Today’s post is all about patterns that I would recommend if you are just starting out with dressmaking! There are so many patterns out there that it can be quite overwhelming trying to decide what to make. As soon as you have chosen something, a new pattern is released or you see someone on Instagram with a beautiful version of a pattern you haven’t seen before and another one makes its way to the top of your ‘to sew’ list! For those first few patterns that you sew, my advice would be to consider the following points before making a decision:
1. It sounds obvious but try to avoid anything too complicated with lots of intricate techniques to get your head around. E.g., a coat. It can be really easy with these types of projects to get disheartened if you start to struggle with instructions you have never come across before or terminology that isn’t familiar. Definitely bookmark that beautiful jacket that you’d love to make but perhaps keep it back until you have a few more straight forward makes under your belt.
2. Similar to the above but also try and steer clear of anything that will take you too long to make, again a coat or jacket is a good example of this. I can tell you now that once you start sewing, you will want to be trying on your new piece of clothing as soon as possible! So chose something fairly quick like a simple top or some pyjama bottoms so that you’re not tempted to rush through the last few steps and make mistakes.
3. Pick a pattern that you can make from an easy to work with fabric, like cotton or a stable knit material with little stretch. Leave the silk shirts and lacy camisoles for later down the line as these are notoriously difficult fabrics to work with and could easily put you off sewing for life!
4. Keep to a straight forward design which will have few fitting issues. Fitting is the nemesis of most dressmakers and has put many a beginner off their new hobby completely. So choose something that is fairly loosely fitted for your first few projects.
5. I would recommend choosing a pattern from one of the many independent pattern designers out there because in general they tend to be much more descriptive and detailed with their sewing instructions than the big pattern companies like New Look, Simplicity etc
6. Finally choose something that you think you will get lots of wear out of day to day. Even now I am still guilty of not doing this and spending hours making special occasion dresses which I rarely have the opportunity to wear! My advice would be to think about your lifestyle and what you do the most of and sew something that fits into that, so you get to wear your lovely item as much as possible.
With all that said, here are my top five suggestions on patterns for you to try:
1) The Bibi skirt from Tilly and the Buttons’ book ‘Stretch’.
Bibi is an easy, pull-on pencil skirt made from stable knit fabric such as Ponte Roma and double knits. The instructions consist of only nine steps and therefore it can be easily cut out and sewn up in an afternoon. Its both comfortable to wear and stylish and the options for making it your own are many and varied! (See red and purple skirt above for my version!)
2) The Penelope dress and top from Modkin patterns by Patty Young
Penelope is made from stable knit fabrics and can be a dress or a t-shirt/top depending on what you are looking for. There are nine steps including the cutting out and sewing and the instructions give you six different hemming options and also a sewing glossary; both of which you can put to good use in lots of other dressmaking projects. (See green dress above for my version)
3) The Cowl neck top or dress from Sew Over It
This knit pattern is extremely simple to sew. It has a front, a back and a sleeve pattern piece and Sew Over It say that it can be whipped up in less than an hour. It’s the sort of pattern that, if you like a cowl neck, you will want to make multiple times out of lots of different fabrics. I would recommend a double knit again like Ponte Roma as it is straight forward to sew but will also give a nice enough drape for the neckline. (See black cowl neck picture above for my version)
4) The Coco dress from Tilly and the Buttons
Again this pattern can be made as a top or a dress and features a boat style neckline, various sleeve lengths and optional funnel neck and cuffs. It comes with a lovely full colour instruction book and excellent written instructions and helpful photographs for each step in the process. (See black top above with floral trim for my version)
5) The Margot Pyjamas from Tilly and the Buttons book ‘Love at First Stitch’
These pyjamas are designed to be made from a woven fabric so a cotton or cotton lawn is ideal. The pattern consists of two pieces; a front leg and a back leg and could be made as full length or short length for the summer. Tilly holds your hand through the entire process from preparing your fabric to sewing the pieces together and even adding your own patch pockets. This is really a great beginner project. (See the white trousers above with pink flamingos for my version)
So there are my tips on choosing your first few patterns and some suggestions on patterns that I have found to be particularly beginner friendly. Do you have any other recommendations on beginner patterns to try?
Comentarios