Dressmaking - experienced and beginners welcome

[AnnieSnap]

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

What size are you going to make?

I’m a size 12 for most clothes. But I’ve never taken my actual measurements.

The first thing you must do is to measure yourself. Even though it is a kaftan and fit is not likely to be a problem. The beauty of dressmaking is that things can be a perfect fit and the essence of getting that is to be completely dispassionate about size. Pattern sizes are completely different and not generally vanity sized and you might end up being a 16 or something when you are normally a 12 and that is fine. So get your measurements and write them down somewhere safe.

I've finally chosen my pattern!

https://www.sewessential.co.uk/misses-vintage-blouse-skirt-simplicity-pattern-8462

Just the skirt part. I wanted a simple shape, a line midi/knee skirt and this looks perfect. And my mum is going to help me. I want to make it in a good cool weather fabric, a light wool or something. Any recommendations?

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel Thank you. I will measure myself tonight and take it from there. I’m not fussed about what size I am per se but I do want as you say for it to fit me as perfectly as it can according to my ability to sew it. Otherwise I may as buy more from 100 stars, honestly you could easily fit a family of three in it!

@Brieandbeetroot No recommendations from me as I haven’t a clue, but I love the cut and swishyness of the skirt you’ve chosen.

Lovely.

Fabworks is good for reasonably priced high quality wool. Fabworks lightweight wools

But do order a swatch because the weights can be very variable even within each category and avoid anything checked or otherwise patterned that will give you added complications with pattern matching.

@PickAChew thank you for the flannel recommendation. I do like all the Kaufmann fabrics I've tried, though wait for (v good) sales.

Love the ambition @ThisOrdinaryLife and @Brieandbeetroot I am also a dive-in-and-see kind of person. Projects completed before my first apron and tote bag include a trench coat, quilted jacket, 1940s teadress...😅Still haven't sewn a pillowcase or cushion cover!

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel Fabworks' selection looks amazing! Could you share recommendations for linings and interfacings (and boning etc.)?

Wow @clowniform a TRENCH COAT? That's amazing, it looked so difficult on Sewing Bee I'm in awe 😍

So I've measured myself and am horrified that I am actually a barrel with legs and still have no idea how much fabric I should order.

It's a good job I've chosen a Kaftan as it will basically cover me up.

Here goes deep breath in

Bust 39 inches
Waist 37 inches
Hip 39 inches
Back - neck to waist 17 inches

Those are the measurements the pattern asks for but I'm clueless about working out how much fabric I need. Can anyone help please?

Right, you’re doing view B? If we go for the large you need 5.5 or 3.2 m depending on the fabric width- cotton lawn is often woven in the narrower width (45”/115cm) rather than the wider (60”/115cm) but check when you buy it. Online the information will be there, in a shop it will be on the tag at the end of the roll.

I am looking at the chart on the pattern but I am looking at the one in French because that is metres but the English one is yards, and fabric is generally sold in metres these days.

Clowniform, for interfacings I just get whatever the pattern says from my local Boyes where I get all my haberdashery from, or linen canvas from a wonderful cheap reenactment fabric specialist called Herts Fabrics. I am a fan of linen for garments that need some structure but also breathability.
Linings it depends, Fabworks has some lovely high end ones but most of the lined garments I make are historical costume and I tend to use cheap linen from an EBay seller who sells it in 10m lots.
For proper boning people rate Vena Cava online. Cable ties are a good cheap alternative.

Thank you @TheCountessofFitzdotterel this is so kind of you.
Yes it's view B and the fabric that I hope to ultimately make it from is 140cm wide (Fabric Godmother), so I take it that I need 3.2m? Have I understood that correctly?
To begin with I'm going to buy cotton to have my first go - the local charity shops only had heavyweight fabrics so I'll source that online, but I'd like to buy the fabric I really want in case it sells out.

Sorry I mistyped, 60” is 150cm not 115. So if it is 140cm wide rather than 150 you need to go for the larger length to be sure.

