Pattern Cutting

Part of Textiles and Weaving

Pattern cutting — taking body measurements and translating them into cut cloth pieces — is the bridge between raw fabric and functional clothing. Simple geometric patterns require minimal measuring skill and produce zero-waste garments from handwoven cloth.

For most of human history, clothing was not cut from patterns at all — it was draped. A Roman toga was a rectangle of fabric wrapped around the body. Greek chitons were two rectangles pinned at the shoulders. Medieval tunics were simple T-shapes with straight seams. This is not primitive simplicity but practical wisdom: straight cuts from rectangular cloth leave no wasted fabric, and wasted fabric in a handwoven textile represents weeks of spinning and weaving.

The tailored garment — with curved seams, darts, and shaped pieces — is a relatively recent development. Before tailoring, people clothed themselves comfortably and effectively with right-angle cuts from full cloth widths. These geometric patterns are also the most practical approach in a rebuilding scenario where cloth is precious and cutting tools may be limited.

Measuring the Body

All clothing begins with body measurements. These are the key measurements for basic garments:

Measurement	Where to measure	Typical adult range
Chest/bust	Fullest point, around the chest	80-130 cm
Waist	Narrowest point between ribcage and hips	60-110 cm
Hips	Fullest point, about 20 cm below waist	85-135 cm
Shoulder width	Point to point across back	35-50 cm
Sleeve length	Shoulder point to wrist (arm slightly bent)	55-65 cm
Body length	Shoulder to desired hem length	60-130 cm (shirt to full length)
Inseam	Crotch to ankle	70-85 cm
Head circumference	Around the head at forehead level	52-62 cm
Neck circumference	Around the base of neck	33-45 cm

Tools for measuring: A cord or strip of leather makes an adequate measuring tape. Knot it at 10 cm intervals (or mark with charcoal or dye) for a calibrated measure. Alternatively, use a thin stick against the body, mark the measurement on the stick, then measure the stick against a known distance.

Ease: All patterns should add 5-10 cm of ease (extra width) beyond the actual body measurement for comfortable movement. A garment cut exactly to body measurements cannot be worn without seams splitting.

The Basic Tunic (T-Tunic)

The T-tunic is the most historically universal garment — worn from ancient Egypt through medieval Europe with minor variations. It is entirely rectangular cuts with no waste.

Materials needed: Fabric rectangle approximately 150 cm wide × (body length × 2) + 30 cm long. A 90 cm wide fabric requires two panels seamed at the center back and front.

Cutting plan:

1. Fold the fabric lengthwise at center and mark with chalk or charcoal
2. Body panels: Two rectangles, each (half chest + 10 cm ease) wide × (shoulder to hem + 5 cm hem allowance) long
3. Sleeves: Two rectangles, each (sleeve length + 5 cm seam allowance) long × (desired sleeve width at shoulder + 10 cm ease) wide. Taper toward the wrist: cut diagonally from full width at the shoulder end to narrower at the wrist.
4. Neckline: Fold one body panel in half lengthwise and crosswise to find center. Cut a shallow oval from this center point: approximately 15 cm wide × 8 cm deep for a front neckline, 8 cm deep at back. A simple round neckline requires only a circular cut at center.

Construction sequence:

1. Sew shoulder seams (leave neckline open)
2. Set in sleeves: align the center of the sleeve top with the shoulder seam, sew sleeves to body panel
3. Sew sleeve underarm seams and body side seams in one continuous seam from wrist to hem
4. Hem neck opening, sleeve cuffs, and bottom hem

Seam allowances: Allow 1.5-2 cm on all seams. Handwoven fabric frays readily — finish all seam edges by folding under and whip-stitching, or by overcast stitch.

Trousers/Pants (Simple Two-Panel)

The simplest trouser design requires only straight cuts.

Pattern pieces:

• Two leg panels, each: (inseam + rise measurement + 5 cm) long × (thigh circumference ÷ 2 + 10 cm ease) wide
• The “rise” is the measurement from crotch to waistband while seated

Cutting the crotch curve: Fold each leg panel in half lengthwise. At one corner (the crotch end), cut a quarter-circle curve approximately 15 cm deep and 10 cm wide from the fold corner. This creates the curved crotch seam that allows the trouser to fit around the hips.

Construction:

1. Place two leg panels right sides together with crotch curves aligned. Sew the crotch seam from waistband front, through the curve, to waistband back. This joins the two legs at the crotch.
2. Sew inner leg seams from ankle to ankle through the crotch join point.
3. Fold waistband over and sew a casing for a drawstring, or sew on a waistband with ties.
4. Hem ankles.

