How to Read a McCalls Sewing Pattern
McCalls is a well-known and standard pattern-making brand. While the layout and instructions are slightly different from Simplicity patterns, they are still relatively easy to follow. McCalls even has a pattern line called Learn to Sew. These are great patterns for a beginner sewist to start with.
The pattern instructions and markings are fairly standard, but all pattern brands have their own look and feel. If you’re just picking up your first pattern, I’ll walk you through the McCalls layout and instructions so that you know how to approach the construction of your garment and can easily get started.
Reading a McCalls pattern envelope
The sewing pattern envelope will tell you basic information about design features, fabric, sizing, and supplies you need to create the final garment. The goal is to know how much of everything you need to buy to complete the finished project. The envelope is not just a wrapping, so don’t throw it out. The information on the envelope is usually not repeated anywhere else on the pattern pieces or instruction booklet.
The front of the pattern envelope
The front of the pattern envelope is mostly just the pretty pictures to try to get you to want to buy the pattern. It usually only includes what each version of the final garment will look like and the size of the pattern pieces.
The information you’ll find on the front of the pattern envelope includes:
- Pictures of the main design and alternate versions. Usually, this is alterations in sleeves and length, but sometimes there are other design details that are different too.
- The number of the pattern. This helps you organize and reference the pattern later.
- The sizes included in the pattern (always double check this since many patterns are divided into smaller and larger size categories)
The back of the pattern envelope
The back of the McCalls pattern envelope is split into two parts, one in English and the other in French (and sometimes Spanish). Usually, it will have the instructions in English, followed by the French and Spanish section. So it always looks like there’s a lot of information crammed onto the back of the pattern, but it’s really just the same thing twice.
The English part of the pattern envelope will give the fabric amounts and measurements in inches, feet, and yards. The other part will give these numbers in centimeters and meters.
1. Size guide
The size guide is located on the flap of the pattern envelope. If you untuck it from the top, you’ll see the size recommendations based on your bust, waist, and hip measurements. Use these as guidelines to help you pick the right size and purchase enough fabric.
The sizes of sewing patterns do not correlate with sizes in a department store. For example, if you’re a size 6 normally, you might be somewhere around a size 12 or 14 on the sewing pattern. You want to base the size you choose on your body measurements only.
What to expect from McCalls sizes
I frequently find that I need to size down on McCalls patterns after I check the bust/waist/hip measurements for myself (use a measuring tape and measure the actual pattern pieces). This seems to be a fairly common practice among pattern brands. It could be because it’s a lot easier to adjust a garment to make it smaller after you’ve cut it than it is to make it bigger.
If you’re new to sewing, I recommend sticking with the recommended sizes on the pattern envelope. But once you’ve created a few handmade garments, try measuring the pattern and deciding for yourself if you want to size up or down.
2. Description and type of fabric
The first section gives a quick description of the garments in the sewing pattern. It can give you some details it’s hard to tell from just the pictures. For example, which areas of the clothes are lined or whether the pockets are fake or real.
The section also includes fabric suggestions. It lets you know what type of fabric will work best with this pattern. It can also include information such as requiring fabrics that stretch, or whether the pattern will work with fabric that has a nap or is printed with diagonals.
3. How much fabric you need
The next section lets you know how much fabric you need for the size pattern you want to make. Usually, it will be separated into 45” and 60” fabric since most bolts of fabric will come in one of these two standard widths.
If it only gives the fabric yardage for 60” material, it may mean that the pattern pieces are too large to work with 45” fabric. If it’s for a knit’s-only pattern, it may only give one yardage because most knit fabrics come in the 60” width.
4. Interfacing, lining, and notions
You’ll see a section for interfacing and lining underneath the fabric amounts. Obviously, any pattern that does not use interfacing or lining will not include this section.
Usually, the notions section will be directly underneath the lining and interfacing. Occasionally, you will see it toward the top of the pattern underneath the fabric suggestions instead. This part lets you know whether you need elastic, buttons, bias tape, or any other supplies to complete the garment. Thread is usually implied, but sometimes it’s listed in the notion section as well.
