Pattern Piece Cutting Tips

When it comes to cutting out your pattern pieces, there are a couple things that can make cutting out your pieces a little bit easier, and that is the tool you're using and the technique you're using when you're cutting them out. So no matter what project it is you're working on, whichever one you're starting with, you have your fabric that you have already laid out. It's nice and flat. If you're cutting out one layer at a time, you have just one layer. If you wanna cut out two pieces at a time, you have your fabric either right or wrong sides together so you're getting the mirror image pieces like you want when you are cutting out two at a time, and you have your pieces laid on top. Now, depending on the fabric you're using, you can either pin right through your pattern piece into your fabric, or you might need to use some pattern weighs. So I will mention if a fabric is really hard to pin through, and that is in reference to the Hawthorne jacket because if you're using that reflective fabric, you only wanna pin in those seam allowances because any pin marks leave actual holes or mars in the fabric. Same thing if you're using a vinyl fabric for the bag. So take that into consideration, and just know that some of these patterns, or, sorry, fabrics are better suited for pattern weights. But if you are pinning through your fabric, one thing that can help is to use a pin that is a little bit flexible, so one that's not super stiff and rigid. So that allows the pin to almost bend a little bit and keep your fabric laying flat and your pattern pieces laying flat, and that pin is what gives, as opposed to your pin being super rigid, and then it buckers, or puckers or bows up that fabric at all. So a thinner, lighter weight pin can be easier sometimes when pinning your pattern pieces onto your fabric. Another thing that can help, as I mentioned at the beginning, if you have a rotary mat, ruler, and rotary cutter, using that to cut out some of the straight lines can be a lot easier and quicker. So you can do that. Otherwise, if you don't have those at the ready, you can use your scissors for everything, every single one of these projects. One tip I will share for when you're cutting out your pattern pieces with your scissors is to always have your scissors between yourself and the pattern piece that you're cutting out. The reason for that is because you want the scissors to be lifting up that fabric the least amount as possible. Obviously you have to lift up a little bit in order to get the blade of your scissor underneath that fabric. Bit if you keep your scissors between yourself and the pattern piece, it's gonna be much easier to make sure that you're only lifting up that fabric a very small amount in order to cut right along the edge, as opposed to if I'm trying to reach, and I have my pattern, whatever size pattern piece. Obviously I'm using small ones as the example here. This is from the sports bra pattern. But say you're cutting out the big sleeve piece or big front or back. If you have that entire patter piece in front of you, and you're trying to reach out to cut along that far edge, you're gonna find that you're actually lifting up that fabric a little bit, and you're gonna get a little off on your cut line if your pattern is between you and your scissors. So always keep your scissors between you and the pattern piece that you're cutting out.