the top hides
the waist completely, and ends at the widest point of the hips. This line is even more enhanced by the
shorts and their cuffs. The boots continue to create horizontal lines, chopping up the legs and making
everything wider and shorter.
You might also have noticed that the “right” lines for this girl have a slight curve to them, whereas the
“wrong” ones are all very blunt. Still, what’s wrong for Illustration Girl (and me), might be right for
someone else. Here’s the thing: you need to know what you want. I want an even smaller waist, clean
lines without fuss, to make my neck appear longer and prevent that uniboob. But you might want your
hips to appear wider, or to make your arms look shorter, or to make your bust larger, and that means
you’ll have to find the lines that help you achieve that.
Other tricks
Once you understand how it’s usually all about creating balance, and doing this with optical illusions, a
whole new world tends to open up. Personally, I think the most important idea is to create the right
lines in an outfit, but there are some more things you can do to trick the eye, making areas look
larger/come towards you, or smaller/shrink away. Here are some examples:
 1. A dark, plain top and a bottom with a busy, colorful print will enlarge the hips.
2. The color gradient that pales towards the top will make the shoulders seem bigger. The wide,
shallow neckline widens the shoulders, and the decor draws attention to the widest part of
the shoulder.
3. A busy pattern with strong contrasts will make the whole dress (and thus the body) seem
larger. This pattern also accentuates the hourglass shape, because it follows the same lines,
just in a more exaggerated manner.
4. A sweetheart neckline with sparkly decoration will draw attention to the bust.
5. A patterned top and plain skirt in a darker color makes the hips seem smaller.
6. All the lines on the upper body go from up close to the neck and down towards the waist,
which will make the shoulders narrower. The lapels are very narrow, which also makes the
upper body narrower. The gold buttons draw the attention away from the shoulders.
7. The white, slightly unusual collar draws the attention up towards the face and collarbones.
The rest of the body becomes more of a background due to the dark color and the body-
skimming shape.
8. A deep V-neck that starts close to the neck will make the bust appear smaller. Lace
details draw the attention away from the bust area.

As you can see, there are more “tricks” for drawing attention to something than to hide something.
I’ve seen some people who seem to want to hide everything about their appearance, but as there is
nowhere to direct the attention, nothing is really hidden anyway. Whenever I work with someone’s
style, I always focus on bringing attention to the positive, because if you do that, the bits they’re less
pleased with will automatically become a background.
When people become conscious of the concept of proportions and lines and optical illusions, there are
some who at first find it a bit restrictive. I can’t wear patterned skirts anymore? I shouldn’t wear belts
because my waist isn’t my best area? Well, first: you absolutely can dress in whatever you desire, no
matter if it’s “right” or “wrong” for your shape. But if you’re struggling with your wardrobe, if you feel
like nothing you put on makes you look the way you want, then perhaps thinking about proportions and
lines can change that. Because once you know how to work your proportions, you’ll always know
how to achieve the shape you want. It’s a bit like magic, really.
QUILTING BASICS
TOOLS, NOTIONS & OTHER STUFF YOU
NEED - PART 1 OF 5
Introduction
The word "quilt" or "quilting" has many different meanings. It's a special word because it can be both a
noun and a verb. Quilting can describe the overall craft itself. What type of sewing do you like? I like
to quilt, or I like quilting. It can also mean the act of quilting, which is the process of sewing the
layers (quilt top, batting and backing) together in a predetermined pattern or method (we'll talk more
about this in Part 5). Some quilters (there it is again as a noun) refer to the patchwork piecing (or
sewing) of the quilt top itself as quilting. And, in the end, the actual finished item is indeed a quilt.
However you refer to it, quilting is a wonderful and exciting craft to incorporate into your sewing skills.
This new series is designed to help beginning quilters get rolling. We'll explain the basics of quilting,
including the various tools you’ll need (and may already have), cutting techniques, how to create quilt
blocks from basic shapes, piecing tips and techniques, and actual quilt stitching.

First, a disclaimer: quilting is a huge and varied craft and a very personal process, and we certainly
don't consider ourselves to be top industry experts. But, we are good at showing those new to a craft,
how to get started in a way that will produce the best results with the least frustration. We'll just be
scratching the surface as we go through this series of tutorials. As always, our comment fields are
open. We know our S4H audience includes many quilting gurus! Please feel free to share your own hints
and tips along the way.

Before we move forward, we believe it’s

important to look back. Understanding a
little about the history behind quilting will
help you to see why it’s become one of the
most popular crafts in the world today!

A really brief history

When it comes to quilting, a "brief" history
is practically impossible, but we’re going
to give it a try. For the history buffs out
there who want to learn more, there are
plenty of related books, articles and blogs
on the subject. A general Internet search
will lead you in the right direction.

The Tristan Quilt. Made in Sicily, Italy ca.

1360-1400. Linen quilted and padded with
cotton wadding with outlines in brown and
white linen thread. V&A Collections.

Historians and archeologists have

discovered and unearthed examples of
quilting that date back to the Pharaoh of
the Egyptian First Dynasty about 3400 B.C. Other examples were found in China, dating to somewhere
between the first century B.C. to the second century A.D. In the eleventh century, an early form of
quilting found its way to Europe. Knights wore quilted garments under their armor! Eventually, quilted
petticoats for ladies were a common undergarment, as were other quilted outerwear garments. These
early examples, made for warmth and protection, were indeed very quilt-like: two layers of cloth, with
a layer of insulating fiber in between,
held together with hand stitching.
The purpose of the stitching was to
keep the fiber between the layers
from shifting during laundering. The
same holds true today.

Whole-Cloth Quilt, 18th century, The

Netherlands (textile made in India).
Hand painted, pieced, quilted and
embroidered cotton with silk border.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

It’s no surprise quilted bed and wall

coverings also became popular for
warmth and insulation in early
European homes. Depending on one’s
status, quilts were considered family
heirlooms to be passed down to future
generations and were listed in estates
as part of an individual’s personal
furnishings. Usually a family of
influence and wealth could afford to
have quilts made for them from the
highest quality textiles of the time, in
contrast to those found in poorer
homes, which were made from
available scraps.
Appliqué Album Quilt, 1848, Cotton.
St. Louis Art Museum

Quilting, along with its history and

techniques, traveled to America with
the first settlers. Many of these early
Americans used quilts for warmth, but
they were also used as a form of
currency... even those made of calico
prints from worn-out dresses! A
handmade quilt has always been, and
will continue to be, a culmination of
the creator’s time, effort and true
love of the craft.
Made in Portland, ME in 1865 by the Portland Ladies Soldiers Aid Society. Mystic Seaport Museum
Collection, Portland, Me.

During the Civil War, quilts were made to raise money for the war effort as well as to keep soldiers
warm. There are even stories of quilts used to indicate "safe houses" during the days of the
Underground Railroad. A "Log Cabin" quilt (a specific block pattern) hung on a clothesline was said to
indicate the homeowners would help slaves trying to reach freedom in the North. There are countless
quilt block patterns; many of today’s most popular ones have their own historical tale and vary slightly
based on their place of origin.

Even with such an impressive history, many of the construction aspects of quilting remain the same.
We have new tools, computerized machines, and so much more to make the job easier and quicker, but
the foundation is the same.

And, quilting is still a form of social gathering as it was so long ago. In fact, in today's hectic society,
many turn to quilting as a source of stress release. The infamous "quilting bee," where women would
gather to work together on a quilt, is more commonly known as a quilt guild these days. Although most
members now work on individual quilts, there is still much socializing and trading of quilt secrets.

