DevilKisses wrote:
I'm pretty interested in fashion and the idea of making my own clothes. I've been to sewing classes, but they didn't go too well. They made everything seem so tedious and boring. My teachers were boring, uncreative and irritable. I love making stuff, especially with paper mâché. How can I enjoy sewing as much as paper mâché?
Where did you take sewing classes?
If you have the money, try investing in a sewing mannequin. You can set it to your own dimensions. You could then drape fabric pieces over, shaping and pleating as you may want, pinning the fabric in place. Keeping in mind the seam allowances, you could then cut out the fabric and sew it up. Just make sure you remember how you are going to get the clothes on, and leave room for buttons and zippers and such.
This is what I would do if I were to *design* my own clothes. For regular sewing, I found it easy enough to just buy a pattern and follow the directions. The patterns are in the sewing/craft stores and tell you on the back what kind of fabric works with the pattern. If you need help deciphering it, the sales people should be able to direct you. Once you open the pattern, you need to cut out the right size for yourself. The directions will show you how to lay it out on the fabric to make the best use of the fabric so all the pieces will fit and to minimize waste. Always buy a little extra material in case you make a mistake, and wash, dry, and iron it (knits don't need an ironing) before starting your project.
Fitted clothes are much harder to make than stretchy clothes, so you might want to start with something that requires a knit material. Fitted sleeves and certain types of necklines are a real pain, as are buttons and zippers. Lined clothes are also a real pain. So, overall, I'd start with CASUAL clothing until you feel comfortable trying something harder.
Certain patterns at the store are designed for beginners, but I can't recall the name of the brands. Ask a sales associate.
It is also helpful to read books about fabrics. They will tell you about the give (stretch) and weight of various fabrics and what they are good for. I also have a book about sewing machines and their various parts. My sewing machine has several different feet, so I needed to understand what each of them does. (I haven't used them all.) Some books will also cover various problems that arise, such as those having to do with thread tension, that could jam up your machine.
In my experience, sewing has been pretty easy as long as my machine is working properly. If you can, leave your sewing area set up. I cannot right now, so I haven't sewn in years. It is too much a pain to get out everything I need only to sew for a short while then have to put it all back. There's too much involved to be doing all that over and over again.
14 Feb 2016, 8:03 pm
