Cutting out your fabric
A perfect pattern won't save a crooked cut. Cutting is the moment when it all comes together: the direction of the fabric, the layout of the pieces, the markings. Here are the moves that matter.
Once your fabric is prepared and your pattern pieces are ready, comes the cutting. It's quick, but it's where the most costly mistakes happen: a piece cut off-grain, a missed notch, and the assembly no longer comes out right. A few habits are enough to avoid it.
1. Place the pieces on the grain
Each pattern piece carries an arrow: that's the grainline, which must stay parallel to the selvedge (the finished edge of the fabric). It's what gives the garment its hold and keeps it from twisting as you wear it. Before pinning, measure the distance between the arrow and the selvedge at two points: if it's the same, your piece is properly aligned.
Layout isn't only about the grain: it's also about saving fabric. Place the large pieces first, then slot the small ones into the gaps. But never sacrifice the grain to gain a few centimetres.
2. Cut on the fold, or doubled
Many pieces are cut “on the fold”: you fold the fabric right sides together and place the edge of the piece on the fold, to get a symmetrical piece in one go (one front, one back). Others are cut doubled (two sleeves, two sides): keep the fabric folded to get them mirrored, not twice the same way round.
3. Cut flat, without lifting
Lay your fabric nice and flat on a large surface, and keep the blade of your scissors resting on the table as you cut. Lifting the fabric distorts it and throws off the cut. Use scissors kept for fabric only: cutting paper blunts them, and blunt scissors chew the fabric instead of slicing it cleanly.
4. Mark the notches and reference points
Before removing the pattern, transfer all the notches (small nicks), the dart placements, the centre lines. Mark them with a small 3 mm snip towards the inside of the allowance, or with chalk. These are your meeting points: during assembly, they're what tells you how two pieces face each other.
5. Keep your seam allowances
Check whether your pattern already includes the seam allowances or not. If they aren't included, add them all the way around each piece before cutting (often 1 cm). Cutting right on the seam line, with no allowance, is the beginner's mistake par excellence — and there's no recovering from it.
If in doubt
A layout that looks odd to you, a patterned or directional fabric (velvet, stripes to match)? Ask me in the app: I know your pattern and I can help you place your pieces. Once it's cut, it's cut — better to do it right the first time, then move on to the assembly steps.