After all the pattern pieces are cut, you can begin marking each piece. It provides “road signs” showing where to sew and press. It will also speed your sewing time when done correctly. Marking will take only a little time and is not as tiring as using the tracing wheel or placing the pattern back on the fabric to look for a lost detail. There are 2 types of notches Pattern notches and center notches.
By using ready-to-wear tricks, like nips, notches, and tailor tacks for marking, you can make your sewing projects much easier to complete. There are two areas that must be marked when you transfer the pattern marking to the cloth: outside edges and the inside details.
There are two types of notches in sewing: pattern notches and center notches.
Pattern Notches
Pattern notches are the single or double notches printed on the pattern’s cutting edges.
These notches:
- Denote center front and center back pattern pieces
- Allow for easing and stretching
- Avoid confusion among a number of pieces that may look alike
Center Notches
Center notches are small V-shaped wedges of fabric removed from a seam allowance. They should be cut into all centers and folds to indicate center and grain.
For example, when matching the neckline to the facing, match the notches in the dress to the notches in the facing. The dress will be perfectly on grain.
Notches should be placed on the pattern edge in the following areas:
- All center dots in sleeve caps
- All centers of the neckline, front and back of the garment, facings, and the collars
- All centers in hems