In this episode of The Perfect Blouse with Sandra Miller, the sewing instructor shares practical tips to prepare the pattern pieces. Then she offers advice for how to pin the pieces to the fabric, cut them out, and finally mark the cut fabric.

Prepare the pattern tissue

To start, rough-cut the pattern pieces and then iron wrinkles and creases out of the tissue. Use a marker to highlight the correct size cutting lines, especially on multisize patterns, to make it clear which lines you need to follow. Sandra demonstrates on a Cutting Line Designs pattern: The Blouse Perfected.

Pin the pattern to the fabric

Use lots of pins when pinning the pattern pieces to the fabric. They will make it easier to cut accurately along the pattern edges and later keep the fabric and pattern piece together if you have to move them.

Mark the fabric

Find out what type of marking tools are helpful. Then watch how to make clip marks and how to use pins to accurately mark other pattern lines.

Coming up

In the next episode, Sandra explains how to prepare the left and right blouse fronts.