[fran.ha]

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Useful Links

BurdaStyle - cheap and free patterns, how-to's and inspiration
Threadbanger - Video site dedicated to D.I.Y projects
MollyChicken - fun and cute crafts such as stuffed toys and bags, with free tutorials
Sew I Thought - Blog with some easy projects and patterns reviews
Threads Magazine - sewing magazine and website, great for hints and tips
Mimi Goodwin's blog - Amazing seamstress! Great tutorials on draping on the dress form and tons more!
Major pattern making companies
BurdaFashion
Simplicity
Butterick
McCalls
Vogue Patterns
Kwik Sew
Jaycotts - online retailer of many major brand patterns!

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Creations

Vander beth

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Clare.is.rice

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Fran.Ha

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sowhatimrad

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(p.s, check the Good Ideas section below to see a tutorial on how to make this, found for us by sofee!)

little_green

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Sofee

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Good Ideas and fun projects



Vander beth's amazing pattern organisation system:

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Make your own shredded t-shirt - thanks Sofee!
Turn a t-shirt into a gathered neck top
How to make a lace flower corsage
Adorable baby booties pattern for free!
T-shirt blanket tutorial
How to make a petticoat
Simple gathered skirt tutorial
How to make American Apparels 'Le Sac' dress
Make a pleated pouch bag
Simple tote bag tutorial
Pencil skirt pattern (no instructions though, but ask in this thread for help!)
Convertible infinity dress

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I was wondering if there were any sewers/crafters or dressmakers around on TSR? There seems to be a society for eveything else but not this! Does anyone else like sewing their own clothes/accessories?

I've been sewing since I was little (very badly) but have finally got the hang of dressmaking and have become addicted in the last few years

[xo-Heva]

I'm just getting into it after finding an old sewing machine in the loft. I really love it but I only make tote bags and stuff atm. I plan on doing a dress for my Advanced Higher Art project - no idea as to how i'll go about it though!!

[watermelon sugar]

meeee
are you working on nything atm?
i'm working on an extreeeemely theraputic shredded t-shirt and the patterns for a suede or leather waistcoat

[fran.ha]

(Original post by xo-Heva)
I'm just getting into it after finding an old sewing machine in the loft. I really love it but I only make tote bags and stuff atm. I plan on doing a dress for my Advanced Higher Art project - no idea as to how i'll go about it though!!

Cool! I just used to steal my Mums very expensive machine all the time until she got scared I would break it and bought me my own for my birthday I used to make tote bags all the time too, easiest thing to make! I used to decorate them will all sorts of fringing in and carry my lunch to school in them

(Original post by watermelon sugar)
meeee
are you working on nything atm?
i'm working on an extreeeemely theraputic shredded t-shirt and the patterns for a suede or leather waistcoat

I've never worked with leather before, is it easy through the machine?

I just finished this:

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Need to hem a floral dress and put the zip in (groan) and then I'm going to use the pattern I used for that top ^ to make another in this big sixties style floral fabric I bought in the remnants ages ago and have been too scared to use! I didn't want to waste it!

I've just got the idea for a dress using this pattern I have, just a plain black dress but I'm going to have a go at this tuxedo bib and sew it on the front, I think it will look really nice with some little ruffles or knifepleats round the bottom and a nice white tulle petticoat too. Gonna be a big project though!

Gonna cut out all the pieces for my top tonight, off work for the next three days so going to have a sew-a-thon!

[sadie-kiki]

yaaay me too I got somewhat addicted after doing a GCSE in textiles, but I find it so hard to find patterns with good sizing and decent cuts for a reasonable price! The shop near me caters for 'the older woman' so has granny skirts and kids clothes patterns Where do you lot get patterns for dresses from, or do you just make them up?

[fran.ha]

(Original post by sadie-kiki)
yaaay me too I got somewhat addicted after doing a GCSE in textiles, but I find it so hard to find patterns with good sizing and decent cuts for a reasonable price! The shop near me caters for 'the older woman' so has granny skirts and kids clothes patterns Where do you lot get patterns for dresses from, or do you just make them up?

