Your Complete Guide: ‘How To Follow A Sewing Pattern’

A sewing pattern is like a map. It shows you how to cut fabric pieces and put them together. Can anyone follow a sewing pattern? Yes! With a little patience and this guide, you can learn to make beautiful clothes or crafts. This guide will help you understand every part of a pattern, from the first cut to the final stitch.

Image Source: camimade.com

Starting Your Sewing Journey: Gathering Your Tools

Before you start, you need the right tools. Think of it like cooking. You need pots and pans before you can make a meal. Sewing is the same. Having the right things ready makes everything easier.

What You Need

You don’t need a huge collection of tools. Just a few key items will get you started.

Fabric Essentials

• Fabric: The main material for your project. Your pattern will tell you how much to buy. It will also suggest what kind of fabric works best.
• Sharp Fabric Shears: These scissors are only for fabric. Do not use them on paper. Using them only on fabric keeps them sharp. Sharp scissors give you clean cuts.
• Pins: Use these to hold your pattern pieces onto the fabric. Pins also hold fabric pieces together before you sew them.
• Measuring Tape: You need this to check your size. You also use it to measure fabric.
• Ruler: A clear ruler is good for marking straight lines. A seam gauge is a small ruler for checking small measurements like seam allowances.

Notion Necessities

The notions list for patterns tells you all the small items you need. These are not fabric. They are things like buttons, zippers, thread, and elastic. This list is usually on the pattern envelope.

Here are common notions:

• Thread: Choose thread that matches your fabric. Or pick a color that makes a nice contrast. Strong thread is important.
• Buttons: If your pattern needs buttons, the size and number will be listed.
• Zippers: Patterns tell you the right length and type of zipper.
• Elastic: Some projects need elastic for waistbands or cuffs. The width and length will be noted.
• Interfacing: This is a special fabric. It adds stiffness to certain parts, like collars or cuffs. It makes parts hold their shape better.
• Snaps or Hooks & Eyes: These are other ways to close clothes.
• Iron and Ironing Board: You will press seams as you sew. This makes your project look neat and professional.
• Marking Tool: This could be chalk, a fabric pen, or tailor’s tacks. You use it to put marks from the pattern onto your fabric.

Having these items ready saves you time. You won’t have to stop sewing to find something.

Deciphering Your Sewing Pattern

A sewing pattern might look confusing at first. It has many lines and symbols. But each one has a meaning. We will break it down. You will learn to read your pattern like a pro.

Grasping Pattern Envelopes

The pattern envelope holds much important information. Always look at it carefully.

• What’s on the Front?

  • Picture: This shows what the finished project looks like. It helps you see the style.
  • Pattern Number: This is a special number for finding the pattern again.
  • Brand Name: Like Simplicity, McCall’s, Butterick, or Vogue.
  • Project Type: Is it a dress, a skirt, pants, or something else?

• What’s on the Back?

  • Description: A short write-up about the project.
  • Suggested Fabrics: A list of fabric types that work well. This is very important. Using the wrong fabric can make your project not look right.
  • Notions List: We just talked about this. It tells you all the small items you need.
  • Yardage Chart: This tells you how much fabric to buy. It lists amounts for different fabric widths and sizes.
  • Body Measurement Chart: This is for interpreting sewing pattern sizes. This chart is key. Pattern sizes are often different from ready-to-wear clothing sizes. Do not just pick your usual clothing size. Measure your body. Then compare your measurements to the chart. Pick the pattern size that matches your measurements best. If you are between sizes, go up a size. You can always make things smaller. Making them bigger is hard.
  • Finished Garment Measurements: Some patterns include these. They tell you the actual size of the finished item. This helps you choose how loose or fitted you want your project to be.