Current trends
Quilting trends vary from popular colors and/or pattern combinations, innovative fabric substrates
being used, favorite block patterns, ever-evolving techniques, and more. We have no doubt something
new is surfacing in the quilt world right this very minute! It might be the latest and greatest gadget to
make all our lives easier or a hip new quilt artist hitting the scene to share his or her innovative
quilting concept through a book, blog, pattern and/or seminar.
Modern Quilt: Wonky Block Quilt by Heather Jones.

Quilting and making quilts can still be for necessity and warmth, but it’s a tremendous industry with
increasing potential as an artistic outlet as well as a business. Many individuals have innocently begun
making quilts for their own enjoyment, and eventually found themselves designing fabric, quilt
patterns, garments, writing books, even developing new techniques and/or products! Some are world
renowned quilt celebrities whose knowledge and techniques are sought after by dedicated followings.
The ways in which they manipulate fabric, fiber and thread as an art medium can be mesmerizing. This
high level of art and success can intimidate the newbie, but there is a place for everyone in quilting.
You can learn the basics and incorporate simple touches of quilting into all kinds of handmade
projects. You might be amazed at the subtle charm a little quilted item can add, bringing a little bit of
history to your every day world.

Types (or categories) of quilts

When we say there’s something for everyone in quilting, we mean it!

Quilts come in all shapes (yes, shapes!) and sizes. They don't have to be square or rectangle, and they
can vary in size from that of a postcard to the side of a building! A quilt's end purpose can vary too. No
longer used just for warmth and protection, many of today's quilts are meant to be hung on the wall as
artistic decor. If you ever see an "art" quilt, you may not believe it's made from fabric. Many
incorporate oodles of techniques: appliqué, hand stitching, beadwork, embroidery, foundation paper
piecing, and on and on.

There are dozens and dozens of types, themes or categories of quilts, many of which have their own
history or origin as mentioned above. Quilts can also be a combination of styles and technique. To give
you a glimpse, we’ve put together some categories of our own to illustrate the range of quilts and/or
quilting types and techniques. Keep in mind, this is a short list and in no specific order.

General categories: traditional, heirloom, medallion, samplers, memory quilts, art, abstract,
modern, holiday, kids/baby, quilt-as-you-go, signature, scrap, strip, serger

Specific regions, people or time in history: Amish, African-American, Japanese, Hawaiian, Native
American Star, Mennonite, Quaker, Celtic, Victorian Crazy Quilt, Colonial Revival, Baltimore Album,
Double Wedding Ring

Specific technique: patchwork, appliqué, trapunto, rag quilt, foundation paper-pieced, English paper
piecing, pictorial, landscape

Specific size: postage stamp (size of the patchwork pieces), miniature (size of the quilt itself),
journal (a series of small quilts that tell a story)

In addition, a quilt does not have to be a patchwork design. It can be made of whole cloth, or one large
piece of fabric.

Basic elements
Our plan with this five-part series is to encourage you to venture into some form of quilting or
patchwork that you can then use in a future project. The first thing to understand are the basic
elements that make up any quilt (or quilt sandwich – top, batting, backing).
Quilt top - The top layer of a quilt. It can be sewn by machine or by hand. It can be patchwork-pieced,
appliquéd or whole cloth.

Batting - The insulating layer in the middle.

Backing - The bottom layer of the quilt. It can be one piece of fabric, one fabric color/pattern that is
pieced to fit the overall size, partially pieced (a new trend), or patchwork pieced (for a reversible
style).

Quilting – The actual machine or hand stitches that hold the layers together. Some quilts are simply
“tied” with thread, embroidery floss, or even hand-sewn buttons. Regardless of type, some form of
stitching must be completed to hold the layers together.

Binding – The fabric strip that encloses the raw edges around a quilt.

Sleeve – Quilts that will be hung on a wall have what’s referred to as a sleeve on the back. A rod or
pole is fed through the sleeve for the quilt to be properly displayed. This is optional, but a must-have
for a wall-hanging quilt.

Sew4Home quilting tutorials to try

If making an entire quilt is not your thing, remember, we’ve been stressing how you can use
the elements of patchwork and quilting in your projects. When you stop and think about it, influences
of quilting can be seen all around us from bed coverings to garments to small accessories. Below is a
list of various tutorials we’ve created in the Sew4Home studio that show how quilting can be
incorporated throughout your home no matter the décor. In addition to the traditional use on a bed, a
quilt can be a work of art for a blank wall, a pillow, potholder, apron, and more. Not to mention, a
quilted item makes a great gift!
ROTARY CUTTING & TRIMMING - PART 2 OF
5
Quilts start out as lots o' little pieces. So it makes sense the first thing you should learn about in
quilting is how to cut your fabric! If you ask any quilter what she/he feels is the best cutting tool for
the job, the answer will be: a rotary cutter. Many compare it to a pizza cutter, and if you've sliced up
your share of pizza pies, a rotary cutter may not feel foreign to you at all. If not, pay close attention to
all we have to tell you. In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the rotary cutter along with the other
basic tools you’ll need to start quilting. If you haven’t done so already, we recommend checking out
this article before proceeding with today's installment.
Historically, when the only method for quilting was by hand, the pieces for a patchwork quilt were cut
out with scissors. Obviously, you can still do that today, but why? It's so much easier, faster... and
more acurate to use a rotary cutter, cutting mat, and the appropriate acrylic ruler.
The rotary cutter is a fantastic little invention developed by Yoshio Okada, founder of the OLFA
Corporation, in 1979. He was inspired by the "sharp edge created when glass is broken and how
chocolate bars break into segments." You can read about the history, as well as see a variety of new
cutting tools, on OLFA’s website.
If you’ve never tried a rotary cutter, it can be rather intimidating at first. We assure you, it’s actually
easy to use and slightly addicting (much like quilting overall). However, if you start without proper
instruction, you can easily cut your pieces inaccurately, or even worse, cut yourself. Therefore, in this
tutorial, we’ll be stressing safety first and foremost. We'll show you how to properly use a rotary
cutter, cutting mat and quilt ruler (also referred to as an acrylic ruler, cutting ruler, etc.) to cut strips
and shapes for patchwork piecing.

Fabric and prep

Before you can use a rotary cutter, you need something to cut. We discussed the various types of
fabrics you can use for a quilt in Part 1 of our series. The most common option is cotton. If you’re a
regular Sew4Home visitor, you know how much we love to use cotton. There are always new, hard-to-
resist collections being introduced. In fact, be warned; building a large stash of fabric is a common side
effect of quilting and you can easily become a fabricholic!
For our examples, we'll be using 44/45” wide cotton in solid black and white.
It’s also important to press (and starch, if needed) fabric prior to rotary cutting. Some quilters feel this
is optional, but we consider it a must. Fabric cuts more easily and accurately if it’s properly prepared
and crisp.
Tools you need
As discussed in Part 1 of our Quilting Series, you need specific tools for rotary cutting. We have a
variety of rotary cutters in our S4H studios, which are chosen based on the type/thickness of fabric we
need to cut. We have a wide selection of quilt rulers and templates too, as well as a variety of cutting
mats. The more you do, the more options you acquire, but to start out, get at least one of each.

Rotary cutter
One with a protective shield or a safety lock of some sort
is good to help prevent accidents when the cutter is not
in use.

Cutting mat
This goes hand-in-hand with a rotary cutter. Small ones
are good for small items, but a larger surface is best for
multiple uses.

