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Pattern weight tutorial

Pattern weights are a great way to weigh down your Patterntrace (Swedish tracing paper) when tracing patterns. It's much faster than pinning your pattern pieces. I also find them come in handy when cutting fabric too, they help to keep it still. These pattern weights are quick and easy to make from scraps of fabric.

Materials:

Scraps of fabric at least 8 x 4 inches, or 2-3 fat quarters of fabric

Rice (approx. 100g for each pattern weight)

Coordinating thread

Seam allowance - 1/4 an inch

Instructions:

Cut your fabrics into rectangles which are 4 inches wide by 8 inches long. I made 8 weights for myself and 8 for my mum.  Cut as many rectangles as you want pattern weights. I used a selection of Tim Holtz fabrics left over from another project.

Fold one rectangle in half so the right sides are together. Sew along the bottom and one side, leaving the other side open. Trim the seams and snip the corners off within the seam allowance to make them easier to turn through.  Repeat for your other rectangles.

Turn them the right way around, use a point turner or a pencil to poke the corners out. Tuck the seam allowance of the raw edge inwards and them press them all. The eagle eyed among you will spot I didn't press the seam allowance in on mine, I realised with hindsight it would have been easier if I had!

Put a long pin just over quarter an inch in from the open end, weaving it in and out of the fabric a few times to hold the rice back out of the way of the seam allowance. Repeat for the other side too so all the rice is held in the closed off side of the weight away from where you're about to sew.

Sew along the open end of the weight close to the edge, ensuring the raw edges of the fabric are tucked in.

 

Voila! Your weights are finished, ready for your pattern tracing. Stock up on our Swedish tracing paper here.

Pattern weight tutorial

General tips and points to remember…

  • The terms jersey, knitted and stretchy fabric can get used interchangeably, not just here but generally as you look around online you’ll see these terms being used to refer to similar things.
  • This fabric can be made from a variety of fibres such as cotton, viscose, modal, polyester, wool and bamboo. Usually they will also have a percentage of a stretchy fibre such as elastane or spandex.
  • The thickness or weight of them can be described in grams per square meter but as this number is hard to put into context and isn’t always available more subjective terms can be used to describe them such as light weight, medium weight etc
  • They can also be referred to with special more technical names such as ponte roma, double knit, single knit, sweatshirting and loop back. I’ll cover the most common ones below in more detail
  • I've tried to keep things are relevant as possible for the home dressmaker. These is lots of other more detailed and technical information out there but I hope this summery helps you understand more about this great fabric and how to sew it into your handmade wardrobe.

How to work out the amount and type of stretch

They stretch in different ways by different amounts. Some fabrics have a two way stretch and will stretch between the selvedges. Some have a 4 way stretch and will stretch lengthwise as well as between the selvedges. Use a swimsuit as a way to remember - it’s a 4 way stretch as it must stretch the length of your body as well as the width of your body.

The percentage of stretch refers to how much the fabric physically stretches, NOT the percentage of stretchy fibre (spandex or elastase) that is in them. Sewing patterns will typically as for a minimum percentage of stretch the fabric must have.

Why is percentage stretch important?

Sewing patterns designed for this type of fabric are typically designed with negative ease. This means that the garment you make will be smaller than your actual body measurement so that it stretches and fits around you. That’s why it's really important to use the right amount of stretch, otherwise you won’t be able to get the garment on/off or move in it!

How to use your Stretch Percentage Measurer

If you’re using a pattern which is designed for jersey fabrics then it will probably tell you the stretch percentage that the fabric you use needs to have. This is different from the stretch content, which is how much elastane or lycra is in the fabric.

Step One

Hold a 10cm section of your fabric, stretch it as far as it will comfortably stretch, without over stretching

Step Two

Every centimetre over 10 will correspond to 10% of stretching. So if your test piece stretches to 14cm, then the fabric has 40% stretch.