Miss You Sew Much

Carrie mentioned in the last podcast that she really wanted to learn to sew clothing. (I know you can do it!) So I figured I'd cobble together some advice that I've learned over the years when it comes to making clothing with commercial patterns.

Anyone who's ever bought a sewing pattern off the shelf knows that they're not particularly good for LEARNING to sew. They do outline basic techniques, but really, you can't learn to sew just from a pattern. I learned at the knee of my grandmother, who always amazed me with the fact that she could make clothes. I mean, clothes come from the store, don't they? The first thing I remember her making were the costumes that my sister and I wore for our baton-twirling group, the Wickfordettes. I was SO proud of the doubleknit polyester dress with gold braid (which really WAS sewn on straight, even though it doesn't look like it)...I thought I was some sort of PRINCESS wearing that thing, and Gram had made it.

So anyway. Learning to sew from Gram -- note that she worked full time all of her adult life, including as the owner of several restaurants, for which she baked pies every morning at oh-my-God-o'clock. So she was a busy gal. But she always took the time to do things right. She put as much focus into winding a bobbin as she did easing a sleeve at the shoulder. (I *hate* easing sleeves at the shoulders, by the way...) Here's what my grandmother did when she made garments from patterns.

You buy the pattern, and the first night, you read the instructions. Don't even unfold the tissue sheets, just pull out the instructions and read the pattern from start to finish. Several times.

The second night, cut out the pattern tissue. (If you're going to make a muslin mockup, this whole schedule goes to pot, so let's assume you're not. I'll do a post about muslin mockups soon! If I remember!) If the tissue is really wrinkly, you can touch it with a warm (not hot) iron.

The third night, cut out the fabric (and any associated interfacing). THIS IS USUALLY THE HARDEST PART of making a garment from a commercial pattern. Take your time. One tip that Gram didn't have -- spray the back of the pattern with temporary fabric adhesive spray, such as Sulky KK2000 temporary spray adhesive. (I have been looking for a less expensive similar product, so please comment here if you know of one!)

The fourth night, do the FIRST STEP of the pattern. Just the first step.

Each subsequent night, do one step.

Most patterns are a dozen steps or fewer...so within two weeks, you'll have a finished garment, and you won't have rushed it. You can really take your time fusing the interfacing to your lining if it's the only thing you're doing that night. If you're new to sewing, this is really a good way to boost your confidence, and come out the other end with a really nice handmade thing!