Information is also included as to how to take your body measurements.
]]>1. Difficulty of pattern: usually patterns specify how difficult they are, so this will help you choose the best pattern for your sewing level. I don't necessarily advise that you only choose easy sewing patterns when you start out. If you find a pattern you really like and want to make, it's fine to start with a challenge. You can always find tips on the Internet to help you. When I first started out, I found a pattern I really wanted to make and although it wasn't the easiest, I was confident in giving it a go despite the fact I hadn't made a skirt before. It was worth the extra time it took and I learnt a lot from making it. A good place to start is indie sewing patterns, (e.g. Tilly and the Buttons or Sew Over It) rather than the major sewing pattern designers, such as Vogue, New Look, Simplicity, McCalls). They tend to contain more information on all of the steps required to make the garment and include photographs to help you. Some sewing pattern designers will also indicate where you can find extra help on certain elements of construction on their website.
2. Ensure your sewing pattern and your fabric are compatible. Each sewing pattern will detail which types of fabrics suit the pattern and it's very important to follow these guidelines. The right fabric can make or break a garment as each fabric has different qualities e.g. drape, structure, weight etc. Sometimes I start out with the fabric (because I saw it and couldn't resist it!) and then find a sewing pattern suitable. You can always use Pinterest or Instagram to search up patterns if you are not sure what will suit your fabric. For example, I fell in love with a cotton double gauze and wasn't sure what sewing pattern would suit it, so I searched Instagram using #doublegauzefabric to get some ideas.
3. Choose the right pattern to suit you. The more I make my own clothes, the more I learn about what type of clothes suit my body shape and my style. A good place to start is with your wardrobe. Look at what you wear - what clothes make you feel fabulous, which ones do you wear most often, what fabrics do you like what styles suits you? Life is too short for anything but fabulous clothes don't you think? I can sometimes find it hard to visualise what a sewing pattern will look like when it's on me. You may well not end up looking exactly like the model on the front cover of the sewing pattern! I absolutely adore the Wilder Gown by the Friday Pattern Company and the tall, slender, leggy model on the front of the pattern looks amazing in the white floaty garment. I'm size 10, 5'4" and a rectangle shape, however, so I understand that I will not look like said model! I'm still making the wilder gown but stopped myself making a white dress as I thought I would end up looking like I was in my nightgown (and it would get dirty within seconds knowing me).
Another tip is to go and try on garments in clothes shops! I saw a lot of jumpsuit sewing patterns and fancied making one but I had no idea if it would suit me as I hadn't got one. I didn't want to waste my time making something that didn't suit me, so I went and tried some on in a clothes shop to get an idea of which style of jumpsuits suited me.
4, Get the right size for your body size. Each sewing pattern will detail sizing information (usually on the back) and they do not necessarily compare to the sizing of the clothes you buy from the shops. You absolutely have to take your body measurements to ensure you get the right size. See below for how to accurately measure your body make sure you measure yourself regularly as we can change shape (especially after Christmas!).
Measuring your body
Remove any bulky clothing. Ideally just wear your underwear and whichever is your day-to-day bra so your bust measurements will reflect your typical body shape.
Hold the measuring tape snug against your body but not too tight and don’t forget to breathe normally! Measure your bust, waist and hip.
Bust – this is the measurement around your body across the fullest part of your bust, often your nipples (but not always!) Make sure you keep the measuring tape straight as you record the number so that it doesn’t dip at the back. Check this in a full length mirror.
Waist – this is the measurement around your body at the narrowest part of your torso. If you are having difficulty finding your waist, stand tall and lean over to one side – the point where your body bends is your waist. Sometimes it can help to tie a piece of string or ribbon around your waist to find the right position.
Hip – your hip measurement is taken around your body at the fullest point of your hips/bottom. It’s probably lower down than you think and not around the top of your hip bone.
]]>There are many different fibres used in fabrics and here I will explain the most common ones and their properties.
]]>There are many different fibres used in fabrics and here I will explain the most common ones and their properties.
Natural fibres:
Natural fibres come from plants or animals, rather than being manufactured. Cotton and linen or flax are both from plants, while wool and silk are both products from animals.
Cotton is best for children’s clothing because it is soft, breathable, and lightweight. It is also durable, so it’s perfect for everyday wear and fine either with hand or machine wash. It's easy to sew and can be used for clothes, bedlinen and crafts. However, it can crease.
Flax is often referred to as linen. Linen is good for embroidery, upholstery, curtains, tablecloths and clothes. It is known for its incredible breathability and coolness, so it's great for hot, humid weather. It's easy to sew and durable, though it increases very easily.
Jute is sturdy and stiff. It is perfect for table runners, placemats, bath runners, rugs and some upholstery as well as crafts. Jute is popular for it's durability, rich texture and sustainability.
Bamboo is similar to the softness of silk, is antibacterial, keeping you feeling fresh and odour free and highly sweat absorbent. It keeps you cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and is naturally hypoallergenic. It is known to be the most eco-friendly fabrics on the planet.
Regenerated fibres.
