Before you start laying out your pattern on fabric, it is important to understand the concept of the grainline. The way you lay your pattern pieces on fabric will have a direct impact on the garment construction.
Grainline is a term used in the textile industry that refers to the position or the orientation of the yarns in woven fabric.
Selvages: These are the finished edges where the fabric comes off the looms; the selvages are parallel to the lengthwise grain.
Lengthwise grain or grain line: The grain line runs the length of the fabric, parallel to the selvages. The lengthwise grain is usually the most stable and less stretchy than the crosswise grain.
Crosswise grain: This grain runs across the width of the fabric, from selvage to selvage and perpendicular to the lengthwise. Usually the Crosswise grain has most of the stretch.
Bias: 45 degrees between the crosswise and lengthwise grains. The bias is very stretchy and malleable. This is used for trims and bias tape because it is easily shaped to follow a curved edge.
Now that you have an idea of how to identify the grainline, you need to know that when you are laying your pattern on fabric, the arrows in the patterns must be in parallel with the fabric grainline. This way you ensure the fabric is being used appropriately when constructing your garment.
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