How hard is it to make a dress?

oscardelahoya · 13/03/14 - 23:49

I am getting that fed up of trying to find dresses that fit me properly that I am thinking about making them myself, however I have never made any clothes before so thought I would ask for some tips here before I go mad and buy a sewing machine. Can anyone give me an idea of how complicated a process it is? I am just thinking of day dresses, not tailored or ball gowns or anything, although it would need to be shaped nicely around the bust as that's my issue with dresses in shops

Joni M · 14/03/14 - 00:02

It's honestly not *that* difficult, but as with anything takes practise.

I'd buy some cheap material, or even use and old sheet or duvet... buy a pattern and see how you get on.

Don't buy expensive zips or owt at first, just see if you can follow the pattern initially and see how you feel about it.

QFour · 14/03/14 - 00:06

Buy a pattern and have a look at it first. Pick something simple to start with. The girls in the shop will give you a hand finding something suitable. Buy a second hand sewing machine that does straight stitch. Get some material and go for it. You will also need a decent pair of scissors and a load of pins. Try your sewing skills on a few off cuts before the real thing. I have a couple of sewing machines but don't make anything fancy, don't think my wife would approve of me running up a dress for myself .....

c4rv · 14/03/14 - 00:10

my mrs is a pretty good seamstress but she has been doing it for 30 years, lol. My guess is its isn't that simple.

Check for local courses, at least you could get a taster.

oscardelahoya · 14/03/14 - 00:13

That is a good idea I have loads of old sheets and duvet covers to practise on

oscardelahoya · 14/03/14 - 00:16

Oh by the time I posted that there are a load more replies! Thanks, I think there are a couple of sewing shops near me so I will go in and have a look around.

maggie thecat · 14/03/14 - 00:59

Some pattern makers are better than others in explaining their instructions. Look at a couple to see which make sense to you. Don't just go by the ones that say they are easy or for beginners. I actually had more trouble with those then Vogue patterns which were reputed as *scary* and for advanced seamstresses.

Of course I can bake from scratch but can't make a cake from a box without screwing it up, so that might just be me.

albertd · 14/03/14 - 01:10

Watching the rest of The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC2 from Tuesday might give you some guidance (unless you dislike Claudia Winkleman).

Four episodes left out of eight.

[Deleted User] · 14/03/14 - 01:32

albertd wrote: »

Watching the rest of The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC2 from Tuesday might give you some guidance (unless you dislike Claudia Winkleman).

Four episodes left out of eight.

You could watch the others on iPlayer:)

[Deleted User] · 14/03/14 - 01:42

It may be easier for you if you make yourself a dressmakers dummy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsXOxxZhBbI

Actually, youtube is very good for how to videos. There are also loads of craft type forums where really talented people either make things from scratch or recycle.

Radiomaniac · 14/03/14 - 01:52

If you can unpick an old item of clothing and use that as a pattern, you should get a good fit.

I used to always be making clothes - skirts, trousers even a dressing gown once. I don't think it's that difficult as long as you're not too ambitious at first.

Funny you should mention sewing machines. I've not used mine in years but got it out tonight to hem up a curtain, and I was amazed that I managed to use it and do it right!

Wolfsheadish · 14/03/14 - 02:08

It's really not hard, depending on the style of course, as long as you follow the basic rules. If you're a beginner, choose simple styles at first. Don't skimp on things like ironing between steps - it makes all the difference! Also, I found using a dress form to be very useful for getting the right fit.

topcat3 · 14/03/14 - 02:41

You can get a 2nd hand sewing machine or borrow one.

Pick a pattern that says easy to start off with.

If you get stuck look things up on internet or post questions on here if you want

DanniLaMone · 14/03/14 - 07:01

I went through a fad of making my own clothes. I wasn't bad at it and one of my relatives asked me to make them a ball gown so I did. It was very time consuming so I now prefer to buy my clothes.

Normandie · 14/03/14 - 08:53

maggie thecat wrote: »

Some pattern makers are better than others in explaining their instructions. Look at a couple to see which make sense to you. Don't just go by the ones that say they are easy or for beginners. I actually had more trouble with those then Vogue patterns which were reputed as *scary* and for advanced seamstresses.

I agree totally about Vogue patterns. And Butterick from the same stable are good but was it McCalls or Burda which sometimes didn't include a seam allowance on their patterns? You had to (remember to!) add it yourself.

I started off with a Simplicity pattern and the next one I chose was a Vogue pattern and I was really surprised by how much easier the Vogue pattern was to understand.

Within Vogue pattern there are very easy, easy, medium (?) and advanced so start off by finding a very easy Vogue pattern that you like and then get to grips with the purpose of the little V marks, the tailor's tack marks, grain marks, why the nap matters, why laying out the pattern in a certain way matters, etc. Youtube is your friend - these look good. Patterns aren't cheap but if you make, say, 3 items from each pattern pack then spread the cost of the pattern over those 3 garments suddenly the cost doesn't look so bad. I see that Sewing World has 40% off Vogue patterns for the next 2 days.

