Beginners sewing pattern - please help before I start cutting!

[Pantone363]

I've sown a few things to get practice on my machine (cushion covers, vvv easy skirts for DD etc).

Have bought my first pattern (burda child's dress with Seam allowances)

Have read instructions 20 times. I know pattern layout but a few quick questions.

It fits 5 sizes (age 5-10) when cutting pattern pieces do I cut along the age I want? (Seems obvious I know!

And why are there two sets of patterns exactly the same in packet? So I can make two dresses of different ages?

Thanks for reading and hopefully not laughing

[JacktheLab]

Check with the instructions, I seem to remember that burda don't include seam allowances so you might need to take that into account.

Where there are triangular notches cut them outwards opposite to the way they are printed, they help matching up things like shoulders.

The dots and dashes indicate things like the pleats etc, you need to transfer them onto the fabric if they are present

Tht

[JacktheLab]

Note to self read properly, yes the ages should have different types of lines for each age

[Pantone363]

Thank you!!!!

Pretty sure seam allowances are included as pic, it is easy easy according to sewing shop lady

[furnessian]

Yes, seam allowances are now included in Burda patterns. They didn't use to.

[Dutchoma]

Are you sure the patterns are for exactly the same dress? Sometimes two different patterns are included, for instance long and short sleeves or a different neck line.
Make sure you work out what the grain of the fabric is, so that you can line up the arrows on the pattern. The arrows need to be on the straight grain. This can be a bit tricky and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to find out. It really is important.

[Pantone363]

Is the grain the ends the salvage are on?

The shop woman did explain that the salvage showed which way the grain ran and the arrows on the pattern needed to run the same way?

[Dutchoma]

What you do usually is to put the selvedges together, lay the pattern on top and measure carefully that the top of the arrow and the bottom are the same distance away from the selvedge. Some pattern pieces need to be cut out on the fold. The instructions on the pattern will tell you the pattern layout. You fold the material so the wrong side is on the outside unless it tells you differently.
Also I find it quite helpful to iron both pattern and material before cuttig out.
And keep ironing once you start sewing.

[Orangeanddemons]

The grain runs parallel to the selvedge. If that's the pattern in your photo, there are two different dresses. That's why there are two in the pattern envelope. One of them seems to have pleats or tucks around the hem