Do you want beautiful, custom fit clothing? Want to gain a new skill or perfect your craft?
What is a Sewing Pattern (and Why)?
A sewing pattern has a few features, but basically, it’s the shapes that you trace onto your fabric and cut out to make your outfit. Why does this matter? It’s what makes your garment happen – without a pattern, your options are basically tube dress, tube top, and tube skirt.
With a pattern:
Without a pattern:
Don’t make Tube. Use a pattern!
What makes a good pattern?
There are a few things that separate a good sewing pattern from a great one:
1. It makes something you actually like – this is kind of obvious but really important – start with a pattern that will make something that you, or someone you know, would actually want to put on your body. Lots of patterns will make a dress, less patterns will make a nice dress.
2. It’s easy to size – there’s no point in making a pattern if it’s not going to fit – having something custom to you is a big part of the perks!
3. It makes sense. Patterns, even ‘complicated’ patterns should have simple little steps, and if you follow those steps, you should end up with the result you’re expecting.
Ready to get started? Do it!
Where are the good patterns, and how do I get them? There are a lot of patterns out there – we recommend starting with Sewing Made Easy. It’s less than $100 and includes more than 125 tried-and-true patterns for beginners on up. With added video tutorials, it’s designed by real sewing experts to make getting started easier, faster, and much, much less frustrating.
The other things you’ll need?
1. A sewing machine – there are two titans of the sewing industry – Singer and Brother. They’re both quality brands with a ~$100 starter model and lots of fun add-ons. We’ll have a full article on choosing your machine soon – if you’re just starting out, either of these should work great. Money saving mega tip – check your local yard sales, Craigslist, and thrift shops – well made sewing machines last a long time and you can sometimes score one on the cheap!
2. Fabric – if you’re just starting out, you’ll want two types of fabric. Cheap (or very cheap) fabric to learn on and play around with, and nice fabric to make your finished garment. Practicing on $30/yd chiffon makes the sewing needles cry. The clearance section of your local fabric store should also have some pre-cut bits and pieces – these are great to experiment with.
3. A workspace – look around your house, apartment, dorm room, flat or otherwise. Where are you going to put all this stuff? Do you have a flat surface? A sewing machine, kit, and some fabric should fit in anything small kitchen cabinet sized or larger, and you’ll need a little space to work. Find this before everything arrives and you’ll be much, much happier when you’ve finished for the day. If you want some simple storage ideas, start here!
Ready to sew? Let’s go!
