THE Q & A SERIES - REMOVING SEAMS FROM A PATTERN

Hi Emily,

I am planning on making the Peppermint jumpsuit and I have a question. If I don't want to have a center cut line for the front of the jumpsuit could I just put the piece for the front on the fold? Of course I would have to adjust a little for the curvature of the front, it would look a little more straight? Any thoughts?

Regards,

Stacy

Hi Stacy,

I am pleased to hear you will be making the Peppermint jumpsuit!

I would be hesitant to cut the front of this pattern on the fold, due to the curve of the crotch. You do see some pant styles that do not have a centre front seam to accommodate the crotch (such as low crotch pants and harem pants), but normally there is a lot more volume in this area to accommodate the lack of shaping. If you're still game to give it a go I would suggest making a toile / muslin first.

WHEN CAN YOU REMOVE A SEAM LINE FROM A PATTERN?

There are times when you can very easily remove a seam line from a pattern, to suit your taste or style. The key is learning to work out which seams are there for design or decorative purposes and which are there to create the shape of the garment.

SEAM LINES AND THE COLLINS TOP

For example, you might know the Collins top pattern. This top has a lot of seams! Some are there to make the design fun and interesting, while others are there to create the overall shape of the top.

SEAM LINES THAT CAN BE REMOVED

For example, if you take the CENTRE FRONT PANEL and the SIDE FRONT PANEL pieces, you will see that the seam lines that join the pieces together are straight lines.

When you overlap the pieces (stitch line on stitch line - as if the two pieces have been sewn together) you can see that there is no shaping in the seam. This means that you can remove this seam line if you would like. All you need to do is tape the pieces together (stitch line on stitch line) and cut the fabric (or trace a copy of the pattern if you would like to keep the original).

It’s not only straight seams that can be removed. Another seam line on the Collins top that could be removed is the seam between the CENTRE FRONT PANEL and the FRONT SHOULDER PANEL. Although the pieces are curved, the two piece fit together like a jigsaw and then are pressed flat, so don’t create any shaping. This means that this seam could also be removed.

SEAM LINES THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED

Looking at the version of the Collins top with sleeves, you will see that the sleeve panels have curved seams.

To check if these seam lines could be removed, overlap the pieces - stitch line on stitch line - as if they have been sewn together.

You will notice that you can’t get the seam lines to match up - the curves go different ways, leaving gaps. These gaps between the seams is what creates shaping. This shaping allows for the sleeve to fit nicely over the shoulder.

I hope that you now feel free to explore adapting patterns to suit your style by removing seams!

Happy sewing!

Emily

ASK A QUESTION

resources mentioned in this issue

The Peppermint jumpsuit pattern can be downloaded for free here.
The Collins top pattern can be purchased here.
How to (and why) make a toile. Tutorial can be found here.

P.S. Would you like to know what the Q & A series is all about? This page tells you a little bit more about the motive behind the series. Past issues from the Q & A series can be found here.

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