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
isthismylifenow · 23/07/2023 18:34

I am rather pleased with myself as I actually completed something today 😊. I am the complete novice with the unused machine.

I didn't get out to get fabric to attempt something from my pattern haul, but I found a fat quarter and so I made a lined patchwork tote bag. 😁. It was a bit fiddly cutting all the pieces to size, and as I got going I forgot all about our power going off (I'm in SA and we have time slotted power outages) so I only got to finish it today.

It did take me a while, I am sure an expert could have knocked it out in no time. But it doesn't matter, as I throughly enjoyed making it. Except for running out of navy blue thread about 10cm before finishing the last hem. Not too fussed though, that one side has white thread. 😂

Baby steps, but I am determined to attempt some more things, and even have a sewing room now. Well DD's room really so I will move it all out when she visits.

Thank you, you lovely bunch for the inspiration. 💐

Sibilantseamstress · 23/07/2023 22:16

All done! Light shoulder pads put in, lining complete. One of the big challenges was not ruining the fabric by pressing it too enthusiastically.

Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome
Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome
Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome
DollyParkin · 23/07/2023 22:37

Looks gorgeous @Sibilantseamstress

Sibilantseamstress · 23/07/2023 22:52

Thanks @DollyParkin !

DD is chuffed with it, that’s all I can hope for!

Rosenspants · 23/07/2023 23:13

That jacket has such a beautiful shape!

Sibilantseamstress · 23/07/2023 23:26

Thank you @Rosenspants !

PickAChew · 23/07/2023 23:38

That is quite lovely, @Sibilantseamstress

Ohyeahwaitaminute · 24/07/2023 06:29

I’m in awe of your talents @Sibilantseamstress ! That jacket is beautiful and such a classic. I hope your DD gets many years of wear out of it.

I made a similar lined jacket (but more pattern pieces, with a collar etc) at a sewing class I went to. Made a toile, bought some beautiful v expensive wool crepe, bright pink lining. It took me 4 terms in total to get it finished.

I had ONE final job to do which was to sew the button hole on the front and the fabric got caught in the machine and tore. I was beside myself. I was so disappointed.

I took it home. Hung it in the wardrobe and looked at it for about a year… then donated it to charity.

I now stick to much simpler stuff!

Deathraystare · 24/07/2023 09:02

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Well done you! Wear it with pride (in the house/garden!!). Both my mum and aunt were seamstresses. Sadly having been put off sewing at school I had little interest but my friend has been sewing her own stuff for a while and has a book from Amazon about Japanese patterns and has made a few nice things, hence me gaining some tips and info on here for her!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 24/07/2023 09:05

Thanks, Death Ray. I’ve already chopped it up and it will become bags for friends!

The jacket is brilliant, Sibilant.

And well done on the patchwork, LifeNow.

Sibilantseamstress · 24/07/2023 09:07

Thank you @PickAChew and @Ohyeahwaitaminute !

I can so relate @Ohyeahwaitaminute Buttons are hit and miss on my machine. I do test button holes on scraps, etc. But then it doesn’t work on the garment with it’s bumps and seam lines grrrr.

I recently sewed a silk blouse and left the top button off all together. I thought it was better than ruining the project. (Photo attached)

My best trick is to use high quality fabrics with simple patterns that I know I can sew well.

Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome
Ohyeahwaitaminute · 24/07/2023 09:43

@Sibilantseamstress Oh yeah… I did about a dozen practice buttonholes but it was the seamlines on the real thing that messed up my machine. It was so close to the front edge of the jacket.

I’m still smarting from it YEARS later!

Respect to you for making a shirt out of silk.

I made a simple lined princess line wool crepe dress which I’ve had a lot of wear out of. That involved a toile too.

I quite like wool crepe. Easy to sew, and it hangs well too. It’s just blooming expensive 😊

Deathraystare · 24/07/2023 10:13

@AnnaMagnani

Yep the Goldhawk Road was brilliant for fabric. I have only been in one shop for needles and thread (repairing holes badly on a thin back pack!) Loads of lovely material. Confusingly, the guy by the till was praying and I had to scout down another bloke to serve me!