I get most of my patterns from my local sewing shop which does all Burda/Simplicity/New Look/McCalls/Butterick patterns imaginable! There is a website called Jaycotts which is really good for patterns, and also the BurdaStyle website although its a bit annoying having to print and stick all the patterns together. I think you have to have 'vision'. Sadly the majority of people who make clothes are probably in their mid sixties so the patterns do cater to them but you can always adjust them or do a nice fabric treatment to make it completely different! Hilary Duff does a range of New Look patterns (I think) and there is also a Project Catwalk range by Simplicity which is really fashionable!

[sadie-kiki]

(Original post by fran.ha)
I get most of my patterns from my local sewing shop which does all Burda/Simplicity/New Look/McCalls/Butterick patterns imaginable! There is a website called Jaycotts which is really good for patterns, and also the BurdaStyle website although its a bit annoying having to print and stick all the patterns together. I think you have to have 'vision'. Sadly the majority of people who make clothes are probably in their mid sixties so the patterns do cater to them but you can always adjust them or do a nice fabric treatment to make it completely different! Hilary Duff does a range of New Look patterns (I think) and there is also a Project Catwalk range by Simplicity which is really fashionable!

ooh thanks *googles* do you know if their sizes are accurate? I always find it really hard to get sizes that fit my measurements - I'm 33-23-33 and normally find size 8 in shop bought clothes fine, but in patterns they always come up HUGE

[Meliae]

Me! Although I haven't made anything recently - been far too busy. I tend to spend my time hanging around fabric stalls and haberdasheries formulating ideas and buying fabric and ribbons and such and then not getting round to using them. I will in the summer though. I had a fabulous new idea this morning when I walked past a fabric shop (closed ) and I think that'll be top of my list when I've done everything on my general to do list. I think banning myself from the computer needs to be top of that list.

[Marsha2112]

(Original post by sadie-kiki)
yaaay me too I got somewhat addicted after doing a GCSE in textiles, but I find it so hard to find patterns with good sizing and decent cuts for a reasonable price! The shop near me caters for 'the older woman' so has granny skirts and kids clothes patterns Where do you lot get patterns for dresses from, or do you just make them up?

Subscribe to Burda

[cazamatazz]

Yeah, I literally just finished setting up my sewing corner in my new house! My beast of a Toyota sewing machine finally has a table to rest on. I've been sewing since I was, er, about six, I suppose.

I tend to make my own patterns- I have a small collection of vintage patterns, then I either rip old clothes apart to make patterns (always fun putting them back together), work from photos/drawings or just wing it.

I make clothes mostly, plus bags and accessories. Planning on selling some stuff once I've finished my various commissions. : )

[malleablegrace]

I just looked at Burda and it scared the hell out of me.

I've always been creative and wanted to make clothes and stuff, but the look of all the technical stuff involved really just puts me off.

Cuts and patterns and sizes and designs and arghhhh reminds me of my old scary textile teacher who'd shout if you did a stitch wrong obviously traumatised!

Have no idea where I'd start...

[fran.ha]

(Original post by sadie-kiki)
ooh thanks *googles* do you know if their sizes are accurate? I always find it really hard to get sizes that fit my measurements - I'm 33-23-33 and normally find size 8 in shop bought clothes fine, but in patterns they always come up HUGE

Patterns always come up huge I find. I'm a size 16 - 18 and Simplicity patterns measure me at a 20! Its ludicrous! My tip would be to measure yourself accurately (get someone to do it for you, and do it in your underwear!) then mark on the back of the pattern the measurements (the envelope back always gives the bust/hips/waist measurements), then choose the size smaller!. I circle each measurement to find out which size I fit into best. If you really want to get a good fit try making a toile out of some old fabric, pinning it together and nipping it in here and there where necessary. Then you can snip up your pieces to make a fabric version of a pattern to cut from your proper fabric. Its a bit long winded but you get a good fit. Making up toiles make life so much easier as well because it gives you a chance to test things out, I know I've made stuff out of beautiful fabric and its all gone wrong, seams have been ripped and holes have been created. Second time round everything comes out better because you know what you're doing!

