8

554 Chapter 8: Modifiers
Clothing and Pattern Design Overview
Traditionally, sewing patterns are cut from flat
pieces of cloth and stitched together. The place
where one piece of cloth is sewn to another is called
a seam. Patterns are generally symmetr ical, where
the left side of the garment matches the right.
Ski rt
The simplest is a skir t pattern with two pieces, with
a similar shape for the front and back. The back
shape is a little larger than the front to account for
the hips and buttocks.
The shapes are sewn together at the sides to form a simple
skirt.
The b ottom edge of a garment is called a hem. In
the skirt p attern, the waistline and hem are slightly
curved. When a person puts on the skirt, the
curve sits flat on the waist, while the skirt falls in
folds to the hem. Because both the waistline and
hemarecurved,theskirtfallstothesamelength
all the way around.
Shi rt
A shirt p attern is slightly more complicated. A
simple T-shirt pattern is made of two pieces, one
for the front and another for the back. The collar
on the back piece is higher than the collar on
the front. You sew s eams up the sides and at the
shoulders, leaving the arm hole open.
You can also add sleeves to the shir t. A sleeve
pattern is bell-shaped.