Fashion design-sewing-questions

[Shawna in Texas]

So...this is so far beyond my level of knowledge and interest, so I thought I'd come here. My dd, the far side of eleven, wants to create clothing. Really elaborate things. She likes to get on etsy and see all the tutus and corsets and is absolutely inspired by them. She wants to make them.

 

While I'm over the moon that she is developing a passion, I'm at a complete loss at the same time. She's never been into drawing, painting, making music, etc--only collecting pictures and words/music/poems that interest her, but I assume most adolescent girls love collecting things. Her absolute passion is anime, so I bought her art kits and chinese painting pens, but it's more part of her collection of things.

 

So, she wants to actually create things with her hands and I want to nurture this as long and as far as she'll take it. So, is there some book or accessible outlet to teach the basics of all this? I don't know if it's important that she wants to make costum-ey type clothes, really funky things, etc.

 

I have no idea where to go with this. None. I'd appreciate any help.

[skimerinkydo]

If she is wanting to learn to sew, Simplicity has a coulple of "Learn to Sew" patterns. One is pajama bottoms, pattern # 3553, the other is a skirt, pattern # 2576. Sometimes fabric stores will offer sewing lessons or be a source of a contact for a teacher.

 

For a simple book for learning the basics of running a machine you could try "The Best of Sewing Machine Fun" by Linda Milligan.

 

I've seen some children's books at the local library about altering/embellishing clothing without using a pattern. One was "Simply Sewing" by Judy Sadler.

[dangermom]

Wow, that is great! First she'll need to learn basic sewing. Have you got a sewing machine? I would suggest trying a pillowcase and a pair of pajama pants or a simple skirt, and then get into fancier things. This pillowcase tutorial is about right. And Simplicity 3553 is a pajama pants pattern for beginners with lots of instructions. You could also look for one or two books at the library or bookstore--there are a jillion pretty books out there right now that have instructions and lots of cute easy projects like head kerchiefs, hairbands, tote bags, etc. Tote bags are a good place to start too--easy and fun to embellish. (When you stick your own decorations on a basic pattern, that's embellishment.)

 

There are also a jillion blogs and tutorials for creative sewists from beginner to expert. I read blogs by people who sew 30's dresses from vintage patterns, or who design their own stuff, all kinds of things. A good place to start is the Sew, Mama, Sew store and blog, which collects and catalogues a lot of the tutorials.

 

She will have to be patient! A simple tutu is pretty easy, but to make it really good takes some skill. For elaborate costumey things, she'll need to work up to that--you can't just make a corset for your first project, you'll kill yourself with frustration. But if she is willing, she can learn fast and be doing amazing things pretty soon, esp. if she has a high tolerance for getting stuck and inventing solutions that won't match her first idea, but might be even better.

[Wildiris]

An idea:

 

You could go to Goodwill or a second hand store and look at garments; look at their possibilities to be remade into something else. This opens the door to creating without having to sew a garment from scratch, and it also get the brain thinking out of the box as to what something is now and what it can become.

 

An Example: I bought a beautiful sleeveless top by Ellen Tracy that had an inner lining destroyed by burn marks and melted acetate. The outer shell of silk was clean and undamaged. I took the lining out, embellished the outer shell with beads and wear it with a camisole underneath.

 

 

[Shawna in Texas]

If she is wanting to learn to sew, Simplicity has a coulple of "Learn to Sew" patterns. One is pajama bottoms, pattern # 3553, the other is a skirt, pattern # 2576. Sometimes fabric stores will offer sewing lessons or be a source of a contact for a teacher.

 

For a simple book for learning the basics of running a machine you could try "The Best of Sewing Machine Fun" by Linda Milligan.

 

I've seen some children's books at the local library about altering/embellishing clothing without using a pattern. One was "Simply Sewing" by Judy Sadler.

 

Thanks for the pattern #s. I didn't even think of going to a fabric store.

 

Wow, that is great! First she'll need to learn basic sewing. Have you got a sewing machine? I would suggest trying a pillowcase and a pair of pajama pants or a simple skirt, and then get into fancier things. This pillowcase tutorial is about right. And Simplicity 3553 is a pajama pants pattern for beginners with lots of instructions. You could also look for one or two books at the library or bookstore--there are a jillion pretty books out there right now that have instructions and lots of cute easy projects like head kerchiefs, hairbands, tote bags, etc. Tote bags are a good place to start too--easy and fun to embellish. (When you stick your own decorations on a basic pattern, that's embellishment.)

 

There are also a jillion blogs and tutorials for creative sewists from beginner to expert. I read blogs by people who sew 30's dresses from vintage patterns, or who design their own stuff, all kinds of things. A good place to start is the Sew, Mama, Sew store and blog, which collects and catalogues a lot of the tutorials.

