Pattern Making
Pattern making questions test whether you can move from a set of body measurements to a paper shape that will cut and stitch correctly. Expect questions on pattern symbols, basic blocks, and the difference between a drafting and a commercial pattern.
The basic blocks
- Bodice block (front and back), sleeve block, skirt block, and the plain child's bodice used for frocks.
- Draft in ¼ scale in the record book and full scale for the garment.
- True the lines - check that front and back side seams, shoulder seams and armholes are the same length at the joining edges.
Pattern symbols you must recognise
- Grainline arrow - placed parallel to the centre front or centre back.
- Fold line - the piece is cut on a folded fabric so no seam is needed there.
- Notches (single and double) for matching pieces; dart; buttonhole; centre front and centre back lines; cutting line versus stitching line.
Rules of drafting
- Add seam allowance (1.5 cm) on all stitching edges after drafting, unless the block already includes it.
- Label every piece: name, size, number to cut, and whether it is cut on the fold.
- Check the draft against the measurements before cutting the fabric - a 1 cm drafting error becomes a 4 cm error at the full circumference.
Worked example
An A-line frock for a six-year-old with chest 60 cm. The bodice draft uses ¼ chest = 15 cm plus 2 cm ease, so the half-front panel is drawn 17 cm wide. The flare is added by extending the hem outward by 6–8 cm from the side seam. The front is marked "cut on fold", so no seam allowance is added at centre front - the fold itself supplies the full front, and adding allowance there would make the frock too wide.
Traps that cost marks
- Forgetting seam allowance on some edges but adding it on others.
- Ignoring the grainline when placing the pattern.
- Marking a piece "cut on fold" when it is really a pair.
- Not labelling the pattern pieces.