Sewing is one of the favorite hobbies of many people in the world. It helps you to unleash the creativity in your mind. Many people even sew for relaxation. It has multiple advantages. However, you can take this hobby a step further. Many people around the world have used their sewing abilities in real life. Some sew clothes for their loved ones, while some sew like a professional. Thus, you can even sew some clothes or dresses for yourself.
Despite having the required skills, many people believe that sewing a dress is challenging. They are not wrong. Yes, it requires a lot of patience and effort to sew your dress. However, the process can be simplified by following some simple steps. Let us understand the sewing process step by step.
The Basics
Before jumping straight at sewing your dress, you need to know some basics. These factors will help you start with the correct method. This will also explain to you some precautions that you must take.
1. Choose a design
This is the most obvious step. You need to have an image of your dress. You must know the designs on it, color, and how it will look on you. This will help you know the techniques you have to follow to get the desired dress. There is no limit on the design you can choose. You choose among the best designs in the market, or you can draw a new design for yourself.
2. Keep things stationery
This step will save a lot of time while sewing. After knowing the design you want, you must have a fair idea of the items that will be required. Make sure you have each of them around you. Also, try to select the best items in the market because the quality of the material affects the quality of the dress.
3. Practice a lot
Before you try on the original fabric, it is recommended to practice the design many times. Try to sew the design on the same type of fabric. This will remove the chances of any errors while sewing the original cloth.
4. Budget
Many people believe that costly dresses are better in the market. This is a misconception. There are many affordable dresses in the market too that is better than the costly ones. This applies to the dress you are going to sew too. Make sure that the sewing cost remains in your budget. There are instances where even a simple dress turns out to be beautiful.
Techniques/Tips to improve
1. Select the comfortable fabric
Do not select the fabric based on its look. This is a common mistake done by most people. They imagine whether the fabric will look good on them or not. Try to select a fabric that is comfortable to your skin. A comfortable fabric will avoid itches, sweating, and allergies. Also, do make sure that the fabric remains in your budget. Usually, purely natural fibers are costlier than the mixed, and synthetic fibers. Thus, if your budget is limited, it is recommended to go for the mixed ones. They offer a great combination of looks and comfort.
2. Use a good quality machine
A good quality machine will save a lot of time and effort. It will also offer great precision that will lead to beautiful designs. Since sewing a gown will require multiple types of stitches, it is recommended to use an electric sewing machine. Do make sure that the machine is serviced properly frequently as sewing a dress can take months.
Correcting common problems
1. Hastening
It is recommended to start working on your dress early. There are instances where people hasten the process, and end up with a messed up dress. You do not want that to happen with you. Thus, make sure that you have patience with the process. It will take a long time for sure, but it will be worth it.
2. Imbalanced stitching
This is a common problem that most people face while stitching. There are multiple reasons behind it. There are chances that it may happen due to your lack of experience. However, there are external factors too. If you want to solve this problem, try adjusting the tension of the thread. Maybe the thread is too loose, or maybe too tight. This can even happen due to the bobbin. Try polishing the bobbin, and re-install it. Mostly it gets solved by this method.
If you are still facing this problem, then try re-threading the machine from the start. There are chances that you have threaded the machine wrongly. Doing it from scratch will surely solve this problem.
3. Thread fusing
Another problem that you may face while sewing your dress is due to the wrong types of thread. For example, your cloth is silk, and you are sewing it with cotton thread. There is a simple solution to this. Try changing the thread. You can also change the needle if you face the problem even after changing the thread.
Best practices in the industry
It is always good to inspire yourself from the experts in the industry. By observing their methods, you can improve the quality of your dress. Here are some practices that are followed in the industry:
- Draw the design many times – It is important to have a clear picture in your mind. Before buying the raw material, try to draw the dresses on a piece of paper. You can even color it to get the precise look of the dress.
- Never finalize quickly – Many people trim the cloth just after a single look. Avoid doing that. It is recommended to try the cloth many times before finalizing it. There is an instance where the dress turns out differently after trimming. Therefore, you need to imagine the dress before trimming.
Tools you can use
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Flexible measuring tape
- Chalk to mark measurements
- Extra fabric
- Extra needles
- Lots of thread