Tips to Lay Out a Pattern and Cut Fabric

Accurately
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You’ve bought beautiful fabric, chosen a pattern, altered it to fit your body, and now you’re
anxious to dive into construction. Wait! Don’t rush the next step of laying out your pattern and
cutting your fabric. Here’s why: All the slight errors and inaccuracies you might make if you
hurry at this stage would readily add up, and the sum total of slightly off-grain, jagged cut edges,
shifted fabric, and other gremlins may equal disappointing results, such as distortion of the style
lines or even an unintentional change in dress size. I’ll take you through the fundamental steps
for correct layout and cutting so you can get a good start on your garment.

Layout varies with fabric type

The first step in constructing a fine garment is to arrange your pattern pieces on the fabric,
creating a layout that works with the type of fabric you’re using. You can, of course, use the
pattern instruction’s suggested layouts, but remember that these cannot take into account your
fabric type, nor do they necessarily lay out the pattern pieces in the most economical way. For
example, if your fabric is a solid color or a multidirectional print (meaning the print’s pattern is
symmetrical or otherwise looks right both when positioned up or down on your garment), you’ll
be able to use what’s called a two-way layout, that is, one in which the pattern piece can be
placed heading in either direction on the fabric’s lengthwise grain.

Nap and one-way layouts

Any fabric with a nap (surface texture that looks different when the fabric is turned crosswise or
upside down) or pile and any asymmetrical print needs a one-way layout, that is, with all the
pattern pieces placed to head in the same direction (see the drawings below). If your pattern
recommends avoiding napped fabric, do just that.

Observe the grainline

Another important aspect of fabric that affects laying out your pattern is its grain. (to learn about
finding the fabric’s grain, see Basics in Threads #96, p.20). Start the layout process by
establishing a stable crossgrain edge. To do this, tear the fabric across the grain or trim the edge
along a pulled thread. Then, match the grainline printed on each pattern piece (the straight line
with arrows on each end) to the fabric’s grain. If a pattern section is cut the slightest bit askew to
the fabric’s grain, the garment won’t drape properly, and the directional change in napped fabric
will be distinctly noticeable. And when laying out interfacing or lining material, use the same
grain direction that you used to cut the garment fabric.

Many fabrics are cut with a double-layer layout, in which the fabric is folded in half, usually
lengthwise along its grain, for cutting two layers of fabric from one pattern piece. Fabrics with
asymmetrical prints or weaves need to be cut out single-layer. This, of course, means that you’ll
need to make a full pattern piece for pieces marked for cutting out on the fold, and you need to
flip over pattern pieces for their second cutting in order to cut their mirror images.

Tip: Line up the fabric selvage or folded edge with the machine-cut edge of the paper.
Industry’s big secret: paper
Paper is extremely useful for supporting lightweight fabric, such as lining material, rayon,
chiffon, silk, knits, and pile fabric. But fabrics of all weights are easier to handle using the paper
technique. Another advantage of using paper is that, after pinning through all layers, including
the paper, a garment section is so well stabilized that you can move it easily when cutting
awkward angles. Slipping, sliding, and shifting fabric is never a problem. You can use shelf
paper, butcher paper, unprinted newsprint (sometimes available very inexpensively at your local
newspaper) or brown kraft paper (available at art-supply stores).Having decided on a layout,
you’re now ready to pin your pressed pattern pieces to the fabric, carefully matching grainlines.
But first, here’s an industry tip that makes cutting out a pattern easy and efficient: The garment
industry’s cutters, both in their sample and production rooms, always place brown paper
underneath the fabric before layout and cutting, no matter how many layers are to be cut. The
reason? The paper ensures that the fabric will not move or slither during cutting (the paper is cut
along with the pinned pattern). This benefit is a terrific boon to cutting accuracy.

How to lay out on paper

To lay out your fabric double-layered on paper, fold it in half (usually lengthwise) with right
sides together on top of the brown paper. Folding the fabric right sides together and aligning
either selvage or foldline to the paper’s edge keeps the fabric on grain while cutting, makes
pattern marking easier to transfer, and protects the fabric’s right side from soil. If you like the
fabric’s wrong side and want it to face outward, there’s no law against this; fold back one corner
and compare the two sides for these aesthetic decisions. To lay out the fabric single-layered,
place it face down on the paper, aligning one selvage with the paper’s cut edge.
Tip: The entire length of fabric can be pinned to paper. When you run out of table space, gently
fold (don’t crease) the paper, along with the pinned fabric, letting it stack up loosely at one end
of your table.