Quilt ruler
Get one with non-skid surface, or a lip on the edge. This is very helpful because the rulers can easily
slide and cause you to cut inaccurately. Make sure to familiarize yourself with all the markings on your
specific ruler. The one we use the most in the Sew4Home studio is 5” x 24” with a lip edge that helps
hold it in place.
Templates and specialty rulers
These are optional, but will certainly make their way into your quilting tool box as you begin to expand
your quilting experiences. Both templates and rulers are available in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Some are designed for a specific purpose, such as cutting appliqué pieces. Others are for a specific
type of quilt block or may be called for in a custom quilt pattern or tutorial.

Basic DO-this-DON'T-do-that rules

1. Set up your cutting area with a cutting mat, ruler(s) and rotary cutter all at the ready.
2. Stand up. Yes, stand up! In order to properly use a rotary cutter, you should be standing not
sitting.
3. For those who cannot stand, it's recommend to use an ergonomic rotary cutter (similar to the
one below). They are available for both right hand and left hand use.

4. Determining the best position to hold the rotary cutter can depend on the type of cutter you
own, as well as what feels most comfortable to you.
5. Some people like to place their index finger along the top of the cutter. On our particular
rotary cutter there’s even an indentation molded into the plastic for your finger.

6. Others wrap all fingers around the handle.

7. Regardless, your overall goal is to keep your wrist straight to avoid injury.
8. Always, always cut away from you, never towards you. And, do not cross your arms over on
another.

9. If you’re right handed, your ruler should be to the left so you can cut the fabric from left to
right.

10. If you’re left handed, your ruler should be to the right so you can cut the fabric from right to
left.
11. Don’t forget about your other hand. You’ll need it to hold the ruler firmly in place. Make sure
your hand, especially your thumb and index finger, is on the ruler not hanging off the edge.
Otherwise, you could seriously hurt yourself.
12. Correct hand position:

13. Incorrect hand position:

14. Determining the right amount of pressure needed to cut your fabric may take a few tries
(remember our mantra: test first on inexpensive fabric!).
15. When guiding the blade along the ruler, make sure you are pressing down firmly. This is also
why standing up is important. The blade is circular and glides easily so pressing down too hard
is counterproductive. But, not pressing down hard enough will result in fragmented cuts across
the fabric. It’s also possible to slip and hit the ruler, which can ruin the blade and/or ruler.
16. As you move along the length of your fabric, always lift and move the ruler for the next cut,
don’t slide it as you can shift the fabric and cause it to be off grain for the next cut. For
 accuracy and remaining on grain, never ever move the fabric!

17. Rotary cutting is not a race; you don’t have to be speedy. You can even stop in the middle of a
cut if needed. For example, if you’re cutting a long piece of fabric, you can stop to reposition
yourself (and your ruler) to reach the opposite end.
18. Most importantly, be 100% sure of the measurement (or width) of the strip you want to
cut before you start cutting. Remember to account for the standard quilting seam allowance of
¼" on all sides that will be seamed.
Ready to give it a try?
Cutting strips
NOTE: In our examples, we will be demonstrating right-handed cutting. For left handed cutting, you
cut across the fabric from the opposite direction.
1. Once your fabric has been properly prepared (see above), lay it on your cutting surface with
the selvedges together and the fold toward you.

2. If your fabric has any waves in it, it’s not straight.

3. Flattening the fabric may mean the raw edges will be uneven; that’s okay because we're going
to trim this away before we cut our strips.

4. Using the grid lines on the cutting mat, line up the folded edge with one of the lines going
across the mat. We always use the one on the bottom.

5. The first cut is always to straighten the fabric, or in other words, to cut the fabric even on the
crossgrain, as we mentioned above. To do this, you have to cut the fabric at a 90° angle. You
can use the ruler and grid on the mat (remember, our ruler has a lip on the bottom, so we
know it’s straight with the edge of the mat/table).
6. Or, you can use two rulers and the grid on the mat.

7. Leaving the ruler in position, you are now ready to make the first cut.
8. As described above, make sure your hands are in the proper position. Place the edge of blade
against the edge of the ruler at the folded edge.
9. Holding the rotary cutter firmly, pressing down (not too hard), roll the blade keeping it pressed
against the ruler as you cut the fabric. Trim away just enough to create a clean edge.

10. The fabric is now "squared" and ready to be cut into strips, using the predetermined width
needed for your quilting project.
11. For our purposes, we want 3” strips in our quilt, so we have to cut 3½" wide strips to account
for our seam allowances (3" finished width + ¼" on both sides).
12. Remember to pick up the ruler! Don’t slide it across the fabric.
13. Using the guide lines on the ruler, line up the edge of the ruler 3½" from the straight cut edge
of the fabric.
 14. Once again, cut across the fabric. to create your pretty 3½" strip.

15. Continue in this manner until you have the desired number of strips. If you’re following a
pattern or tutorial, you will be provided with that number.
NOTE: Some quilts are sewn with only strips (no other shapes), using what’s known as the
"strip piecing method." We’ll talk more about this in Part 4 of our series.
16. Make sure to keep the strips folded in half if you plan to use the strip to cut other shapes. We
will be cutting our strips into shapes in the next section.

Cutting shapes
1. Basically, there are two ways to cut shapes from fabric with a rotary cutter:1) use fabric strips
like we just cut above, or 2) use templates to cut various shapes from a larger piece of fabric.
Below we'll show you both.
NOTE: In many quilt pattern instructions or tutorials, when you’re cutting pieces from other
fabric pieces (or strips) it’s referred to as sub-cutting (or cutting segments) for the
quilt block units.
2. A number of shapes can be cut from fabric strips, such as squares, rectangles and various types
of triangles. Using a rotary cutter to do this is no different than the steps described above. You
simply need to pay close attention to your measurements. Remember, ¼" seam allowances
should be included.
Squares
1. Carefully position one of the folded strips along a horizontal line on the cutting mat, in the
same manner you did above.

2. Place the ruler over the selvedges end (ie. not the folded end) by approximately ½" -¾"
(depending on the depth of the selvedge).

3. Use the rotary cutter to trim away the selvedge.

 4. If you recall, we need 3" squares for our quilt. So, adding in our seam allowance requirements,
we will to cut the fabric strips at 3½" intervals to get 3½” squares.
5. Line up the cut end of the strip with the 3½" marking on the ruler to cut a 3½" square.

6. Since the fabric strip is doubled, you will get two squares for each cut; another reason why
rotary cutting is considered to be much quicker than using scissors.

Rectangles
1. Using the same strip, we will show you how to cut a rectangle.
2. For our purposes, we need a 3" x 4½" finished rectangle in our quilt. What size rectangle should
we cut from the strip? If you said 3½" x 5", then you’re starting to get the hang of this seam
allowance math!
3. We know our strip is already 3½" wide. So, all we need to do is cut the strip in a similar manner
to what we did for the square, but instead of cutting an even length to width for a square, we
cut the strip at 5” intervals.
Triangles
1. It’s just as easy to cut triangles. You can start with the squares or rectangles you just cut
above. However, one word of caution, the math to determine the triangle cut size is not as
simple as for a square or rectangle. You can learn more about how to do this math in quilt
books, and on the Internet – there are quick reference charts available too! We’ve provided a
quick math equation below for determining the cut size in relation to the finished size of each
of our examples.
2. Keep in mind, the angle cut will be biased and can stretch out of shape. So, when you piece a
triangle into your quilt, you have to handle it carefully so as not to distort its shape.
3. To cut two triangles from a square, simply cut the square on the diagonal.

