Sew Dresses and More

Here is a video showing how to sew modest dresses in less than one hour.  For time saving measures she uses pattern weights, the snip and rip method and fold as you go sewing to complete this child size modest dress in less than one hour.  But there is no reason you can’t make the same type of modest dresses using a ladies size patterns.  She uses the back bodice of a top with elastic casing at the top to make both the front and back.  This gives you a modest dress that is both comfortable and easy to sew. And the fact that you can make it in less than an hour with her time saving tips gives me no excuses not to get busy and sew dresses today.

Duration : 0:14:2

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Sew Dresses has found another great video from Threadbanger that shows you not only an easy way to alter shirts to make them fit better, (also works great to alter dresses that do not have a waistband) but also how to make your own body double form with just an old t-shirt, duct tape and a friend.  I love their videos, as you can tell.

Duration : 0:5:35

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Here is the question and answer from Yahoo Answers that I thought was interesting.  I wonder how many of you would allow your man to sew for you?  I’m not so sure I could even get my husband to pick up a needle and thread, let alone sew dresses as special as a wedding dress.

Question: I have the worst skill with designing stuff and when my to-be-hubby offered to sew my dress, I jumped at the chance! He even made my veil! I never knew that he could sew and it was so sexy to watch him make my dress. I want to know if anyone else has a hubby as diverse as mine? BTW He is a US Marine Vet and he said he learned to sew in the service! He can also cook!

Answer:  Hey, if the dude has talent, why not? One of my grandfathers was a tailor!

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I was talking with my best friend of many, many years the other day. We were discussing how to sew dresses and she was telling me how cold she gets at night and how she needed a new flannel women’s nightgown. She was having trouble finding one in the stores she liked and thought she might sew one. But since she hadn’t sewn in years, she asked me to give her a little refresher course. So, I thought I’d post a quick basic sewing lesson here.

Measurements and Pattern Sizes

For sewing women’s dressing gowns, you probably do not have to worry too much about the fit, except in the shoulder and sleeve area. If you normally do not have a problem with the fit there, I would recommend just getting the size pattern that closest meets your bust measurement. Measure yourself accurately but keep in mind that not all patterns measurements are fitted for the same body shape. If your measurements are in between two pattern sizes, always get the bigger size. Most patterns today are multiple sizes in one pattern, which makes adjusting to your size much easier.

Choosing the Fabric

On the back of the pattern it will give you fabric suggestions that will work best with that pattern style. It is important to use the appropriate type of fabric so that it hangs and stays put in the right places. For women’s nightgowns, you want a soft fabric that will hang loosely. If you used a stiff or hard fabric like linen or denim for this project, you probably would not be very comfortable.

When considering the type of fabric you are using for any project, you need to be aware of what will happen to it once the project is finished and the item is cleaned. Be aware of fabrics that will shrink when washed and do yourself a favor and wash it before cutting. This, of course, does not apply to dry clean only fabrics. Some fabrics shrink more than others and in different ways. Which is why pre-washing the fabric, when necessary, will help your projects continue to fit properly even after they are cleaned.

Cutting the Pieces Out

Fabric is made up of fibers woven lengthwise (from cut end to cut end) and crosswise (from selvage to selvage). The bias is at a 45 degree angle across the grain and has the most stretch in any fabric. When laying out your pattern pieces, make sure you line them up according to the directions in the pattern. In most cases you will use the lengthwise grain of the fabric. When lining up the lengthwise grain, use the arrows on the pattern. Measure from the tip of one end of the arrow to the selvage or the fold and make sure that the measurement is the same when you measure from the opposite end of the arrow. The grain that your pattern is cut will determine how your finished item will hang on you. For instance, a bias cut skirt will hang much different than a straight cut skirt will.

Sewing it together

Once you have your pieces cut out, pay attention to the markings on each pattern piece. Patterns are basically like puzzle pieces and need to matched together properly in order to fit well. In some cases some pieces will need to be gathered or eased in place and notches and dots need to be matched up to ensure the right pieces are put in the right places. The other information on the pattern pieces that is important is the seam and hem size. Getting the right size seams and the pieces put together properly will mean your flannel women’s nightgown will fit and hangs properly

There you go, a quick easy basic sewing lesson for those who haven’t picked up a needle and thread lately. Enjoy.

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Sewing easy sewing stitches is the best way for beginners to get started. There are often times when machine sewn projects also need some hand sewing done. Once mastered each sewing stitch can add to the beauty when you sew dresses, make a sewing tote or add to any other handmade ideas.

Here is an excellent chart I found from Britannica Online Encyclopedia. If you need further instructions on how to perform these sewing stitches, I added some sewing directions below.

Running stitch is made of up and down stitches of equal length. When finished, take needle through to other side and run under the stitches on the wrong side of the fabric for 3 to 4 stitches. This stitch is used to sew seams, as a gathering stitch, when quilting and is great for outlining in decorative thread.

Hemming stitch is made by beginning the stitch inside the fabric that is folded down and taking a few threads from the outer fabric, then bring the needle back up through the edge of the fold. This stitch is mainly used when hemming any sewing project.

Basting stitch is similar to the running stitch in that is is made of up an down stitches, however, the basting stitch is made with long stitches and can be made without knotting the thread so it can be easily taken out. The basting stitch is used to hold two or more pieces of fabric together, usually so that the fabrics do not shift while stitching the permanent stitches.