Interpreting Sewing Pattern Symbols

Learning understanding sewing pattern symbols is a big step. These small marks tell you a lot. They show you where to cut, where to sew, and how pieces fit together. Here are some common symbols:

Symbol / Mark	What It Looks Like	What It Means
Grainline	A long line with arrows on ends	Shows how to line up the pattern piece with fabric grain.
Place on Fold	A line with arrows pointing away	Put this edge of the pattern piece on a folded edge of fabric.
Cutting Line	A solid line	Cut along this line.
Stitching Line	A dashed or dotted line	This is where you will sew your seams.
Notches	Small diamonds, triangles, or lines	Used to match fabric pieces perfectly.
Dots/Circles	Small filled or open circles	Used for matching, gathering, or placing zippers/pockets.
Triangles	Small triangles	Similar to dots, for matching or placing.
Darts	Two lines meeting at a point	These give shape to flat fabric (e.g., for busts).
Buttonholes	A special symbol for buttonholes	Shows where to make buttonholes.
Buttons	A small X or circle	Shows where to sew buttons.
Lengthen/Shorten	Double lines across the pattern	Shows where you can change the length of the pattern piece.

Look for a legend on your pattern sheet. This legend explains all the symbols used in that specific pattern.

Fathoming Grainline Directions

The grainline interpretation is very important. It tells you how to place your pattern piece on the fabric.

Why Grain Matters

Fabric has a grain. This is the way the threads are woven.
* Lengthwise Grain: Runs parallel to the selvedge (the finished edge of the fabric). This is the strongest grain. It has very little stretch.
* Crosswise Grain: Runs perpendicular (straight across) to the selvedge. It has a little more stretch than the lengthwise grain.
* Bias Grain: Runs at a 45-degree angle to the selvedge. This grain has the most stretch and drape.

A grainline arrow on your pattern piece must be parallel to the lengthwise grain of your fabric. This means the arrow should be exactly straight with the selvedge. Use a ruler to check. Measure the distance from each end of the grainline arrow to the selvedge. Both measurements should be the same. This makes sure your finished garment hangs correctly. It prevents twisting or stretching out of shape.

Reading Pattern Instructions

The instructions are your step-by-step guide. Reading pattern instructions carefully before you start is a must.

• General Guidance:

  • Glossary: Many patterns include a short sewing pattern glossary. If you see a word you don’t know, check here. It will define terms like “baste,” “topstitch,” “ease,” and “right sides together.” This is a helpful resource.
  • Pre-Sewing Tips: Read about preparing your fabric. This usually means washing and drying it. This prevents shrinking later.
  • Layout Diagrams: These pictures show you how to place pattern pieces on your fabric. They are crucial for cutting correctly.

• Step-by-Step Breakdown:

  • The instructions are numbered. Follow them in order. Do not skip steps.
  • Each step usually has a diagram. Look at the diagram. Then read the words.
  • Take your time. If a step seems unclear, re-read it. Look at the picture again.
  • Words like “right sides together” are common. This means putting the pretty sides of the fabric facing each other. The sewing happens on the wrong side.
  • “Seam allowance” is the distance from the raw edge of the fabric to your stitching line. Patterns usually state the seam allowance (e.g., 5/8 inch or 1.5 cm). Always keep this distance consistent.

Accessing a Sewing Pattern Glossary

A sewing pattern glossary is a list of terms. It explains sewing words. Knowing these words makes reading patterns much easier.

Why it Helps

When you are new to sewing, you will see many new words. A glossary helps you learn what they mean. This stops confusion. It builds your sewing knowledge.

