Notches are small triangles cut into the edge of fabric.
The notches act like instructions when sewing. So you know which pieces of fabric to stitch together. A bit like the pieces in a jigsaw the notches may show you where a sleeve needs to attached to a top.
Notches on Dressmaking Patterns
Dressmaking patterns, have notches marked onto them, often as small diamond shapes. The notch marks may be singular or double.
- Single notches are used for front garment pieces.
- Double are used for back garment pieces.
Notches in Sewing Sleeves
Sleeve patterns have single and double notch marks along the top:
- Single notches show where to attach the front of the sleeve.
- Double notches show where to attach the back of the sleeve.
Notching Seams and Hems
To mark a notch on your fabric, make a small nip using scissors. Sometimes dressmakers cut notches as triangles sticking out of the fabric. Yet triangular notches will get cut off by the over-locker, so best to mark them as nips instead.
It can be useful to also notch where your seam allowance and hem allowance is, to help you when sewing.
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