Tips and Tricks Tuesday: How to Pin a Pattern

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Today’s Tips and Tricks Tuesday is brought to you again by Kaylee Pope, the editor of AllFreeSewing.com!

Beginner sewists are often very excited to make their first sewing project from a store-bought pattern. It is so exciting to purchase a pattern and know what it is going to look like! The professional-quality pieces on the cover are the best motivation you can find. This moment can pass quickly, however, when you learn that you do not know how to pin a pattern. Sewing patterns can be very confusing. They are often covered with confusing lines and marks. For a brand new sewist, these are like hieroglyphics! One of the first steps to learning how to use a sewing pattern is figuring out how to pin a pattern to fabric correctly.

What to Do First

1. Before you pin a pattern to fabric, you need to make sure everything is ready to go. Prepare your fabric and iron your pattern to ensure that your measurements are as precise as possible.
2. Get to know your fabric before you sew. You want to find where the grain is as well as decipher how your fabric will act when you sew it. Does it stretch? Will it shrink?
3. Cut out your pattern from your paper. Make sure when you are doing this that you cut just outside of the line. It is much better to have pieces that are a little too big than too small. This will also allow for some error while cutting your fabric.

How to Pin a Pattern to Fabric

Note: The way you pin your pattern to your fabric depends on what kind of fabric you are pinning. If you are using a delicate fabric, you want to use as few pins as possible or maybe even decide to opt for pattern weights instead. Silk, for example, does not heal well from too many pin pricks.

1. Gather all of your materials and make sure your space is clean. You want to pin your fabric on a flat, clean surface.

2. Read the FULL directions to your pattern before doing anything else. You do not want to miss specific instructions.

3. Cut out your pattern. Leaving a few centimeters along the edges so that you do not lose any part of the pattern/length or size when you pin and sew.

4. Lay out your fabric. Most patterns have specific instructions as to how to lay out your fabric. You will often need to layer the fabric in two layers to cut two pattern pieces. Consult your pattern to determine where the sides of the fabric should face.

5. Your pattern will have an arrow to show you how to follow the grain of the fabric. The grain of the fabric is the direction the fabric has been weaved. You often want to sew along the strongest part of the fabric which is with the grain.

6. Pin your pattern! You will want to pin your fabric in a way that makes it easier to cut. This means you do not want your pins sticking over the edge. You will want to place pins along the long edges. You will not need a ton. All you need is enough to keep your fabric steady while you trace or cut out your pattern. Additionally, make sure to pin at all corners to ensure that you are able to cut these sections out precisely.

How to Pin a Pattern to Sew

Horizontal vs. Vertical Pinning

Sewists pin in all kinds of ways. You need to find the way that works best for you. Many skip the pins all together and use binder clips or pattern weights to trace. If you do want to know how to pin a pattern with pins, you can either pin horizontally or vertically. These two methods look like this.

But Which One Should I Use?

You can really use either method. Both have their pros and cons. Pinning vertically can require less pins and may end up with a more precise project. Horizontal pinning can make the fabric bunch more. Horizontal pinning, however, means that any damage the pins do will be closer to the seam of your project. This means any damage it does will be practically invisible when you wear the garment.

Pinning a Pattern to Sew

In order to pin a pattern to sew, you follow the exact same instructions as when pinning the pattern onto the fabric to cut it out. Do exactly as your pattern tells you, double-checking to make sure that the right sides of the fabric are facing in the right direction. TIP: Are you using extra-sensitive fabric like silk that tears easily? If so, pin as close to the edge of your fabric as possible. That way your seams will hide the damage!

Love these tips? Check out more in our free eBook, Sewing for Beginners: Learn How to Sew with 8 Sewing Tutorials!

Do you have any advice for pinning patterns? Leave us a comment and share it with us!

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Seams and Scissors

Seams and Scissors is a place where sewing and quilting are celebrated every day. It is a creative resource for those who both cherish these skills and those who want to acquire them. On Seams and Scissors the curious creator will find full sewing and quilting tutorials, project collections, tips and tricks, as well as endless inspiration.

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