Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Learning the basics
• Part 2 of 4: Choosing a pattern
• Part 3 of 4: Sewing your clothes
• Part 4 of 4: Making different styles of clothing
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

There are many reasons why you might want to make clothes. If you are interested in fashion design and have some items in mind that you want to make for yourself or simply want to make some adjustments to the clothes you already own, knowing how to make and sew a piece of clothing is very helpful. You don't have to be a seamstress to learn how to make your own clothes.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Learning the basics

1. Learn to deal with the different tools and devices that you will have to work with. To make clothes you need a lot of different tools for sewing, making patterns and measuring patterns so you can be sure that they will fit you. You have to know and learn to use every type of tool. At first you will not be comfortable with all the tools, but the more you practice the easier it will become.
   • Iron and ironing board. It doesn't matter what kind of iron you use. You can just use the iron you already own, but you might want to invest in a quality iron later on. You will use the iron to press the garment you want to sew while you are sewing it. This ensures that the seams remain open.
   • Seam ripper. You will use this when you made a mistake while sewing. You can remove the wrong stitching with this.
   • Chalk to mark your fabric so you know where to cut and sew.
   • You need very good sharp scissors, which you only use to cut fabric. Otherwise, your scissors will become dull very quickly and may fray or damage your fabric.
   • Pattern paper to draw and sketch your patterns, but also to adjust your patterns while sewing.
   • Rulers to draw and measure during the construction of your garment (both in the design phase and in the sewing phase).
   • The use of a tape measure and preferably a tape measure, that is more flexible. You will use these for measurements and based on these measurements you can make adjustments if necessary.
   • Pins to hold the fabric in place before you start sewing. Pins should not be used too often, as they can distort the fabric you are working with.
2. Acquire a sewing machine. Basically there are two types of sewing machines. One falls under the household use category and the other falls under the industrial use category. Both have advantages and disadvantages, so you will have to take a good look at which one best suits your needs.
   • Household sewing machines are often more transportable and versatile. Various sewing stitches are possible with these machines. Yet they do less well in terms of speed and power and are less good with heavy fabrics.
   • Industrial sewing machines are more powerful and faster, but can usually only perform one type of sewing (such as a straight lockstitch). They perform that one type of stitch very well, but are therefore not very versatile. These types of machines usually also take up a lot of space.
3. Learn what the parts of your sewing machine are and what they do. Hopefully the sewing machine you purchased has a manual as it will tell you which direction your bobbin will turn and where the bobbin case is located. Nevertheless, you must first know the basic components of your sewing machine before you can start making fun things.
   • The bobbin case contains the spool of thread, which controls the direction of the thread as the thread passes through the sewing machine. Depending on the type of sewing machine you have, the bobbin case can be horizontal or vertical.
   • A bobbin is actually a spindle around which yarn is wound.You will need to wind the bobbin and then it should fit into the bobbin case (it can be found under the needle plate).
   • Your sewing machine also has different stitch settings to determine the stitch length for each stitch, the amount of tension needed to make sure the stitches come through correctly, and for the different sewing stitches (if you have the type of sewing machine that has different sewing stitches).
   • The thread lever controls the thread tension. If the thread tension is not at the correct level, the thread will become tangled and the sewing machine will jam.
   • You can check at a sewing store if they run workshops and if they know someone who would like to help you set up your sewing machine, or you can ask a family member or friend who knows a lot about sewing machines for help.
4. Start simple. When you have just started making clothes, it is better to work on simple designs first, otherwise you will easily get frustrated and therefore quit faster. It is best to start with skirts, because these are easier to make than, for example, a three-piece suit and a skirt requires less measurements.
   • If you're starting for the first time, make sure you don't make clothes that have buttons or zippers in them. Make aprons or pajamas with elastic bands. Once you understand how to use your tools and your sewing machine, you can start with more difficult things.
5. Prototypes your garments. The best way to make your end product as perfect as possible is to make prototypes so that you can adapt and improve your design, but also to make changes where you think necessary to your end product.
   • It is recommended to use pieces of the same fabric for your final product.
6. Take the correct measurements necessary for making a pattern. Even though you want to make clothes from a fabric with a pattern you found somewhere instead of making your own, it is still necessary to take your own measurements so that the clothes will fit you when you are done with them.
   • For pants you need the following measurements: waist, hip, crotch height and the full leg length from the waist to the ground. For shorts you use the same measurements, only shorten the pants length to the desired length.
   • For shirts you need the following measurements: neck, chest, shoulder width, arm length, armhole size and shirt length.
   • For skirts you only need the measurements of the waist and hips. The length and fullness of the skirt will vary depending on the type of skirt you want to make.

Part 2 of 4: Choosing a pattern

1. Making a pattern. Sketch a pattern for the garment you want to make, using the measurements you have obtained. Use a garment that is similar to the one you want to make so that it can serve as an example of the correct pattern design and layout. There are plenty of places where you can get and find good pattern ideas.
   • Thrift stores and sewing shops often have nice vintage patterns (especially for dresses) and there are also a lot of easy patterns to be found online.
2. Place your chosen fabric on a large, flat surface and place the pattern pieces on your fabric. Deciding how to arrange your pattern pieces requires careful planning.
   • Fold the fabric right sides and matching selvedges together. The selvedges are the "natural" edges of a woven fabric that keep the fabric from fraying. Folding in this way ensures that you can easily cut the double patterns for certain parts (such as sleeves, legs, etc.) and large symmetrical parts.
   • If you have large pattern pieces that are symmetrical and can be folded in half (the back of a shirt, for example) fold the pattern piece in half and then pin the folded part of the pattern to the folded edge of the fabric. This saves cutting effort and ensures that the cut piece of fabric is perfectly symmetrical.
   • To make clothes that are tight to the skin, it is best to place the pattern pieces on the bias (at an angle of 45 degrees from the folded edge).
   • To sew a garment that does not stretch, place the pattern pieces at a 90 degree angle from the folded edge.
3. Iron the wrinkles out of your fabric. You need to make sure your fabric is wrinkle-free or else it could ruin your final product as wrinkles can take the fabric out of its guideline.
4. Pin pattern pieces to the fabric. This will tell you where to cut. Make sure that the fabric is wrinkle-free and that the pattern pieces and the fabric are properly placed together.
5. Cut the fabric according to the shapes of the pattern. Just make sure to cut through both layers of the fabric.
6. Remove the paper pattern from the fabric from which you cut the pattern pieces. You can now start the sewing process.