Given that it is only 10cm narrower it might be enough to do the 150cm layout - you could always lay the pieces out according to the layout on the pattern and measure before you spend the money. There is often quite a lot of leeway.

Perfect - thanks so much @TheCountessofFitzdotterel
This is hopefully going to be my winter project so I’ll update when I have something tangible to share.
No doubt there’ll be more questions along the way - happy sewing everyone!

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel thanks again. I've had quite variable luck with interfacings - in fact this is one reason I've been glad of having a bit of extra fabric leftover in case the interfaced bits go bobbly after a few washings and I need to replace them. Probably less of an issue with historical garments (though maybe you do dress in these daily, in which case, brava!)

Absolutely do a trial layout of the pieces in your size first, @ThisOrdinaryLife Some patterns list seriously inflated requirements, especially with ones with meterage converted from imperial. And honestly trenches (esp. unlined) are not difficult, especially as the cotton drill I used was very stable. Ofc I had no silly time constraints or cameras in my face 😌

I wear them for weeks at a time but don’t wash them!
Not as bad as it sounds because there is always a washable linen undergarment. I do prewash all my linen interfacings and linings though so if I had to I could launder things gently.
I am thinking it might be an idea to go old school with interfacings and use a light sew in canvas if you are having trouble with fusible ones going bobbly.

Just popping in with a further update from the world of bag making. I don't know why I got distracted by bag making, except the stakes feel lower as I don't have to worry about fit, and they obvs involve less fabric than a garment, and a good way to practice stitching.

This is a free pattern, the Summer Festival Sling from Swoon. There's a full YouTube tutorial from Oklaroots and I actually found another here yesterday.

I really like it. It was mainly made from deadstock fabric. It's a lot of cutting out. It's meant to be a cross body but on me at least the strap is a little short for a comfortable cross body, so I'm thinking about doing it again and lengthening the strap a bit.

That’s very nice. I like your fabric choices.
When you say do it again do you mean the whole thing, or just lengthen the strap? Given the rather patchworky vibe I am certain it could be lengthened without looking wrong.

@tribpot
That's a great success, you're a very neat sewer, it looks immaculate to me.

Thanks @TheCountessofFitzdotterel and @ThisOrdinaryLife .

You're right @TheCountessofFitzdotterel it definitely could be lengthened just by undoing the centre seam at the top of the strap and adding in another piece, but I'm thinking about doing it with different fabric, maybe more waterproof, for outdoor use.

I should say one thing I found very useful, as I only have a basic machine, was buying a two speed foot. This means I can go much slower and have more control.

Can I ask about your two speed foot @tribpot
I have a Janome machine and adjust the speed on the machine itself, I think there are three speeds, I've only ever used the slowest. Is this the same sort of thing in principle as your two speed foot, or is that a different option?

Yes @ThisOrdinaryLife that's the idea. I have a Janome JS-18 and I can't adjust the speed (I mean other than by how hard I press on the pedal). You can get a two-speed foot pedal for some of the Janomes, it's not cheap, I think I would have been better off buying a more sophisticated machine in the first place. On the foot pedal itself you can set it to high speed or low speed and on low speed touching the foot pedal lightly makes it go very slowly indeed.

Ah I see. I have a DC3050, I've had it for years but not used it, so I'm still learning. I will look into speed options though as being a beginner it's the speed that's scary!

I just find it really hard to do accurate stitching, esp on curves and stuff. The tutorial videos say 'go slow' but there is no slow option on my basic machine! (God knows why, it would make more sense if there was no fast option given the type of user of the machine). I see the DC3050 is much fancier, with a speed slider, computer panel and does it have a see-through bobbin cover? Although does it not have a pressure foot pedal so you can't control the speed by foot at all?

The slider just sets the maximum speed, @tribpot You can still control it with the foot pedal. I actually tend to have the slider higher on my pfaff than my janome, probably because the pfaff is quieter so it feels less fast!