SEW ALTER – UPCYCLE YOUR CLOTHES

2nd June 201920th February 2020

Learn how to Alter & upcycle your clothes

Over the last month, I’ve been making a real effort to dress in a more sustainable way. Clothes you buy are actually far too cheap. Those of you who know how much work goes into making a garment will agree that it is absolutely impossible to produce clothes for the price that many shops sell them at. It’s ultimately the seamstresses who get exploited. These skilled workers are being made to work for nothing while their employers get rich. It also makes self employed seamstresses feel unable to charge a fair amount for their work as people have got used to inexpensive clothing and textiles.

Not only is Fast Fashion unethical but it has been proved to be harmful to the environment. Huge quantities of unsold clothing goes to land fill because these companies make more money if they over produce but always have new designs to sell. The other issue is polyester clothing. Did you know that polyester is basically plastic and we all know how bad plastic is for the environment!

I have bought plenty of Fast Fashion in the past, which I will keep and wear because I don’t want to add to landfill, but there will be no more Fast Fashion for me! It’s actually a relief. There’s far too much choice in those shops, it takes ages to decide and then you always end up buying something that is not quite right because its cheap!

So from now on I will only upcycle and alter the clothes I own, or ones I have swapped with family and friends. Or, I don’t have a problem with buying second hand clothes to get creative with. And if I really want to treat myself to something new, I will either make it myself or pay the right amount for a garment that can be proved to be ethically and sustainably made.

Many of my students have said in the past “It doesn’t make sense to spend all this time and money on making something when I can buy it for a fraction of the price”, and to be honest I have always sort of agreed with them. Well not any more. I feel a renewed energy to teach as many people as possible how to be make their own clothes and also how to make the ones they own already, last for as long as possible.

So, all of this new thinking has lead me to design and add a new class called SEW ALTER. It’s all about learning some simple techniques to fit, mend or restyle your clothes. It will not only save you money but will also, in a small way, help to save our planet!

In a SEW ALTER session you will bring along a garment or two to alter or upcycle with my guidance. To get the most out of this class, you will need to have a good knowledge and confidence when using a sewing a machine so you can follow simple instructions and work independently. Please be realistic with your abilities as I can not teach you how to thread up and use a sewing machine in this session. It is only three hours long and there will be six students all needing different advice.

Below is a list of achievable alterations. Please note you may only get one of these alterations completed in the time depending on your ability and the amount of unpicking involved! Please do not bring items that are very expensive to practice on! To save time it would be a good idea to bring your clothes already pinned.

EXAMPLES OF ACHIEVABLE ALTERATIONS:

Lengthen/shorten – sleeves, trouser legs or skirts.
Take in/let out – waist, seams and darts.
Alter a simple neckline.
Remove/add – sleeves, collar, frills or other detail.
Replace – zip, buttons
Mend – rips, holes

Any additional fabric or haberdashery needed will have to be supplied by you.

These sessions will take place on a Saturday morning during school holidays from 10am till 1pm. All sewing machines and equipment are provided but you can bring your own machine if you prefer. The cost is £30.00

HOW TO FOLLOW A COMMERCIAL DRESSMAKING PATTERN

20th April 201820th February 2020

So many of my students have all the skills needed for dressmaking but are apprehensive about following a commercial pattern because they look so complicated and wordy. They are wordy, but only because they are trying to give you all the information you may need. Much of this information is general stuff or irrelevant to the garment you are making. Once you have worked your way through a few patterns you will find it easier to skip to the bits you need.

My advice is…“Just have a go! What’s the worst that could happen?”
You may well make lots of mistakes, but, honestly, that’s one of the best ways to learn. I would recommend, however, that you use a cheap cotton to try out a garment… before cutting into anything special!

To help get you started I have put together a step by step list…

1. Work out your size…

Don’t expect to be the same size as you are in the shops! Unfortunately pattern sizes are usually bigger.
You MUST measure your bust, waist and around the fullest bit of your hips. Find and ring these measurements on the measurement chart, which is usually located on the back of the pattern envelope but can sometimes be found on the pattern sheets. You will probably be a combination of sizes, which is fine.
These measurements are usually offered in inches or cm. Inches are an English measurement and cm are used by the French. I prefer to use cm if possible as it is a smaller measurement and so more accurate.
Also check the garment measurements. They can be found on the back of the envelope or on the pattern pieces. These are the measurements the actual garment will be. They are bigger than your size as they include a certain amount of ‘Ease’. Ease is added to give room to move but also depends on the design of the garment. Some garments, like coats, have a lot of ease and other garments such as a bodice has very little. If you prefer a slimmer fit, you can choose a size with less ease.
To conclude this section… in the shops I am a size 10 but looking at the pattern measurements below my size is a combination of size 12 and size 14. Looking at the finished garment measurements, I would go with a size 12 as the pattern has lots of ease and I don’t like my garments too roomy.

