Turn of Cloth and Millinery

Most good millinery patterns that you can buy, don't include seam allowances. The reason for this is simply summed up in the concept of "Turn of Cloth".

The idea of "Turn of Cloth" is based on the premise that fabric itself has demension, and to create items that are constructed of different layers of fabric, the layers on the exterior will be larger than the layers on the interior. Most of the time when using "Turn of Cloth" a small amount of fabric will be cut away from the garments lining, to make the finished seam lay without any bubbles or unsightly bumps. This technique is used on collars especially. "Turn of Cloth" is also known as seam rolling, or pin rolling. Corset makers use this technique often by placing the fabic over their knee while pinning, so that the lining layer is shorter than the fashion layer.

You can also think of "Turn of Cloth" as the layers of an onion. The interior layers are smaller than the outside layers. Or as those cute Russian stacking dolls. The outside doll needs to be large enough to fit all of the tiny dolls inside.

Unfortunately for millinery makers, we are not working from the outside in. We are starting with the most inward layer, the buckram form. The more layers we add to the buckram the larger our fabric pieces need to be. This is why most millinery patterns don't include seam allowance. It's very simple to remove extra fabric, but imposible to add fabric once it's been cut away.

For view A this wasn't a problem. All of the pattern pieces are cut on the bias and are stretchy. Also the oustide edge is covered with bias tape. And if you remember I asked you to cut the bias tape a small amount wider. This is to account for "turn of cloth".

Unfortunately, the shirring pannel is cut on the grain, and will not be stretchy to pull over the outside edge. So as the pattern develper, I have given you 1/2 of an inch to compensate for turn of cloth. Depending on your fabrics thickness however this may be too much, or it may not be enough. I can't know, because all fabrics are different. My best advice is to cut extra for yourself. You will be able to remove it if it's too much.

So you can see why most millinery patterns don't include seam allowances, they avoid the headache of "turn of cloth" entirely. I've decided to educate instead, and give you a pattern that falls in the middle of the road. I think it best to trust in the users ability instead of pretending like you won't understand the concept of "Turn of Cloth". And anyway, it's not my fault, blame geometry. :) Jerky Math, always getting in the way of my creativity.