Question re dressmaking from newbie

[MillyMollyMandy78]

i have tackled a few simple sewing projects and i am hooked. I have made cushion covers, simple quilts and a couple of skirts but my knowledge is still pretty basic. I have bought some gorgeous polyester print which would look great as a dress but all my patterns say for cotton fabric. Can i use polyester to make a pattern for cotton fabrics? If not, does anyone know of a simple dress pattern suitable for polyester, to make a a-line, summery dress?

Also, i noticed the polyester is a super slippery material. Are there any special tips that i should consider when sewing with polyester?

What I do with super slippery is to put the pins in at right angles to the seam rather than on the seam and then sew over them. You'll need to try this out and see if your machine will sew over the pins. Not all machines do and they might break the needle. It is a trick I learned from the chap who sold me the machine and it horrifies the very clever-at-dressmaking mil of my ds, but I still do it to great effect. If you think the dress will drape well enough in the material you have got I would go for it. Make sure you cut out carefully on the grain or it won't hang right.

But don't take too much notice of what I say as I have only got back to dressmaking very recently and others might have better ideas.

If you can't or won't sew over the pins you can tack it together with tacking cotton and sew over that, then take the tacking thread out. That's how I was taught to do it.

Thank you Dutchoma - i think the fabric has a really nice drape to it so will give it a try. I didn't know you could sew over pins at all so that is interesting - i might just try tacking first though for now, as not in a great rush to get it finished and seems a bit less daunting.

I think that is wise. Take your time over it and tack with nice small stitches.
I don't think all machines will stitch over pins, so definitely try it first, having a spare needle handy.

Oh, and I would use a ball point needle to stitch with slippy polyester.

Thank you - dont think i have any spare needles for my machine - will have to check and get one if not.

Do you have a local fabric shop? Most of the ladies working there will be keen dressmakers/ knitters etc. Take the fabric in and have a chat with them. They will help you choose a suitable pattern and can offer lots of advice. They may even run the occasional dressmaking workshop. It doesn't sound like you have chosen the easiest fabric to work with so don't be put off if it proves to be tricky.

I did an evening class in dressmaking in my teens ( about a hundred years ago!!! ) and although I haven't done a huge amount of dressmaking it did give me the confidence to start making curtains and blinds. I have saved a fortune over the years. I am now using You Tube videos to improve my Roman blind skills so that I end up with very professional looking blinds

Good Luck!

Thanks that's a good idea to ask at fabric shop which patterns would work best. Will pop in over next week and have a chat