Making Clothes

Cycle
Created by Tanya Dove
 Take
measurements
Create your
designs Make a
garment
block

Make any Make a

amendments fitting sample

Try on the
person

Created by Tanya Dove

Taking Measurements

¡ Understand where to take the measurements on the body,

child, female or male.

¡ Confirm the waist line position, hip line is the widest point, and
lengths from waist to hip, and waist to knee/ ankle for skirts.

¡ Abbreviations are used in measurement taking and pattern

making.

Created by Tanya Dove

Abbreviations
Centre Centre Back
Front

¡ Abbreviations allow
pattern cutters to
confirm specific
body locations on
the pattern.

¡ In the sizing charts

abbreviations have
been referred to for
confirming where to
measure.

Created by Tanya Dove

Garment Blocks

¡ Pattern making tools and their uses

¡ Grain line information
¡ Folded edges
¡ Garment Blocks
¡ Darts
¡ Plans
¡ Patterns

Created by Tanya Dove

 Pattern
Making Notchers
To mark specific
Tools points on pattern
pieces
to make sewing
easier
Ruler
with straight and curved
edges
and a right angle Scissors

Pencil

Tape measure Eraser

Created by Tanya Dove
Notches
A small indentation is made in the pattern pieces
and fabric to help sew the garment together
• Notches are marked on blocks
• Hipline and waistline are always notched
• Darts are notched

Created by Tanya Dove

Grain Lines
• Grain lines are drawn on all blocks, plans, and pattern pieces
• They show the direction in which the fabric is to be cut out
• Grain lines hold certain information for the pattern cutter to understand the
specific pattern piece. Shown below

Pattern Piece Name Cut Information

Garment Name Size Your Name / Company Name

Created by Tanya Dove

Grain Lines
• Drawn on all blocks, plans, and pattern pieces
• Show the direction in which the fabric is to be cut out

Where the fabric has been cut

Selvedge – natural edge of fabric

Selvedge – natural edge of fabric

Cross Grain

(4 B
5- ia
Straight Grain

de s G
St gr ra
ee in
An
gl
e)

Where the fabric has been cut

Created by Tanya Dove

Grain Lines

Straight Grain Cross Grain Bias Grain

Created by Tanya Dove

Folded Edges
When a pattern piece is made with a folded edge, the grain line is drawn
differently. There are two different ways.
• 2 arrows pointing towards folded edge
• 3 circles against the folded edge

Created by Tanya Dove

Blocks
• Blocks are made from
measurements
• They are used in industry as a
base to create different
designs
• They do not have seam or
hem allowances
• Made in the basic garment
categories:
Skirt, Bodice, Trousers, Jacket
block
• Tried and fitted on models to
confirm size

Created by Tanya Dove

 Darts
A dart is the shape of a “V”
Taking excess from the top of the V down to nothing at the base

Dart Dart
CF

Waist
SS SS

CB
Dart Dart

Waist darts
• Placed around the 3D waistline to distribute where
the extra fabric is taken out
• Side seam is shaped
• Darts split the front and back sections into four

Created by Tanya Dove

Darts

Darts create shaping to fit

the body where our
bodies contour in and out

Cross Section of the Waist

Created by Tanya Dove

 Plan
• Created a plan for each new
design
• First trace round the garment
block
• All design details are added
onto the plan
• Waist band/ finish
• Length
• Pockets, yokes and other design
details
• Plans do not have seam or hem
allowances
• Plans are not cut up. Pattern
pieces are traced off of the
plan.

Created by Tanya Dove

Pattern
• Each individual pattern piece
is traced off of the plan
• Seam allowances and hem
allowances are added onto
the pattern to sew the
garment together
• Grain lines are drawn on
each pattern piece to
understand how to cut the
pieces out
• Notches are marked to aid
sewing

Created by Tanya Dove

Fitting Sample
¡ A fitting sample is made
of basic non stretch
cotton fabric.

¡ It should hit your knee

line and sit comfortably
down your body.
¡ There is no waist finish

¡ There is no hem finish

¡ Zipper is sewn on the

left side to close and
check fit.

Created by Tanya Dove

Fitting
Samples

UK 10 UK 14 UK 22

Created by Tanya Dove

Seams

¡ Regular seam - 1m seam allowance, sew

together and overlock together or separately

¡ Flat Felled seam – 1.5cm or 2cm seam. Use for

firm fabrics

¡ French seam – 1cm seam, sew right sides outside,

trim and turn to inside, sew 5mm to finish. Used in
lingerie and fine fabrics

Created by Tanya Dove

Hems

¡ Regular hem – 2cm allowance, double turn 1cm

and stitch in place

¡ Felled hem – 3-4cm seam, hand stitch in place.

Firm fabrics

¡ Bound edge. This is when a seam has binding

attached to the edge (hem or seam). A very
expensive finish.

Created by Tanya Dove

Seams
Regular Seam
1 cm seam allowance when the seam is stitched and overlocked, together or
separate.

Overlocked together Overlocked separately

Created by Tanya Dove

Seams
Flat Felled Seam
1. 1.5 cm seam allowance
2. Sew the seam first at 1.5 cm
3. Cut back one side to 0.5 cm
4. Fold the wider seam side by 0.5 cm
5. Fold the wider seam side a second time over the small side
6. Stitch the wider seam side in place at 1 cm

Created by Tanya Dove

Seams
French Seam
1. 1 cm seam allowance
2. Sew the right sides together first using 0.5 cm seam allowance
3. Trim, press, and then sew the seam again using 0.5 cm
seam allowance on the inside
4. This creates 0.5 cm tube on the tube

Created by Tanya Dove

Hems
Double Turn Hem
2cm double turn. Fold up 1cm, fold again, and stitch in place.

Wrong side Right side

Created by Tanya Dove
Hems
Felled Hem
• 3-4 cm hem allowance is used when you hand sew a hem
• Used for wool’s and tailored garments
• More expensive way of finishing a garment
• The top edge of the hem can either be overlocked or bound

Created by Tanya Dove

Hems
Bound Edge
This can be used on seams and the hem. Binding is sewn to the edge, for seams
pressed open. For a felled hem it is then hand stitched in place.

Wrong side Right side

Created by Tanya Dove

Designing Garments
Length
s

Garment
Block

Design
Widths
Details

Created by Tanya Dove