4. These are known as half square triangles.

5. Quick math for half square triangles: Add ⅞” to the finished size you want for your square.
For our 3" square example, we need to cut our squares 3⅞”
6. To cut four triangles from a square, simply cut the square along both diagonals. These are
known as quarter square triangles.

7. Quick math for quarter square triangles: Add 1¼" to the finished size you want for your
square. For our example, we need to cut our 3" squares at 4¼".
8. You can also cut triangles from rectangles by cutting on the diagonal. These are known as long
triangles in quilting.

9. Another way to cut triangles and diamonds from fabric strips is to use the angle markings on
your ruler.
NOTE: As we mention above and below, there are specialty rulers for cutting triangles and
other shapes from strips or larger pieces of fabric.
10. Using the 60° marking, you can cut equilateral triangles from a strip by alternating the ruler as
you cut (for each side of the triangle and each triangle thereafter).
11. Align the ruler to cut the first side.

12. Then, using your first cut as the new edge, align to cut the second side.

13. Quick math for equilateral triangles from a strip: Add ¾" to the finished size you want. For
our example, we need to cut our strips 3¾".

14. Using either the 30°, 45° or 60° angle, you can cut diamonds from a strip.
15. Quick math for diamonds: Add ½" to the finished height and width you want. For our
example, we need to cut our squares 3½".
16. We cut our sample diamonds at a 45° angle from a 3½” strip. As above, we alternate the ruler
for each end of the diamond. For the first cut, we used the 45° angle marking on our ruler.

17. For the second cut, we align the cut edge with the appropriate width measurement for our
strip. In our example, the meant aligning the 3½" mark along the cut edge.

18. Sliiiiiice... and, you have a lovely diamond.

Templates and shaped rulers
1. As you become more and more addicted to quilting (we did warn you), you'll begin to fill your
quilting toolbox with specialty rulers and templates to make cutting even easier thanks to
special shapes and markings for each unique tasks. These tools generally come with their own
usage instructions or you can find more information online or in quilting books.

2. You follow the same basic rotary cutting steps as described above when using a template or
specialty ruler.
3. Depending on the type of quilt project you’re working on, sometimes you may make your own
templates using template plastic (or even a paper pattern). Rotary cutting with these can be a
bit more challenging because of the thickness of the plastic. You can easily cut into the
template, which can ruin the template itself, ruin the rotary blade, or both. So take extra
caution when using template plastic with a rotary cutting.
Cutting layers
1. In our examples, we’ve been cutting just two layers of fabric, but what about cutting more
than two?
2. You have to be cautious when using a rotary cutter on multiple layers because the accuracy of
the cut lessens. However, we will show you two examples of how and when you may need (or
want) to cut through multiple layers.
3. If your cutting mat is smaller than the piece of fabric you want to strip cut, you can double it
over. As a result, you will be cutting through four layers.
4. Fold the fabric in half along the lengthwise grain, matching selvedge to selvedge, the same as
above.
5. Then, fold the fabric in half again, bringing the folded edge to meet with the selvage.

6. Cut strips exactly as described above.

7. You can also stagger the strips to cut more pieces at one time.
 8. Lay the first strip on one of the horizontal grid lines on the cutting mat. Then, lay a second
strip, overlapping the first on the next horizontal grid line and so on.

9. This can be tricky, and again lessens the accuracy of your cutting. Do not stagger more than six
strips at a time. And, bear in mind, this technique works for strips but not for everything you
cut for piecing.

Trimming
1. After you've cut your pieces and started sewing, you usually have to do a little trimming (what's
called "truing") of the pieces so they stay the same size. You can use a rotary cutter for this
too. We’ll talk more about it in a upcoming segment of this quilting series.
2. It's also a good a habit to periodically check the accuracy of your cuts whether strips, squares,
etc. Sometimes you need to do a little trimming along the way.
Additional hints & tips
 Our examples above illustrate right handed cutting techniques; if you are left handed, rotary
cut from the opposite direction.
 Sometimes you’re so focused on cutting the fabric, you don’t realize your finger has wandered
off the ruler. Similar to looking over your shoulder before merging onto the highway, always
check your hand position on the ruler before you start to cut.
 If the rotary blade is not cutting evenly or if there are still threads connected where you cut,
your blade is probably dull and needs to be replaced. There are sharpening tools for rotary
blades available as well. And just like razor blades, don’t just toss used rotary blades in the
garbage; make sure to discard them safely.
 Determine the size of rotary cutter to use based on the thickness of the fabric or number of
layers to be cut.
 Some quilters use the markings on their ruler in combination with the grid on the mat for
accurate cutting. However, you can ignore the mat and only use the markings on the ruler.
Whichever method you choose, be consistent with each cut otherwise you can confuse yourself!
 When cutting strips, open the strips periodically. If there is a bend in the middle you need to
straighten up the fabric again.
 You can certainly use a rotary cutter for other types of sewing too, such as garments and home
décor. It’s actually a preferred cutting tool for some fabrics like rayon and velvet.
 You don’t always have to cut with the blade perpendicular to the fabric. You can angle it
slightly if it helps with being precise.
 When cutting larger items or pieces of fabric, if can’t reach a certain area, always move the
mat or move yourself; never move fabric!
 In quilting, it’s not uncommon to see cuts in increments of ¼" and ⅛" for various types of block
patterns, as well as angular cuts. It’s important to know how to use your ruler and read the
various markings and increments. The manufacturer’s packaging should include instructions
about different ways to use the ruler. Or, you ask someone at your local quilt shop to
demonstrate how to use a specific ruler.
 It’s difficult to use a rotary cutter for pattern matching stripes and plaids. These are better cut
flat with scissors.
 Clean the dust and lint from your rotary cutter regularly, and always have a replacement blade
(in the appropriate size) on hand before you start your project.
 Rotary blades can rust over time, especially in humid environments.
 As we mentioned earlier in the tutorial, when using a rotary cutter, safety is number one. This
extends to children who are in or around your sewing area. We have a previous tutorial that
focuses on sewing room safety here.
 We always recommend practicing any new technique until you feel comfortable with it. Rotary
cutting is no different. You can try using scraps, but we recommend using a ½ yard of
inexpensive fabric, such as muslin.
EXPANDING THE MIDDLE
As many women age and put on weight, a disproportionate amount of this weight goes to the middle
section of the body, making it a difficult area to fit without increasing the armhole and bust area.
To determine how much you need, measure your body 3 inches under and above your natural waistline.
Choose the larger measurement as your reference measurement. To this measurement add 4 to 6
inches of ease. A drapey fabric which is slightly generous on the oversized area will be more flattering
than a skimpy cut.
Compare your full bust measurement to the pattern size you are using. If more is needed at the bust,
divide the alteration amount by 4 and add to the side seams. Now flat pattern measure the pattern
between the seamlines in your oversized area. Determine how much will be needed to reach your
tummy measurement plus 4 to 6 inches of ease.
Check yourself out in a full length mirror. Is the majority of fullness in the front or is your fullness
distributed around the middle section of the body in front and back? This will determine where the
pattern is altered. For many women the back is relatively flat and the fullness is located on the front
only. For this figure, only the front pattern piece will be spread. If an additional 10inches is needed,
and the front pattern piece represents only half of the front, the front pattern needs to be cut and
spread 5 times with 1 inch spreads to achieve our goal of an additional 10 inches.
Divide the bottom of the front pattern piece in half to mark the location of the first slit. Now divide
each side into thirds so that 5 marks are clearly visible along the bottom of the pattern front. Starting
at the marking closest to the side seam, extend marking parallel to the grainline for 3 inches. At the
end of this line, draw a perpendicular line all the way to the side seam. Starting at the next division
mark on the bottom front, draw another line parallel to the side seam, only make this line an inch or so
longer before drawing the perpendicular line over to the side seam. Continue in this manner across the
front, each parallel line extending higher than the previous one, before heading to the side seam. All
perpendicular lines must reach the side seam below the armhole.
Place a large piece of paper on your work surface with scissors, tape, and pattern ready for the slash-
and-spread process. Tape center front to the
paper at the top and bottom. Begin
cut at front bottoms, continue cutting
across the pattern until you stop 1/8
inch from pattern cutting line at side
seam. This will allow the pattern to
lie flat when expanded.
Allow the bottom of the front to fan
out with 1 inch openings along bottom
cut lines. Begin taping pattern to
paper from the center, working toward
the side seam. Even up the bottom
front with a curved ruler. Lengthen at
center front so that the garment will
hang correctly.
HOW TO CREATE A DRAPED COWL
NECKLINE

