After purchasing fabric, pattern, notions, and preparing the fabric (on grain and pre-shrunk / washed), you are ready to do the pattern layout. A layout is a plan for the placement of pattern pieces on the fabric. There are various categories of layout marking like grainlines, place of fold brackets, notches etc. There are also various methods of cutting marking such as single size, multi-size, and cutting in particular body size.
Layout Markings
pattern piece. Use it to ensure the pattern is positioned along the straight grain of the fabric so
that the garment or project hangs properly. Unless otherwise indicated, pin the pattern piece so the grainline is parallel to the fabric selvedge.
are used both in pattern layout and during construction. When you are
laying out the pattern pieces to match a plaid, stripe or large design,
position adjoining notches so that the fabric at the seamlines (not the cutting lines) will match when the seams are sewn.
Cutting Markings
a guide for cutting the fabric. The line sometimes has an illustration of
tiny scissors on it.
on the same tissue and are sold in one envelope. Sometimes the
multiple cutting lines are all solid, in which case it helps to highlight your size before cutting, and sometimes each cutting line is a slightly different line configuration.
Cutting line within the body of the pattern: When the design has a shorter view, there is often a cutting line for the shorter length within the pattern.