Sew Easy #19, How to Match Plaids

so if you're playing make a dress of plaid  you'll find yourself spending more time implanting and cutting the fabric since this will  be true i'd like to use this demonstration to show you some of the special problems which arise  when we work with plaid so that you will know more of what we're talking about i'd like for  us to take a look and a dress of where the plaids have been effectively used here is julia  faltenson let's take a closer look at her dress the plaids are well matched  down the center front seam and they form a self trim by bringing  one color to the surface with tucks the stripes match right straight across the  front blouse too and they come together nicely at the shoulder and match right on down  the sleeve as they do here in the collar now here are some of the things we need to  know in order to match plaid equally well the first thing we need to know is that  some plaids are easier to match than others this is an easy one i've cut a square  out to show you that will match this way it'll match this way and we can tip it over  and it'll match this way this is what we call a balanced plaid the top is the same as the  bottom and the right is the same as the left and the underside is the same as the top side this is the easiest plaid to use and here is  one of the easiest patterns to use with plaid this skirt is called the square of the design  is merely a tube gathered in at the waistline the pieces are rectangular by matching notches on the pattern  for the same lines in the plaid the designs will match perfectly at the seam  lines and run continuously around the skirt this pattern has a flared skirt the side seams  are straight with a grain line but the front seams will be on the bias the skirt will look like this it can  be laid out the same way as the first by matching the notches to the plaid on the side  seams the design will automatically meet at the front seam at a graceful angle this way let's lay  out the skirt pattern to show you how it will go this piece of pattern has been laid  on a single thickness of the fabric and lined up with the grain we want  to locate the side seam of the pattern and find the notch located in relation  to the crosswise lines of your plaid this is the top of the pattern so the notch  comes to the lower line in this design group since this is a balanced plaid we can turn this  piece of pattern upside down to save material then we want to line up the grain by letting  it follow one of the lines in our design and you can see that right through your pattern  this is the top of the pattern and here is the corresponding notch that we want to place  along the lower line of our design group and then we'll pin lining up your design in this way is what  gives us a well-matched plaid at the side seam our next step is to double this fabric  under so the design will fall back on itself you could also measure off this  turn under against your pattern roughly then fold and match the designs as i'm  going to do then finally pin the pattern in place this would lessen the risk of tearing the pattern match the plaid along with  selvage on both sides and pin and then to be sure that the design is  matching all over this area put a pin down when the cross lines and check through to the  underside be sure they're matching and pin it and do this in enough places that  you're sure it's matching all over and then you're ready to pin the pattern down  through both thicknesses of fabric and cut it out when you fold and match your plants carefully you will have an interesting and  even design down the center front here's another balanced plan this is a  printed one with a right and wrong side however i can fold it and cut it very  much as i did the other balance plan but this one is printed off green so i suggest  that you use it for something other than a dress and here's a closer look at another plaid it will match this way but not this it'll match  this way but not the other it's unbalanced however it's a woven plaid like the first so we  can use the backside too this gives us a natural situation which can be used along a bias seam  line you cannot fold it the same way as a balanced plaid but you still can get a pleasing effect by  using both sides and cutting each piece separately it will take more time and planning here is  another imbalanced plaid that is nubby on one side the design cannot be made to match symmetrically  on a bias seam as with the unbalanced reversible plaid you saw a minute ago because one  side of the fabric would be wrong side out however we can use it with stripes running  horizontally around the blouse and skirt match up the strong are feature lines at the seams the vertical stripes won't  meet nicely at the seams but the stronger lines will  match and carry the design and now let me show you how to place  a blouse pattern on this fabric making use of these strong feature lines i've decided to put the full line of  the back on this heavy line on my plaid allowing enough fabric to fold  under for the other half of the back then we want to notice where the double notches  come in relation to the crosswise stripe of the plaid and place the sleeves so the double  notch comes in the same relationship those crosswise stripes center the sleeve on the heavy  line put it on the grain and then notice where the single notch comes in relation to the crosswise  stripe then place the front of the blouse so that the corresponding notch will be in  the same relationship to the design i start with the piece on the fold and the double notch  determines where the sleeve should be placed then the single notch in the sleeve determines  where the front pattern should be placed of course after you cut out the blouse front and the sleeve  you'll need to take those two pieces of pattern and place them on another part of the fabric  and cut a second set you'll need to take time planning the matching of the plaids in that  second set just as carefully as you did the first be sure to turn those pieces upside  down for the opposite sleeve in front and then design details that are well  planned add much to the appearance of for instance here at the neckline this keyhole  is outlined with a heavy stripe of the plaid if you want this heavy line to outline the detail and place your pattern so the seam line will  come right to the edge of that heavy line these are basic suggestions that i've given  you for working with plaid but they should give you a background of understanding so that  you can solve other problems as they arise so you