A deep cowl at the back neckline transforms a basic tank into a party-ready top.
Photo: Jack Deutsch
Draped cowl necklines are always graceful, and they flatter many figures. You can transform any basic
knit T-shirt or tank design for daytime looks or eveningwear by adding this lovely element.

All it takes to create a cowl neckline are a few pattern changes and some special-but simple-
construction techniques. Add a cowl to the front or back neckline of a top, or to both for double the
elegance.
Determine the cowl length and depth
First you must decide on the finished cowl's depth, which determines how low the neckline falls and
how much the cowl drapes. Front and back cowls can be made using the method described on the
following pages.
1 Trace any pattern for a basic knit top, such as a T-
shirt. Mark the pattern's original neck point at the shoulder
seam (at the base of your neck where it joins the top of the
shoulder) with a large dot.

2 Lower the pattern's neckline, if it is a high-jewel or

crewneck. The neckline shown was lowered at center front to
sit 5 inches below the collarbones, and the curve was redrawn.
Cut away the original neckline.

3. On your body, drape a measuring tape with each end

positioned at your neck points. Loosen or tighten the tape
measure's drape to determine your preferred cowl depth. Note
the measurement from neck point to neck point, and divide it
in half. This is the amount of change applied to the pattern in
the next steps. For example, if the total desired measurement
is 20 inches, then the amount of change to the pattern is 10
inches. The front cowls of the red velvet top, at left, and the
blue top, on page 24, are each 20 inches long; the red top's
back cowl is 24 inches long.
Alter the Pattern
Using the slash-and-spread method, extend the pattern's neckline and add drape for a cowl.
1. From the pattern's center front, draw three arcs. End the two uppermost arcs at the
shoulder seam and the lower arc about two thirds down the armscye. The exact position isn't
critical, but each arc must intersect the center-front line at a 90-degree angle.

2. Cut along all three arcs from centerfront to, but not through, the seamlines.Also, snip from
the cutting line to the seamline, leaving a hinge at the seamline. Back the pattern with a large
sheet of tissue or pattern paper.

3. Draw a vertical line from the centerfront neckline edge upward and about 8 inches
long. Anchor the pattern's bottom center-front corner to the tissue with a pin or piece of
transparent tape.
 4. Spread the pattern along the threeslash lines. Spread the sections equally, swinging the neck
point away from center front, until the distance between the neck point and the extended
center-front line equals the cowl length established in step 3. (For more voluminous, longer
cowls, swing the entire pattern away from center front as you spread the slashed lines.) Tape
the spread pattern to the backing tissue.

TIP: ADD A COWL WEIGHT. Keep cowls hanging gracefully and prevent them from flipping inside out by
sewing a fabric pocket for a drapery weight and attaching it to the cowl facing's center on the
garment's interior.

5. Draw a straight line from the pattern's neck point to the center-front line. It should create a
90-degree angle at center front. Mark it "Cowl line.

6. Create a self-facing. Measure 2 inches above the cowl line at center front. Draw a line
parallel to the cowl line, extending it beyond the shoulder point.
 7. Cut along the facing's edge. Fold the pattern along the cowl line, and transfer the shoulder
shape onto the cowl facing section. True the shoulder line and armscye curves, as well as the
centerfront line and the side seam. If necessary, true the hem by drawing a gently curved
horizontal line from the side seam to center front, creating 90-degree angles at the side seam
and center front.

CONSTRUCTION TIPS

Sewing a cowl top is straightforward, but here are some tips for handling the cowl and its facing:
 When cutting the fabric, make sure to clearly mark the cowl line on the fabric's wrong side.
 For a single-cowl top (a frontcowl, for example): Finish the back neckline as desired (facing,
binding, or turned edge). Align the front and back shoulder seams, right sides together, fold
the self-facing along the cowl line, wrapping it over the back neckline so that the facing's
right side is against the garment back's wrong side. Pin and sew the shoulder seam, catching
the facing in the shoulder seam allowances. When finished, turn the facing over the seam
allowances to its finished position, enclosing the shoulder seam allowances.
 For a double-cowl top, sew the front and back together at the shoulder seams, matching the
front self-facing to the back selffacing. Fold the self-facings in along the cowl line, wrong
sides together, covering the shoulder seams. Either tack the edges to the seam allowances or
stitch in the ditch of the shoulder seam from the right side, catching the facing.
 Add lingerie guards to the interior shoulder seams of a double-cowl top to prevent it from
slipping off your shoulders.
HOW TO INSTALL AN EXPOSED ZIPPER
This offers instructions on how to insert an exposed zipper at the center back.
You’ll need:
 a standard zipper, 5,5″ (14 cm) long
 a zipper foot
 basting thread + needle
 your Jade skirt, with Step 1-7 completed

At this point you’ll have your waistband attached

to the back and back lining and cut into the
interfaced rectangle that you sewed. The lining is
pinned out of the way so you have room to insert
the zipper.
Step A: Baste the zipper in place

Open up your waistband, the seams opened up.

The waistband and back piece seam allowances
should be folded towards the waistband. Lay the
zipper upside down on the left side of the
rectangle, on right side of the skirt. Baste in place.
Check if you haven’t accidentally caught the
lining.
Step B: Sew right side

Sew the right side of the zipper. The best way to

do this is to start at the top with the zipper
opened up. When you get close to the zipper pull, stop with the
needle down. Pull up your presser foot and close the zipper.
Most machines have two heights: halfway when you pull the
lever up, and even higher when you push the lever further up.
This can help when closing the zipper with the needle down.
Then finish stitching, ending right at the bottom of the zipper teeth.
Step C: Turn under

Turn the zipper to the right, and tuck the bottom between the shell and the lining. Flip the left side of
the skirt to the right, so the lining is facing up and the back of the zipper is facing you.
Step 8D: Baste and sew left side

Flip the left side of the skirt onto the right, so the lining is facing up and the back of the zipper is
facing you. Align the unsewn side of the zipper with the edge of the cut rectangle of the back piece,
right sides together. Baste and sew as in previous step. Be careful not to catch the lining.
Step 8E: Sew bottom

With the right side of the back shell facing up, flip the bottom towards the top so you can see the
bottom ends of the zipper. Pull the triangle down and sew it to the zipper ends. Try to catch the
triangle along its broadest side.
Step 8F: Handsew the lining

Unpin the lining and tuck it in, folding it alongside the zipper teeth. Pin it to the zipper and handsew in
place.
Step 9: Finishing up

