Dressmaking: The Easy Guide: Mix and match skirts, sleeves and necklines for over 80 stylish variations

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In this comprehensive, informative book, Helen explains how to create beautiful, customised dresses for every shape and size. Choose the exact size that fits and flatters you from a bespoke sizing chart that takes into In this comprehensive, informative book, Helen explains how to create beautiful, customized dresses for every shape and size. Choose the exact size that fits and flatters you from a bespoke sizing chart that takes into account differences in body size across bust, waist and hips.

There's an ethical angle to sewing your own clothes too, especially if you also source your fabric carefully. Most of our clothes are made by anonymous, low-paid seamstresses working in factories on the other side of the world. Each garment maker sewing a seam here or a button there on huge assembly lines for the throwaway fashion industry. How to sew a hem and how to hem pants – hemming a pair of trousers is an essential skill for those of us who struggle to buy trousers off the shelf, use our step by step guide to master the technique. Start simple! Don't try anything too complicated that will leave you frustrated and confused. Our own Simple Sew pattern brand is aimed at beginner sewing, we won't include anything overly complicated.Before you cut into any expensive fabric, sew-up a voile (a test garment) in an inexpensive fabric to test that you are cutting the correct pattern size. It will be worth the time and effort as you can then sew with confidence when you get started on your chosen fabric. There are thousands of patterns available to buy from big pattern houses through to small independent designers. Patterns for every garment type that we can adapt to fit perfectly to create a unique style. You just need to learn the basic skills to start sewing your own clothes and we're here to help get you started and share patterns with you..

Trace off your pattern pieces, then create a sample (toile) in calico which you can then adapt to create the dress of your dreams, in your own choice of fabulous fabric.From just 5 basic patterns elements, learn to mix and match these elements to create over 80 different bespoke garments that are unique to you. With full-size patterns to cater for dress sizes 2 to 42. There are many sewing machines available second-hand (although you may need to get them serviced). If you're after a bargain there are plenty of affordable entry-level machines in supermarkets and department stores. For example, you can get the Singer Fashion Mate which is a perfect beginner sewing machine for dressmaking from less than 150.

How to sew gathers – if you're a fan of the Great British Sewing Bee then you'll have seen lots of gathers on the show! Gathers can be used to create skirt waistlines, ruffled sleeves and much more. If you want to make your own clothes, this is a really handy skill to learn. We have collected a range of sewing techniques which were featured on the show too. Nothing is left unexplained; and stunning images of the finished dresses, on a mannequin and on a model, are interspersed throughout the book to inspire your own finished pieces.The key to this book lies in discarding conventional high street sizing and taking measurements of YOUR body. Helen explains how to take comprehensive measurements of your own figure and some extra useful measurements too, with a handy chart you can copy and use. I love that Helen has included measurements of real women so you can see her method in action. Scissors, for fabric, for trimming thread and for cutting patterns (that's 3 pairs in total - never use your dressmaking scissors to cut paper as it will blunt the blades) The 5 patterns can be put together to create 80 different dress styles; adapted to make 4 different skirts or 4 tops; or the pattern for the straight skirt can be joined to any of the bodice patterns to make a straight dress.