Dressmaking for Beginners
We share a round-up of basic dressmaking knowledge to get you started on your way into the world of sewing!
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Learn everything you need to know about dressmaking tools, selecting fabric and patterns as well as beginner courses and getting involved in the community.
With very few exceptions, we all wear clothes and have drawers and wardrobes full of them. Very few of us know the person who made our clothes, or even which country they were made in. In this post we look at a few of the basics of dressmaking for beginners.
There is something magical about having the skill to construct your own clothes in the 21st Century. Dressmaking as a hobby is growing in popularity around the world, especially in the UK, for a number of reasons. Whether it's a simple T-shirt, kids PJ's, a pretty summer dress or even a pair of knickers, making your own clothes is a hugely rewarding skill/craft that few people ever take the time to learn. Crazy when you think how huge the fashion industry is!
There are thousands of patterns available to buy from big pattern houses through to small independent designers. Patterns for every garment type that we can adapt to fit perfectly to create a unique style. You just need to learn the basic skills to start sewing your own clothes and we're here to help get you started and share patterns with you..
What are the easiest clothes to sew for beginners?
We've got lots of free patterns for you to download and sew today. For your first projects, you should choose patterns which are easy to fit and don't have too many fussy details. Here are some we recommend:
How and where do I begin making my own clothes?
Our pattern brand Simple Sew patterns is dedicated to beginner and intermediate sewing. We handhold you every step of the way with the sewing projects and we have a team online to help if you get stuck. CraftWorld is jam-packed with sewing content. top tips and free patterns!
Download our free sewing guide to get you started!
What tools do I need to start dressmaking?
This is by no means an exhaustive list. The following are essentials you'll need to get started.
- Sewing machine (see below)
- Thread
- Sewing machine needles and hand sewing needles
- Pins
- Tape measure
- Scissors, for fabric, for trimming thread and for cutting patterns (that's 3 pairs in total - never use your dressmaking scissors to cut paper as it will blunt the blades)
- Ironing board and iron
- Seam ripper
- Marking tools such as dressmakers chalk for marking out patterns
In many cases, it's trial and error and personal preference when it comes to sewing tools. This is especially true of marking tools - luckily for you we have an ultimate guide! CLICK HERE to find out more and find your dressmaking marker of choice!
What's the best sewing machine to use for dressmaking?
Fairly obvious, but to start with you will need a basic sewing machine if you don't already have one. We would advise asking friends and relatives if they have a machine you could borrow before you invest in a machine. Often people have sewing machines lurking in cupboards that they used once to sew a pair of curtains 20 years ago.
There are many sewing machines available second-hand (although you may need to get them serviced). If you're after a bargain there are plenty of affordable entry-level machines in supermarkets and department stores. For example, you can get the Singer Fashion Mate which is a perfect beginner sewing machine for dressmaking from less than 150.
Don't stress about needing overlockers/sergers yet. Yes, they are very useful, but you need to get skilled up on your sewing machine first. #babysteps
CLICK HERE to see our Beginner's Guide to sewing machines.
Your machine may look a little overwhelming on first inspection but once you understand the basics using this guide for beginners you will soon start to understand how to make the most of all the features on your machine. No matter what your machine, it will have the same basic makeup so it's easy to learn what all the various buttons and levers do. Machines almost all come with numbered arrows to show you how to thread them (and usually have extensive instruction booklets) but if you get stuck there are plenty of YouTube tutorials to get you started. Play with the stitch selector, choose stitch width and length and start to get a feel for how the fabric moves through the 'feed dogs' as you sew. Nothing beats practice, so take the opportunity to mess around with any fabric scraps before starting on any projects.
How do you read a sewing pattern?
Sewing patterns can be a little daunting to look at for beginners, but most come with explanations of every step. Grab yourself a hot drink and take the time to read through the pattern step by step before you begin. Patterns include helpful information sheets, especially those aimed at beginners. The pattern instructions will explain their markings for:
- Pattern Cutting lines
- Layout Diagrams
- Grainline
- Fold Line
- Darts
- Notches
- Lengthening or Shortening Line
- Circle Dots
- Button & Button Hole Placement
- Tucks and Pleats
- Sewing Pattern Abbreviations
How do I choose a pattern to sew?