(Original post by Meliae)
Me! Although I haven't made anything recently - been far too busy. I tend to spend my time hanging around fabric stalls and haberdasheries formulating ideas and buying fabric and ribbons and such and then not getting round to using them. I will in the summer though. I had a fabulous new idea this morning when I walked past a fabric shop (closed ) and I think that'll be top of my list when I've done everything on my general to do list. I think banning myself from the computer needs to be top of that list.

Yeah it always takes so long! I'm off for the summer now so have been snipping and sewing like crazy! My Mum is the worst for buying stuff and never getting round to it. I was poking around the loft and I found loads of bags from the local fabric shop. I found one with fabric, thread, buttons, pattern, binding, elastic, and a receipt from 1987!

(Original post by malleablegrace)
I just looked at Burda and it scared the hell out of me.

I've always been creative and wanted to make clothes and stuff, but the look of all the technical stuff involved really just puts me off.

Cuts and patterns and sizes and designs and arghhhh reminds me of my old scary textile teacher who'd shout if you did a stitch wrong obviously traumatised!

Have no idea where I'd start...

Making from patterns is 'easy once you know how'. If you can find a friend/relative/local class where you can learn how to read patterns and go about putting them together you will be able to do much more. The first time I looked at a pattern I had no idea where to start, I never thought I'd get it. My Mum helped me a lot and I learned. The other day I picked up a dress pattern that looked really difficult and thought I'd just give it a go. I got very frustrated, I ripped things, but eventually I got there. You need to start small and work your way up (try a bag first would be my best recommendation!)

[Meliae]

(Original post by fran.ha)
Yeah it always takes so long! I'm off for the summer now so have been snipping and sewing like crazy! My Mum is the worst for buying stuff and never getting round to it. I was poking around the loft and I found loads of bags from the local fabric shop. I found one with fabric, thread, buttons, pattern, binding, elastic, and a receipt from 1987!

I organised all my textiles stuff at Easter and now it's all nice and neat and organised. Trouble is, I then decided to organise everything else in my room and have a massive clearout and uhh my floor is still covered in all sorts of crap. It's a complete tip. (But at least my textiles cupboards, wardrobe, DVDS and various other shelves are impeccably organised! Several still remain bombsites though). I can't make anything until that's sorted and that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon... God I can't believe it's been that long, I really am terrible. That'll be me in 20 years. I found hundreds of receipts around my room whilst I was clearing that I had to tear up and bin. I used to keep them in case I wanted to take something back and ended up with a huge collection... As for fabric, I get most of it from scraps bins for £1 a piece and then it just sits around unused. I said I wasn't going to buy anymore until I'd used at least half of my stash so actually I can't make that skirt I had an idea for today. =(

[watermelon sugar]

(Original post by fran.ha)

I've never worked with leather before, is it easy through the machine?

the suede i used before was very thin(0.5mm) and just needed tougher thread on my old machine- not even a leather needle! but my dad couldn't be arsed to pay for the service so we've got a bit of a naff one now, so i'll be taking every precaution with a leather needle, polyester thread and dusting the leather to make it go smoothly.
i'm reeeally nervous about a big leather project, i'll aim for as few seams as possible

[yodude888]

You guys should form an underground sewers club.

[Annaconda]

ive decided im gonna make an apron like the ones on the dolly dagger website, but with a top bit as well. i dont know when im ever gonna wear it but its the only thing i could think of that i liked that didnt involve sewing on a zip.
plus i should be able to buy everything i need for less than £5 from fabricland

[fran.ha]

(Original post by Annaconda)
ive decided im gonna make an apron like the ones on the dolly dagger website, but with a top bit as well. i dont know when im ever gonna wear it but its the only thing i could think of that i liked that didnt involve sewing on a zip.
plus i should be able to buy everything i need for less than £5 from fabricland

The website Fabricland? I hate zips. I make the entire thing then hand it to my Mum

[Annaconda]

(Original post by fran.ha)
The website Fabricland? I hate zips. I make the entire thing then hand it to my Mum

no they have a shop near me, its so much cheaper than john lewis, i love it.

[North]

I've never made a dress or anything else before but would love to be able to! I've actually got a couple of dresses that I want to alter but I'm not sure where to start. Anyone got any tips? Would be really gratefull.

[yodude888]

Actually, it would be cool to learn how to make my own jeans. Any good websites on sewing? I can sew a little bit already