• Techniques

 Have you ever wondered, while cutting out a pattern, where exactly you should cut on that fat cutting line in order to get the most accurate fit? I have from time to time, and I’d decided to aim for the center of the line.

But today I read on the blog Fashion-Incubator that the edge of the actual pattern is inside the fat cutting line. The line itself is a border around the pattern, and is not actually part of it. Which means that to get the most accurate fit, you need to cut off that line completely. Completely!

Otherwise, your pieces will be a smidgeon larger than they should be. But how important could a smidgeon be? Well, I’ve quickly checked my pattern stash and found a vintage Simplicity that has cutting lines that are almost ⅛” thick. That means almost ¼” of extra fabric at every seam.

And what happens if you need to put on a collar? The neckline is now ⅛”  higher, and is therefore a bit tighter, but your collar is now a bit bigger. Can you see how this could lead to problems? And what about setting in sleeves…