Pin Work
Pin work is a draping process in which fabric is pinned to a dress form with straight pins while working out the shape, ease, and the placement of style lines and darts that follow the body’s three-dimensional form.
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Definition and Overview
Pin work is the process of shaping fabric by placing it on a dress form or the wearer’s body and temporarily securing it with straight pins. It allows you to directly check a three-dimensional silhouette and amount that are difficult to verify with a flat pattern alone.
It may refer simply to the act of pinning fabric in place, or to the series of three-dimensional draping steps from arranging the fabric and marking it to developing it into a pattern. The scope of the work varies by workplace and educational institution.
Parts Used and Their Roles
It is mainly done on areas where the relationship to the body and curves are important, such as the bodice, collar, sleeves, and skirt. Fabric is eased over the bust, shoulders, neck, armholes, waist, and hips, and excess fullness is organized into darts, tucks, gathers, and seam lines.
It is also important to position the grain correctly relative to the body. Because the drape and stretch change depending on the warp, weft, and bias directions, pins are placed while checking the grain line, and left-right balance is also examined.
- Checking bodice ease and dart amount
- Checking how the collar turns and how it sits around the neck
- Examining the shape of the armhole and sleeve cap, and the range of motion
- Examining the amount and placement of gathers and drapes
Materials and Types
For study and testing, plain woven fabrics such as sheeting, which make the weave and grain easy to see and are easy to mark, are often used. Choosing the level of sheerness, thickness, and stiffness makes it easier to understand the shape during work.
However, the stretch, weight, stiffness, and drape of a mock-up fabric and the actual fabric differ. With knits, thin fabrics cut on the bias, slippery fabrics, and thick fabrics, the finished result changes even with the same pin work shape, so confirmation using the actual fabric is necessary.
Main Applications
It is used not only for garments that emphasize three-dimensional shaping, such as haute couture and dresses, but also for ready-to-wear planning and sample making. It is the process of turning the image in a design drawing into a three-dimensional form and obtaining basic material for pattern making.
After pin work, notches, darts, seam lines, stitching lines, and the like on the fabric are recorded, and the fabric is removed and flattened. After adding the required seam allowance, it is developed into a master pattern or the pattern pieces for each part, and then checked again in a muslin fitting.
Selection, Handling, and Sewing Notes
Check the dress form size and posture, the width of the fabric to be used, and the grain in advance. If sheeting is straightened as needed and grain lines and reference lines are marked, it becomes easier to identify left-right differences and twisting.
Straight pins are used mainly inside the stitching line or in areas that will become seam allowance so as not to damage the fabric. For materials that are likely to retain pin holes or delicate fabrics, check in an inconspicuous area beforehand, and consider using temporary holding clips as well.
When transferring the shape obtained through pin work to sewing, do not rely only on temporary pinning; clearly mark notches, clipping points, stitching stops, and seam allowance width. Confirm whether the drape and easing that worked in three dimensions can be reproduced after flat cutting and sewing.
Differences from Similar Terms
Draping refers to the entire method of creating a pattern three-dimensionally using a dress form or similar tool. Pin work generally refers to the specific task or method of pinning fabric to create shape within that process.
Toile refers to a trial garment assembled for prototyping, or the fabric used for it. Pin work may be done before making a toile, but pins are also used when correcting a toile made from a flat pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pin work and draping mean the same thing?
They are not exactly the same. Draping is the overall method of making a pattern in three dimensions on a dress form or similar form, while pin work generally refers to the specific task of pinning fabric in place with straight pins to create shape and examine fullness and lines. In some workplaces, the entire draping process may also be called pin work.
What kind of fabric is used for pin work?
In general, sheeting and similar fabrics are used because the grain is easy to read and marking and corrections are easy. However, the appearance of the final garment cannot be judged from the mock-up fabric alone. It is important to consider the weight, stiffness, stretch, and drape of the actual fabric, and to check important areas using the actual fabric as well.
What should I watch out for when transferring pin work to a pattern?
Clearly record dart points, seam lines, stitching stops, notches, grain line, and how ease is distributed on the fabric. Taking photos and noting measurements before removing the pins also makes checking easier. After flattening, add seam allowance and confirm by muslin fitting whether the intent in three dimensions has been reproduced.