Key Terms to Know

• Basting: A temporary stitch. Use it to hold pieces together. You usually remove it later.
• Backstitch: Stitching a few stitches forward, then backward, then forward again. This locks your stitches. It stops them from coming undone. Do this at the start and end of seams.
• Ease: Fitting one piece of fabric to another that is slightly different in size without gathers or puckers.
• Finish Seam: Doing something to the raw edges of a seam to stop them from fraying. You can zigzag stitch, serge, or use pinking shears.
• Gather: Making a longer piece of fabric fit a shorter piece. You make small folds or tucks.
• Hand Basting: Using a needle and thread by hand to hold fabric pieces together.
• Hem: The finished edge of a garment. You fold the fabric up and sew it down.
• Interfacing: Material sewn or ironed onto fabric. It gives structure and support.
• Nap: The direction of the fabric’s pile or texture. Think of velvet. It looks different if you rub it one way or another. Patterns will show “with nap” or “without nap” layouts.
• Pressing: Lifting the iron and placing it down. This is different from ironing (sliding the iron). Pressing shapes and flattens seams. Always press as you go.
• Right Sides Together (RST): Placing the good, pretty sides of two fabric pieces facing each other.
• Seam Allowance: The area between the stitching line and the raw edge of the fabric.
• Selvedge: The finished edge of the fabric. It does not fray.
• Staystitch: Stitching near a curved or angled edge. This stops the fabric from stretching out of shape. Do this early in the sewing process.
• Topstitch: A line of stitching on the outside of a garment. It is often decorative. It can also hold layers down.
• Understitch: Stitching the seam allowance to one side of a facing or lining. This stops the facing from rolling to the outside.
• Wrong Sides Together (WST): Placing the dull, wrong sides of two fabric pieces facing each other.

Preparing Your Fabric and Pattern Pieces

Good preparation makes for a good project. Do not rush these steps. They save you trouble later.

Pre-Washing Your Fabric

Why It’s Important

Always wash and dry your fabric before you cut it. Wash it the same way you plan to wash the finished garment. Fabric can shrink. If you cut it and sew it without washing, your finished project might shrink later. Then it might not fit. This is called pre-shrinking.

Fabric Layout for Sewing Patterns

This is a critical step. The fabric layout for sewing patterns diagram in your instructions shows you how to put the pattern pieces on your fabric.

Folding Fabric

• Check the Diagram: Your pattern layout diagram will show you how to fold your fabric. Common folds include:
  • Lengthwise Fold: Folding the fabric in half with the selvedges together.
  • Crosswise Fold: Folding the fabric in half across the width.
  • Double Fold: Folding the fabric in half, then folding it in half again.
• Smooth and Flat: Make sure your fabric is flat. There should be no wrinkles or bumps. Lay it on a large, flat surface. A dining table or the floor works well.
• Match Selvedges: If you are folding lengthwise, line up the selvedges. Pin them together if they are very slippery. This ensures your fabric is on-grain.

Pinning Pieces

• Place Carefully: Lay out all your pattern pieces first. Put them on the fabric as shown in the layout diagram. Pay close attention to the grainline arrows.
• Pin Evenly: Use plenty of pins. Pin along the edges of the pattern pieces. Put pins every few inches. This stops the paper pattern from shifting while you cut.
• Check Grainline Again: Before you cut, double-check that all grainline arrows are parallel to the selvedge or fold. Use your ruler. This step is so important for how your clothes will hang.

Cutting Pattern Pieces

Now it’s time to cut. Cutting pattern pieces accurately is essential. Sloppy cutting leads to problems later.

Sharp Shears Are Key

• Use sharp fabric shears. Dull scissors chew fabric. This makes uneven edges.
• Cut with long, smooth strokes. Do not make tiny snips. This also creates jagged edges.

Smooth Cuts

• Cut slowly and carefully along the cutting lines. These are usually solid lines on the pattern.
• Cut out all notches. Notches are small triangles or lines. They help you match pieces later. You can cut them pointing out or in. Some people just snip a small line into the seam allowance.
• Cut out any internal markings if the pattern calls for it. Sometimes, you cut a small hole for a circle mark.

Marking Your Fabric Accurately

You have cut your fabric. Now you need to transfer the special marks. These marks tell you where to sew darts, put pockets, or match seams.

Transferring Pattern Markings

Transferring pattern markings is a simple but very important step. These marks are like little reminders of what to do next.

