Chrissie's Guide To Dress Making
One of our wonderful team members , Chrissie, has been dress making for the last 6 years and she shares with us her top tips in starting a sewing journey into dress making.
"I have always been obsessed with clothes and fashion. One of my earliest memories of making was in school at the age of 10 and I wanted some platform shoes like the Spice Girls, and so I made some in class using cardboard, sellotape and string."
What was your first sewing machine?
I was lucky to be given my first sewing machine from my auntie and it was a very simple Brother sewing machine. It had a front loading bobbin system and just very basic stitches. I've only ever used straight stitch on it. It was a fantastic machine to start with.
What was the first garment you made?
I started out using any free sewing patterns I could find online. The first real item of clothing I made on my own was a top with a overlapping back detail. It had no fastenings like a zip or buttons and was a really simple item to make.
What would you say are the best fabrics to start with?
I was fully aware from the beginning that I would make a lot of fitting errors and that it was going to be a learning experience, so I used a lot of free or very cheap fabrics. My very first top was made from an old bed cover set that my son no longer wanted. Stable fabrics like cotton are ideal to start with.
Where did you learn dress making?
I had a basic understanding of fashion from my time at uni where I studied Fashion Promotion, but it has only been the past 6 years that I have really developed my skill. I am very much a do-er and also a visual learner. I have found out a lot of techniques through videos , especially on YouTube. One of my favorites is Gertie from Charmed Patterns. I don't wear vintage clothing but her video tutorials are extremely helpful in learning different techniques.
What would you say are essential things for dress making?
You can make clothes even with just a basic sewing machine, you don't need a fancy or complicated machine when you get started. Separate scissors for cutting out the paper/tissue patterns, and ones for fabric only. I love a grided ruler , when it comes to adding seam allowances to pattern piece or even accurately tracing out they are a very handy tool, along side a mechanical pencil. And you definitely need a good tape measure, as the saying goes - measure twice , cut once!
What advice would you give to someone new to dressmaking?
Choose a pattern based on something you would actually wear. If you like wearing dresses then choose a dress pattern. Start with a garment with no fastening so you don't have to worry about adding in zips or doing buttons to start.
Be prepared to make mistakes, it is sometimes the best way to learn. There will be plenty of times that you will set a sleeve in backwards. Always have your un-picker at hand.
Chrissie's Top Pattern Recommendations For Beginners
Style Arc Montana Dress Pattern
Tilly and The Buttons Samara Top
Sew Over It Ultimate PJs Pattern
You can find Chrissie on instagram @chrissieconlay.