Radiomaniac wrote: »

If you can unpick an old item of clothing and use that as a pattern, you should get a good fit.

That's a brilliant suggestion. I did that with what (on me) were the perfect pair of trousers and I made them for years.

Making clothes just needs you to be able to follow a list of instructions with pictures. Very Easy Vogue make up quite quickly when you know what you're doing but with any pattern (imo) don't skimp on the preparation - laying out, cutting out, marking, etc. Fitting / tailoring a pattern to your shape (I wasn't a typical Vogue pattern size) is also worthwhile and isn't difficult - you just have to understand what darts, for eg, are intended to achieve. And it's not difficult.

Just a bit time-consuming initially. The effort I make at the beginning (and with the pressing after each step, etc) is in direct proportion to how pleased I am with the finished item.

The other thing I'd say is buy the best fabric you can and a fabric you really love. I have no good fabric shops near me so I source fabric from the UK, often from here.

Most patterns have fabric recommendations in the small print on the back of the envelope. If I'm going to spend precious spare time making something, I want the end result to be something something unique, that I really love and will wear until it falls apart.

albertd · 14/03/14 - 09:07

woodbush wrote: »

You could watch the others on iPlayer:)

Yes, I remembered that after I had gone to bed. I have just checked and was about to post that. They are available for a month, according to iPlayer.

burton07 · 14/03/14 - 12:17

I used to make my own clothes and my daughter's dresses when they were little. I also made my youngest daughter's wedding dress - that was scary! I made dressing gowns (OH still wears his) and curtains.

In those days there was a fabric shop on every high street. You don't find them now because shop bought clothes are so cheap. When you can buy a dress for £8.00 from Peacocks, there's no point in making them yourself.

However, watching the TV programme Sewing Bee made me want to dig out my sewing machine and one of my daughters asked me this week to teach her how to sew.

Smithman · 14/03/14 - 13:28

It's not really that difficult but some people seem to have the knack for it - sadly I don't and anything I ever made looked just that - homemade !! My older sister however was brilliant at it.

shelts · 14/03/14 - 13:51

I also vote for Vogue patterns ,they are also a good fit, I think the cost is scary, not the actual pattern, although they do seem a bit cheaper these days, I do remember paying £9.95 for one in the late '80s!....still got it, it won't fit now .but it was a beautiful pattern and required exactly the amount of fabric that I bought on holiday......took me ages to find one!

Sues · 14/03/14 - 14:13

I am totally sel-taught and I can say that it is immensely satisfying to wear something you have made. When following a pattern just make sure you understand exactly what they are asking you to do and usually the accompanying pictures show how it should be done. As others have said, YouTube is fantastic for showing you how to do certain hems, put in zips and virtually anything you need to know. I also subscribe to Sew Today and they have a website that sell Vogue, McCalls, Butterick and Kwik Sew patterns. If you are a member you can buy any of them for half price. If you sign up for the magazine you also get free patterns initially.

Kiko H Fan · 14/03/14 - 16:02

I'd try posting this in Fashion & Beauty.

Hogzilla · 14/03/14 - 16:15

If you can find patterns graded for easiness (think Vogue ones are?) then go for the simplest things first.

I'm a bit unusual in that most of the clothing I make is for living history - but I'm an idiot and even I can do it, so it can't be that hard!

Sewing machine wise if you want to keep it simple, look for a re-furbed old Singer or similar. (If you only want to do straightforward sewing, nothing fancy). Most of my machines pre-date WW1 so are now 100 years old or older - can be got at a car boot or charity shop for £25 and work perfectly well. I have several friends who have bought cheaper modern machines only to find them very unreliable.

My other tip is haunt car boots/charity shops for old cotton thread - it is pure cotton, not polyester, and you can get bargains.

Stick to simple patterns but add interesting trims or vintage buttons. I have made a couple of 1940s' dresses I'd wear 'in real life'.

oscardelahoya · 14/03/14 - 18:39

This is all very encouraging

I am usually pretty capable of doing most things, it's just knowing where to start really. I will keep an eye out for a secondhand machine and will come back here when I get stuck!

Thanks for all the tips.

Elanor · 14/03/14 - 19:29

The hard bit isn't so much the making (if you can follow instructions methodically, it's not impossible) but the fitting. It's much easier to fit something on someone else than it is on yourself. It can be helpful to have an accomplice to help with fitting - pinning, measuring, adjusting and so on.

oscardelahoya · 14/03/14 - 19:54

Is buying dresses that are too large (that would fit the bust) and taking them in round the middle a daft idea?

[Deleted User] · 14/03/14 - 21:17

Wolfsheadish wrote: »

It's really not hard, depending on the style of course, as long as you follow the basic rules. If you're a beginner, choose simple styles at first. Don't skimp on things like ironing between steps - it makes all the difference! Also, I found using a dress form to be very useful for getting the right fit.

Sage advice.

Might I add - it's best to make the dress as short as possible. The less material you have to deal with, the better.

Hey there!

Quick Links

How hard is it to make a dress?

Comments