How to cut a sewing pattern
Or how to place your pieces on your fabric for efficient cutting.
How to cut fabric… sounds obvious, right? But do you really know how to go about it? How to lay out your fabric? How to position your pattern pieces?
Maybe you've got the basics down. Or maybe you don't even know there were rules to follow…
Some patterns come with a fairly detailed layout showing how to place your pattern pieces on your fabric yardage. Others don't… My patterns don't come with a layout. Why? Because I think it's a lot more important for you to actually understand how it works, rather than blindly follow a layout that might not perfectly suit the width of your fabric.
So, if you want to know what to do no matter what fabric you're working with, follow along, I've got a few tips for you. Because whether you're using a salvaged old curtain or buying something super fancy, the techniques stay the same.
Prepping your fabric before cutting a pattern
First, before you even start, you need to prep your fabric. If you're not sure how, go check out my article: Why you should wash your fabric before sewing (and when not to). It's really important to prep your fabric, so don't skip that step!
Laying your pattern out on your fabric
There are 4 golden rules to follow:
1- Fold your fabric correctly
Fold your fabric in half, right sides together. That's the basics (there are a few exceptions, but we'll get to those).
Most patterns (at least the symmetrical ones) only have one "front" piece, one "back" piece, etc. But to make your garment, you need 2 of each (because you've got a right side and a left side), right? That's actually why your pattern says "cut 2." So you'll fold your fabric in half, bringing the selvages together, right sides facing each other. That way, you can trace onto the wrong side of your fabric, and when cutting, each pattern piece will be cut twice, as mirror images.
Some pieces also need to be placed on the fold of the fabric. Generally, these are pieces like "center front," "center back," etc. You can easily spot them by the fold symbol (usually accompanied by the label "fabric fold" or something similar). For these pieces, you only want one of each, but you want it perfectly symmetrical.
That's why these pieces get placed against the fabric fold. Make sure to line your piece up right at the edge of the fabric, and whatever you do, don't cut along the fold line! It's a fold, not a cut.
2- Start with the big pieces
It's like anything else… When you're heading out on vacation and packing your car trunk, you start with the biggest pieces, the ones with awkward shapes, right?
Same thing goes for laying out pattern pieces.
Start with the bigger pieces, the ones with slightly odd shapes, to make sure they fit properly. Also make sure to place your pieces that need the fabric fold. You've only got one fold, use it wisely.
Once the big pieces are positioned, fill in the gaps with the smaller ones. You might need to shift a few pieces around to make sure everything fits well and you're not wasting too much space.
3- Respect the grainline
The grainline needs to be parallel to the selvage. Pa. Ra. Llel.
That long line on your pattern piece is the grainline. That long line needs to be placed parallel to the selvage of your fabric.
Why does it matter so much? Because otherwise, your garment will end up skewed.
What does that even mean?
You've probably bought a cheap t-shirt before. And after a few washes (sometimes even the first one!), the shirt starts to twist and the side seam drifts toward the front, and your t-shirt just feels a bit off... You know what I mean, right?
It's happened to me with pants too. And it's a bit of a bummer when it does.
And all of that happens because the pieces were poorly placed on the fabric. Placed quickly, placed crooked, and they warp over time.
If you don't want that to happen, lay your pattern pieces out nice and straight, making sure the grainline on your pattern is parallel to the selvage of your fabric.
4- Don't forget the notches!
To make sure you don't forget your notches when cutting your pieces, you need to trace them when you trace your pattern onto your fabric.
There are several ways to mark your notches: personally, I prefer just making a small snip into the fabric. Some people prefer a little triangle that sticks out (because it's more visible). Go with whatever works for you, as long as you can keep track of it.
Notches are really important to make sure you assemble the right pieces. That you assemble them the right way around. And in the right order.
With these 4 basic rules, you should be in pretty good shape to get through most of it. That said, like with anything, there are exceptions, special cases, details to keep in mind.
Here are a few points not to forget:
How to handle very wide pattern pieces
If your pieces are so wide they don't fit on your fabric folded in half, what do you do?
This happens with very loose-fitting designs or larger sizes, or if your fabric is really narrow (or all of the above).
In that case, you won't have a choice, you'll need to cut your pieces one at a time, on your fabric laid out flat. Careful, since your fabric won't be folded in two, you'll only be cutting one side at a time. So don't forget to flip your pattern piece over to cut the mirrored second piece (and end up with a left side and a right side).
How to handle stretch fabric
Generally speaking, it doesn't change anything whether your fabric is stretchy or not… unless the direction it stretches in isn't "standard." Let me explain:
Normally, stretch fabrics (whether a knit or a fabric containing spandex or elastane) stretch along the weft (perpendicular to the grainline). In that case, everything's fine, because that's the direction you want your garment to stretch in.
But sometimes you'll end up with a fabric that stretches along the warp (or the grainline). In that case, it's better to place your pieces completely perpendicular to the grainline. Because you want your finished garment to stretch in the direction that actually matters.
*Some patterns designed for stretch fabric will have an arrow indicating the direction of stretch. That can help you position your pieces the right way.
How to handle an asymmetrical design
With an asymmetrical design, you need to pay close attention! Especially because the markings aren't the same everywhere. Most often, you'll see the label "R.S.Up" (for Right Side Up).
Which means you need to place your pattern pieces right side up, on your fabric right side up too. If you place a pattern piece upside down, it'll be cut on the wrong side, and your design won't work.
*Technically, if you do that for every pattern piece, your design will still work, but it'll be a mirror image of the design shown on the pattern.
