what do i need to start sewing my own clothes
Accept you ever stood in awe of a friend who showed up to brunch in a handmade dress? Seen the almost incredible pair of pants in a store window, only to find out they don't make them in your size? Scrolled through the design Marketplace on Spoonflower, dreaming of someday creating a ane-of-a-kind shirt with your favorite surface patterns?
Making your own clothing may seem similar a distant dream, simply if you lot take information technology slow and have a want to acquire, it can be quite easy! With a little bit of 7th course home ec grade experience, a budget sewing machine, text exchanges with more sewing savvy friends and and then many internet searches, I dove into the heady world of sewing a custom dress two years ago in celebration of Me Made May.
My start project, the Stasia dress – If you make your own clothes yous can ensure that every wearing apparel you make has pockets!
I started this initial sewing experience super intimidated, simply quickly learned that every error could be undone or mended (sometimes quite literally!). My skills take leveled up with every project since and although there have been frustrating moments, I've plant great joy in the process.
If you lot have an interest in making some of your own wardrobe pieces but are finding it hard to fifty-fifty know where to start, I'm here today to share some nuts I've learned along the way. I hope to demystify this practice and encourage you lot to take the exciting first steps towards sewing your own apparel!
What You Demand to Start Sewing Your Own Clothes
How to Choose the Right Sewing Machine
Both Singer and Brother brand entry-level machines that work well for sewing a variety of projects. The Brother cs6000i model is very popular among Spoonflower employees. It'southward beginner-friendly and will still be a good fit as yous improve and grow.
Want to be certain you know the difference between your tension adjuster and stitch width adjustment dials? Or want to know more about what they do? Bank check out our Anatomy of a Sewing Motorcar Diagram within our Ultimate Sewing Guide post to go to know the lingo!
How to Choose a Beginner-friendly Sewing Design
Now that your machine is ready to go, what should yous sew commencement? You could get a experience for your machine by hemming a pair of pants or refreshing a treasured t-shirt with our raglan tee tutorial or you can bound right in and learn to make your own clothes from scratch.
Two of my favorite places to wait for beginner-friendly sewing patterns are Peppermint Magazine and Seamwork. Our friends at Peppermint Mag'south Sewing School offer free patterns and release a new one every three months! Seamwork's Blueprint Library boasts over 200 to choose from. You tin start with a beginner-friendly and gratuitous pattern like the Sorbetto and then become a monthly member to tackle more circuitous wardrobe additions equally yous grow and want. Seamwork also has a handy help department and clear instructions and then it's easy to acquire as you go.
Here are four patterns from Peppermint Magazine and Seamwork perfect for a first project:
Wrap Skirt
from Peppermint Magazine
Paxson Pullover
from Seamwork
Wide-Strap Maxi Dress
from Peppermint Mag
Kaye Activewear Set
from Seamwork
If yous take access to a printer, y'all can easily print downloadable PDF patterns at domicile and assemble them together using scissors and tape. You can too research options like PDF Plotting to order a print of the entire pattern on 1 sail.
Putting together the pattern for the Sorbetto top from Seamwork.
How to Choose the Right Fabric for Clothing
Spoonflower has 23 fabric types and counting so our sample pack is a great place to commencement to go a feel for all the offerings. The sewing pattern's instructions will tell yous to exactly how much fabric you need for the version you lot plan to create in the fabric requirements section. Your sewing design will oftentimes recommend dissimilar substrates (types of fabric) that work best. Here are some of our contempo posts that will help you choose the perfect fabric for a wide variety of projects:
Other Supplies You Need to Start Sewing
Needle and thread – This will vary depending on your textile selection, but our help eye will assistance you lot make your decision!
Seam ripper – We all make mistakes, specially when first starting out, but careful seam ripping volition help you undo whatsoever wonky stitches
Fabric scissors or rotary blade – A pair that is specifically designed for (and exclusively used for) textile is an important improver to your tool kit.