What to Mark

• Darts: These are V-shaped folds that give shape to clothes. Mark the lines and the point.
• Dots and Triangles: These are matching points. They show you where different pieces should line up. They also show where to stop stitching.
• Buttonholes and Buttons: Mark their exact positions.
• Pocket Placements: Mark where pockets should go on the fabric.
• Fold Lines: Some patterns have lines for folds, like hems or facings.

Marking Tools

Choose a tool that works for your fabric.
* Tailor’s Chalk: A good all-around choice. It brushes off easily.
* Fabric Marking Pens: These can be air-erasable, water-erasable, or heat-erasable. Test them on a scrap of your fabric first. Make sure the marks disappear completely.
* Tracing Wheel and Carbon Paper: Place carbon paper under your fabric. Use a tracing wheel to trace over the pattern lines. This makes a clear line on your fabric.
* Tailor’s Tacks: Use a needle and thread to make loose loops. These marks are good for delicate fabrics or marks that need to be on both sides of the fabric.

Best Practices

• Mark on the wrong side of your fabric. This keeps the good side clean.
• Mark all necessary lines and dots. Double-check your pattern for what needs to be marked.
• Be gentle. Do not stretch your fabric while marking.

Assembling Your Project Step-by-Step

This is where your fabric pieces start to look like a real garment. Following the steps in order is key.

Sewing Pattern Assembly Steps

The sewing pattern assembly steps are the heart of your pattern. They tell you exactly what to sew and when.

Following the Order

• Read Ahead: Before you sew, read the next few steps. This helps you know what is coming.
• Step-by-Step: Do one step at a time. Do not try to skip steps or do them out of order. Each step builds on the last.
• Right Sides Together (RST): Most seams are sewn with the “right sides together.” The good side of one fabric piece faces the good side of another.

Seam Allowances

• Measure Carefully: Your pattern will state the seam allowance (e.g., 5/8 inch or 1.5 cm). This is the distance from the cut edge of the fabric to your stitching line.
• Use Your Sewing Machine: Most sewing machines have guide marks on the needle plate. Line up the edge of your fabric with the correct mark. This keeps your seam allowance even. An even seam allowance means your pieces will fit together correctly.

Pressing Matters

• Press as You Go: Pressing seams after each step is super important. It makes your work flat and neat. It also helps your final project look professional.
• Open or To One Side: The pattern instructions will tell you if you should press seams open or to one side. Follow these directions.
• Use a Press Cloth: For delicate fabrics, use a press cloth. This protects your fabric from heat marks.

Key Techniques to Use

• Basting: Sometimes, you need to hold pieces temporarily. You can do a long stitch on your machine. Or you can hand bast. Remove basting stitches after you sew the real seam.
• Staystitching: This is a line of regular stitching. Sew it inside the seam allowance on curved or bias edges. It stops these edges from stretching out of shape. Do this as one of your first sewing steps.
• Finishing Seams: After you sew a seam, the raw edges can fray. To stop this, you can:
  • Zigzag stitch: Use a zigzag stitch on your machine along the raw edge.
  • Serge: If you have a serger (overlocker), this is a quick way to finish edges.
  • Pinking Shears: These special scissors cut a zigzag edge. This reduces fraying.
  • French Seams: A special seam that encloses the raw edges inside the seam itself. This is good for delicate fabrics.
• Darts: Sew darts from the wider end to the point. Do not backstitch at the point. Instead, leave long thread tails and tie a knot. Or sew off the fabric edge for a few stitches. This makes the dart lie flat.
• Gathers: To gather fabric, sew two lines of basting stitches. Pull the bobbin threads to gather the fabric evenly.
• Zippers and Buttons: The pattern will give clear steps for these. Zippers often need a special zipper foot on your machine.

Common Challenges and Simple Solutions

Sewing can have small bumps in the road. Do not get upset. Most problems have easy fixes.

