Designing clothes for a unique wardrobe
Author: Christiana Designing clothes for a unique wardrobe
Fashion trends change with every season and most women cannot afford to buy a whole new wardrobe that often, much as they'd like to be able to do so. Other women may not care for the styles currently available, leaving them to opt for retro or vintage clothing. Some will simply stick with the wardrobe they already have. Then there are some creative sorts who decide to sew their own clothes from patterns they devise for a truly unique look.
If you have an urge to design clothes, you should give it a shot. Even if you don't know how to sew, it's easy enough to sign up for a sewing class. Learning how to design clothes can prove a satisfying hobby and will save you a bundle of money.
If you're a beginner, it's best to work from an existing pattern. Classic styles are easiest to modify, as the lines are simple. Find a pattern for whatever garment you'd like to design. A dress or skirt is a good choice. Pants and blouses can prove difficult to fit or modify.
Working from the picture on the pattern envelope, get a sketch pad and pencil and lightly sketch the clothes item as pictured. This is the starting point for your own clothes design. Now add your own ideas. Do you prefer a longer, shorter or wider hemline? Should the waistband be changed? A dropped waist has a slimming effect, whereas an empire style tends to visually add weight if you're the skinny type. Patch pockets are easy to add. Should the bodice be looser or more fitted? When you design clothes, you're the boss.
Once you have your new clothes design just as you imagine, figure out the changes required to your pattern. For example, if you're making the waistband wider, lengthening the hemline and adding patch pockets, you need to calculate the change in the existing pattern pieces and create the patch pocket piece. When modifying the pattern, lay the pattern piece over another piece of tissue paper. Trace the pattern piece. Use a transfer pen to transfer all the markings from the pattern piece to the tissue below. Now you have your new master pattern.
Purchase the necessary yardage of pattern cloth, a special fabric with a graph of all over, evenly spaced dots. Purchase extra yardage to accommodate your modifications.
The next step in the clothes design process is to pin-fit the pattern pieces to your body to get a preliminary idea of how your fitting works out. When you're happy with the fit, use a large stitch length, stitch your garment together and try it on. Make any final adjustments in fit right on the pattern cloth, your new master pattern.
You're now ready to sew your new creation. Your garment should fit like a glove. Congratulations!
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