Simple Sewing 101
A series to get you sewing. You! Because anyone can sew.
If you can tie your shoe laces, dry a glass, drive a car and write your name, you can easily sew your own clothes. It is simply practice, and building your skills one by one.
Part 1 - Tops
So here it is – a way of achieving a simple handmade wardrobe while improving your skills one by one. And we start with tops…
Part 2 - For Beginners
Quite a few of you pinged me on social media after my post earlier on this week telling me that you were just starting on your handmade wardrobe journey AND you really really wanted to sew more of your clothes. As I said in the last Sewing 101 post, I've observed a couple of good friends start the journey towards a handmade wardrobe over the last few years, and there have been a couple of common "mistakes are how you learn" type moments. So to save you guys a little time here are my top four important pieces of advice before you start….
Part 3 - Independent Pattern Companies
Independent pattern companies have changed the face of home sewing! I've tried many of these pattern companies. Of the ones I haven't tried, there is at least one pattern in their range I want to try. For this wider list I can't guarantee that each company writes well-written patterns (I know most of them do!) so do a google search first for bloggers reviews, and check the relevant instagram hastag for patterns you want to try. There you will get some honest feedback about issues, sizing and things to look for.
Part 4 - Pre-Alterations
Simple alterations you can do before you get cutting to make the thing you are making more like a thing you would love. As I've mentioned before (but really want to stress again) these are not proper dressmaking or drafting alterations. However this type of alteration fits into the spirit of Simple Sewing 101 - the idea that you can make beautiful wearable garments with very few skills. And complicated isn't necessarily best.
Part 5 - The Mash Up
So let's get to it. Many of my pattern alterations are mashups. I like the top of one pattern but the hemline of another. Or the neckline of one and the shoulder of another. Because I'm not a pattern drafter, I generally leave that stuff up to those that are, and so I pinch the bits I like from different patterns….
So I wrote last week a post asking “Is my making fast fashion?”. And then I did a video on Instagram discussing similar topics in a slightly different way. And as always, you lovely humans have helped me clarify some of my thinking with your thoughtful, clever commentary.
And while I think there is so much more to discuss, here are four key possibly-more-meta ideas that have come up for me out of those conversations.
In using the quote last week that suggested that there was no single answer, and suggesting that this was freeing, I really did mean that we should sit in the grey. Not that the lack of “an” answer to this question should mean we get to ignore the question but rather that the lack of “an” answer means that we need to keep asking bigger more beautiful questions. And keep asking them.
Is my making fast fashion?
Am I living my values or merely thinking them?
And how can I make those two things a little more aligned in this moment?
These are my big beautiful questions.
Yours might be different.
And importantly this leads to point 2.