Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome

811 replies

AnnieSnap · 24/05/2023 11:40

Dressmaking has becoming a topic in the ‘No Buy, Low Buy’ thread. In order not to derail that and because it deserves its own thread, I invite anyone who would like to make some of their own clothes or those already doing so to post here about fears, joys, problems, successes etc.

Having binged watched several serious of The Great British Sewing Bee when was laid-up with Covid and because that corresponded with the woman who did my little alterations stopping doing it, I was inspired to get a cheap sewing machine to try to do my own. That was just 16-months-ago and, having no previous experience at all, I quickly fell in love with sewing. I am not usually very patient with tasks (I have great patience with people and animals, but not with much else). Surprisingly, I have endless patience with sewing even when things go wrong 🤷‍♀️ At the beginning, I never dreamed I would be able to make clothes, but it turns out I can. So far, I’ve made dresses, skirts, tops, trousers, a gilet, a couple of things for my husband and even a jacket and a coat 😮

I try to buy ‘deadstock’ fabric when possible in the interests of the environment. It is fabric that is overstock from designers or big companies like Boden, M&S, Nobody’s Child and all the rest, or even fabric they have had produced and have changed their minds about using. I was horrified to discover that up to recently, all of this, tons and tons every year, went into landfill. It still does if it isn’t sold.

Any sewists (as we’re called these days) or potential sewists, what’s your story? And don’t forget the new series of The Great British Sewing Bee starts tonight. BBC1 9pm.

@pigtailsandall @theatrical @Zipps @remuslupinsbiggestgroupie @daisywaisy

OP posts:
Thread gallery
119
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 02/07/2023 21:05

Hiddendoor · 02/07/2023 12:27

I've copied a Next t-shirt. They are £7.50 each in the shop so I consider that includes the pattern* cost.

Fabric from Fabric Land was a fairly cheap £/m (i think it was £5) and I got two colours in 1m each (will make pants with offcuts) so around £6 per top including postage, less if I include the pants i will make.

*pattern was essentially just drawing round the tshirt - dead simple shape as no separate arms. I just folded in half and drew around the front then did the same for the back. Added 1cm for seam allowance. I've made 1 and have 2 cut out.

The one I made is a better fit than the Next one - I've shaped it a little more at the waist, lengthened it so I can tuck in if I want to and I've made the sleeves a tiny bit longer.

Having a pattern for a top I like makes sense as shops always end up ending the clothing lines I like or never have my size in stock. Now I can replicate as much as I want. And I can adapt to long sleeve or change the neck or length. It may not be cheaper than just buying from the shop but I have something that is what I want rather than not quite what I want.

How do you do your necklines and sleeve edges with these? Bias binding? I'm adding how to do bias binding to my summer projects list.

AnnieSnap · 02/07/2023 22:03

@clowniform These two. The white one with the embroidered edge for the Friday Pattern Company Donny Shirt.
https://guthrie-ghani.co.uk/shop/fabric/white-swiss-dot-scalloped-border-cotton-fabric

I’m not sure what to use this Viscose for yet. Maybe The Assembly Line Cuff Dress.
https://guthrie-ghani.co.uk/shop/fabric/trailing-florals-viscose-fabric

I hear you about buying patterns from EBay etc. The problem with that for me is that I prefer Indie patterns and they never come-up second hand or cheap.

White Swiss Dot Scalloped Border Cotton Fabric

This White Swiss Dot Scalloped Border Cotton Fabric is a classic white shade, woven with small dots and featuring a scalloped border design. This lightweight, slightly crinkled textured fabric is cool to wear and very breathable.

https://guthrie-ghani.co.uk/shop/fabric/white-swiss-dot-scalloped-border-cotton-fabric

OP posts:
clowniform · 02/07/2023 23:36

@AnnieSnap I prefer indies too, just save searches for particular patterns on my wishlist. Admittedly the savings aren't massive but £5 or £7 off will make me more willing to take a punt on a style or designer I'm otherwise on the fence about. It's also how I acquired many Japanese pattern books, which can be fairly pot luck (some ended up my most-sewn but a few have been memorably awful).

The scalloped hem detail will be great for the Donny. Hoping the weather warms up a bit so you can enjoy it this year!

AnnieSnap · 03/07/2023 00:01

@clowniform That’s good. I never see indie patterns. I keep meaning to sell a Tessuti pattern I accidentally bought two of 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
Zoopernoodle · 03/07/2023 02:13

Can I join please? I am very much a beginner. I sewed with my mum's help in my 20's ( she was a machinist to trade) . Now I am 53 and eager to get back into it,mum is dead now, so no one to help sadly. ( Wish I had listen to her more!). My DD(17) is also keen to learn.
I am in the middle of making TATB's PJ's for my DD's holidays and for my DFIL and I have also bought the TATB's Skye sundress@AnnieSnap ! I want to try and make something for my daughter and me for the summer !
Oh this is exciting !
Thanks for starting this thread!