How to handle a patterned or textured fabric
If you're working with a fabric that has a direction (whether it's a regular pattern that only works one way, or a texture like nap or a shimmer effect), you'll need to make sure to place every piece facing the same way. No flipping a piece to save fabric here! The top of every piece points in the same direction.
For reference, on my own pattern pieces, the grainline arrow always points downward. Unfortunately, not every pattern has such a simple reference point, but generally, the direction of the text should help.
When in doubt, check your instructions to see how the pieces will be sewn together and make sure everything's facing the right way. You definitely don't want to end up with one panel of your velvet jacket that's soft in the wrong direction, right?
Even more tips to master pattern placement:
Trim off the selvage
Some stretch fabrics tend to pucker at the selvage. Just trim it off. It'll make laying out your fabric a lot easier.
I'm talking about stretch fabrics... But if your fabric is misbehaving in any way, whatever it is, snip it, cut it, trim it, adjust it... do whatever it takes to get everything nice and flat.
Lay out all your pieces before cutting
Sometimes it can get a bit tricky… lots of pieces and not a lot of space. But if you can, lay out every single pattern piece before you cut anything. That way, you'll be sure everything fits properly on your yardage and you're not wasting fabric unnecessarily.
Stripes, plaids, and other patterns
Stripes are a bit tricky, because to get a nice result, you want the lines to line up properly when the garment is assembled. Here are 3 things to keep in mind:
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Always buy a bit more fabric. The extra amount needed really varies depending on the size of the pattern, and also on how lucky you get when laying out your pattern pieces on your yardage.
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Fold your fabric at the center of the motif. If you've got large vertical stripes, make sure to fold your fabric right in the middle of one of the stripes. If it's a plaid, fold at the center of the checks… even if that's not the actual center of your fabric. That way, you make sure your garment keeps a nice symmetrical look. If your pattern isn't aligned with the center of your garment, it can end up looking a bit off.
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Cut one layer of fabric at a time. To make absolutely sure your fabric is perfectly positioned, it's better to cut the top layer first, then reposition your fabric as needed, and cut the other layer. It's definitely more time-consuming, but it makes for a much nicer result.
A special little exception
For example, if your pattern pieces are so wide you can't lay them out the classic way (with your fabric folded in half along the grainline), you can try folding your fabric the other way instead. But make sure of a few things:
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Check that your fabric allows for it. If there's a pattern or texture, it could end up looking a bit off…
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Make sure to place your pattern pieces perfectly perpendicular to the selvage. The rule to avoid your pieces warping stays the same. Even though the weft is a bit less structured than the warp, it still works.
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Don't forget the pieces that go on the fold. By folding your fabric the other way, you'll end up with a much shorter fold line. If you have several pieces that need the fold, there might be a bit of placement gymnastics to work out.
A few questions to ask yourself to check your pattern is properly laid out, before cutting:
- Are all my pattern pieces placed on my fabric?
- Is the grainline of each piece parallel to the selvage of my fabric?
- Are all the pieces facing the right way?
- Do the pieces placed on the fold actually touch the edge of the fold?
- Is the correct number of pieces being cut?
Tracing and cutting
Now that you understand how to lay out your pattern pieces… it's time to cut them out. But how do you actually go about it?
If you're working with a pattern printed on tissue paper (like Simplicity, Burda, McCall's…), you can pin the pieces to your fabric. The paper is super thin, so this works well (just be careful not to tear the paper while handling it).
But otherwise, you're probably working with a PDF pattern you printed at home (or at a copy center). Which means it'll be too thick to pin without distorting everything.
Holding your pattern pieces in place
The best approach is to work with weights. Anything, as long as it's heavy enough to hold your pattern pieces down properly. I'll be totally honest with you, I very often work with improvised weights: my sharpening stone, my stapler, my phone…
But you can find things specifically dedicated to pattern placement. That way, you won't spend your time hunting for something to hold your pattern down.
Tracing the pieces
Once the pieces are properly positioned and staying put, you can trace the outline. I like wax chalk. It's cheap, marks well, can be sharpened with an x-acto knife (which I always have handy), and comes off with steam.
Otherwise, for light-colored fabrics, I like using a simple graphite pencil. There's always one nearby, it makes a really clean line, and it washes out.
But there are plenty of other tools too:
- tailor's chalk (which usually rubs off)
- heat-erasable pens (which erase with heat)
- water-soluble pens (which wash out with water)
- washable Crayola markers (if you have kids, you probably already have some at home!)
Once everything's traced, it's time to cut out your pattern pieces! Make sure to work carefully. Cut slowly, but precisely.
Cutting the pattern. Scissors or a rotary cutter?
Personally, I'd recommend starting with scissors. Get yourself a good pair of fabric scissors (completely dedicated to fabric only!) and start with that.
A good pair of scissors will do a great job on (almost) any fabric.
A rotary cutter is great for delicate fabrics. The ones that shift just because you looked at them wrong. The ones that slide around a lot. The ones that are trickier to handle. Careful! Make sure to pair your rotary cutter with a large cutting mat (you wouldn't want to ruin your work surface and your blade on your very first project, right?)
A rotary cutter is a bit trickier to maneuver, but it can save you time when you've got a lot to cut. So it's a good addition to your sewing arsenal, but not necessarily a priority.
You should now be ready to lay out and cut your pattern pieces onto your fabric without too much trouble, and get started on your next project.
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In the meantime,
Happy sewing! Happy crafting! 🤓✂🐙