Fold the waistband lining down and fold the seam allowances in place. Halfway step 9, your zipper and
waistband should look like this. I’ve handstitched the waistband in this case, but you can also use the
stitch in the ditch method.
MAKING PRETTY BUTTONHOLES

Nothing makes a garment look homemade faster than a poorly sewn and cut buttonhole. Next time you
are snoop shopping, check out the buttonholes on different price levels of ready-to-wear garments.
Once you learn the secrets to great looking buttonholes, yours will be better than the designer
garments.
1. Wrap a water-soluble gel stabilizer over the buttonhole edge covering the buttonhole
placement on both the right and wrong sides of the buttonhole before stitching. This reduces
the friction between the presser foot and the fabric. It also prevents fabrics from pulling down
into the throat plate. The water-soluble stabilizer on the underside also seals the inner edges
of the buttonhole.
2. Machine sew the buttonholes.
3. Place a 'dime size' of liquid seam sealant (Fray Check) onto a Post-It note. Dip the end of a
straight pin or toothpick into the liquid and run a bead of sealer along the inside of the uncut
buttonhole and let dry.

4. Remove the stabilizer. It will just tear away from the finished stitching because the needle
perforations made while sewing the buttonhole created a dotted line to tear along.
MEASUREMENTS
Depending on the type of garment you would like made, these are the measurements needed:

0. Height: Measure from tip of head down to feet.

1. Across Back: Measure from prominent neck bone down center back 4" to 6" (10cm to 15cm) and
mark. Measure across the back from armscye seam to armscye seam at the narrowest point (across the
shoulder blades).
2. Across Front: Measure across the top of the breasts from left underarm to right underarm.
3. Across Shoulder: Measure from the back shoulder seam to shoulder seam.
4. Ankle: Measure around the ankle.
5. Armhole: Measure the circumference of your desired sleeve hole. Measure from under your arm
around to the top of your shoulder and back to where you started. (It shouldn't be too tight and may
help to have a blouse on).
6. Back Waist to Knee: Measure from center back waist to knee.
7. Back waist to Floor (Hem): Measure from center back waist to floor or desired length.
8. Bust: Measure over the fullest part of the bust and then straight across back.
9. Bust Points: Measure the distance between the center of your breasts from bustpoint to bustpoint.
10. Bustpoint to Under Bust: Measure from bustpoint down to underbust.
11. Bustpoint to Waist: Measure from bustpoint down to waist.
12. Calf: Measure around the fullest part of the calf.
13. Center Front Neck Base to Waist: Measure from the base of the neck (hollow between collar
bones) to waist string at center front.
14. Chest (Over Bust): Measure aroun the body directly under the arms and across the top of the
breasts.
15. Crotch Depth (Rise): Sit on a hard chair and measure at the side from the waist to the chair seat.
16. Crotch Length: Measure from the waist in back to the waist in front. Determine the front and back
crotch length at the mid point between the legs (usually not an even division).
17. Elbow: Bend the arm slightly. Measure around the arm at the elbow.
18. High Hip: Measure 2" or 4" (5cm to 10 cm) below your waist over the top of your hip bones (trouser
waistline).
19. Hip: Measure around the fullest part of the hips, usually about 7" to 9"(18cm to 23cm) below the
natural waist (this depends on your height).
20. Inseam: Measure from the inside of the crotch to the hem (for pants/jeans).
21. Instep: Measure around the heel over the top of the foot.
22. Knee: Measure the leg at the fullest part of the knee.
23. Knee Girth: Measure around both thighs at the fullest point. Do not pull the tape tight and ensure
there is a 10cm gap between your feet.
24. Nape to Waist: Measure from prominent neck bone down center back to waist mark.
25. Neck base to Bustpoint: Measure from top of shoulder at base of neck to bust point.
26. Neck: Measure fullest part of neck- not too tightly!
27. Outseam: (side length ) Measure from waist to the top of the shoe heel (for pants/jeans).
28. Shoulder: Measure from base of neck to shoulder bone.
29. Sleeve: Measure from shoulder bone to elbow, and on to wrist bone with arm slightly bent, record
both lengths. 29A.
30. Thigh: Measure the leg at the fullest part of the thigh.
31. Thigh Girth: Measure around both thighs, keeping tape measure parallel to the floor. Do not pull
the tape tight and ensure there is a 10cm gap between your feet.
32. Torso Length (Trunk): Necessary for Catsuits. Using two tape measures, measure over the
undergarments from the front waistline over the fullness of your bust to the middle of your shoulder.
Continue down to your center back under the crotch and up to the center front waist.
33. Under Bust: Measure around the body directly under the breast and around the back.
34. Under Arm to Waist: Measure from under your arm to the narrowest part of your natural waist
(especially useful for dresses with structured waists).
35. Upper Arm: Measure around fullest part of arm generally 1" (2.5cm) below armpit.
36. Waist: Tie a string around the natural waistline, usually the narrowest part of the torso and use as
a reference point in taking other measurements. Measure the circumference of the string.
37. Waist to Floor (Hem): Measure from center front waist to floor or desired hem.
38. Waist to High Hip: Measure from center front waist to high hip.
39. Waist to Hip: Measure from center front waist to hip.
40. Waist to Knee: Measure from center front waist to knee.
41. Wrist: Measure the circumference of the wrist at wrist bone.
SKIRT BLOCK DRAFTING
The Basic Skirt Block is the only pattern you’ll ever need to make any kind skirt design- pencil, puff,
maxi, the list is endless! You can even team it with the basic bodice block to make a dress! Drafting
the Basic Skirt Block requires a knowledge of basic high-school maths, but once you’ve finished, you
have a universal pattern for all your skirt designs that fit to your own body, not to a set of
predetermined body measurements based on the “average” person.

First things first, you will need:

1. Your body and a tape measurer
2. A ruler, preferably a long one such as a meter stick, pattern master or set triangle
3. Pattern cutting paper or large pad of paper or several sheets of printer paper taped together.
Your paper should be 5cm wider than half your hip + ease measurement and a few inches
longer than your final skirt length.
4. Pencils and rubber
5. A hip curve
For a guide on measurements, check here.

I work in CM, so these measurements will be in metric.

OK, let's begin...

Step 1: Hip. Draw a square, which is half hip + 1.5cm wide and the length of your skirt. Label the left
vertical edge "centre back" and the front vertical edge "centre front". The top line is your waist.

Step 2: Waist to hip. From the waist, measure down to the length of your hip and draw a horizontal
line across.

Step 3: Back hip. Measure quarter hip plus 1.5cm across from the centre back (left side) and draw a
line down to the bottom. Note that all the ease for the hip is at the back as this is where you need the
space for sitting down, etc. You should now have a diagram which looks like this:
Step 4: Darts. These are used to shape the skirt. You can put any number of darts into your skirt, but
for the basic block, there will be 2 at the back and one at the front. This translates to a total of 6 darts
in your skirt. We're putting more darts into the back as there is more ease there, if you remember.

The waist is going to have 1cm ease which will be split equally between the back and the front of the
skirt block - so 0.25cm either side of the block as each half of the block is a quarter of your skirt.

The darts will be 2cm wide each.

You can plot these lines now as follows:

To draw the darts in, measure 1cm either side of each central dart line, and join each point to the
bottom of the dart:

Do this for all of the darts, and then, add some curve to all lines like so:
Step 5: Flare Lines. These lines extend from the bottom of the dart to the bottom of the block. You
can have more flare lines than this depending upon your design, but for this block we are sticking to
the basic.