5. Finished garment measurements
This section will tell you what to expect from the measurements of the finished garment you’re making. McCalls patterns have started to include the finished bust and sometimes hip measurements of the design to help you figure out how much ease is included in the pattern. It can help you decide whether you want to size up or down when creating the pattern for yourself.
6. Stretch guide
On patterns that use stretchy fabric, you will also see a stretch guide along the top or side of the envelope. This will let you know how far your fabric needs to be able to stretch for it to work with the pattern. If the fabric doesn’t stretch as far as the guide indicates, there is a good chance your final garment will be too small. However, it’s perfectly okay if the fabric stretches more than indicated.
7. Line art for the back of the design
You will also see the front and back line art on the back of the pattern envelope. This gives you a slightly more detailed view of the finished garments compared to the front of the envelope, and it’s usually easier to see details you miss when looking at the model wearing the garment.
The McCalls instruction sheet
The instruction booklet is where you’ll find more detailed information about how to cut and sew the pattern. It contains a guide so that you know what to expect when you unwrap the tissue paper, and it includes instructions for how to put the whole thing together.
1. Line art and pattern pieces
The two sections on the left-hand side of the instructions show the line art of the final garments and show you the shape of the pattern pieces that are included on the tissue paper. Each of these pieces is numbered and labeled. And the instructions tell you which garment style uses each pattern piece. For example, pattern piece 1 might be used for designs A and B, while piece 11 is used for designs C and D.
2. Sewing and cutting information
The next section has a guide for basic pattern markings that you’ll find on the pattern pieces (more on that in the next section). It also gives some basic instructions for adjusting the pattern. For example, if you need to shorten or lengthen the sleeves. And it gives you some tips for cutting out the pattern pieces and transferring the pattern markings to your fabric.
3. Pattern cutting layouts
The next section of McCalls patterns includes the cutting layouts. These are guides to help you place your pattern pieces and cut them from the fabric without wasting too much excess fabric. You don’t have to follow these, but they can help make sure you stick to the fabric guidelines that were given on the pattern envelope.
4. McCalls sewing instructions
The next part is the sewing instructions for constructing your piece of clothing. I’ve found that McCalls patterns are generally beginner friendly. The pictures are pretty clear, and a lot of the in-between steps are clearly written out (such as basting, staystitching, pressing seams, etc.).
The directions also include a small glossary. Anytime you see bold, capitalized words in the instructions, you can refer to the glossary to see what exactly is meant when that term is used.
McCalls cutting and markings guide
McCalls uses fairly standard markings on their pattern pieces. Most of these will be the same for other pattern brands, such as Butterick and Simplicity. However, there may be some slight differences, so I’ve included a guide of all the markings you might see on McCalls pattern pieces.
The guide for some of the basic markings can be found in the general direction section of the pattern instructions.
Here is a quick guide for all the symbols you’ll find on McCalls pattern pieces:
- Lines for pattern sizes (on a multi-size pattern)
- The numbered pattern piece (so you know which ones to trace and cut)
- Number of pieces to cut (lets you know the number of this piece to cut from your fabric)
- Hem allowance (this will let you know how big the hemline is supposed to be)
- Waistline (lets you know where your natural waist should be. Lengthen or shorten the pattern if it’s not lining up with your actual waist)
- Cut on the fold (this is also the grainline for pieces that are cut on the fold)
- Notch marks for lining up pieces
- Fold line (for pieces that are folded in half, like waistbands)
- Symbols (lets you know corners of seams and are referenced in pattern instructions)
- Button marks and buttonholes
- Stitch line (if there is shirring or stitching in the center of a pattern piece, not for seam allowance stitch line)
- Grainline of fabric (if there is no grainline, check to see if it’s cut on the fold. If so, the fold is your grainline)
- Shorten and lengthen lines (these are the same as any other pattern)
- Target line for bustline, waistline, hips (this lets you know where the bust, waist, and hip measurements are)
- Final hip, bust, and waist measurements (this lets you know what the final measurements should be)
