In this episode of Smart Sewing: Fake Fur, Threads Contributing Editor Kenneth D. King explains how to prepare your pattern, lay it out on the fake fur, and mark the fabric—wrong side only.

Pattern preparation

Because seams in fake fur are often sewn in an unconventional way, you’ll need to remove the seam allowances in key areas of the pattern. Also, cut out the dart value, also called dart returns, for vertical and side darts. Don’t remove the hem allowances.

For front facings, eliminate the center-front seam and create a cut-on facing instead. This reduces bulk along the opening edge.

Pattern layout

Begin by laying the fabric out in a single layer, wrong side up. With a permanent marker, draw grainline arrows indicating the direction of the fur’s pile. This serves as a guide so you can be sure to lay all the pattern pieces out in the correct direction.

Then lay the patterns on the fabric and pin in place. Trace around the perimeter with the marker. Add notches and 0ther matching points as needed. Also mark foldlines, pocket openings, and any other references you’ll need for construction.

Stay the seams

Use 3/8-inch-wide cold tape to stabilize the seamlines. Apply the tape along the marked lines, within the body of the pattern. You need tape only on one side of a seam, so if you’ve stayed the back side seams, you don’t need to tape the front side seam. The tape counteracts the fur’s tendency to stretch as you machine-stitch the seams. Stay the seams on the fronts, back, and sleeve pieces.

Kenneth demonstrates how to use twill tape and white glue to stay the seams, if you don’t have access to cold tape.

Now that the seams have been…