A-frame adjustment: If the crotch is too low (baggy) or too high (uncomfortable), adjust the crotch curve depth at the initial cutting stage. More curve = longer rise = lower crotch. Less curve = shorter rise = higher crotch.

The Wrap Skirt / Kirtle

The simplest lower-body garment: a rectangle of fabric, typically 2× the hip measurement wide and floor-length, hemmed on all sides and secured with a belt or ties. No pattern required. Wrap twice around the body and tie. This works for any body size and requires no fitting.

Dimensions: Width = hip measurement × 2 to 2.5. Length = waist to desired hem + 5 cm hem allowance.

The Cloak / Wrap

A large rectangle or semicircle. The most versatile outer garment.

Rectangle cloak: Any large fabric rectangle (150 × 200 cm for a full cloak). Secure at shoulder with a pin, brooch, or loop-and-toggle. No cutting required beyond squaring the edges.

Semicircular cloak: Cut a semicircle with radius equal to the desired cloak length (typically 80-120 cm). The straight edge becomes the neckline. This produces a garment that drapes elegantly and covers well without requiring shaping.

Neckline opening on semicircular cloak: From the center of the straight edge, cut a semicircle 15-20 cm in diameter for the neck. Finish this edge with a narrow folded hem or a fabric binding strip.

Hood

A simple hood from a rectangular piece with one curved seam:

Dimensions: Rectangle 35 cm × 60 cm

1. Fold in half lengthwise (35 × 30 cm folded)
2. The fold edge becomes the face opening
3. Round the corner at the back top with a curved cut (approximately 10 cm radius)
4. Sew the back seam along the rounded edge and straight top
5. The resulting tube, when turned right-side out, is a fitted hood

For an attached hood: sew the bottom opening of the hood to the neckline of a tunic or cloak.

Zero-Waste Layout Principles

Handwoven cloth is too valuable to waste in offcuts. Follow these principles:

Plan the full cut before picking up scissors: Sketch out every piece on a flat surface representation of your cloth panel. Arrange and rearrange until the pieces fit with minimal gap.

Use selvedge edges as finished edges: The selvage (the self-finished edge of woven cloth) does not need hemming. Orient pattern pieces to use the selvage as sleeve hems, side seams, or bottom hems where possible.

Triangular offcuts → gussets: The small triangles cut from necklines and crotch curves are not waste — they become gussets. A gusset is a small diamond or square sewn into a stress point (armpit, crotch) to allow movement without tearing. Every gusset extends garment life significantly.

Square offcuts → patches: Even small squares (15 × 15 cm) are useful for knee patches, elbow patches, and pocket additions. Store all offcuts in a patch bag.

Narrow strips → binding tape: Long narrow strips cut from selvedge edges or offcuts make excellent binding tape for finishing necklines, cuffs, and hems.

Cutting Tools

Shears (fabric scissors): The ideal tool. Large scissors with long blades and bent handle (offset handle allows the cloth to lie flat while cutting). Keep dedicated fabric scissors for fabric only — cutting paper, leather, or other materials dulls blades rapidly.

Knife and straightedge: A sharp knife dragged along a wooden or bone straightedge cuts fabric cleanly. Lay the fabric on a smooth, flat cutting surface. More effort than scissors but functional when shears are unavailable.

Tearing: Tightly woven plain weave fabric tears cleanly on grain (along the thread lines) when pulled sharply. Use this to create straight cuts on grain without tools. Pre-score with a small cut at the tear starting point.

Notches for matching pieces: Cut small V-notches at key alignment points (shoulder points, sleeve centers, side seam matching points) in the seam allowance before removing pieces from the cutting layout. These notches allow accurate alignment during construction without measuring every seam.

Sizing Up and Scaling Patterns

Once you have one well-fitting garment, use it as a pattern for future garments by tracing around each piece onto cloth or bark. Mark all notches and grain lines.

For adjusting size:

• Wider: Add equal amounts to center front/back seams or side seams
• Longer: Add to hem, not to shoulder (altering shoulder changes proportions)
• Sleeve length: Adjust at the cuff end only

A well-made T-tunic with correct measurements takes 3-4 hours to cut and sew by hand. After making 10-15 garments, the process becomes routine and production time drops significantly. The measuring, layout, and cutting skills are the hardest part to learn — the actual stitching, though slow, requires less judgment.