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Add Construction Detail Tool Icon

Add Construction Detail Tool

What it Does​

Transform your design into a precise roadmap for assembly. This tool allows you to place standardized technical annotations for complex fabric manipulations including Gathers, Tucks, Ease, and Shirring, as well as specialized Pleat types (Knife, Accordion, Box, and Inverted Box). By embedding these clear, auto-aligned instructions directly onto your pattern, you eliminate guesswork during the sewing process and ensure professional-grade results for yourself and other makers.

How to Use​

  1. Activate the tool by clicking the Add Construction Details icon
  2. Select a line or curve to receive the notation
  3. Select a detail type
  4. Enter a distance to the start point from the end
  5. Enter the width between the start and stop points
  6. Enter the length of the guide lines that run perpendicular to the line/curve selected
  7. Enter any instructions for the notation, leave blank for none

Shirring​

  1. Enter the number of lines of shirring.

Pleats​

  1. Enter the number of pleats.
  2. Enter the distance between pleats.
  3. Change which end to measure from
  4. Click Preview to see the detail drawn
  5. Select Other Side to move the notation to the other side of the line / curve
  6. Click Save to save the detail notation or Cancel to abort

Gather​

Gathers consist of two end lines with a wavy line connecting them. The color is light blue.

Tuck​

Tucks consist of two end lines with a dashed line connecting them. The color is purple.

Ease​

Ease consists of two end lines with a dashed line connecting them. The color is aqua.

Shirring​

Shirring consists of two end lines with wavy lines connecting them. You can choose how many lines of shirring to add. The color is light blue.

Knife / Accordion Pleats​

These consist of three lines. There is a red inside fold and two blue outside fold lines for each. You have the option of creating more than one pleat along the line. If you leave the Distance Between at 0, these are Accordion Pleats. If you enter a distance between, they are Knife Pleats.

Box Pleats​

These consists of six lines. The outside grey lines are for alignment only and are not folded. The pleat starts from the line/curve end to the first red point and the width is between the red points. The red lines indicate the actual pleat width and these are folded right sides together to meet at the center. The blue lines are folded wrong side together and over to align to the grey lines. (Box is on the outside.)

When adding multiples, the Distance Between is measured from the ending to the beginning red lines.

Inverted Box Pleats​

These consists of six lines. The outside grey lines are for alignment only and are not folded. The pleat starts from the line/curve end to the first blue point and the width is between the blue points. The blue lines indicate the actual pleat width and these are folded wrong sides together and over to meet at the center. The red lines are folded right side together and over to align to the grey lines. (Box is on the inside.)

When adding multiples, the Distance Between is measured from the ending to the beginning blue lines.

warning

All of the construction detail elements are added to their own layer. It is not a good idea to edit any of the components. It is best to delete the entire layer and re-do it.