Start simple! Don't try anything too complicated that will leave you frustrated and confused. Our own Simple Sew pattern brand is aimed at beginner sewing, we won't include anything overly complicated.
Sewing magazines are an amazing resource for beginner dressmakers. We always feature a free pattern cover gift and sometimes two! The beauty of buying a magazine pattern is that you know there will be lots of other dressmakers sewing up the same pattern. The editor and team are on hand to help too, if you get stuck. You also get all the patterns inside and loads of fabric inspiration and helpful sewing advice.
Many beginners don't realise that it is possible to preserve a sewing pattern by tracing out the size you need and keeping the original. This means you will be able to come back to the pattern and make it in different sizes if needed (in case you shrink, grow... or just get it wrong first time!) Buy back issues of Love Sewing direct from our web shop which includes plenty of beginner patterns. Look out for the words 'Beginner' or 'Easy' when browsing through patterns.
Have you thought about downloading digital PDF patterns? CLICK HERE to learn how to assemble a PDF pattern with ease!
Where can I get the best sewing patterns?
Selecting patterns can be daunting when you're new to sewing, luckily most brands state the difficulty on their packaging so you can stick to beginner designs until you feel ready to graduate to the next stage. Some of the brands you'll come across most often are:
Where can I learn to sew?
Sew-alongs and video tutorials are a godsend when you get stuck! Look out for patterns which have been featured in Sew-Alongs or have accompanying video tutorials when you are starting out. With sew-alongs as with magazine patterns, there are many dressmakers following the construction process and asking questions along the way.
FREE SEWING TUTORIALS ON CRAFTWORLD
For more expert advice, check out our guide to Stress-free Stitching - we share our favourite 18 tips, hacks and clever fixes to make sure your sewing goes as smoothly as possible! CLICK HERE to boost your sewing skills!
How do I choose fabric for my pattern?
The pattern will advise you which fabrics to use and how much you need as in the example above where lightweight woven fabrics like crepe, faille and satin are recommended. The table then shows the amount of fabric needed. So for example for size 14, sewing up view B if you buy a fabric which is 45 inches wide you will need 3 1/8 yards of fabric. If you need that converted to metres, just google it! For beginner dressmaking stick to patterns that don't need precise pattern matching to look good. Steer clear of stripes or very large patterns. We also make fabric suggestions with all of our featured patterns and sewing projects in our magazines Sew Now and Love Sewing.
Before you cut into any expensive fabric, sew-up a voile (a test garment) in an inexpensive fabric to test that you are cutting the correct pattern size. It will be worth the time and effort as you can then sew with confidence when you get started on your chosen fabric.
CLICK HERE to follow our cheat sheet to learn how to match fabric to your sewing patterns!
Who made your clothes?
There's an ethical angle to sewing your own clothes too, especially if you also source your fabric carefully. Most of our clothes are made by anonymous, low-paid seamstresses working in factories on the other side of the world. Each garment maker sewing a seam here or a button there on huge assembly lines for the throwaway fashion industry.
If the above 'Mini Fashion Protest banner' gets you thinking a little deeper, find out more about the 'Love Fashion - Hate Sweatshops' campaign over at The Craftivist Collective. When you make your own clothes, you start to look at every garment in your wardrobe with wonder as you begin to understand how much skill and time must have gone into every stitch, dart and hem of those jeans, or that jacket that cost just 30!
We're proud to be part of the growing, global community of dressmakers. People who love to sew their own clothes, whether to make a unique statement, for ethical reasons or just for the buzz of saying "I made this". With some determination, some advice and a few lessons, you could slowly transform your wardrobe into #memade fashion! (or maybe just learn how to sew your own knickers to start!)
Be sure to tag us over on Instagram with #lovesewingmag when you finish your first garment and upload your makes to CraftWorld! We'll be cheering and offering congratulatory biscuits and hot tea!
Happy sewing,
Betty
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