Trim, grade, clip & notch

TRIMMING simply means to cut away some of the seam allowance. Do this

-in areas such as the underarm section of an armhole seam, where the wider seam allowance would interfere with the fit.

-when a special seam technique, such as French seams or welt seams, requires it.

-on enclosed seams as a prelimi nary step to grading.

-to eliminate excess fabric at the seam allowances of corners and points. That way, they will be smooth and flat once they're turned right side out.

GRADING refers to the process of trimming each seam allowance to a different width so that the layers won't create ndges on the outside of the garment. This technique is most commonly used on enclosed seams, such as those sometimes found along collar, cuff, pocket and faced edges. If the fabric is lightweight, grading is usually not...