Kurta Layout After Shrinkage: When the Two Body Panels Do Not Fit
An examinee in a school tailoring practical is given 2.60 m of cotton fabric, 112 cm wide, to cut a kurta for a client with a 96 cm chest and a 100 cm kurta length. The fabric has a small directional print that must run down the length of the kurta and is expected to shrink 5% in length and 4% in width after the first wash. The pattern pieces, already including 1 cm seam allowance, are: front and back body 105 cm × 56 cm each; two sleeves 55 cm × 36 cm; two yoke pieces 12 cm × 32 cm; two neck facings 8 cm × 22 cm. The candidate washes the fabric, then tries to place the two body panels side by side across the width. They do not fit. The supervisor says the fabric is still sufficient if the layout is changed, but the candidate must keep the lengthwise grain and print direction correct and must not reduce the body width without the client’s consent. The deadline is the next morning.
1. Calculate the usable length and width after shrinkage. Show whether the two body panels can be placed side by side, and explain the risk of cutting before washing.
Read the worked answer
Usable length = 2.60 m × 0.95 = 2.47 m = 247 cm. Usable width = 112 cm × 0.96 = 107.52 cm. Two body panels side by side need 56 + 56 = 112 cm. After shrinkage only 107.52 cm is available, so they are short by 112 − 107.52 = 4.48 cm. Therefore the candidate cannot place both body panels side by side across the width after washing. If the fabric is cut before washing, 112 cm would just fit, but the finished garment would shrink and the seam allowance/ease would be reduced; the print direction and grain could also be disturbed. The candidate would be cutting to a size that no longer matches the client. Pre-washing, drying and measuring the shrunk width before layout is the safe sequence.
2. Propose a layout that uses the fabric efficiently and respects grain and print direction. Show the length used by the body panels and sleeves, and state where the yoke and facings can be placed.
Read the worked answer
Use two length segments, each 105 cm long:
- Segment 1: one body panel 105 × 56 cm, with the 105 cm length running along the fabric length so the print runs down the kurta. Beside it place one sleeve 55 × 36 cm; the sleeve length also follows the lengthwise grain.
- Segment 2: the second body panel and the second sleeve in the same way. Width used in each segment = 56 + 36 = 92 cm, which is less than 107.52 cm; so one body panel and one sleeve fit across the width. The two body panels are not side by side. Length used = 105 + 105 = 210 cm. Remaining length = 247 − 210 = 37 cm. In this 37 × 107.5 cm piece, place the two yoke pieces and two neck facings in two rows with grain correct; the combined widths fit within 107.5 cm when arranged as one yoke plus one facing across a row. The fabric is sufficient, but the layout must be marked and checked before cutting.
3. What would you tell the candidate about cutting before versus after washing, and what is the risk if the body width is reduced without telling the client?
Read the worked answer
Cut after washing. If the candidate cuts before washing, the finished chest width would be about 112 × 0.96 = 107.5 cm total, minus roughly 4 cm for seam allowances, giving about 103.5 cm garment chest. The client’s chest is 96 cm, so the ease would be only about 7.5 cm instead of the pattern’s intended 12 cm. The kurta might still be wearable, but it would feel tighter and the armhole and yoke would also shift. Reducing body width silently is a fit risk: it changes ease, armhole shape and sleeve setting, and the client has not agreed. The correct response is to change the layout, use the remaining 37 cm for yokes and facings, or ask for extra fabric. If the client agrees to a narrower body, record the approval and adjust the yoke and sleeve accordingly.