 

She will have to be patient! A simple tutu is pretty easy, but to make it really good takes some skill. For elaborate costumey things, she'll need to work up to that--you can't just make a corset for your first project, you'll kill yourself with frustration. But if she is willing, she can learn fast and be doing amazing things pretty soon, esp. if she has a high tolerance for getting stuck and inventing solutions that won't match her first idea, but might be even better.

 

I wouldn't even know what sort of beginning machine to get. I should probably look into that first and I can always use school money for that. I think she'll be perfectly patient with some of the simpler things if fabric is perfect. She loves the stuff at Ikea, but she'd probably go wild over the punk fabrics I've seen online (when researching handmade diaper bags a couple years back). I can also see her making 100 tutus for her sister, then getting the idea to make punk clothes for babies. Thanks for the blog recs.

 

An idea:

 

You could go to Goodwill or a second hand store and look at garments; look at their possibilities to be remade into something else. This opens the door to creating without having to sew a garment from scratch, and it also get the brain thinking out of the box as to what something is now and what it can become.

 

An Example: I bought a beautiful sleeveless top by Ellen Tracy that had an inner lining destroyed by burn marks and melted acetate. The outer shell of silk was clean and undamaged. I took the lining out, embellished the outer shell with beads and wear it with a camisole underneath.

 

 

 

lol, I should have done this sooner. That way she can practice on something besides her good clothes.

[Vida Winter]

I have a perfectly good machine from Sears that, although not a "professional" machine, is light years ahead of my old Singer -- and it was fairly cheap, as far as sewing machines go, well under $200. Another thing you will need is an iron and ironing board. You cannot sew without ironing every single thing you do.

 

One suggestion - there are 4H sewing clubs where she could get instruction. There are also quilting classes for kids through quilt shops or craft stores. If you do not know how to sew yourself it may be worth it to get her involved in one of these activities. An apron is a good project to start with. When I was around ten I used to design and sew rag dolls.(My little girls still play with them!) One thing about quilting is that the fabrics involved are about the easiest you can imagine, and seams are straight -- no gathers, tucks, rounded seams, ...

 

Once she can sew some simple things, a site I love for period clothing is Sense and Sensibility -- http://www.sensibility.com

They have online classes and a forum, and even e-patterns that you can download. They are not for the absolute beginner but something she can strive for, and in the meantime she can look at the fashions. Very fun site with many links to period clothing sites.

[Rosie_0801]

I can recommend resources if she wants to get into medieval sewing :D

The first garment I ever made was following the pattern here: http://www.forest.gen.nz/Medieval/articles/Tunics/TUNICS.HTML Unfortunately the formula for calculating the gussets is wrong, so I ended up with gussets half way down my rib cage. :blink: I fixed that for the second time around :D

 

The most important thing I've found is to learn how to take measurements properly. I still haven't managed to get that right and this means I can get size 10 and size 20 garb from measuring the same body. :glare: With measurements, all you need is a picture of a pattern, and you can draw it out to the right size. Well, for clothes that only require straight lines, anyway. Tailored stuff requires a body block, and that's not hard to do. Just make sure you block your arm and torso at the same time. My friends did them on two separate occasions, so they didn't match at the shoulder well and I am too inexperienced to be able to deal with that.

 

:)

Rosie

 

P.S. Yay about that Sensibility website! I have been wanting to try that style but haven't found any pictures of patterns to copy from.

Edited February 17, 2010 by Rosie_0801

[WishboneDawn]

An idea:

 

You could go to Goodwill or a second hand store and look at garments; look at their possibilities to be remade into something else. This opens the door to creating without having to sew a garment from scratch, and it also get the brain thinking out of the box as to what something is now and what it can become.

 

 

I've done this. Another great thing about picking up something at a thrift store is that you can take something apart to see the construction or to use as a pattern.

[OhM]

Do you have 4-H in your area? There are some great sewing clubs around here that will help her learn the mechanics of sewing. (But be careful - unless the club is geared that way, the kids can be just thrown into the projects without guidance. That ends up more frustrating for them.)

[dangermom]

I wouldn't even know what sort of beginning machine to get. I should probably look into that first and I can always use school money for that. I think she'll be perfectly patient with some of the simpler things if fabric is perfect. She loves the stuff at Ikea, but she'd probably go wild over the punk fabrics I've seen online (when researching handmade diaper bags a couple years back). I can also see her making 100 tutus for her sister, then getting the idea to make punk clothes for babies. Thanks for the blog recs.

 

I would recommend a basic mechanical machine that is reasonably sturdy. I love the Janome Jem Gold for my daughters--it's simple and portable, but should last them through high school. I got it for around $250. Unless you're going to buy a used machine, you should expect to spend about that for a decent machine--those $100 Brother models at Walmart are junky.

 

A used machine can be a great way to go, though. The older models from the 60's and 70's were often much more durable than modern machines. But I would tell you to avoid a Singer model unless it's a Featherweight--Singer went downhill in the 70's.