New Look Pattern by Simplicity

2. Use your size to work out how much fabric to buy…

To work out how much fabric to buy, go to the size you decided on or the largest size you measured. Look further down the chart, on the back of the envelope and go to the style you want to make. Take a note of how much fabric you will need in each width.
Fabric comes in two widths 45” /115cm or 60”/150cm This is because you may well need to buy more fabric if the fabric you want to use is the narrower width. Fabric amounts are usually given in metres/yards for each width.
When choosing your fabric, pay careful attention to its thickness and how it hangs. Your garment won’t look how you’d expect it to look if you choose a fabric just by its appearance on the roll! Choosing the correct fabric is such a difficult thing to get right and will take practice. Dressmaking patterns generally suggest suitable fabrics so maybe go by those to start with.
It is advisable to wash and press your fabric before you cut out or at least give it a good steam with the iron. This will help to avoid shrinkage.
The pattern envelope will also tell you what else you will need, such as interfacing, thread and fastenings.

Burda Pattern

3. Cutting out the paper pattern pieces…

Take everything out of the envelope and find the instruction sheets. Usually on the first page of the instructions there will be a list of pattern pieces. Work out, depending on the style you want, which pattern pieces you will need.
You can cut out your pattern pieces directly from the pattern sheets or, if you think at some point you may want to make a different size, you can trace your size onto a separate piece of paper. You can buy pattern paper from Amazon or Ebay or you could use any thin paper as long as it’s big enough for the pattern pieces.
Press the pattern pieces with a cool iron so that they are nice and flat. If you are a combination of sizes just move gradually and smoothly from one size line to another at the appropriate place.
At this point, if you haven’t already, you need to measure the length of your body… back neck to waist and also waist to desired hem length. Check it against the measurement chart. If the size you are cutting is longer or shorter than your measurement, there are places on the pattern where you can lengthen or shorten it. To lengthen, cut between the lines and add the necessary amount. To shorten, fold between the lines and pleat out the necessary amount.

Cynthia Rowley Pattern by Simplicity

4. Cutting out the fabric pattern pieces…

For help with placing your pattern pieces on the fabric, locate the relevant cutting layout in the instructions or on the pattern sheets. There will be several options depending on the style you are making and whether your fabric is 115cm wide or 150cm wide. Most cutting layouts are for fabric ‘WITH NAP’. This means the fabric has a direction, such as a pattern or shine. If this is the case, all the pattern pieces must be placed in the same direction from top to bottom down the length of the fabric.

Most of the time you will be instructed to fold your fabric in half, with the right sides together, along the length. The selvages should be together with the fold of the fabric on the opposite side. This way you will end up with two of each pattern piece or one on the fold.

Pay careful attention to keeping the pattern pieces straight by placing the double-ended arrow symbol (indicating the straight grain) parallel to the selvage. The selvage is the self-finished edge of the fabric that runs down the length on both sides. If this double ended arrow symbol is pointing to an edge it means you need to put this edge on the fold of the fabric.

You must also take note of any other instructions written on the pattern pieces especially how many you need of each and whether you need one in lining & interfacing too.

All patterns have notches/balance marks on them. These marks match up on pattern pieces to be joined together so it’s difficult to sew the wrong pieces together or put in a sleeve back to front! You can cut triangles opposite the notches or mark the notch position underneath the pattern. I would never cut into the seam allowance.

A lot of patterns have markings that will need to be transferred onto the fabric. These markings could be darts, pleats, pocket placement, zip or button holes etc. Depending on which side you’ll be sewing, some need to be marked on the wrong side of the fabric (darts/zip) and some need to go on the right side of the fabric (pleats/pocket placement/button holes) You can transfer these markings with a pencil, tailors chalk, thread or a special dressmaking transfer/tracing paper. Using a pencil or chalk is the quickest way as long as there aren’t too many marks! Chalk and thread come out if you are marking on the right side of the fabric.

Cutting Tips…

When cutting out the fabric pieces, if you are right handed, cut with the pattern on your right so you can hold what are cutting off with your left hand. If you are left-handed do the opposite. Keep a bit of tension on the fabric you are holding but be careful not to pull it away from the pattern. Look at the ends of your scissors when you cut and try to keep the blade upright. To avoid jagged edges, stay in contact with the fabric as you open the scissors for the next cut by pushing them forward as you open.
Keep the pattern pieces pinned to the fabric until you need them so you don’t forget what they are!

5. Sewing the garment together

Find the step-by-step instructions on how to put your garment together. They are mostly found as folded paper sheets. They will be numbered and accompanied by diagrams.

Simplicity Burda

These instructions may jump from one style to another, which can be a bit confusing. I find it helps to somehow highlight all the information relating to your style. You will be relieved to find that many of the instructions are not relevant to you.
Before you start just check your seam allowance. A 1.5cm seam allowance is normally included in the pattern but just double check this in the General Directions. These are usually found on the first page of the instructions.

