How to Make Your Own Clothes With a Sewing Machine
When making your own clothes on a sewing machine you have the creative control to design your own wardrobe exactly the way you want it to look. Making clothing is less expensive than buying it in the stores, and you get to make your own style of clothing and choose fabric designs that match your fashion aesthetic. Follow some basic steps for sewing any type of clothing.
Things You'll Need
- Sewing pattern
- Fabric
- Sewing notions
- Household scissors
- Sewing scissors
- Straight pins
- Iron
Instructions
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Flip through the sewing pattern catalogs at your local fabric store to locate the clothing you want to make. Refer to the back of the sewing pattern for the recommended amounts of fabric you need. Locate your desired fabrics and have your fabric cut to the length needed. Purchase any additional sewing notions recommended, such as buttons or zippers.
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2
Read the instructions that come with your sewing pattern. Instructions will include details on how to lay out and cut your pattern pieces and the steps for assembling your garment.
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3
Cut out your paper pattern pieces, to the correct size, with a pair of household scissors and lay them out on the fabric. Pin the pattern pieces to the fabric with straight pins and cut them out with the sewing scissors.
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4
Sew the garment, using a straight stitch setting on your sewing machine, according to the pattern's instructions. Follow the instructions step-by-step to sew each piece together. Sew 1/4-inch seam allowances and cut excess fabric leaving no more than 1/4-inch wide flaps of fabric.
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5
Press the excess fabric created by the seam allowances with an iron flat toward the back of the garment. This will prevent bulkiness at the seams.
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6
Sew on any zippers, closures or buttons by following the pattern's instructions.
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Tips & Warnings
Refer to the back of the sewing pattern for sizing information. Choose the size based on your measurements. Pattern sizing differs from clothing sizes in stores.
Before cutting out the pattern, pre-wash fabrics such as cotton and twill to pre-shrink them. Dry them on a medium setting in the dryer and press with an iron set to cotton to remove any wrinkles.
Use caution when working with sharp scissors and straight pins.
Use caution when sewing with a sewing machine to avoid injury.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit sewing machine image by pavel siamionov from Fotolia.com
