What I Wish I Knew Before I Started Sewing My Own Clothes
Technically speaking, I’ve been making my own clothing since I was a kid. I was lucky enough to have a seamstress mother who made me realize it is possible to sew your own clothes and make them cute. We almost exclusively made flannel pajama pants.
I have fond memories of picking out my own fabric from JoAnne Fabrics, paging through the glossy pattern books from McCall’s and Simplicity, and finally pulling out those huge file drawers and paging through the envelopes to find my chosen pattern.
I started getting serious about sewing my own wardrobe a few months ago. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing but I felt way too intimidated to try. However, I had a moment a few months ago where I told myself to just go for it.
I’m really glad I did, and I’ve made quite a few things I’m actually pretty proud of. But I also had a few stumbling blocks that I imagine every budding sewist has. If you’ve been dreaming of making your own clothes too, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way. I hope they help save you some time & money or at least give you some inspiration!
Learn About the Type of Sewing Machines
Probably the most important revelation I’ve had about sewing clothes is that you really need a good sewing machine. You might even need two or three different machines to do certain kinds of hems and seams. From my experience, the type of machine you need depends a lot on the type of fabric you want to sew.
Many types of fabric work great with a regular sewing machine, but knits are a little tricker to sew. The one thing that kept me from making knit garments was that I hated sewing them on my regular machine. Now that I have a serger and cover stitch machine, I sew with knits all the time and I’m finally able to make the types of clothes I really want to wear.
I hesitate to put this as my most important tip because having a good machine can be extremely cost prohibitive. It feels almost like a paywall or gatekeeping to include this. However, it is probably the one thing that has made the biggest difference in my sewing, so I felt I had to mention it.
Look at the Finished Garment Measurements on Patterns
I used to be somewhat impulsive when it came to buying patterns. I would have a particular style in mind and, hunt down a pattern that looked close enough, then buy it in my size range without looking at the back panel.
I always assumed choosing a size based on your body measurements was good enough. But after making many garments that didn’t fit right, I finally realized that the finished garment size can be way different than your body size. This is usually because designers incorporate pattern ease, which is how loose or fitted the garment is supposed to be on you.
Many patterns designed for non-stretch fabrics will have positive ease worked into the design, meaning it’s intended to be extra roomy for comfort. On the other hand, patterns written for stretch fabrics may have negative ease. This means that the finished garment is smaller than your actual body measurements, but it will have a flattering and comfortable fit because the fabric stretches.
Unfortunately, not all patterns include the finished garment measurements. Or if they do, you only get basic measurements such as the length. From my experience, the bust and/or hip measurement is the most important one to look for. Choose a size based on how big you want your final garment to be. This might mean making a different size than you would based on your body measurements alone.
Check out Pattern Reviews Before Buying a Pattern
A lot of patterns look really cute on the envelope but might not turn out super flattering once you’re done. After all the time, effort, and materials this is obviously disappointing. I recently realized that you can check reviews on PatternReview.com, which is an invaluable resource. Just type in the pattern number and navigate to the reviews section. There you will find pictures of actual garments people made and tons of helpful tips.
Newer and less popular patterns might be lacking in reviews, but you can always start the discussion and leave your own to help other sewists out.
Try Tracing Paper
When you’re new to making clothes from a pattern, it can be scary diving in and cutting out your pattern pieces. Cutting the wrong size can make the pattern unusable for future projects. If you’re not confident about the size to make, get some Swedish tracing paper and transfer the pattern onto that instead. You can keep the original intact until you’re confident in the size. This is also useful if you want to make multiple sizes form the same pattern.
Another tip I got from my mom growing up was to cut out the largest size and fold it down to make smaller sizes. You might need to clip some corners so they fold properly. But this is a great way to be frugal about your pattern usage without tracing paper.
Wonder Tape is Wonderful
Getting everything to line up perfectly is sometimes super challenging when making clothes. I recently discovered wonder tape, which is a water soluble, double-sided tape that helps hold your hems in place as you sew. It is a life-changer for attaching pockets and keeping super stretchy fabrics from bagging out as you hem them. It’s a great inexpensive way to make your handmade clothes look more professional.
Pressing vs. Ironing
Did you know that you’re not supposed to “iron” your seams as you sew garments? Me either, until a few months ago. When reading pattern directions, you will probably notice that they tell you to “press” your seams during certain steps to make them lay in the correct direction.
Pressing means lifting and lowering your iron straight up and down on the seam. Ironing, on the other hand, is when you drag the iron over your fabric.
It might not seem like a big difference, but pressing ensures that your seams are set with perfection. The dragging motion of ironing your seams can actually distort them and make it so your pieces don’t line up perfectly in future steps of assembling the garment.
I’ve recently switched to “pressing” when making garments and quilts. It does actually seem to make a difference, and it’s not any harder to do than ironing. The hardest part for me is remembering to do it and breaking the habit of ironing.
Pre-Wash Fabrics AND Trims
One of the main reasons I got fed up with store-bought clothes is that they often shrink and get misshapen when you wash them. Maybe this is because I tend to buy cheap clothes, but it’s still frustrating.
When making your own clothes, you always want to wash and dry the fabric the same way you plan on washing and drying the finished garment. However, it’s equally important to wash your trims and maybe even your elastic and other notions. These things can shrink just like regular fabric, and it would be sad to have a garment get puckered or wonky just because the trim shrunk in the wash.
Some trims will come with washing instructions, and it’s usually best to follow these. However, I would ultimately wash the trim the same way you plan on washing the garment. If you know you’re going to throw the finished outfit in the dryer, the trim should also go through the dryer after pre-washing. That way everything will fit perfectly when you wash your finished garment.
To pre-wash trims and notions, put them in a mesh garment bag first. This keeps them contained and prevents tangling and snagging. You’ll want to keep them in the bag when putting them through the dryer as well.