Regenerated fibres of cellulose origin come from the cellulose of wood pulp or leaves. It is therefore neither synthetic nor natural. Viscose is the most common regenerated fibre.
Viscose is made from wood pulp, however because of the manufacturing process required, it is not accepted as a natural fibre. It has amazing qualities, being very soft and comfortable to wear, it drapes well, is absorbent and very breathable. However, is does crease easily and shrinks slightly in the wash. It blends well with other fabrics, so with the addition of polyester it can be less likely to crease
Synthetic fibres:
Synthetic fibres are those which are manufactured. Polyester, nylon and acrylic are common synthetic fibres. They are all derived from plastics, meaning they are not sustainable nor biodegradable and therefore not good for the environment. However, they can be recycled.
Polyester blends easily with other fibres like cotton and wool to create better fabrics with multiple advantages. It is strong, resistant to creasing and smooth in appearance. However, it is not a breathable fibre, meaning it can make you feel sweaty. It is highly flammable and can build up static.
Nylon is one of the strongest of all textile fibers with qualities like resistance to abrasion, ease of maintenance, resistance to wrinkling and resistance to chemicals. Nylon fibers are used to make all kinds of clothing but it is especially used in making sportswear and lingerie..
Acrylic is extremely soft, lightweight and very close to the characteristics of wool. The quality of warmth retention makes it a favorite fiber to make fabric for sweaters and other winter wear. Modal acrylic is a superior kind of acrylic fiber. One disadvantage of acrylic fiber is that it does not absorb moisture.
]]>So pleased that I finally finished my Billie sweater dress by Tilly and the Buttons. Here's my review of the pattern, along with a link to the tutorial on how to hack the sleeves.
I made it in this beautiful organic cotton jersey from my store. It's not officially classed as sweater fabric by my supplier though it is really thick and has the brushed cotton on the side against your skin and is the same weight as my other sweater fabric, so I knew it would work. This fabric is Funny Stripes designed by Poppy for John Loudon. It's available in green and black, but I really liked the black, which has flecks of emerald green, royal blue, mustard yellow and salmon pink. I went for black tubular ribbing to match the black, for the cuffs, neck
and bottom band.
As per usual with Tilly's patterns, the pattern was very easy to follow, with lots of photographs. I unfortunately had to make use of my unpicker (which I hate) which caused delay, as I put the unpicking off for at least a week until I could face it!
I used an overlocker, though I always use my regular sewing machine to tack the sleeves and cuffs before over locking, just to make sure everything looks okay before I overlock it. Despite this I made a hash of one of the cuffs and had to unpick it, cut another cuff and start again! Hence, another overnight pause whilst I stored up the patience required.
I should have learned from past experience that I should have cut the pattern slightly smaller than my measurements. Although my measurements are on the large size of size 10 (size 3 on Tilly's patterns) and I cut my pattern pieces between size 3 and 4, I found that the dress was far too big. It was very annoying because I had made pockets, which made it very difficult in taking in and hence the pocket openings are a little smaller than they should be, though with the black fabric they are well hidden!
I pattern hacked the sleeves because I wanted the balloon sleeve at the bottom but not at the shoulder, as I felt it would not suit me, being quite broad shouldered. See the YouTube video of how to do it.
I'm very pleased and planning a sweater too!
]]>I finally got around to starting this gorgeous vintage style dress by Dottie Angel. It had taken me a while to find the right fabric for it. I wanted 3 vintage style mini floral design cottons in coordinating colours. Finally I found these fabrics from Minerva crafts. They had been sat under my bed waiting for over a year so thought it was time to get started at last.
I chose the size S based on my measurements (although my waist was nearer to the M size, but I reckoned this wouldn't matter, seeing as it fits underneath the bust and not at the waist).
Stupidly I had not bought enough of the cotton for the top part (as I hadn't taken into account that the fabric was quite narrow and hence I needed more fabric) but thankfully the fabric was still in stock, though I had to wait until it arrived. Once I started pattern I get very impatient and want it finished immediately!
The pattern was quite easy to follow and although quite simple, there was quite a lot involved in making the pockets! They are well worth the work though as I love the little pin tucks in them and the bias binding around them and they are real feature of the dress. Although the pattern says to buy packs of bias binding, I wanted to match the binding on the pockets to the dress, so used a fabric from the bottom part to make the binding. There is also bias binding to be used around the neckline and sleeve holes, and so I again made bias binding from the fabric at the top to match it, in case it was going to show (I didn't read through to the end to work out that it would have been hidden anyway, but never mind).
Here I got extremely angry with my bias binding maker which I had previously bought and failed to work out how to use. Determined to get it right this time, I looked up YouTube videos and was very frustrated to find that they made it look so damn simple and easy, yet mine did not work at all. I tried time and time again to get the same effect but I wished I hadn't bothered as it took up so much time that I could have made the bias binding in that time instead! I ended up shouting at it and storming off, calming down and coming back and making bias binding the old-fashioned way, which I found much easier! I don't think I will be stocking these in my shop! Grr.
