Advice for beginner (child) sewing and dressmaking

[BrightGreenTomatoes]

Afternoon all!
My 10yo daughter wants to start making clothes, has lots of ideas and talks all the time about what she wants to create. I’d love to encourage this, and can show her the very basics but she is a bit slapdash and careless at times - not generally an approach h that’s terribly consistent with a good dressmaking outcome! I wonder if anyone has any advice on resources - books, beginner patterns, etc - that might help her to guide through some of the techniques and guide her in thinking and planning and cutting etc, Instead of just attacking fabric with scissors and getting frustrated? I think she’d learn to be a bit more patient if she was working to an
end result, so she can get to grips with some of the technicalities to underpin her creativity!

At 10 she is probably on the cusp between material targeted at children and adult beginners, but I suspect she would find more enjoyment in following a ‘proper’ pattern and some of the material targeted at adult beginners is quite detailed. Something like pyjama pants can be a really satisfying first garment as not too difficult but introduces lots of key skills, requires no fitting experience, and can use fun but cheap fabric.

Tilly and the Buttons is famous for being very beginner friendly, and offers loads of books as well as online content. Megan Nielsen also has several patterns in tween sizing, though may be more ‘confident bigginer’ level.

I agree Tilly and the Buttons patterns have colour photos and are very easy to follow. There are also videos online. Pyjama trousers would be a good start. Avoid zips, buttons and stretch fabrics for a while. She might want to design her own clothes but learning the basics is important.

DD mostly watched YouTube videos, but she didn't get really confident at dressmaking until she started her A-level textiles course. I am notoriously bag at sewing though, to so if you are already in a position to know the basics, she's better off than DD. Sometimes sewing shops run workshops or clubs for children, so that's worth looking into, too.

Agree with the idea of, if at all possible, finding a class locally for experience and inspiration.

As for 'slapdash' I have had some really beautiful clothes made by a brilliantly talented and exceptionally stylish lady, who now subcontracts well works together with a small team who together have the ideas and talent to make beautiful things.

For her own holiday wardrobe, I know for a fact that staples and glue have played a role, because her own stuff tends to get done last minute due to pressure of paid for work.

I mention this only to encourage you to foster your daughter's talents and not worry too much how she her gifts will fit into the world.

Hope you find something that works well
https://aliceandcopatterns.com/

It's basically practice and confidence. Get some simple patterns and try using cheapish fabric (dress fabric isn't particularly cheap).

You can also get books on how to make your own patterns, these include fairly basic starter styles if she wants to do her own thing.

Can she use a sewing machine? DD really wanted a sewing machine, and we bought one from John Lewis and then they arranged a one to one session to show her how to use it. Though maybe you can use a sewing machine OP - I can’t!