Put a footwear pattern on a piece of upper material and rotate it a little. The outline still fits, so it might seem that direction is irrelevant. However, the rotation could alter the way the material stretches, the way matching pieces will act during sewing, or the way the upper lays over the last. Taking a few minutes to check direction before cutting can save you hours of trouble down the line.
Grain refers to the structure of the material; stretch indicates the direction in which the material stretches most. Because leather, synthetics, and fabrics all vary, you should always make your decision based on what the material does. Test a scrap first. Bend it back and forth in various directions to determine which direction is stiff and which is pliable. If the material has a visible grain or nap, note that too.
Position your pattern pieces with that information in mind. The vamp, quarter, tongue, or lining should have sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape, but allow the upper to wrap over the last. When one component in a pair is oriented differently than the other, both pieces will respond differently during upper construction and lasting. One component will yield more easily, while the other resists, resulting in a less balanced final product.
Look at the surface condition before laying out a pattern. Are there flaws, imperfections, wrinkles, scratches, or texture changes? Shift the template a few inches and see if you can avoid a flaw without sacrificing a large amount of material. When working with a textile, or any material with a directional nap or finish, examine how the adjoining pieces would look in relation to each other when viewed from the same side. Pieces cut correctly but rotated 180 degrees can look visibly wrong before even being sewn together.
To get a feel for grain and stretch direction, trace a basic pattern piece multiple times on cheap material, rotating the template between traces. Cut the sample pieces, and compare how they behave when you pull them across similar points. Lay two pieces side-by-side as you would a left and right component. Do the edges line up? Does one sample distort sooner than the other? This exercise will give you a better understanding of grain and stretch than reading instructions and never touching material.
Cutting haphazardly conceals this information until you’ve started production. Before committing to any cut, survey the entire pattern placement again. Make sure that reflected pieces are truly reflected, that the directionality is uniform, that you’ve provided adequate seam allowance, and that you’re not crossing a critical part of a flawed piece of material. Only then should you proceed to cut the pieces.
Instead of asking, “Can the pattern fit in this spot?” ask yourself, “Will this piece perform as I expect it to in relation to its paired component?” This simple shift of perspective will result in a more uniform upper throughout assembly, lasting, and quality control.
