transferring notches onto pattern

I always recommend that you cut notches (precisely) outward rather than inward. It is a method I have used all my sewing life.

There are two reasons

1. An outward notch like this is a more visible guide for matching pieces up than little clips in fabric that can sometimes be barely visible especially if fabric frays easily…
   which can also mean you may loose your seam allowance
2. Secondly, to allow ability to adjust seams to fit, notching outwards means retaining all of the seam allowance to play with. However making a clip into the seam allowance to the depth of that little triangle, diminishes the “play” in the seam allowances by almost half. Here’s how…

Before cutting out each pattern piece, use another pattern piece to trace the exact mirror image of notches to create little diamond shapes…if you can be accurate you can do this free hand

Marking Notches

On double notches like this

Double notches

join the tips of the two diamonds to create a tab shape. The resulting pattern piece, once cut, has a completely accurate and very visible outward notch.

Which makes the pattern pieces much easier to line up when assembling the garment AND, leaves all of the seam allowance to play with when inevitable fitting issues arise!

Cutting these notches out can require some patient scissor skills! I employ the method below, making my cuts in the numerical order shown, to keep them nice and accurate and neat…

Do not be  in a rush to get those pattern pieces cut out and get started!  Preparing your pattern carefully and cutting and marking carefully help you get a quality garment and finish.

Another tip use hole reinforcers to reinforcie the dots on pattern pieces!