soyeahso:

dynastylnoire:

Hey love not yet. I’m a total newb.

One thing I can say as a consumer is DO NOT buy any of those maxi dresses or skirts that are made of the pretty ankara or dashik fabric on etsy that are 100+ dollars. You can find get the fabric you need to make the skirts at less than 10 dollars a yard. If it takes 3 yards to make the skirt, plus 4 bucks for the pattern you are being recklessly over charged. Those skirts are simple. My mom who is a pro can make one of those in a couple of hours if that. Those are not 100-300 dollar skirts.

My journey learning to sew was kind of convoluted. I learned a little from my grandmother but mostly just made really simple barbie clothes by hand. Then when I started going to raves in the late 90s/early 2000s I started making my own pants. I used a friend’s machine and she gave me some tips.

Then I went back to school and in my theatre department, we’re required after our freshman year to put in a certain number of hours a week in either the costume shop or the scene shop. The costume shop was where I really solidified a lot of my skills.

So, with that weird path in mind I would say for a beginning sewer that there’s not a single tried and true way to learn but I do have some tips.

Find a free or cheap machine on Craigslist. Janome, Singer, and Kenmore are some solid brands. An older machine will be fine. A good one made before the advent of planned obsolescence was meant to last decades. If you get it for free or cheap spend some money to have it tuned up and you’re good to go.

If you’re a good visual learner, books are a perfect way to start. There are also a ton of tutorials on YouTube. My husband taught himself to sew well enough to make blackout curtains for our skylights using just YouTube videos for everything from threading the machine to sewing the seams.

If there’s a community theatre in your area, contact them to ask if they need volunteers for costume building and if they accept all experience levels. You’ll get a practical education really fast if they are willing to work with beginners.

Patterns can sometimes be really difficult to understand when you start out. They can even be difficult when you’re experienced. I am bad with diagrams and will stare at something forever before it clicks. But the answer is usually out there somewhere if you get stuck.

My favorite patterns are from Simplicity. This is really based on their instructions and it will be different for everyone. Most pattern makers (McCall, Butterick, Simplicity, and Vogue are the major ones) have lines of patterns that are for simple projects. (New Look, Kwik Sew, It’s Sew Easy, etc) These are great for starting out because you will learn basic techniques like putting in a zipper, setting in a sleeve, darts,gathering, and pleats. Burda Style is another one that does simple projects but their instructions are kind of interesting.

Don’t buy patterns unless they’re on sale. Hancock, Walmart, and Hobby Lobby regularly have pattern sales for anywhere from half off to $1.

You don’t have to go all out buying equipment but you will want a good seam ripper, scissors you use only for fabric (cutting paper will dull them), thread trimmers or nippers, tracing paper and a tracing wheel. And pins. The kind with the ball at the top.

Fabric choice is a HUGE part of whether your project will be successful. As you’re learning about fabric, pay attention to the suggestions on the pattern package. Don’t try to make that skirt that says for knits only out of a cotton poplin. It will only lead to despair. Ask questions when you’re buying fabric. Show them the pattern. Ask if it will work.

Also understand that it’s not always going to be cheaper to make your own clothes, because fabric can be very expensive. But if you look in the right place you can often come across amazing bargains.

If you live in a major metro you can probably find a wholesale type fabric place where you can get some pretty good deals. S.R. Harris in Minneapolis and Vogue in Evanston, IL are the ones I’ve been to. Their main clientele are interior designers and costume designers so they deal in so much volume that they can keep prices lower. It’s also no frills shopping so you’ll be trying to pull a bolt of fabric out of the middle of a huge stack or digging through bins of zippers and buttons. But paying 35 cents for a zipper as opposed to $3.50 kind of makes it worth it.

I just realized I could talk all day about this so if anyone has questions have them hit me up.

ETA Forgot to mention that your pattern size will be at least 2 sizes bigger than your retail size. Don’t let this bother you. Pattern sizing is actually standard and hasn’t changed for decades, so this is a good thing. But also note the finished garment measurements noted on the pattern package because sometimes this will help you determine your size a little better and you’ll do less alterations.