Marking the pieces for your sewing project is an important--and actually timesaving--part of ensuring a successful project. Taking the time to do a good job of it will ensure the best possible results. As you become a more experienced sewer, you may choose shortcut techniques, but don't avoid this step altogether.
YOU'LL NOTICE that pattern tissues are printed with a variety of symbols and lines that help you lay out the tissue on grain, know where to place pockets, match seams and more. You must transfer some of this information to the fabric pieces to aid in the garment construction. There are a variety of tools and techniques used in transferring pattern markings onto fabric.
Elizabeth Barry is an 18-year sewing veteran with hundreds of articles for sewing, quilting and craft publications to her credit. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son.
Choose a marking method according to the fabric you're using. For example, a mark that must be removed by water (water-soluble or dissolving pen) isn't appropriate for dry-clean-only fabric.Tools that make holes, such as a serrated tracing wheel, aren't advisable for fabrics like leather, vinyl or plastic-coated fabrics because the holes will be permanent and show on the finished project. In most cases a combination of marking techniques works best.
Always test your marking tool on a scrap of the actual project fabric. If the mark comes off easily with no damage to the fabric, it's fine to use on that fabric. Choose another option if the mark doesn't come off completely without marring the fabric.
Mark fabric pieces after you cut them out, but before moving them from the cutting table.
Mark most pattern details on the fabric wrong side.The few exceptions to this rule are placement markings for surface details such as pockets or tabs. Mark both fabric layers unless the marking is for a single detail, such as a single pocket on a shirt. For buttonholes, one side of the garment gets marked for buttonholes, the other for button placement.
If it's difficult to tell the fabric right side from the wrong side, place a small piece of low-tack tape on the wrong side of each project piece so it's easy to discern after the pattern tissue is removed.