Catch stitch, also known as the Herringbone stitch, is worked making a diagonal stitch from left to right across the fold, turn the needle to the left and make a small stitch in the fabric from right to left, bring the needle out and up towards the right to the folded fabric (forming an X with the thread), then with the needle still turned to the left, make a small stitch in the fabric from right to left. Continue making small stitches from right to left but crossing over the previous stitching to form an X. This is another stitch used to hem sewing projects or to securely attach something like handles to a sewing tote.

Slip stitch is made by bringing the needle out from the fold of the hem, hiding the knotted end in the fold, pick up a few threads of the outside fabric and then sticking needle into the fold and sliding it along the inside of the fold, bring the needle back out and continue across in this fashion. This stitch is another hem stitch.

Back stitch is made by bringing the needle up from the back of the fabric, stitch back to the right and bring the needle back up to the left leaving a space between where the needle comes up and the beginning of the last stitch, continue across repeating these steps. The back stitch is the strongest hand stitch and is made to imitate machine sewing and as an outline stitch in decorative stitching.

Overcast stitch is made by making diagonal stitches over the raw edge of the fabric. The stitches should be the same length and equally spaced. Overcast stitches are used to prevent the fabric from fraying. The length of the stitch should be related to how badly the fabric will fray.

Invisible stitch is made in between the two fabrics, taking a few threads from the top fabric and then a few threads from the bottom fabric. This is used to draw two edges together invisibly for projects that have two edges that have been turned under, such as lining when sewing dresses and suits, sewing on an applique.

There is no doubt that even if you plan to only sew dresses by machine, that you will find many times that you will sew stitches like these to add beauty to your finished project. Practiced often you will be sewing easy each sewing stitch.

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For me it was a picture of me hanging out with the family. Oh my goodness, was that really how I look now? Where did all that weight come from? And when did it get there? And what was I thinking wearing that? The worst part was that I picked out that pattern when I decided to sew dresses. Yikes!

That was several years ago now and I am finally coming to terms with this body of mine. After telling myself I would take off the weight and things would look great on me again, I have had to admit to myself that I actually have to do something to make that happen. Ok, so that is another story for another time.

My reason for bringing this up in the first place is to illustrate that from time to time throughout our lives for most of us, our body shape will change. And when that happens, sometimes that means that we need to take a look at what we are wearing on that changed body. An occasional fashion check in, if you will.

Once you have done your fashion check in and realize that things don’t fit the same and are not so flattering these days, what do you do now? I began finding my new style by beginning to notice how other women of my age and stature were dressed and tried to find something I liked about what they were wearing. For me it was a big adjustment, I had to go from my everyday style of choice, which was tank tops and sun dresses to something that covered a little better, or at least was a little looser than what I had been wearing at that time. A standard button down shirt pattern became my best friend. It’s amazing what adding a shirt over a tank top does.

I recommend when you realize that it’s time to make a change in wardrobe that you begin by looking for people of your similar size and see what they are wearing that you like. Another thing you can do, if you have the willpower to not buy too much, is to go shopping and try on different styles to get a feel for what looks and feels good on you. I suggest you take a friend who will be honest with you on your shopping trip, perhaps someone in the same boat.

Once you have figured out your new style, you can then begin sewing dresses and other clothes that fit and flatter you. Trust me it is well worth the time and effort to take an honest assessment of your style every once in a while. No matter what your size and shape, there is nothing like feeling really good about wearing something that fits and looks really good on you, especially when you have sewn it yourself.

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Have you every worked hard to sew dresses or other patterns to find the finished article just didn’t fit right or just didn’t look good on you? For me it has always been my wide shoulders, many years ago it was also my small waist and small bust, which are long gone now.

Recently a friend asked me if I could give her daughter sewing lessons. After a few lessons making simple craft projects to get her used to her machine, we ventured on to a pattern for a top. She worked hard and put together a very nice top which, of course, we had to alter along the way. I realized most patterns I have ever worked with have had to be altered to fit correctly. Sometimes that was due to the choice of pattern style but most times it was because the way the pattern sizes were proportioned.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know how to alter patterns so that you don’t have to remake them along the way? I have picked up some tips and tricks that have worked for me during the 40 some odd years I have been sewing that may help other sewers along the way. So I thought I would share some of these with anyone who stumbles along this site.

So here is one of the most helpful tips I have found to help you sew dresses and other patterns as my first tip.

TIP #1 is to try on the paper pattern before cutting it out. Ok, so you can’t really try it on completely but you can try it half way on. This often is enough to save some of the bigger alterations and often a lot of heartaches. To do this, cut the pattern pieces apart and pin them together along the seam lines and also pin any darts. Hold the half dress/top/pants up to yourself or a dress form to make sure it fits properly. You will be able to see areas that are too big or too small and see how much you will need to adjust at that point. If you make those alterations before you cut, you will save yourself some of the frustrations when you sew dresses, or whatever the project is, together.

I hope you find this tip to be helpful. As I run across other helpful sites, I will post to those also. Other sites or books will also be highlighted to give you other helpful information on how to sew dresses and more that fit and flatter you. Be sure and check back often for new tips and tricks I will be adding in the near future. In the mean time, happy sewing!

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