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Add Construction Detail Tool Icon

Add Construction Detail Tool

What it Does​

Marks on your pattern where fabric is gathered, tucked, eased, shirred or pleated, so the person sewing it knows. You choose the type and where it starts and stops along a line or curve, and the tool draws the marks for you. Use this when a seam or edge needs fabric folded or drawn up to fit a shorter edge.

To learn more about these markings, see Pattern Markings & Annotations in the Academy.

How to Use​

  1. Activate the tool by selecting the Add Construction Details icon
  2. Select the line or curve that gets the detail
  3. Select the symbol type: Gather, Tuck, Ease, Shirring, Knife / Accordion Pleat, Box Pleat or Inverted Box Pleat
  4. Select Continue
  5. Enter the Distance to Start. This is how far from the end of the line or curve the detail begins
  6. Enter the Width. This is the distance between the start and the stop of the detail
  7. Enter the Length of Guide Lines. These are the short lines that cross the line or curve at each end
  8. Enter the Instruction, the words shown with the detail. A suggestion is already filled in. Change it, or clear it for no words
  9. For shirring, enter the Number of Lines
  10. For pleats, enter the Quantity (how many pleats) and the Distance Between them
  11. Under Measure from, select which end of the line or curve to measure from
  12. Select Preview to see the detail drawn
  13. Select Other Side to move the detail to the other side of the line or curve
  14. Select Save to keep the detail or Cancel to abort

If the values are longer than the line or curve, a message says so. Make the values smaller and select Preview again.

Gather​

A gather has two end lines joined by a wavy line. It is light blue.

Tuck​

A tuck has two end lines joined by a dashed line. It is purple.

Ease​

Ease has two end lines joined by a dashed line. It is aqua.

Shirring​

Shirring has two end lines joined by several wavy lines. You choose how many lines. It is light blue.

Knife / Accordion Pleats​

Each pleat has three lines: a red inside fold line and two blue outside fold lines. You can make more than one pleat along the line. If Distance Between is 0, you get accordion pleats. If you enter a distance, you get knife pleats.

Box Pleats​

A box pleat has six lines.

  • The grey outside lines are for alignment only. They are not folded.
  • The distance from the end of the line or curve to the first red point is where the pleat starts. The distance between the red points is the width.
  • Fold the red lines right sides together so they meet at the center.
  • Fold the blue lines wrong sides together and over, to line up with the grey lines.

The box ends up on the outside of the garment. When you make more than one, Distance Between is measured from the last guide of one pleat to the first guide of the next.

Inverted Box Pleats​

An inverted box pleat has six lines.

  • The grey outside lines are for alignment only. They are not folded.
  • The distance from the end of the line or curve to the first blue point is where the pleat starts. The distance between the blue points is the width.
  • Fold the blue lines wrong sides together and over, so they meet at the center.
  • Fold the red lines right sides together and over, to line up with the grey lines.

The box ends up on the inside of the garment. When you make more than one, Distance Between is measured from the last guide of one pleat to the first guide of the next.

warning

All of the parts of a construction detail are added to their own layer. Do not edit the parts one by one. If you need to change it, delete the whole layer and add the detail again.