Cutting and Garment Construction Techniques
This domain tests cutting-room discipline, fabric matching and correct seam and stitch selection.
Cutting room
A marker is the layout of pattern pieces on fabric; a spread is layers of fabric; a lay is the height of one spread. Place pieces on grain, respect one-way prints and nap, match checks at seam lines, and keep the marker tight to save fabric. Cut with shears or a straight knife, never by tearing. Notch or mark darts, then bundle and ticket pieces by size and shade.
Construction
- Seams: plain (simple, needs finishing), French (encloses raw edges, best for sheer and light fabrics), flat-felled (strong, as on jeans), overlock (neatens and joins knits).
- Stitches: 301 lockstitch, 401 chainstitch, 504 overlock.
- Sequence: prepare → darts → seams → closures → collar/waistband → sleeves → hems → press.
Worked example
A sheer georgette blouse needs a seam that hides raw edges and looks clean inside. A plain seam would fray and show through. A French seam sews wrong sides together, trims the allowance, then encloses the raw edge in a second row - so it is the correct choice.
Traps
- Cutting off grain to save fabric.
- Forgetting seam allowance, or clipping through the stitching.
- Ironing instead of pressing; pressing lifts and sets, ironing stretches.
- Skipping stay tape on shoulders and bias edges.