If you want even more ways to improve your dressmaking, take a look at these five tips. They’ll help you master the art of making clothes and ensure that your creations are something you can be proud of.
Learn how to make patterns
If you’ve seen something on social media that you love but can’t buy in a store and are keen to make but don’t have the pattern, the answer is obvious: learn how to make your own pattern! You can follow online tutorials or combine other elements of patterns at first, and the more experienced you get, the better you’ll become.
Invest in sewing supplies and tools
A good pair of sharp scissors, gorgeous dressmaking fabrics, spools of cotton, and pins and needles are all necessary tools of the trade. If you kit yourself out with all the necessary equipment, you’ll find sewing so much easier, and you’ll get to enjoy being creative even more as you won’t have to battle because you don’t have the right supplies.
Create a stitching sequence
If you are still asking what are dressmaking fabrics, you possibly won’t be ready for this step, but if you have the right material and you’ve cut your pattern out, you need to determine a stitching sequence. You should work out the order in which you’ll stitch your garment and determine if you’ll do panels first or add pleats, darts and tucks before you work on the seams.
Hang before hemming
During the sewing process, fabric may stretch, and it is crucial that you hang a garment up for at least a day to let it reshape before you hem it. If you don’t do this, you may well end up with a hem that is too short, and you won’t be able to fix that! A slightly longer hem is always better; that way, you can make allowances for any shrinkage or stretching.
Always finish the edges
Even if the seams are inside, you should always finish the edges. They may appear fine at first when unfinished, but after a few washes, they can become messy and fray. In time, this will damage the appearance of your garment and could even cause it to unravel or come undone in places. In addition, it just looks more professional to finish the edges.
