With so much time we spend in our homes these days, learning a new hobby is one of the best ways to make use of our free time. There are plenty of great hobbies to choose from depending on what you like to do – from paper crafts, gardening, painting, pottery, and many more.
If you chose to learn sewing as your new hobby, there are actually tons of resources online that could help you to start and develop your sewing skills. Aside from the basic equipment and tools, you also need to learn about sewing patterns to help you start with your first project.
If you’re still new to this, you might feel confused what a sewing pattern is and how to use them on sewing. You’ve come to the right place because here’s a simple guide on how to use sewing patterns and apply it to your sewing projects.
Sewing Pattern: What Is It?
First of all, a sewing pattern is like a guide that will help you sew the garments that you like. Sewing patterns consist of flat pieces that are drawn on paper and will be used as a guide when you’re cutting fabric. It also contains a procedure on how to get these pieces together correctly. Sewing patterns have different in sizes, so you can easily cut the right amount of fabric that is perfect for the outfit size that you’re planning to create.
Different Formats
Unlike before, sewing patterns these days can be found in 2 different formats – paper patterns and digital or PDF patterns.
Paper patterns is the traditional type of sewing patterns. Both the pattern and instructions are printed on a big piece of paper. The type of paper where patterns are printed vary from brands. For instance, patterns that are printed on silk paper are generally more expensive than those printed on heavier paper.
Aside from printed ones, you can also buy patterns conveniently online in PDF format. Once you bought it, you can print and reprint it whenever you need it at home. You don’t need to print the entire book as well if you don’t have much paper. Just choose the pattern that you’re going to use for your project and print that one. You can even just follow it without printing by looking at in on your device or PC. Pattern Emporium Australia is one of the best when it comes to easy-to-understand and stylish sewing patterns for varying sewing expertise.
Take Note of Seam Allowance
Seam allowance is important when you’re sewing clothes. It is the allowance space added to the edges of the garment so you could get the right size when you start sewing it. Seam allowances can range from 1 cm to 1.5 cm depending on the garment type and fabric you’re using. Check the sewing pattern if the seam allowances are already included in their dimensions or not.
Once you got all measurement right, all you have to do is cut the pattern and trace it into the fabric. Then, cut the fabric layout using the paper pattern and start sewing.