When Things Go Wrong

• Fabric Slides: Use more pins! Try walking your fingers along the seam as you sew. Use a walking foot on your machine if you have one.
• Stitches Are Uneven: Check your machine’s tension settings. Make sure your bobbin is wound correctly. Practice on scraps.
• Project Does Not Fit: Did you measure correctly before you started? Did you check your seam allowances? If it’s too big, you can take in the seams. If it’s too small, sometimes you can let out seam allowances a bit.
• Pattern Pieces Don’t Match: Did you cut accurately? Did you transfer all the notches and dots? Did you press your seams correctly? Go back and check these things.

Tips for Beginners

• Start Simple: Choose a pattern marked “easy” or “beginner.” Skirts, pajamas, or simple tote bags are good starts.
• Read All Instructions First: This gives you a clear idea of the whole project.
• Make a Muslin: For bigger projects like dresses, make a “muslin.” This means sewing the project in cheap fabric first. It helps you check the fit and practice tricky steps.
• Practice Stitches: Before sewing your real fabric, sew on a scrap. Check your stitch length and tension.
• Use a Seam Ripper: Everyone makes mistakes. A seam ripper is your friend. It takes out stitches. Be gentle so you don’t damage the fabric.
• Be Patient: Sewing takes time. Enjoy the process. It’s okay to go slow.

Final Touches and Beyond

You are nearing the end of your project. The final steps make your hard work shine.

Completing Your Project

• Hems: The last main sewing step is often the hem. Follow the pattern’s directions for folding and stitching. Press the hem well.
• Closures: Sew on buttons, snaps, or hooks and eyes.
• Final Press: Give your finished garment a good press. This makes it look crisp and new.
• Trim Threads: Snip any loose threads.

Growing Your Skills

• Try New Things: Once you feel good with basic patterns, try patterns with new techniques. Maybe a collar, a zipper, or a tricky pocket.
• Join a Sewing Group: Connect with other sewers. You can learn from each other.
• Watch Videos: Many sewing videos are online. They can show you how to do specific steps.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you sew, the better you become. Every project teaches you something new.

Learning to follow a sewing pattern is a rewarding skill. It opens up a world of creativity. You can make clothes that fit you perfectly. You can craft unique items for your home. Remember to take it one step at a time. Soon, you will be making amazing things. Happy sewing!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How do I know what size sewing pattern to buy?
A1: Do not use your ready-to-wear clothing size. Measure your bust, waist, and hips. Then, compare your body measurements to the size chart on the back of the pattern envelope. Pick the pattern size that matches your measurements closest. If you are between sizes, it is often best to choose the larger size. You can always make a garment smaller.

Q2: What if my fabric slips a lot when I try to cut it?
A2: Use more pins! Pin along the edges of the pattern pieces closer together. Make sure your fabric is lying perfectly flat. Some people put a sheet or non-slip mat under their fabric. A rotary cutter and mat can also help with slippery fabrics, as they allow you to cut without lifting the fabric.

Q3: My sewing machine keeps jamming or making uneven stitches. What should I do?
A3: First, rethread your machine. Do this for both the top thread and the bobbin. Make sure the thread is seated correctly in all tension discs. Check that your needle is new and inserted correctly. Also, make sure you are using the right needle type and size for your fabric. Test on a scrap piece of fabric before sewing your project.

Q4: Can I reuse sewing patterns?
A4: Yes, you can! Be careful when cutting them. Some people trace their pattern pieces onto heavier paper or interfacing. This makes the patterns last longer. If you use different sizes from the same pattern, tracing is especially helpful.

Q5: What is “grainline” and why is it important?
A5: The grainline shows the direction of the threads in your fabric. Fabric has lengthwise threads (strongest, least stretch) and crosswise threads (some stretch). The grainline arrow on your pattern piece must run parallel to the lengthwise threads of your fabric. This makes sure your finished garment hangs straight and does not twist or stretch out of shape over time.