Before Your First Garment Sewing Pattern Know This
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Are you interested in sewing your first garment sewing pattern? If so, there are a few things you’ll need to consider before starting the project.
Read.
Most beginners want to follow the pattern step by step. But, this is the source of many problems. It is the cause of frustrations because there are details you need to know way ahead of time. Reading the entire pattern will allow you to gather all the proper materials and research the sewing techniques required.
Consider the faults of commercial patterns.
Garment sewing pattern makers rarely provide information about how to finish the raw edges on the inside of your garment. But, raw edges are important because they aid in the longevity of your finished garment. It is very important to consider how your raw edges will be finished before starting a project because some edge finishing techniques require added seam allowance and/or modified project construction.
Be slow to cut, quick to measure.
You only cut fabric once! For this reason, it is important to take your body measurements before doing anything else. Once your body measurements have been taken, select the size that most relates to your measurements.
Trace or print.
We live in a digital age where you can either get a printed pattern or a digital one. Printed pattern directions always say to cut the pattern out in your size. But, it works better to use medical table paper to trace off your pattern. When you trace off your pattern instead of cutting it out, it gives you the opportunity to:
- make pattern adjustments without worrying about messing up
- reuse the pattern as you loose or gain weight.
- use same pattern for friends or family members
- sell the pattern after you are done
- use sleeves or single pattern pieces to make your own unique pieces
Try it before making final decisions.
Commercial sewing patterns are standardized fashion industry sizes and often don’t account for differences in body types. For this reason, it is important to try on the pattern and alter it before cutting into your expensive fabric. When the fabric is ultra expensive, it makes sense to buy a similar cheap fabric to cut out as a sample before making the real thing. For example, a person making a cotton dress would purchase a similar weight cotton table cloth from a thrift store to cut as a sample.
For less expensive projects, however, it makes more sense to pin the paper pattern to your body and see how it fits. Non fitting pattern pieces are easy to modify and can be used to cut out the fabric. The best book I have ever found about this topic is out of print. However as of the time of writing this blog , the book can be found on eBay. It is called, “Fit For Real People” by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto
Understand what it is all about.
Before working on your first garment sewing pattern, remember sewing is all about problem solving. Once you get started, you will realize sewing forces you t look for ways to solve problems a pattern envelope will never answer. For instance, you may have a gaping neckline or less fabric than than what you need to complete a project. Both problems have multiple solutions and flex thinking skills. While some shy away from problem solving, others love the idea of solving a puzzle and finishing with a garment attached to wonderful memories.
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