Part 3 of 4: Sewing your clothes

1. Pin the pieces of fabric together at the seam edges. Decide which edges to sew together, then pin two pieces of fabric together on the correct sides at the seam edges. Pin the pins at a 90-degree angle from the edge so you don't have to remove them when sewing your garment.
2. Sew the fabric pieces together, one side at a time and from each end to the other, until you have a fully constructed garment.
   • This will take time, so try to be patient as you work. If anything goes wrong, don't worry, because that's what you can use your seam ripper for.
3. Use your sewing machine properly. You need to make sure you are using the correct needle and thread for the job you want to do. Different threads and needles work best with different fabrics.
   • You need different techniques for fabric derived from animals, such as silk or wool or alpaca, compared to natural fabrics, such as cotton or flax, and synthetic fabrics, such as plastic or polyester. Just make sure you know what type of fabric you will be using and what type of needle and thread is best for it.
   • Gently pass the fabric through the sewing machine. Do not push or pull the fabric, as the machine should in principle do that itself plus if you start pushing and pulling you can cause an obstruction in your sewing machine or ruin your garment.
4. Hem the edges of your garment. Complete your clothes with smooth, finished edges.
   • Fold the edge wrong side in to the desired width of the seam, then press the fold together. Fold the printed edge one more time and then press it together again. Now sew along the top folded edge of the hem inside the garment.
5. Now add the last things. This can be anything from buttons, elastic, zippers to different kinds of fun embroidery or special stitches. The better you get at sewing and making your own clothes, the more creative you can get with finishing the finishing touches.

Part 4 of 4: Making different styles of clothing

1. Skirts. Because every clothing style is a bit different, there are some key points for each clothing style, which are useful to remember when choosing what clothes you want to make and how you want to make them.
   • There are several types of skirts to choose from: a-line skirts, circle skirts, bell skirts, pleated skirts, maxi and mini skirts, pencil skirts and the list goes on. You have to decide which skirt to try on.
   • The most basic skirt you can make is a pencil skirt. This one does require an elastic band and the fabric (a stretch fabric is a good fabric for this). You can make these skirts in under an hour and they are fun, comfortable and easy to wear.
   • The general order you follow when sewing a skirt is: side, front and back seams, fly, placket, belt, hem.
2. Trousers. Since there are pants in all kinds of different types and they can be made from almost any type of fabric, they are a great project that you can engage in once you have mastered the basic skills. You can make them easier by making pants with an elastic waistband or more complicated with zippers and buttons and waistbands.
   • The general order in which you sew jeans (or other pants) is: pockets, side, front and back seams, zipper or placket, waistband, hem.
3. Dresses. And here too there are a lot of different types of dresses that can be made. From some short sweet summery cotton dresses to a long flowing ball gown. Dresses can be more complicated to make than a skirt, for example, so you may want to get started once you've mastered the basics.
   • The general order for making a dress is: interlining, shaping the shoulders, top of the dress except for the hem, bottom of the dress, side, back and front seams. Then you can merge the bottom with the top of the dress at the waist and add a zipper or buttons and buttonholes and then another hem.
4. Shirts. These can be a bit more complicated even though they are fun to make, as you will need to sew buttons and curves (because you will sew on the lines made by your neck and shoulders). There are also more pattern pieces that you have to take into account.
   • The easiest top you can make is a knitted sweater without buttons or pockets.
   • The general sequence for making a shirt (or jacket) is: interlining, shoulder shaping, zippers or buttonholes, shoulder seams, side seams, neck and front edges, armhole, sleeves, hem.
5. Jackets. Jackets and overcoats are one of the more complicated tailoring projects. It is better not to get started on this until you have gained enough experience, because these projects contain buttons, pockets and contours instead of straight lines. In addition, they are made from many pattern pieces.
   • The easiest type of jacket to make is one that has no lining or that does not need to be sewn up the sleeves.

Tips

• Put your fabric in the wash first and then let it dry before cutting out pattern pieces. This will take care of any shrinkage.
• If you want to include pockets in the pattern, they must be manufactured and pinned in the correct places before you sew the garment together.
• Draw your design first and then try to shape it on a mannequin.
• Make sure you have taken seam allowances into account in your measurements when making a pattern. For example, if you use a seam allowance of about 1/2 inch, you will lose 1/2 inch of fabric for each seam you sew. Do the same for the hems too.
• When you are laying pattern pieces on fabric, you have to take the pattern of the fabric into account. If you want the patterns to fit together well, you have to be very careful with how you place the pattern pieces.
• It is recommended that you model your pattern of the garment, using scraps of fabric before cutting into the desired fabric for this project. This way you can make the necessary adjustments to the pattern for the best possible fit.

Warnings

• Don't forget to turn off your iron when you're done using it. Otherwise you can sometimes burn yourself or something else.

Necessities

• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Patterned paper
• Dust
• Iron
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Yarn
• Other accessories (buttons, zippers, elastic, etc.)