How To Start Making Your Own Clothes

Have you ever stood in awe of a friend who showed up to brunch in a handmade dress? Seen the most incredible pair of pants in a store window, only to find out they don’t make them in your size? Scrolled through the design Marketplace on Spoonflower, dreaming of someday creating a one-of-a-kind shirt with your favorite surface patterns?

Making your own clothing may seem like a distant dream, but if you take it slow and have a desire to learn, it can be quite easy! With a little bit of 7th grade home ec class experience, a budget sewing machine, text exchanges with more sewing savvy friends and so many internet searches, I dove into the exciting world of sewing a custom dress two years ago in celebration of Me Made May.

How to Choose a Beginner-friendly Sewing Pattern

Now that your machine is ready to go, what should you sew first? You could get a feel for your machine by hemming a pair of pants or refreshing a treasured t-shirt with our raglan tee tutorial or you can jump right in and learn to make your own clothes from scratch.

Two of my favorite places to look for beginner-friendly sewing patterns are Peppermint Magazine and Seamwork. Our friends at Peppermint Magazine’s Sewing School offer free patterns and release a new one every three months! Seamwork’s Pattern Library boasts over 200 to choose from. You can start with a beginner-friendly and free pattern like the Sorbetto and then become a monthly member to tackle more complex wardrobe additions as you grow and want. Seamwork also has a handy help section and clear instructions so it’s easy to learn as you go.

Here are four patterns from Peppermint Magazine and Seamwork perfect for a first project:

If you have access to a printer, you can easily print downloadable PDF patterns at home and assemble them together using scissors and tape. You can also research options like PDF Plotting to order a print of the entire pattern on one sheet.

How to Choose the Right Fabric for Clothing

Spoonflower has 23 fabric types and counting so our sample pack is a great place to start to get a feel for all the offerings. The sewing pattern’s instructions will tell you to exactly how much fabric you need for the version you plan to create in the fabric requirements section. Your sewing pattern will often recommend different substrates (types of fabric) that work best. Here are some of our recent posts that will help you choose the perfect fabric for a wide variety of projects:

The Most Helpful Basic Sewing Terms to Know

When you’ve selected the sewing pattern you’d like to start with, it’s a good idea to take the time to read through all the instructions. Google and YouTube are your friends as you research any terminology or techniques that are new to you. To start, here are the ten terms I found helpful to know when I began my sewing journey. My top ten list is only a start, but as you keep creating, your personal sewing dictionary will expand naturally as you learn.

1. Backstitch – Every line you stitch with your machine should start and end with a backstitch! Begin with a couple of stitches and then secure those stitches by hitting the backstitch button to stitch over them.
2. Baste – These are long stitches that can be done by hand just to hold pieces of fabric together temporarily and then they are removed.
3. Cut-on-Fold – Wherever you see this on a pattern, the pattern piece is only half of the full piece you will cut out. If you fold your fabric and place the pattern piece on the fold where it indicates and cut the fabric together, you will get one full piece that is perfectly symmetrical.
4. Hem – A hem is the finished edge of your garment like on the end of a sleeve or a pant leg. The most common kind is a double-fold hem, where the edges of the fabric are folded over each other twice to hide the raw edge.
5. Mock-up, Muslin or Toile – All of these words could describe a kind of prototype for your garment and will help you test the pattern with cheaper fabric first, so they can make any amendments the second time around.
6. Notch – The notches on a sewing pattern are usually small marks like a line or a triangle shape that will help you match up the pattern pieces when assembling your garment. Notches can also be the wedges cut into the seam allowance of a curved seam to reduce bulk. Clipping is also an option depending on if the curve is concave or convex.
7. Right & Wrong Side – The right side of your fabric is the printed side and the wrong is the other side that will be on the inside of your garment. This will be noted in your sewing pattern’s diagrams.
8. Seam & Seam Allowance – A seam refers to the stitched line. The allowance is the space between the stitched line and the fabric edge. Sewing patterns will account for seam allowance and the standard allowance is typically 5/8″ (1.6cm).
9. Selvage – This refers to the tightly woven edge that runs along each side of a piece of fabric to prevent unraveling or fraying.
10. Topstitch – This stitch was designed to be seen on the outside. Topstitching can be used decoratively to define and add detail, or functionally by providing an extra hold.

I hope you feel empowered to start creating your own wardrobe after reading my tips! Having garments in your closet that were made especially for you and by you is such a great feeling. Whatever your reason for wanting to make your own clothes, it is something that with a little time and helpful tutorials anyone can do.

Don’t forget to share what you make on Instagram using the hashtag #spoonflowerapparel. We’d love to see what you create!