Matching plaids and stripes is good craftsmanship

Whether stripes run lengthwise or crosswise on the fabric, when laying out folded, symmetrically
striped fabric, make sure the top layer’s stripes match those underneath for the fabric’s entire
length (see the drawing below). If matching the stripes causes diagonal ripples across the fabric,
you’ll need to straighten the fabric’s grain (see Basics in No. 96, p. 20, for more on straightening
grain).Plaid and striped fabrics are a little fussier to lay out than most fabrics, but if you follow
these guidelines, the resulting garment will have stripes that cross seamlines and plaids that
appear uninterrupted by seams.

The lengthwise and crosswise stripes of symmetrical plaid fabric should also match on both
fabric layers. To prepare plaid fabric for layout, simply follow the same procedure that I’ve
described for striped fabric.
Layouts for plaids and stripes

The layout for symmetrically striped or plaid fabrics starts by placing pattern pieces to be laid
out on the fold. By laying these pieces first, you can pencil-mark the location of the stripes
(lengthwise and crosswise) directly on the pattern piece at the shoulder, side-seam, and armhole
notches. Next, to ensure that the stripes match across seamlines, pair up the adjoining pattern
pieces with those pinned on the fold by aligning their common notches, and transfer the stripe
marks to the adjoining pieces. Then you can accurately position these pattern pieces on the
appropriate stripe(s) in the fabric.

Tip: When laying out pile fabric, gently fold the right sides together, but don’t smooth out the
fabric with the palm of your hand. If you do, the fabric will stretch and the pile’s threads will
lock together, creating a distorted pattern shape. Instead, holding the selvages together, “fluff”
the fabric in the air and let it settle naturally. Any remaining wrinkles can be removed by gently
tapping the wrinkled area with a  ruler, or a piece of stiff cardboard.

Pin the pattern every few inches

Pinning the pattern to the fabric may seem like an easy task. If you’re shooting for accuracy,
follow these steps. Start by placing the appropriate pattern pieces on the fabric’s foldline.
Diagonally pin the edge marked with two connected arrows (the universal foldline marking)
exactly on the fabric fold, which corresponds to the fabric’s grain.

Next, pin the other pattern pieces correctly, first pin one end of the pattern’s printed grainline to
the fabric, then position the grainline’s other end so that it’s equidistant from either the selvage
or the fold at the first pin (see the drawing on the facing page). Before adding any more pins to
this pattern piece, pin the grainlines of all other pattern pieces to the fabric the same way.

After you have pinned all the pattern pieces to the grainline, pin through all layers around each
pattern piece’s edges every few inches and at each corner. Make sure to keep the pins well inside
the cutting lines. Keep the fabric flat with pattern weights as you pin, and avoid overpinning,
which can cause the fabric to distort.

Tip: When matching lengthwise stripes, the selvages should be parallel, but the fold doesn’t
have to be centered on the fabric’s full width (this can help conserve fabric).

Use a rotary cutter or shears for cutting

Whether you cut out pattern pieces with a rotary cutter or shears, cut with the bulk of the pattern
to the left of the scissors or rotary blade (reverse if you’re left-handed). When using shears, place
one hand on the pattern, close to the cutting line where your other hand is manipulating the
shears. Cut in full strokes—choppy cuts result in jagged edges. Move the non-cutting hand along
with the shears as they cut, to keep the fabric as close as possible to the table. And, yes, cut the
paper layer along with the other layers (have your shears sharpened professionally at regular
intervals—you’ll be able feel when the scissors are beginning to get dull, and your cutting won’t
be crisp and clean). As you cut, reposition a section as needed to accurately cut an area that
would otherwise be awkward to reach.

Be fanatic when it comes to good layout and cutting practices, and soon all these procedures will
be automatic. And you’ll end up with a garment you’ll be proud to wear.

Tip: The straight line with arrows on each end that’s printed on the pattern piece is its grainline
and should always be aligned parallel to the fabric’s selvage on the fabric’s lengthwise grain—
even when the line is printed diagonally on the pattern.

Previous: Pattern Layouts Next: Learn to Pin a Pattern for Best Results

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Guide

Learn to Sew
Chapter
Getting Started
 Equipment and supplies
 Fabric
 Patterns and Cutting
o Patterns 101
o Pattern Layouts
o Tips to Lay Out a Pattern and Cut Fabric Accurately
o Learn to Pin a Pattern for Best Results
o Cut Fabric Accurately for Sewing

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