Notches are marks on a pattern that serve a multitude of purposes. They can mark important positions like waistlines, hip lines and bust lines. They are often placed in the middle of long lengths of sewing to ensure that the garment parts remain aligned during construction. Notches are also used to mark the intake of a dart, pleat or tuck and show the distribution of gathers.
You can use notches to tell if a pattern is intended for the front or back. For example, a traditional purchased sleeve pattern will have a double notch on the cap that connects to the bodice back and a single notch where it connects to the bodice front.
Notches in Patternmaker Pro are nothing more than a point of a specific color placed on the pattern edge.
Patternmaker Pro Notches
- Align Notch - Circle outlined in blue. These are found on the long edges of patterns that align to other patterns. Since the seams are long, these notches can be transferred to the fabric so that pinning is easier.
- Front Notch - Circle filled with pink. These will correspond to another front pattern. For example, a sleeve cap will have a pink front notch where it aligns with the corresponding pink notch on the front bodice pattern armhole.
- Back Notch - Circle filled with purple. These will correspond to another back pattern. For example, a sleeve cap will have a purple back notch where it aligns with the corresponding purple notch on the back bodice pattern armhole.