The basic skirt block, complete with flare lines, looks like this:
Trouser Block Drafting
The Basic Trouser Block is the only pattern you’ll ever need to make any kind of garment for the lower
body- jeans, leggins, chinos, shorts, knickers and you can even team it with the bodice block to make a
jumpsuit or playsuit! Drafting the Basic Trouser Block requires a knowledge of basic high-school maths,
but once you’ve finished, you have a universal pattern for all your lower body sewing needs that fit to
your own body, not to a set of predetermined body measurements based on the “average” person.

First things first, you will need:

1. Your body and a tape measurer
2. A ruler, preferably a long one such as a meter stick, pattern master or set triangle
3. Pattern cutting paper or large pad of paper or several sheets of printer paper taped together.
4. Pencils and rubber
5. A curve ruler or template, specifically one designed for creating curves like the hip curve
For a guide on measurements, check here.
I work in CM, so these measurements will be in metric.

OK, let's begin...

Note: When doing this, it will be easier to draft each individual leg on seperate pieces of paper, as
finding paper wide enough to accommodate both is difficult and awkward. You will need quite long
pieces of paper to accommodate the full length of the leg, so if you haven't got pattern paper, I
suggest tape two or more large sheets of paper together.

Step 1: Mark Your Origin. Orient your paper in portrait orientation, or with the longest dimension
running vertically in front of you. Mark a point in the top left hand side, quite some distance from the
left edge of the paper. This is your origin point, your home base, and most of your measurements and
lines are going to be based on this point. Mark this point O. To establish the waistline, draw a
horizontal line through this point and stretching out both sides of the origin point, somewhat more than
about half the hip width.
 Waistline

Step 2: Crutch depth line. From the origin point, measure downwards the crutch depth (also called the
body rise), and mark A. Connect with the origin point, drawing in a horizontal line at this location - this
is the crutch depth line.

* If you need to estimate the crutch depth measurement, you can get it from the waist measurement
by multiplying 0.175 by waist measurement and adding 15.4cm*

Step 3: Hip Line. Measure the waist-to-hip distance downward from the origin point O (point B) and
draw in a third horizontal line of the same width as the other two - this is the hip line.

*There is an important issue here- The waist-to-hip measurement is a difficult one to make precisely,
whereas the crutch depth (body rise) is much more precise, even when estimated using the formula
given in the previous step. Sometimes when one comes to construct the curve from the crutch depth
line to the hip line, the distance may seem very small. If this is the case, DO NOT TAMPER with the
crutch depth line. Instead, slide the hip line upwards a small distance. The location of the hip line
being fairly uncertain, this will give an appropriate curve. If you lower the crutch depth line, you will
create a VERY deep crotch. Unless you want this, stay clear of such a change*
 Crutch depth line and hip line

Step 4: Waist to floor. Now measure the waist-to-floor distance, downwards from the origin point and
make another horizontal line at point C. This is the bottom line of the pants. Even if you a planning to
make the legs shorter than their full length, you will still need to place this line as a guide.
.
Step 5: Knee. Now measure from the point A (the crutch depth point) down half the distance to point
C (the bottom line), subtract 5 cm and draw in a final horizontal line the same width as the others, at
point D.
 Waist-to-hip and knee

Step 6: Basic framework. We now have the basic framework for the pant leg, whether front or back.
We need to copy this framework over to our second sheet to prepare the back panel. The diagram
shows the two frameworks side by side, the one on the left for the front panel, the one on the right for
the back panel.
 Basic trouser framework

Step 7: Front crutch line. On the Front Leg Panel, from point A (the crutch depth line), measure one
twelfth (1/12) the hip measurement and add 1.5 cm towards the left (point E). Draw a vertical line
from here upwards to the waist line (point G), passing through the hip line at point F.

Step 8: Back crutch line. Copy the same structure (or repeat the process) for the Back Leg Panel.
 Front and back crutch line

Step 9: Crutch curve. On both leg panels, measure an additional one sixteenth (1/16th) of the hip
measurement plus 0.5 cm further to the left of point E and place a marker point (point H).

This is the last point common to both the front and back leg panels. All further manipulations will be
different for the front and back leg panels (although a few measures will need to be transferred from
the Front to the Back Leg Panel).

Step 10: Hip. Now we shall focus on the Front Leg Panel. Draw a point (point I) at a distance of one
quarter (1/4th) of the hip measurement plus 0.5 cm to the right of the point F on the hip line.
 Crutch curve and hip

Step 11: Center front. Still working on the Front Leg Panel, mark the point 1 cm to the right of point G
along the waist line (point J), and connect points F and J with a straight line. This is the seam that will
usually be used for a fastener (zipper, buttons, etc).
 Center front line

Step 12: Crutch curve. Continuing on the Front Leg Panel, draw in a small diagonal, inward pointing
line from both point E (green line in diagram).

*For waist sizes of 66 cm or less, the length of this diagonal will be 2.75 cm. For waist sizes between 66
cm and 78 cm, the length of the segment will be 3 cm. From waist sizes of 78 cm to 91 cm, the length
of the segment should be 3.25 cm. Above waist sizes of 91 cm, the segment should be 3.5 cm*

Connect points H and F with a curved line (near horizontal at H, near vertical at F) that passes through
the end of the diagonal segment constructed above. If the distance between the crutch depth line and
the hip line is small, you may have trouble drawing a reasonable curve. This is where you may want to
slide the hip line up a centimeter or two, to get a little room to manoeuvre.
 Crutch curve

Step 13: Front dart. Continuing on the Front Leg Panel, mark the point (point K) located a quarter of
the waist measurement plus 2,25 cm (7/8 in.) to the right of point J. Still working on the Front Leg
Panel, construct a dart 10 cm (4 in.) long, pointing downwards from the origin point O, with a width of
2 cm (3/4 in.) at the waist end.
 Dart

Step 14: Bottom/hem width. Mark the point (L) located half the bottom width minus 0.5 cm to the left
of the point C. . Make a note of this distance, as you will need to transfer it to the Back Leg Panel.

* If you need to estimate the bottom width measurement, you can get it from the waist measurement
by multiplying 0.125 by waist measurement and adding 13cm*

Step 15: Inside leg. Mark the point M to the left of point D on the knee line, the distance from point C
to point L (determined in previous step), plus 1.3 cm.

*For waist sizes between 78 cm and 91 cm add 1.55 cm rather than 1.3 cm. For waist sizes from 91 cm
to 103 cm, add 1.7 cm instead of 1.3 cm. For larger waist sizes, add 2 cm instead of 1.3 cm*

Keep a note of the distance between points M and D, as you will need this for the back leg block. Draw
a straight line between points L and M. Note that you should still be working on the Front Leg Panel. On
the Front Leg Panel, draw a curved line between points M and H.
 Inside leg

Step 16: Outside leg. For the Front Leg Panel, mark point N on the bottom line at the same distance to
the right of point C as was L to its left, and point P on the knee line, at the same distance to the right
of point D as M was to its left. Draw a straight line connecting points N and P. Draw a curved line from
point P through its maximum deviation at point I and then curving in to point K at the waist line.

