Help

[Carolina Chipmunk]

Okay, I am in the middle of making my first skirt ever. Actually, it's the first thing I have every made by myself. I have the pattern cut out and pinned onto the material and then I looked at all of those little confusing symbols. This whole thing is probably alot easier than it looks to me, but just to make sure I don't make any MAJOR mistakes, could somebody please tell me what the little symbols mean?

[Allie Mo]

Hi CFK,

Check the first page or two of the pattern instructions. There is usually a key (if you bought Butterick, McCalls, or Simplicity).

If not, what do the symbols look like?

Dots, triangles, double triangles and triple triangles are for matching up pattern pieces when you sew them together. Wide spaced dotted lines are for gathering.

Regards,

Allie Mo

[Carolina Chipmunk]

My mom couldn't figure out whether I cut out the triangles or what...

Gee, if I am having question on a simple pattern, I dunno how I am gonna make my sister a LOTR costume.

[Coffee Em]

Large and small circles often mean "sew to here," or "ease between here and here" or "gather between here and here." Plunk down and read your pattern instructions start to finish, now that you've got the pattern pieces in front of you to look at as you do. You'll probably see things in the instructions like, "Stitch seam, leaving open between large dots," or "gather between small dots" or "stitch to dot at point of dart." When you see something like that, look over at your pattern piece. See the dots? There you are!

The notches, which are those diamond- or triangle-shaped things on the edges of your pattern piece, are to help you get the seam lined up right, and to make sure you sew the right pieces together on the right edges. You probably noticed that on each pattern piece, there are a different number of notches on each edge, clumped together: one, two, or sometimes three. You'll sew the one-notch edge to the one-notch edge of another piece, and match the double notches in the same way. "Sew front to back at side seams, matching notches," means that you're going to find the notches on your front piece that match the ones on the back pattern piece and line 'em up.

Sometimes notches do both jobs--"Sew back panels together, leaving seam open above notches," for instance. There, the notches tell you which cut-out pieces to sew together along which edges, and where to leave the opening for the zipper or buttons or hooks and eyes that close the skirt in back.

Notches are easy to transfer to your fabric as you cut out your pattern--when you cut along that edge, just cut out a sticking-out bump the same size as the notch, that pokes out away from the seam allowance. Markings inside the edge, like dots, need to be transfered to your fabric, too, and there's lots of ways, depending on the fabric. You can make a spot with chalk, for instance. Chalk almost always comes off easily when you're done.

The only other marking that comes to mind right now is the long line down your pattern, usually with arrows at both ends. That's the grain line. To make your skirt hang properly, lay out your pattern pieces so the grain line is parallel to the woven, uncut edge of your fabric, the edge that seems sort of finished all by itself and doesn't ravel (that's called the selvage). You can use a ruler to measure from the selvage to the grain line at both ends to make sure it's pretty close to parallel. (There are other, finickier ways to make sure you've got your pattern pieces on the grain of the fabric, but usually for a skirt in a tight-woven fabric, that's close enough.)

What did I leave out?

Cheers,
Coffee Em

[Carolina Chipmunk]

Thanks! Some of that I read the first time with a blank look on my face, but I think I got most of it. I couldn't figure out what the grain line was for, and all of my home ec. books kept talking about special makers to mark your material with. I had forgotten that I could use chalk!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

I think Em cover it all...I like calk best...
with first time projects...just remember easy does it, one step at a time and stop and ask if ANYTHING at all seems not right, it may save you ripping out stitches....but seam rippers are your friend if you need them.

Greeneyed ( the sewing turtle...says GOOD FOR YOU!!) Gypsy

[Carolina Chipmunk]

Well, right now I am happy I was briefed on what the grain line was for. My pattern is too big for my material, I was turning it sideways to make it fit. Guess it was a good thing I stopped first. It was REALLY crooked. Gotta go get more material now.

[Allie Mo]

Wow Em, good job on helping CFK. :99 I almost split without saying anything because the question seemed so overwhelming. Then, I felt guilty and tossed in a few words.

CFK, just keep plugging away and asking for help. You will learn by doing. I've been sewing since 1961 :eek: and I'm still learning new tricks. You go girl!

Regards,

Allie Mo

[Catawba Kate]

How's it coming CFK? Did you get any more material or did the gas prices put you on hold?
BTW, you can bring your projects to a match and we can go over them with you if you have any questions. Unfortunately, the Belles won't be at Lenoir this month but Hanna knows a lot about sewing and you can ask her. :sewing