Iβm forever in search of the best pattern layouts for cutting fabric. Sweating over how to get close to zero fabric waste is good for the environment and your wallet. Plus, itβs a fun personal challenge to Tetris pattern pieces (I know Iβm not alone here).
With this mind-set, I figured out a pattern layout to get six pairs of bikini-style Seamwork Geneva panties from one yard of fabric. (I sewed a size small; the finished high hip is 27-28 inches, and the finished low hip is 30-31 inches.)
Hereβs how I did it:
My Steps for Efficient Pattern Layout
0.) Wash and dry the fabric.
You canβt talk about cutting fabric β in my case, Robert Kaufman Laguna cotton-spandex knit β until itβs shrunk. (BTW, I’ve been wearing (and washing and drying) these undies for a couple weeks now, and I’m still liking the fabric.)
1.) Cut pattern pieces flat (vs. cutting on the fold).
Cutting pattern pieces flat lets you literally see how they will emerge from the yardage. Plus, youβre able to squeeze more pattern pieces out of a piece of fabric with flat cutting.
2.) Measure the width of the fabric.
Measure from selvage to selvage. My fabric was 60 inches wide. (It was about 38.5 inches tall; I bought a yard and I got a little extra.)
3.) Bunch all paper pattern pieces together into the smallest unit possible. Measure.
Here, you must take grainline into consideration. I determined that the back, front, and crotch lining pattern pieces could fit together in a rectangle about 17 inches side to side by 19 inches long.
4.) Do the math.
How many times can my pattern unit fit into fabric? How many times can 17 inches go into 60 inches? I donβt have that answer down to the decimal, but I do know that 20 goes into 60 three times. To wrap up the math section, I cut the fabric into three (approximately) 20-inch wide βcolumns.β
5.) Place paper pattern pieces on a column and trace. Cut out fabric pattern pieces.
I traced the paper pattern pieces because the edges of the fabric rolled a lot and I didnβt want to monkey with holding paper pattern pieces AND fabric in place as I worked my rotary cutter.
As I cut out fabric pattern pieces for each pair of underwear, I pinned the pieces together. This ensured I had the correct pattern pieces for each would-be finished pair oβ pants.
A Problem Cutting Out Pattern Pieces
On the third (and final) fabric column, I realized it was shorter than its counterparts. I figured this out as I played with the paper pattern pieces and noticed overlapping.
How did this happen? My guess is one of two things likely occurred:
1.) The person who cut the fabric got a little narrower on that end of the yardage.
2.) The knit fabric twisted out of shape. (This isnβt uncommon with knits; this fabric rolled like crazy on the edges, so it easily could have been misshapen.)
To get both pairs of Seamwork undies to fit on the shorter fabric column, the final pair I traced was a little shorter than its sister. I took 1 centimeter off the rise at the side seam and didn’t touch the rest. I didn’t come this far to not have six new pairs of underwear because of a lousy 1 centimeter!
Is There a Better Pattern Layout?
I donβt know if thereβs a way to get more undies out of a yard of fabric. If I were being SUPER anal about it, I could have used Illustrator to draw the pattern pieces at actual size and placed them digitally on a cut of βfabricβ that was 60 by 38.5 inches. That way, all the elements would have been to scale and I maybe could have squeezed in another pair of underwear.
As it worked out, though, there was almost nothing left in terms of fabric scraps. Think about how much area each pair of panties took up in each column! Not a lot of space leftover.
Maybe Iβd make a scale model if I were working with super-special or spendy yardage, or if I thought I might be cutting it close (PUN HA) with having enough fabric. How far would you go? And what are your best tips for pattern layouts with zero waste?
P.S. Hereβs the previous post: Work in Progress: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Leggings.
P.P.S. Here are some vlogs on sewing underpants!
Work in Progress: Sewing Panties, Part 1
Work in Progress: Sewing Underwear, Part 2
P.P.S. Here’s another article about Seamwork stuff:Β Why I canceled my Seamwork magazine subscription.
Very timely post! Just started my first pairs. I am trying to use up my remnants first, then I will buy my favored 95/5 cotton spandex blend. This is very helpful. Thank you!
Hey, Tina! Thanks for reading! Good call on using your remnants. I want to make some more undies from some of my spicier (spicier than black, HA) remnants. So – what is YOUR fave 95/5 cotton-spandex blend? ALWAYS looking for good fabric.
That’s really cool! I’m not sure if your “smallest unit possible” method is the best though because it leaves out a lot of fabric in the corners of each square, right? I tried a quick version of what you suggested, using Inkscape to lay the pieces out individually on a rectangle of fabric and it seems like you could get 8 pairs (the link is an image of the layout) if you were cutting a small. I want to try it sometime in the next few weeks!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NT48Z3rwhHHjmNKWA
Dude, that’s SO COOL! Good luck trying this out. LMK how it works! I’m intrigued.
I want to establish panties sewing factory but looking at the number of panties derived from a yard of fabric ,would this business be lucrative?
I need expert advice.
Thank you.
Hi! Thanks for reading. I think you’d need to research mass production of garments. I’m just a home sewist, and while I did optimize my production in the best way I knew how, large-scale manufacturing is a different beast. I suggest finding a contact manufacturer to discuss your idea. Again, I’m not an expert on this sort of sewing.
How about the binding around the opening??
thanks
Hello, and thanks for reading. The binding is fold-over elastic. Does this answer your question?
Would this illustration actually work if I used it as a pattern?
No. Just for illustrative purposes.