Cutting and Pattern Marking

Firstly when learning how to sew a dress there are some very difficult materials to work with. Leather and suede present special problems to the designer. All the seams should be stay-stitched with tape to prevent pulling and cutting through the skin.

IMPORTANT – DO NOT PIN LEATHER OR SUEDE – Cut and fit your entire pattern accurately in muslin and after all alterations and fittings are as good as can be

– use this muslin for your pattern in cutting out the suede or leather. Lay your pattern pieces on the wrong side of the material, DO NOT PIN. Cut. In working with leather or suede – THE FIRST SEWING HAS TO BE THE FINAL SEWING. If stitching has to be removed and done over, the material will be weakened and cut by the needle, and unsightly markings will be produced.

FURS

Cutting of furs is very exacting, and delicate, and difficult, but if your dressmaking designs call for fur trimming you will want to know how it’s done. Place the fur side down and do all your marking on the skin side. MARKING THE PATTERN PIECES

CHALK MARKING

Carefully lift pattern from cutting table to chalk board with muslin side up. With your tracing wheel trace over every marking, all sewing lines, and every cross mark. Remove muslin pattern, but don’t unfold material. Place the opposite side on the chalk board and proceed to mark this side by tracing over the first chalked lines. Don’t knot the thread. End your line of marking stitches in the same manner. Never knot your marking or basting threads. Cross marks take the place of notches. In making cross marks use a double thread, no knots, and no back stitches. Start with a tail, taking small running stitches, and end with a tail.

PIN MARKING

On light materials when chalk marks will not show up very well pin marking is used. Cut and mark carefully and you will get pleasing results in your dress designs.

Basic Principles and Practice of Dress Fitting
If you have cut and marked your material properly from your dressmaking pattern – you are now ready to proceed in finishing your dress and then have your first dress fitting.

Baste or pin in all darts, tucks, and any other inside design form shaping details.

Stay-stitch all curved and bias edges to prevent stretching material out of shape. Remember to handle your material lightly at all times.

Pin or baste shoulder and side seams of bodice. Baste sleeve seams and put aside. Pin or baste skirt seams.

THE FIRST FITTING

Drape bodice on dress form or living figure. When you are satisfied with the fit of this part of your costume, drape the skirt over your form, turn down seam allowance at waistline and attach to bodice at the waistline by matching your side seams, center front and center back, and other markings inherent to your design. Mark any changes you have made with chalk. Remove garment from form and take the next step to the finish line. Before you remove any pins, make sure that you have marked all seam allowances and all changes.

Begin with sewing in all your darts and inner lines of design.

PRESS EACH DART, SEAM, OR LINE OF SEWING BEFORE ATTACHING ANY CROSS SEAMS OR ASSEMBLING THE ADJOINING PART.

Press darts from the wider part toward the tip. Use your press mitt or tailor’s ham. Press waistline and shoulder darts toward the center of the garment; and bust line or sleeve darts downward. When working with very heavy material or very wide darts – trim dart to about 1″ of sewing line and press open, leaving a triangular fold at the tip of the dart.
ALWAYS PRESS BIAS SECTION WITH THE GRAIN OF THE MATERIAL TO AVOID STRETCHING OUT OF SHAPE.
Time for a second dress fitting.

If your design calls for a collar – baste it in.

Have another fitting to check on collar and sleeves – Do the sleeves fall properly? Mark any changes necessary.

Now finish the bodice completely.

Remember to press each seam before sewing on a cross seam.

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