Sibilantseamstress · 24/07/2023 11:14

Agree regarding wool crepe and Goldhawk Road. Very few shops are left on Berwick Street after the pandemic, and they were always expensive.

DollyParkin · 25/07/2023 20:10

I still have several lengths of 100% wool crepe from Borovicks, bought maybe a decade ago (how deep is my stash!) for about £5-8 a metre, straight from the recently closed down Jean Muir factory. And my mother passed over her Jean Muir for Vogue patterns, so I"m waiting for the right occasion to marry the wool crepe with a Jean Muir licensed design!

But I haven't been to Berwick Street since pre-pandemic days. I love the Cloth House there, where there were bargains available still (maybe not post-pandemic).

AnnaMagnani · 25/07/2023 20:45

@DollyParkin lucky you!

clowniform · 25/07/2023 21:21

DollyParkin · 25/07/2023 20:10

I still have several lengths of 100% wool crepe from Borovicks, bought maybe a decade ago (how deep is my stash!) for about £5-8 a metre, straight from the recently closed down Jean Muir factory. And my mother passed over her Jean Muir for Vogue patterns, so I"m waiting for the right occasion to marry the wool crepe with a Jean Muir licensed design!

But I haven't been to Berwick Street since pre-pandemic days. I love the Cloth House there, where there were bargains available still (maybe not post-pandemic).

The Cloth House closed their Berwick St shop during the pandemic, sadly. They're only in Camden now, open on first Saturdays of the month (or by appointment). Still beautiful but extremely crowded on those Saturdays, although this has lead to some nice conversations about sewing while waiting for cuts, and great stories about their suppliers around the world.

@Sibilantseamstress such beautiful work! And it makes me feel better that others also skip the top buttonhole of shirts. Unfortunately not an option for my next one, as it's for my mum (the only person I know who ALWAYS does the top button up). Using some lawn she picked at the JL sale with a pattern I've sewn a few times already, so hopefully things should go smoothly. Off to cut now. sets timer for catastrophe

Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome
Sibilantseamstress · 25/07/2023 22:32

I really like that fabric @clowniform

DollyParkin · 26/07/2023 12:11

Thanks for the heads up @clowniform - I'll be working in London next week, and was going to stroll by ... <ahem> My luck @AnnaMagnani is evidence of my addiction to loitering in fabric shops. I have a stash to last the next decade, but I keep being tempted!

DollyParkin · 26/07/2023 12:13

And yes, lovely fabric @clowniform Is it linen?

FrontEnd · 26/07/2023 12:22

I think she mentioned it was lawn. @clowniform how straightforward is that pattern to make? Looks lovely and very much my style.

@Sibilantseamstress that's a stunning jacket!

ginghamstarfish · 26/07/2023 13:03

Can I join? Been sewing all my life, and just moved house so I now have an actual dedicated sewing room, just got to unpack all my stuff and set it up!

clowniform · 26/07/2023 20:15

@ginghamstarfish very envious of a dedicated sewing room!

@DollyParkin it's 100% cotton, I expect printed by Storrs or similar. A bit lighter and not as silky smooth as Liberty lawn.

@FrontEnd straightforward in that it's perfectly drafted so all the notches etc. line up. The instructions are ok but I personally find M&M illustrations a bit hard to decipher. If you haven't sewn a popover half-placket or continuous bias bound sleeve plackets before it would be worth having a look at some other tutorials for those steps. Highly recommend it however, especially for checked fabrics (both front and back are one piece, so very little matching to be done).

AnnaMagnani · 29/07/2023 19:24

Have made half my skirt!

It's massive but I think it will be OK. Bit annoyed that after being told to have 6(!) contrasting colours, one of my favourites will be stuck on the inside. Am sure this could have been added to the instruction '6 colours, one only as lining' would have really helped.

Anyway given I have enough fabric left over to make at least 6 more garments it's fine.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 30/07/2023 09:10

Just popping in to say hi. All I’ve made is three biggish satin pouches to help with holiday packing, using zips from lovely @IndianSummer78 .

I’ve been putting off looking at the Tllly patterns because I’m scared of them, but should get some time this week.