Anyway, things went quite smoothly after that and cotton is really easy to work with, so it came together quite quickly. I found that it really fit well, apart from just above the bust and around the sleeves: it seemed to gape a little showing my bra; and from the front it stuck out a bit. I therefore had to extend the seams up the sides slightly, underneath the armpit which sorted this issue out.
I'm really pleased with it overall, and it's perfect for layering up for the colder seasons and wearing by itself when we eventually get some nice warm weather here!
]]>I fell in love with this campervan sweatshirt fabric immediately and simply had to buy it for my shop. I thought it would be perfect for a cosy hoodie and would go beautifully with my mustard yellow sweatshirt fabric, so when I came across the Carmen hoodie pattern by Simply Sewing, I thought it would be the perfect pattern to use.
The hoodie pattern, which came free with issue 63 of simply sewing magazine, features a colour block design. I decided to use the campervan sweatshirt fabric across the middle and the hoodie lining; and the yellow for the top and bottom.
After measuring myself, I matched up with size B and it is seemed about right in terms of sizing.
I made a couple of alterations to the pattern. When cutting out the pattern pieces, I totally missed that you needed a double layer of fabric for the back lower piece. I therefore decided not to make any lining, as I didn't see the point when it was only for the bottom section of the back piece and because I decided to use ribbing across the bottom, which reduced the need for the lining (as it was going to hide the seam).
I took a look at a hoodie I had bought from Superdry, to see how they made it and to look at what I liked about it. I very much encourage you to do this when making your own clothes. I saw that the pattern went straight down at the bottom, but I like hoodie's that are finished with ribbing at the bottom edge. I stock a mustard yellow ribbing that matches my sweatshirt fabric perfectly and which I was using for the cuffs, so I cut off about 3 inches off the bottom pattern pieces and then added the ribbing at the bottom.
I made the sleeves slightly narrower from the elbow to the wrist, as I thought they were a little baggy. I noticed that my Superdry hoodie used a tape for the hoodie string, so I copied that idea from my hoodie. I also used the campervan sweatshirt fabric as the pocket binding.
I found the pattern a little tricky to follow. The photographs didn't add much, especially as they didn't help you to distinguish right side from wrong side. I found it annoying that the photographs were all at the top of the pattern and I had to keep searching for which photo related to which part of the pattern.
The pocket bag instructions were wrong. I thought I had misunderstood them and ended up making a mistake and had to use the dreaded seam ripper. I've just found out belatedly that there was a problem with the pattern for the pocket bag. The link to the pattern correction is below:
https://www.gathered.how/sewing-and-quilting/sewing/simply-sewing-pattern-updates/#CARMEN
I also didn't understand the instructions regarding adding the hood - they seemed rather overcomplicated. I ended up making up my own way to attach it in the end. The instructions seemed to suggest using the hoodie lining as a binding, but from the description it seemed to suggest only having 1 cm width to bind with, which I didn't think was adequate, and my fabric was quite thick, so I didn't think it would work. I decided instead to finish it with pretty ribbon instead to cover the seam.
I am really pleased with the finished hoodie and very glad that I took the time to topstitch along all of the seams. I love the colour block design, it fits perfectly and its super cosy. I've had a lot of comments about it and would definitely use the pattern again but make the same alterations.
]]>You will need the following:
* It is best that your fabric is multidirectional, otherwise unless you cut to pieces and join them in the middle, your fabric will be upside down on one side.
Measuring and Cutting
The full instructions are available in my shop and if you use this code you can get it for free: SEWFREE.
I hope you enjoy making it. I would love to see your finished dust cover, so please share it with me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or by email, or comment below.
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Why do you sew, craft, bake or make? What is it you love about it? Creativity can help our well-being. Concentrating on creativity can get you in the flow state, and can take your mind off your problems and pain.
Although I created for the sheer enjoyment of it when I was a child, I then became busy and forgot all about it for a time, until I did some sewing because I needed to make some blinds. I later picked it up again and started making jewellery a few years back when I was going through a difficult time, experiencing low mood and anxiety. I found it soon took my mind off my problems. If I found my brain filled with anxieties in bed, I would switch to imagining how I could design another bracelet or necklace until I naturally relaxed and drifted off.
I have chronic health problems and can't always do what I want physically. It's wonderful when you can channel your energies into the things you can do, and so I sew, though doing bits here and there, so not to cause myself pain. It gives you such a sense of satisfaction when you look back at your work.
With the help of my husband created the beautiful space in our back garden (pictured above). I love the fact that it was created on a budget. We used 2 old cot mattresses, wooden pallets we had been given and an old shelf set of my brothers that had been sat in a shed for years. Here is the before picture:
Okay, so my husband may have done all of the physical heavy work like hammering the pallets together, and sawing up the shelf unit. I designed it, painted it, made some of the cushions and the covers for the mattresses; and bought a few cheap cushions. Every time I sit on it, I enjoy the feeling that we made it, and it used some unused and unloved items.
It doesn't have to be anything big, you can get creative just by cleaning an old tin can, spray-painting it a bright, cheerful colour and using it as a plant pot. Find ways to get creative. If you're not sure what to make, why not have a look at some of my past makes on Instagram?