CF
Initialism of center front, a line on a pattern marking the center on the front side of a piece of clothing.
CF: the vertical centerline of every garment front
CF stands for center front, a marked or implied vertical line running down the middle of a garment's front panel. It is the primary reference line used in pattern grading, cutting, and construction. When a pattern piece is laid out, the CF line is typically aligned parallel to the selvage or to the fold of the fabric to ensure symmetry and proper grain alignment. This line is essential because most garment fronts are cut as pairs, and the CF line acts as the mirror point from which both halves are measured.
In pattern making, the CF line is drawn as a solid line or marked with notches and is usually positioned at the center of the chest width measurement. Designers and pattern graders use it to establish where all other measurements, armhole depth, button placement, dart locations, pocket centers, are positioned relative to the body's centerline. A common mistake is ignoring grain direction relative to CF; fabric that twists away from the CF line will cause the finished garment to pull or hang unevenly.
CF placement varies by garment type. On a basic bodice front, it marks the true center. On a draped or asymmetrical front, the CF may be offset or split between two panels. Button plackets are typically centered on the CF; if the CF is mismarked or shifted by even half an inch during cutting, button and buttonhole alignment will be visibly wrong across all sizes in a size run. Similarly, any vertical print or stripe must be positioned to run parallel to the CF, or the pattern will look deliberately off-center in production.
The CF line is also critical in grading. When a pattern is graded from size to size, the CF remains fixed as the anchor line, and all measurements extend outward from it. If a grader moves the CF position between sizes, the resulting garments will have inconsistent neckline positions, different chest measurements relative to the side seams, and will fit poorly. The notation CF appears on every pattern sheet, usually accompanied by grain direction arrows and match points to clarify how pieces join.