AnnieSnap · 03/07/2023 11:31

Welcome @Zoopernoodle I’m sure what you knew when you sewed with your mum will soon come back to you.

OP posts:
Floisme · 03/07/2023 12:19

Zoopernoodle I've returned to sewing after a break of over 30 years and I've been surprised at how much of what I knew is still there in my head.

My grandmother and great aunt were seamstresses, long dead, and I'm mortified at how rude my 11 year-old self was about the beautiful clothes that were lovingly made for me. But all I wanted was a dress from a shop. Blush

Anyway a pattern tracing question: I have some old Karate trousers that I've been thinking about copying - very simple shape, no darts, drawstring waist. But what do you do about the grain line if you're tracing round a garment without a pattern?

PickAChew · 03/07/2023 12:58

I returned at 50 and there is so much more information out there, now, which is great but I think that background of more old fashioned Insta-free sewing that we all have, even if it is shoved to the back of our minds, helps us to navigate it all critically far better than if we were absolute newbies.

VimtoVimto · 03/07/2023 17:31

I found my previous experience in dressmaking helps me decide which equipment is essential, what is a ‘nice to have’ and what is probably a waste of money.

Cynderella · 03/07/2023 21:15

VimtoVimto · 03/07/2023 17:31

I found my previous experience in dressmaking helps me decide which equipment is essential, what is a ‘nice to have’ and what is probably a waste of money.

I used to sew, and I want to start again. What would you say was essential, nice to have and really not worth having?

AnnaMagnani · 03/07/2023 21:26

Essential:

Straight stitch sewing machine, needles, thread, shears, iron, pins

Nice to have:

Sewing machine that does a buttonhole, new (and correct size) machine needle for each project, mat and rotary cutter, fancier pins - I like the fine wedding dress pins, multiple sets of scissors for each task, tailors ham and pressing cloth

Waste of money - sewing machine so fancy you never use any of the functions/didn't understand the manual. Overlocker if you never intend to sew a knit fabric. Extremely pretty sewing box that doesn't actually fit all your junk inside it - fishing tackle box is better but much less aesthetically pleasing.

clowniform · 03/07/2023 21:42

@AnnieSnap I love Tessuti patterns -- which are you looking to offload?

@Floisme Textbook approach would advise the grainline be perpendicular to hem at the centre of the front leg i.e. middle of knees? Basically the bit you most want to hang straight and not twist. That's assuming the hem is straight and horizontal rather than more interesting, though!

Adding to the chorus of people who wish they'd learned more from their skilled elders (grandmother in my case). Although I did take to knitting early and was glad to have been able to share the hot new trends of the early days of ravelry with her. In contrast, around that time (early 2000s) the sewing pattern market still seemed very old-fashioned. I remember browsing the pattern catalogues at John Lewis with my other young knitty friends and being very put off by the 1980s American anchorwomen styling! Hopefully I'm better at looking past models to the line drawings these days but still rarely find a 'Big 4' pattern that appeals (barring the odd McCalls or Vogue -- usually Rachel Comey).

ReviewingTheSituation · 03/07/2023 22:05

@clowniform @AnnieSnap are you local to G&G or do you buy online? I'm a massive fan of theirs too, and you're right - never a dud fabric. I love that they have really good value viscoses alongside their more expensive fabrics, and their denim is excellent quality (at a really good price). And you can buy in 0.1m increments, so it can work out better than buying online somewhere cheaper where you have to buy in 0.5m units.
I'm glad that I live close enough to be able to visit, but too far away to just 'pop in'. Last time I went was for the 10th birthday party, where I came away with 3m of the lovely birthday fabric, which is waiting to find the right project...

AnnieSnap · 03/07/2023 22:14

@clowniform it’s this one

Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome
OP posts:
AnnieSnap · 03/07/2023 22:22

@ReviewingTheSituation sadly G&G is nowhere near me. I live in the North East, so my shopping is always online. I find Lauren’s YouTube videos showing the fabric very helpful in giving me a pretty accurate sense of drape etc. Have you seen their Linen Viscose blends for Summer. I particularly like 20% linen blends. They feel heavy enough to be soft and substantial, but light and wafty (technical term of course) to be gorgeous to wear. I made this dress in one that is still in stock and I get loads of compliments every time I wear it, with several people saying how much they love the fabric 🙂

Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome
OP posts:
Cynderella · 03/07/2023 22:47

AnnaMagnani · 03/07/2023 21:26

Essential:

Straight stitch sewing machine, needles, thread, shears, iron, pins

Nice to have:

Sewing machine that does a buttonhole, new (and correct size) machine needle for each project, mat and rotary cutter, fancier pins - I like the fine wedding dress pins, multiple sets of scissors for each task, tailors ham and pressing cloth

Waste of money - sewing machine so fancy you never use any of the functions/didn't understand the manual. Overlocker if you never intend to sew a knit fabric. Extremely pretty sewing box that doesn't actually fit all your junk inside it - fishing tackle box is better but much less aesthetically pleasing.