Simplicity Burda

Unless what you’re making is fully lined, you will need to decide on how you are going to finish off the seam allowance. You must do this as you go along because it’s impossible to do to it all at the end. I have listed the most common ways below…

Zigzag over the edge. It’s the quickest way on a regular sewing machine.

A French seam looks really neat if your fabric isn’t too thick.

Using an Overlocker is really quick and neat if you’re lucky enough to have one.

Now it is time to follow the step-by-step instructions. If you get confused whist following these at home it will help to google the task in hand… whether it be understitching, setting in the sleeves, attaching a waist band or facing, binding the arm holes, etc

GOOD LUCK!

If you get completely stuck, book yourself a private lesson with me! :o)

A BIT MORE ABOUT THE SEW BASIC COURSE

1st November 201610th March 2018

There is a Sew Basic Course starting soon so I thought it would be a good idea for me to tell you a little more about it.

Sew Basic is a five week course designed to leave the student confident on a sewing machine and with enough skills to get going on some exciting sewing projects. Each class lasts two and a half hours.

Though it sounds like a course just for beginners, I’ve actually had more experienced sewers attend this course who’ve felt that it has really improved their technique and finish. They’ve also found out the reasons for those annoying little things can go wrong when you’re sewing!

All the way through this course I will give you the information you need to get the best finish to your work. The costumes I used to make for film and TV always had to look as good on the inside as they did on the outside in case they got ripped off in a passionate scene!!

I encourage all students to work at their own pace so nobody feels rushed or held back. There will be lots of individual attention… I’ll give extra support to those who need it and extra challenges and information to those who want it. I am happy to answer any questions you may have so no one should ever feel unsure in my classes.

I have everything here that you may need, though if you would like to learn on your own machine that’s absolutely fine and probably quite sensible. You will receive a course book of all the techniques we are going to cover, which also has lots of instructions to remind you how to do the techniques and plenty of room to make extra notes of your own.

WHAT IS COVERED…

The first 2.5 hour class is all about the sewing machine… threading up the correct way, when and how to change the tension, how to get better foot control. You will learn about different stitch lengths and types and when to use which one. We also cover a basic seam and how to finish off the seam allowance so it doesn’t fray.

The second class is all about enclosed seams, hems and bias binding. Enclosed seams are really useful if you want what your making to look great on the inside but don’t want to line it. And having a variety of different hems to choose from means you will always be able to choose the best type of hem for what you are making.

In week three we cover lots of very useful sewing techniques… How to sew a perfect curve, bagging out, facings and understitching, darts, and piping. It’s a busy 2.5 hours!

In fourth class you will learn all about gathering as well as putting much of what you’ve learnt so far into practice by making a sweet little (doll sized) tiered skirt.

The fifth and final class is about openings – buttonholes and a simple zip. You will learn these techniques in a practical way by turning your buttonhole sample into a teeny cushion and the zip sample into a pencil case… both very pleasing techniques to master!

DATES AND BOOKING

Please have a look at the BOOKINGS page for dates of the next Sew Basic courses

Each Basic Course has five classes in total. All classes are on Thursday Mornings from 10.30am till 1:00pm

The total cost of this course is £140.00

£80.00 must be paid to book your place.

The balance of £60.00 is due on the first lesson.

Only six places available so please book your place early.

To do this go to the Bookings page.

BEST DOOR STOPPER FILLING TO USE

3rd January 201620th February 2020

This month’s Sew Club project was a cube shaped Door Stopper. Of course we worked on getting nice corners and so on but mostly we chatted about what’s the best door stopper filling to use. The ones you buy in the shops have something heavy at the bottom to give it the necessary weight and polyester filling on top to push out the shape. When I last did this project I used dried beans as they were on special offer but some of my students were concerned that beans or rice could attract mice!! Thinking this was a very good point, I decided to look into an alternative.

Whilst browsing the internet I soon discovered ‘weighted plastic beads’ designed for the job. They are advertised specifically to weight down toys, door stoppers and blankets for Autistic children. Unfortunately these beads would work out too expensive as I needed enough for 15 doorstops and like to keep costs to a minimum for my students. I also thought of using marbles but again they would be too expensive. And another idea was bags of sand, something I’d seen used so much in shop bought stoppers. Although this would be much more affordable, I was worried I’d end up with sand all over my floor!

After looking at lots of options, I decided to go for a 10mm pebble gravel, which was a bargain from my local garden centre and gave a lovely crunchy beach sound! The added bonus was that our garden path would be getting the left overs! The gravel was put in little plastic bags to keep it all together at the bottom of the doorstop and then the rest of the door stop was filled with polyester stuffing.

Another great tip is to use cushion inners/pads for the polyester stuffing. It’s much cheaper than buying specific stuffing. I always stock up on these when I have to go to Ikea… as well as calico which they sell at about £2 per metre. It makes a very stressful experience feel a bit more worth while!!