Fe – Other than your sewing machine, an iron will be your best sewing friend! Pressing your seams will make sewing easier while ensuring accuracy and a polished concluding look.
Pins and Sewing Clips – To get the right fit and precision, pins are used to adhere pieces of fabric together and go on them together for sewing. Sewing clips are a nice culling.
Bonus: As your projects get more circuitous your sewing pattern may call for additional elements like bias record, buttons, and elastic. YouTube is a great resource to see a play-by-play of how to best level upwards your sewing game with new-to-you additions and skills.
The Most Helpful Basic Sewing Terms to Know
When you've selected the sewing pattern you'd like to get-go with, it's a skillful idea to have the time to read through all the instructions. Google and YouTube are your friends equally you research any terminology or techniques that are new to you. To start, here are the x terms I found helpful to know when I began my sewing journey. My pinnacle x list is just a start, but every bit yous keep creating, your personal sewing lexicon will expand naturally every bit you learn.
- Backstitch – Every line you stitch with your machine should outset and end with a backstitch! Begin with a couple of stitches and then secure those stitches by hitting the backstitch button to sew over them.
- Baste – These are long stitches that can be done past hand just to concord pieces of fabric together temporarily and then they are removed.
- Cutting-on-Fold – Wherever yous see this on a design, the design piece is simply half of the total piece yous will cut out. If yous fold your textile and place the design slice on the fold where information technology indicates and cut the fabric together, you will go ane total slice that is perfectly symmetrical.
- Hem – A hem is the finished edge of your garment like on the end of a sleeve or a pant leg. The most common kind is a double-fold hem, where the edges of the fabric are folded over each other twice to hibernate the raw edge.
- Mock-up, Muslin or Toile – All of these words could draw a kind of paradigm for your garment and will help you test the blueprint with cheaper fabric start, so they tin can make whatsoever amendments the second time around.
- Notch – The notches on a sewing pattern are ordinarily small marks like a line or a triangle shape that will assist you match upward the design pieces when assembling your garment. Notches can too exist the wedges cut into the seam assart of a curved seam to reduce bulk. Clipping is also an choice depending on if the curve is concave or convex.
- Right & Wrong Side – The right side of your fabric is the printed side and the wrong is the other side that will be on the inside of your garment. This will be noted in your sewing pattern'due south diagrams.
- Seam & Seam Assart – A seam refers to the stitched line. The assart is the space between the stitched line and the material edge. Sewing patterns will account for seam allowance and the standard allowance is typically 5/viii″ (1.6cm).
- Selvage – This refers to the tightly woven edge that runs forth each side of a piece of material to prevent unraveling or fraying.
- Topstitch – This stitch was designed to be seen on the outside. Topstitching tin be used decoratively to define and add detail, or functionally by providing an extra hold.
I hope you feel empowered to start creating your own wardrobe subsequently reading my tips! Having garments in your closet that were made especially for you and past you is such a corking feeling. Whatsoever your reason for wanting to make your ain clothes, it is something that with a little fourth dimension and helpful tutorials anyone can practise.
Don't forget to share what you make on Instagram using the hashtag #spoonflowerapparel. We'd beloved to encounter what you create!
Stay Motivated!
Consider participating in a sewing challenge like Me Made May. It'due south too helpful to learn with others, so try sewing with a friend to share your triumphs and frustrations with.
Come across the Creator of Me Fabricated May
Amy Hoppe
Amy is the erstwhile Blog Manager on the Brand Marketing team at Spoonflower. Some of her favorite things include documentary films, pocket-sized league baseball, blooper reels, Chicago-style hot dogs and cut newspaper collage. Her DIY heroes include both Martha Stewart and Amy Sedaris. She enjoys gardening, calculation to her Spoonflower shop, attempting simple home improvement projects with her husband Graham, and playing with her spotted dog Stella.
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Source: https://blog.spoonflower.com/2021/05/making-your-own-clothes/
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