Thank you - I have the essentials apart from shears. Don't know what happened to those. Also have nice little scissors that I use for knitting. And I have nice pins. I would probably buy a mat ... maybe a rotary cutter in time.

I have a pretty sewing box lol - it's under my feet every day. I've seen some cheap second hand overlockers, but I know that would become clutter for me.

ReviewingTheSituation · 03/07/2023 23:11

@Cynderella - don't write off getting an overlocker at some point. It was a game changer on my sewing journey.

It's useful for knits (but not essential), but it makes the world of difference to your woven things. It means you can finish all your seams super quickly and securely. A zig zag (or overlock foot) on a sewing machine doesn't come close.

Of course it's not a 'must have', and it won't affect the outside appearance of your clothes at all, but it makes them much more long lasting, and much quicker to sew. If you do want to sew a lot of knits though, it's worth thinking about for that - you can sew up a simple top or jumper in an hour or so.

I had the Lidl one initially, and it served me very well. I used it for about 2 years, and made a LOT of things with it. Seeing as I then knew it wasn't a wasted investment, I upgraded last Christmas.

If you do find yourself sewing lots of stuff, you'll be looking at them before long!

Cynderella · 03/07/2023 23:22

ReviewingTheSituation · 03/07/2023 23:11

@Cynderella - don't write off getting an overlocker at some point. It was a game changer on my sewing journey.

It's useful for knits (but not essential), but it makes the world of difference to your woven things. It means you can finish all your seams super quickly and securely. A zig zag (or overlock foot) on a sewing machine doesn't come close.

Of course it's not a 'must have', and it won't affect the outside appearance of your clothes at all, but it makes them much more long lasting, and much quicker to sew. If you do want to sew a lot of knits though, it's worth thinking about for that - you can sew up a simple top or jumper in an hour or so.

I had the Lidl one initially, and it served me very well. I used it for about 2 years, and made a LOT of things with it. Seeing as I then knew it wasn't a wasted investment, I upgraded last Christmas.

If you do find yourself sewing lots of stuff, you'll be looking at them before long!

Ooooh ... they do look useful, but it's bad enough having an unused sewing machine in the cupboard! But I know what I'm like, so I won't invest until I know that I will use something. I've been looking on Facebook, and I can see that people do sell on overlockers, mannequins etc, so I may be tempted in the future. I was hoping to see cutting board and rotary cutter as essentials 😂but I will try making a couple of things first and see if I get the bug again.

PickAChew · 04/07/2023 00:00

I'm in the Northeast, too, @AnnieSnap . There is such a dearth of places with lovely fabric to fondle but so many quilting shops! I even came away empty handed from my last trip down to Darlo.

AnnieSnap · 04/07/2023 09:03

PickAChew · 04/07/2023 00:00

I'm in the Northeast, too, @AnnieSnap . There is such a dearth of places with lovely fabric to fondle but so many quilting shops! I even came away empty handed from my last trip down to Darlo.

There is BST in South Shields and First4Fabrics in Tynemouth, but I pine for Guthrie Ghani!

OP posts:
clowniform · 04/07/2023 10:56

@ReviewingTheSituation I'm in London and have never been to G&G in person. Totally agree they are especially great for unbranded fabrics it's difficult to judge the quality of otherwise.
I know Londoners are supposed to have the widest choice but in practice it's quite tricky for me to find stuff that is both of good quality and within budget, or in fact many shops that don't require a 2 hour trip and booking a half-day off work on the one afternoon they're open that month. Any tips would be very welcome!

@AnnieSnap I'm sure that pattern will be snapped on quickly on ebay! Tessuti have such deceptively simple chic lines.

AnnieSnap · 04/07/2023 11:00

@clowniform Have you been to Rainbow fabrics at Kilburn Market. I buy quite a lot from them.

OP posts:
PickAChew · 04/07/2023 12:52

I'd love to visit 1st for fabrics but it's pretty inaccessible for me by public transport (heck, even Newcastle city centre feels inaccessible, this week, with the motorway closed and I'm only in Durham!) I need to persuade Husband at some point. Roll it in with a trip to Boundary mill.

BST I can in theory get a bus to, directly from my front door but I need to get my head around the geography of the area and it's not the nicest place to be lost in.

YippieKayakOtherBuckets · 04/07/2023 13:49

Pleased to see this thread and wondering if some of you might be able to help me with fabric sourcing (I can also post on the long-running thread in arts and crafts if not).

I have a black tie event coming up and I am very fond of a big swishy skirt. I have found a lovely small label on Instagram called Colour Story Studio (colourstorystudio.com) who make beautiful full skirts in organic cotton twill but they don't make my size. Just to be clear, I am absolutely no trying to rip off a small business and I would absolutely buy from them if I could but as this isn't an option I am hoping to make something similar and Simplicity S9712 looks a good match.

The company use heavy organic cotton twill and I am looking for something similar in a very vibrant colour, ideally banana yellow if I can find it. Please does anyone have any insights into working with twill or other suggestions - maybe drill?