Your Own Fashion Designer
Can you make a garment with the help of a sewing pattern, even if your previous sewing experience is at best fair to middling?As my two skirts and one blazer corroborate, you can!
I shall not try to sugar-coat it for you. The first time I came face to face with that myriad of differently coloured straight, squiggly and dotted lines intersecting each others, I was bewildered. But I persevered, greatly spurned on by the sight of the shiny new sewing machine that I had (somewhat optimistically) already bought.
My refusal to admit defeat paid off. Soon, I began to discern logic in that chaos of lines. A few days later, I proudly flaunted a simple A-line skirt, gathered at the waist with an elastic band, made with my own hands.
My first garment-making project was executed with the help of a pattern from a magazine. They are notorious for having a multitude of confusing lines that represent at least half a dozen patterns superimposed over each other.
Only later I discovered envelope sewing patterns. Every little packet contains a specific pattern which is much easier to decipher, because there are no intersecting lines. That is why these are usually recommended for beginners. However, I still like magazine inserts, because you get so many sewing patterns in one single issue!
Brief Historical Overview
The birth of the trade in sewing patters can be precisely dated to 1860. That is when it occurred to Ellen Louise Demorest and her husband William Jennings Demorest, who had a fashion business in New York, USA, that they could make an additional stream of income by selling the patterns of garments they created.
Very soon, the sewing patterns industry took off and some of the businesses founded in the USA in the late 19th century survive to this very day. Early patterns did not contain many instructions and were made in one size only.
Tips for Beginners
I freely admit that I made just about every mistake a self-taught garment maker can conceivably make. Here’s your chance to learn from them!
- Today’s digital patterns may come in one size, just as was the case with early printed patterns. This is especially true of the patterns that can be downloaded free of charge. And make no mistake: adjusting patterns to fit a different size is not easy. On top of that, piecing together the sections of a PDF pattern printed on A4 paper can pose a challenge, so have that in mind (unless you plan to print your pattern on a wide format printer). And always remember to print the image at 100%!
- Some seamstresses (or seamsters) like to cut their sewing patterns; I prefer to trace them on transparent paper and then cut the copy. The latter method is time-consuming, but comes with one great benefit: the original can be reused.
- The long arrow on top of the pattern indicates the grain line and must be aligned parallel to the straight grain of the fabric. Ignore it at own peril! Trust me, it is much better to buy a bit more fabric than to have your finished garment stretch or fall the wrong way. On top of that, remember that materials with bold patterns may necessitate precise matching of, for example, left and right side of a blazer.
- Sewing patterns may include seam allowances... or may not. Make sure to determine to which category your pattern belongs before you start cutting the fabric! The advantage of patterns without the seam allowances is that you can see exactly along which line to sew, but if you forget to add the seams... the finished item will be too small.
The Rationale of Sewing Patterns
So, with all the hassle that seems to be part and parcel of sewing-by-pattern, why do it all?For a long time, home dressmaking was considered as a cheap alternative to ready-made clothes. These days, however, it’s less about cost-saving and more about making one-of-a-kind items of clothing that fit perfectly, as well as about having a creative outlet.Once you have learned to use a sewing machine and work from a pattern, you can do anything! That is probably the reason sewing patterns enjoy enduring popularity on Bob Shop.