Sewing patterns and pieces come in all kinds of unusual shapes. Sometimes it can be a challenge to figure out how they match up. We have some tips and tricks to share the golden rules for matching up seams.

• Match The Stitching Line

When you match up the edges at the precise point where the stitching line lands at the edge of the fabric, the two patterned pieces of fabric will match up perfectly.

• Match The Most Visible Seams First

Making sure that the centre of the front pattern pieces of the material match should be your first priority. Be careful of placing prints directly at the apex of the bust on women’s garments. When working with uneven plaids or vertical stripes, place a dominant stripe down the centre front. Make sure to keep it as straight as the edge of a razor.

• Match Up Two Sides Of A Design

When you need to sew a seam that goes through the middle of a design, you first need to allow extra fabric for sewing the seam (around ½ inch or 1,27 cm extra on each side). Determine this when you calculate where the seam will go.

• Choose A Good Pattern

Choose a paper pattern or PDF that will work well with a patterned fabric. One easy way to be certain that the pattern of your garment is suitable for stripes, plaids or large-scale images, is if the illustration provided shows that the model is wearing a finished garment cut from a piece of patterned fabric.

• Buy Extra Fabric

Buy extra fabric when matching prints, plaids and stripes. The general recommendation is to buy an extra half yard (or half a metre) for separates and an extra yard (a metre) for dresses. This, however, is dependent on the complexity of the garment design and the scale of the pattern.

• Cut One Piece Of Fabric First

The most commonly used method for pattern matching is by cutting one piece of fabric first. For this method, lay out your fabric in a single layer with the right side up. For each piece that requires cutting two, lay out one piece with the paper pattern right side up, and place the grain line marking on the grain line of the fabric. If you are matching two different pieces, lay them out next to each other, keeping a straight line running across the bottom of the pattern pieces. Drawing the pattern on the patterned piece of material will work for any pattern matching.

• Use Good Sewing Equipment

When sewing seams on garments that you are matching for the pattern, then remember to use more pins than usual and to pin more carefully, checking carefully for the patterns to match up.

Need more tips and tricks for sewing seams? Whether you are looking to buy a first sewing machine or an affordable sewing machine, Empisal has everything from overlockers to ironing equipment. Contact us now!