Here's my final list of pattern making tools: these are the ones that are not impossible to do without, but are nice to have. A notcher, nicker, or what ever you like to call it. There are always a few points on any pattern that require matching up, like the top of the sleeve head with the shoulder seam, for example. You place a notch in the pattern at the required points, so you can more easily mark those notches onto the fabric with chalk, and then snip into the mark when you are cutting. (Never snip too far into the seam allowance—ie too close to or past the stitching line—or you may end up with a hole you can't fix!) If you don't have a notcher, you can make small, v-shaped snips into the pattern instead that will do the same job. Follow the same rule of not snipping too far in when making your notches; it avoides encouraging that mistake in cutting the fabric later … [Read more...]
