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Member since 12/1/11
Posts: 11
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Posted on: 4/24/13 9:16 PM ET
this is the first time i've asked a question, pardon mistakes in formatting. Does the placement of a notch on the pattern piece have significance (besides the obvious use as a match point)? For example, the notch on a shoulder seam, does it signify the location of the shoulder point, or perhaps the midpoint between neck and shoulder point? Or is the placement of a notch totally arbitrary? I've been sewing for many years but only recently realized that there might be more significance to pattern markings. I had never noticed that the double notches on a sleeve always indicated the back of the sleeve!
  
Member since 1/23/06
Posts: 6190
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Posted on: 4/24/13 9:45 PM ET
I don't think it is arbitrary. Easing on sleeves is done between notches. Trimming on underseams is done between notches. Gathered skirts have their fullness spread properly when the notches match. I could go on and on. Double notches are the back of the sleeve, very important to get sleeves right and the notches help.

Now how about all those dots?
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http://lasewist.blogspot.com/
  
Member since 8/28/08
Posts: 6568
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Posted on: 4/24/13 10:19 PM ET
Ditto to everything Solosmocker said. Some Butterick patterns from about 70s and older have two notches for the front and three for the back. (just so you know if you ever run into this.)
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Oops, forgot what I was going to put here.
  
Member since 9/29/10
Posts: 90
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Posted on: 4/25/13 5:46 PM ET
As I understand it, the placement of the notches doesn't really signify an anatomical point on the body or a geometric point on the patten (like your half of the shoulder seam example).

It's more a case of indicating how to fit the pieces together if the characteristics of the fabric change. I.e. bias, ease etc. As solosmocker said: gathering between notches etc. Surely that's why different curves have notches, while straight seams less so...
  
Member since 5/2/09
Posts: 11280
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Posted on: 4/25/13 7:03 PM ET
I believe history wise, the indications of the notches on most paper sewing patterns, of major sewing pattern companies, (and the length of notching they took up) not only were made for matching up pattern pieces but also were pretty much used and put in and indicate certain areas of the garment that fell on certain areas of your body, and on purpose. No matter if you wished to cut them inwards or outwards or just mark them on your fabric some other way even. Over many decades even. Even going back to when paper patterns first even existed and were unprinted and pre-cut, on blank tissue paper with just some hole punching in them. I think it still goes much the same, for the USA major pattern printed companies, like Butterick, McCalls, Vouge, Simplicty ect.

That is does not mean that has to be true now at all though, or just the same, if your sewing patterns just come designed from all sorts of other sources, like internet downloads, lots of small companies or anyone's ebay or etsy site, or just anyone whom wants to make some, and can make their own website on the internet to sell some of their patterns off of. So maybe really depends on what you are looking at each time now.
  
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