This completes the construction of the Front Leg Panel. Put this drawing to one side - now we are going
to finish the work on the Back Leg Panel.
 Outside leg

Step 17: Center back. On the Back Leg Panel drawing, mark the point Q located one quarter of the
distance from point E to point A along the crutch depth line. Draw a vertical line from this point (point
Q) through the hip line (point R) to the waist line (point S). On the Back Leg Panel , mark the point
(point T) midway between the crutch depth line (point Q) and the waist line (point S).
 Center back

Step 18: Back waistline. On the Back Leg Panel drawing, mark the point U, located 2 cm to the right
of point S. Then mark the point V, located 2 cm above the point U. For the Back Leg Panel, locate the
point W along the waist line at a straight line distance from point V of one quarter of the waist
measurement plus 4.25 cm and draw a line between points V and W. This line will slant downwards to
the right.
 Back waistline

Step 19: Crutch curve. Mark point X, one half of the distance between point H and point E but to the
left of point H. Mark the point Y just below the point X by a distance of 0.5 cm.
 Crutch curve

Step 20: Construct a diagonal segment (shown in green in the diagram) from point Q.

* For waist sizes below 66 cm, set the length to 4cm. For waist sizes between 66 cm and 78 cm, set the
length of the diagonal to 4.25 cm. For waist sizes between 78 cm and 91 cm, set the length to 4.5 cm.
For waist sizes above 91 cm, set the length to 4.75 cm. Then draw in a straight line from point T to
point V, and a curved line from point Y to point T, passing through the end of the diagonal constructed
as described above*
 Crutch curve

Step 21: Hip. For the Back Leg Panel block, mark the point Z to the right of point R a distance of one
quarter the hip measurement plus 1.5 cm along the hip line.
 Hip

Step 22: Inside leg. On the Back Leg Panel block, draw in the point AA located the same distance as
the point L is from point C on the Front Leg Panel block (this is the first of the distances you noted
earlier), plus 1 cm. Mark in the point AB located the same distance as the point M is from point D on
the Front Leg Panel block (the second of the distances you noted earlier), plus 1 cm. Draw a straight
line connecting points AA and AB on the Back Leg Panel drawing. On the Back Leg Panel block, draw a
curved line from point AB to point Y.
 Inside leg

Step 23: Outside leg. On the Back Leg Panel block, mark the point AC located the same distance as the
point N is from point C on the Front Leg Panel block, plus 1 cm. Mark in the point AD located the same
distance as the point P is from point D on the Front Leg Panel block, plus 1 cm. Draw a straight line
connecting points AC and AD on the Back Leg Panel drawing. Then draw a curved line from point AD
through its outer extremity at Z and inward to point W. The deviation outwards at Z should be about
0.5 cm.
 Outside leg

Step 24. Darts. On the Back Leg Panel block, mark the point one third of the distance from V to W,
and draw in a downwards line from this point perpendicular to the line connecting points V and W. On
the Back Leg Panel block, construct a dart 12 cm (4-5/8 in.) long and 2 cm (3/4 in.) wide at this
location.

Another third of the way down the line from point V to point W, construct a second perpendicular line.
On the Back Leg Panel block, construct a second dart at this location, of length 10 cm (4 in.) and width
2 cm (3/4 in).
Step 25: Bottom width/hem. Finally, on the Back Leg Panel only, connect points AA and AC with a
curved line that deviates downwards 1 cm from point C.
 Back hem

Ta da! Here is the finished trouser block.

The final trouser block
 AMERICAN SMOCKING
Learn the art of American smocking in this excerpt from the fabulous new Ruth Singer Book - Fabric
Manipulation published by David & Charles. This is one of the many techniques covered, other techniques
include trapunto, ruffles, shirring, pleats, tucks, Suffolk puffs and 3D applique. Read our review of the
book here and you can puchase it here.

American smocking is worked entirely on the reverse of the fabric and creates a dense puckered

design on the front of the fabric. Traditionally the design is marked

out as a series of dots, but a grid is much more effective.
Material and design notes

 Almost any weight of fabric can be used, but fine fabrics may collapse too easily; this can be remedied by
using plain or grid iron-on interfacing to stiffen the fabric.

 Thick fabrics should be stitched using a large, widely-spaced grid, while finer fabrics can be smocked on a
smaller grid pattern (5mm/¼in).

 If you mark out your design with a vanishing pen or tailor’s chalk, the stitched side of the design could be
used as the front.

 There are many more designs possible than it is possible to show here, and you could easily create your
own variations.

Prepare the fabric

The grid can be transferred to the reverse of the fabric using any of the marking methods, including iron-on transfer,
vanishing pen or tailor’s chalk. You may find it helpful to transfer the markings from the chart as well as the
grid. Note: Loops show where the stitch is pulled up and solid arrowed lines show where the stitch is left loose.

While the fastest way of preparing the design onto the back of the fabric is iron-on grid interfacing, you will find that it
is harder to stitch through. The interfacing will stiffen the fabric, making it hold the shape well and the folds will be
much crisper and more defined. However, a softer finish may be preferable and experimentation is the key.

Grid interfacing is most commonly available in 2.5cm (1in) squares and this has been used for all the samples shown.
While 1cm (3⁄₈in) grid interfacing is also available this square size is probably too small except for the finest of fabrics,
so lines at 2cm (¾in) would have to be drawn over the interfacing.

If using grid interfacing, draw the design directly onto it. If using a hand-drawn or transferred grid, mark the row
numbers on the fabric for ease of reference.

Basic method

1) Prepare your fabric and transfer your chosen design onto the reverse of the fabric. Thread your needle with a
strong thread, such as polyester, ensuring it is long enough to complete one row of the design and that it matches
your fabric; make a knot at the end of the thread.
2) You are ready to begin stitching. Each stitch picks up only a couple of threads, which hardly show from the front.
Make the first stitch at the start point shown on the diagram, making two tiny stitches to fasten.

3) Take the needle diagonally to the next point and pull up.
 4) Knot the thread by going back through the stitch.

5) Make the next stitch, which is an unpulled stitch. Pick up threads at the required point then knot the stitch as in
step 4, so that this stitch does not pull when you pull up the following stitch. Continue following the diagram to the end
of the row. Return to the top to start the second row, using a new piece of thread.
 LATTICE SMOCKING

Note: On the stitch diagrams, loops show where the stitch is pulled up and arrowed lines show where the stitch is left
loose.
 ARROW SMOCKING

Note: On the stitch diagrams, loops show where the stitch is pulled up and arrowed lines show where the stitch is left
loose.
GRID SMOCKING
 BOX SMOCKING

Flowers worked on a soft, polycotton gingham which

drapes well. It uses the same technique as Unpressed
Close boxes stitch diagram: loops show where the stitch Close Boxes but worked in a different way. It is
is pulled up and arrowed lines show where the stitch is particularly effective in gingham (2.5cm/1in squares) due
left loose. In this variation of Boxes each square is to the shading, but it can be worked also on plain fabric if
worked. Working on the reverse of the fabric, stitch a grid is drawn on in vanishing pen before stitching. To
around the box as marked, picking up a couple of threads work, stitch the design from the front, pulling up the
at each corner, then pull up all the stitches together. threads tightly then moving to the next box on the reverse
Fasten firmly, then make one unpulled stitch to start the of the fabric. Push the folds to the front to create the
next box. Continue working across in this manner. flower effect. The lower part of the sample shows how the
technique works if you do not push all the folds to the
front.
 Reverse of flowers: this shows the dark green blobs
where the folds have been pushed through to the front.
Unpressed close boxes in cotton voile: the folds have been This is also an effective texture and could be used as
left to the front and unpressed, while the side folds have the front fabric.
been finger pressed and manipulated into shape. The
piece is worked with iron-on interfacing, which creates
some stiffness in the fabric to allow for manipulation.
TUTORIAL
TUTORIAL