Sewing advice

kittxxn · 2018-11-18T14:49:10+00:00

Find a picture of the style of skirt you’re looking for. Then, go to a fabric or sewing shop in your area, Joann’s is a common one where I’m from, and talk to the ladies there! They’ll help you find a pattern (not sure how much you know about sewing) which is basically paper cut outs that you pin to fabric as a guide to cut the pieces the right size and shape. They’ll help you find a good material, and explain how different materials will hang on you (stiff vs lightweight vs heavy etc).

Do you have a sewing machine? I really believe it’s valuable to own, even if you don’t use it often. You can adjust hems or adjust the length of curtains etc! I am planning to buy my own soon, and have used a hand me down from my mother (that she has owned since college). The stitch from a machine is much superior, will last longer and be straight and even.

If you own a machine, but you’re not comfortable using it (threading the bobbin, adjusting the stitch type) many of these fabric and sewing stores offer classes that you can take, I just learned from my mother and grandmother.

You’ll need a pin cushion and pins, a set of sewing machine needles, thread to match the fabric you buy, GOOD fabric scissors (not a place to use kitchen scissors or skimp on cost), a good tape measure, fabric chalk... and depending on the style of skirt, elastic waist might be best for a beginner, or try your hand at a zipper or buttons, or a tie at the waist could also be easy.

You might want to try a few patterns with cheaper fabric to practice, and then buy nicer fabric once you find the pattern that works best on your body.

Good luck!

lallahawa · 2018-11-18T14:41:28+00:00

what style of skirts are you into? Fitted, gathered, circle, fit and flare, A- line? Knit or woven? Midi or maxi?

My first ever skirt was a gathered skirt. I kept the front flat and gathered at the sides, and I put a normal zip in it. It was floor length. Now, if I were to make it again, I'd gather it all around and make it 2x my hip measurement instead of 2x my waist measurement. It was hard to walk in it. Then I made a fit an flare skirt and an A line skirt with a knit waistband.

If you want to draft it yourself, a gathered skirt is super easy, it's just a rectangle with another rectangle for the waistband. Just remember your seam allowances and interfacing for the waistband + a way to get in and out of it (zipper, buttons, just a big opening and some hook and eyer at the waist, up to you!)

Next easiest would be a circle skirt. There's plenty of tutorials out there ( I didn't use any, so I can't recommend :/) and loads of free pattern too! Good luck!

Zegiknie · 2018-11-18T16:23:58+00:00

If you can find some how-to books in a thrift store, you're golden. Otherwise, get a magazine with patterns of items that you like. They come with clear instructions, usually. But the books tend to have the basic models, and how to adjust them to your liking.

If something comes out wonky, wear it inside out and uste pins to find where you need to tighten it a bit. Then you can adjust easily.

Sewing by hand is super hard with denim and super easy with knits.

I agree that you should start out practicing with cheap fabrics (curtain stores sometimes have scraps), before you buy any fancy materials. A cheap well-made one is no problem, but an expensive failure just hurts.

ryvir · 2018-11-18T17:09:41+00:00

I've used this tutorial for a plain long skirt. I used cotton spandex jersey from Spoonflower in a couple prints I liked.

flamin_mamie · 2018-11-19T22:30:32+00:00

When I started sewing, my first project was a felt poodle skirt for a Halloween costume. I'd definitely recommend starting with an easy fabric like felt to ease into it. Other good ideas for your first skirt might be a wrap skirt or asymmetrical skirt. With a wrap skirt, you can skip zippers. With an asymmetrical hem, you can skip the part where you have to get someone to make sure your hem is perfectly even.

Another thing that helps me do a better job is doing a practice run of my project on a cheap fabric. This is actually a tip I borrowed from reading about couture. It's normal for a designer to make a version of an item with a cheap fabric so that it can be tried on and adjusted to fit perfectly before it's committed to an expensive fabric. It's usually referred to as a muslin or mock-up.

There's a website called patternreview.com where people who sew review the patterns they've used, and post photos of finished projects. It can be very helpful to see others' experiences. It can also help you find patterns suited to your ability level.

Finally, I'd definitely recommend looking up groups and classes in your area. There's something really fun about sewing with others, and you can learn from them. My area has a sewing center run by a woman who taught home economics for 20 years, and all ages are welcome one night a week to work on projects where she's there in case you need help with a tough part of your project. She also has lots of sewing machines people can use, if they don't have their own. You may have older relatives who have sewing machines, or who could teach you a little about sewing. It was a much more common skill not long ago. The cheapest place to find a sewing machine is an estate sale. Same for fabrics and other supplies.

Title	Sewing advice
Author	LadyPenguin17
Upvotes	10
Comments	9
Date	November 18, 2018 2:00 PM UTC (7 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/RedPillWives
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/RedPillWives/comments/9y65h8/sewing_advice/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/RedPillWives/sewing-advice.208331 https://theredarchive.com/post/208331

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