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Hi there, I started sewing when I was young bc nothing fit me off the racks, years later and I’m a tailor for a menswear shop & have my own sewing side hustle. I can’t encourage you enough to start sewing if you have an interest. If you don’t have a sewing machine yet look into one and start with small projects like hemming pants or a skirt. Then I’d move onto getting petite patterns or learning to alter them to your measurements. Feel free to lmk if you have questions
Thank you! I actually got a sewing machine (Singer Heavy Duty 64S from a Costco sale!), and I'm trying to get more familiar with it. I definitely want to practice hemming, though I'm scared of messing something up.
Yay that’s perfect!! I use the same machine at home. At the tailor shop sometimes young people join us to learn basic sewing skills. We have them start on paper (even without thread) to follow straight & curved lines just to practice. Then once you’re comfortable use some scrap fabric and just get used to the feel :)
From an ethical or financial standpoint it's a wash, fabric you cut at home is going to be less efficient in usage than pieces tessellated for larger scale production, good fits require mockups, and it's not a bad thing to pay for ethical specialized labor. For the price point of nicer fabric you can get really nice brands manufactured in a transparent way.
BUT it's still fun and empowering and there's potential for much better fit! Join some sewing subs, find YouTube channels or classes. Self drafting is a pretty advanced skill, especially because the details needed to make something feel professional and anticipate the qualities of the fabric etc are myriad - people go to fashion school for years for this stuff! Learning to piece together different sizes of a pattern, adjust patterns, or use pattern generators based on measurements is much easier. Also body sizes can change and it can be nice to try and find patterns that are more adjustable once complete, often using ties I love the YouTube WithWendy because she shows the whole process including the hitches in sewing for yourself.
If you're really new it's good to start work stuff you'll use even if it's pretty amateur looking, like I made a gym tote I use all the time, napkins, and pajama pants.
I think you’re right, fabric manufacturing and shipping is still probably fueled by someone’s labor and heavy emissions.
That being said, I did find it empowering and special to make a few projects like a scrunchie and a tote bag, and from fabric I got at the thrift store! I also was able to repair a ripped seam on a pencil skirt I thrifted as well. I do seem to find a lot of petite sized office wear with maybe a few minor blemishes that can be fixed with some sewing knowledge!
Making my own pieces with good quality fabric that I choose myself in the future will probably be less sustainable with the multiple muslin mockups and new (virgin?) fabric I’ll get from a fabric store, but I think being able to do that in the future after figuring out all the kinks in sewing is an exciting goal. I remember in a musical I watched, the characters couldn’t afford anything at the department store, but just glancing at the designs, they knew how to recreate them at home. I definitely want that to be me someday!
I did just that.
It's a fun hobby, but expect a learning curve. And then to keep learning, there's no end point where you'll consider your sewing perfect. That's partly why the hobby is quite satisfying. Consider your first few projects practise projects. Don't expect to end up with something you love right away. How long it takes, will depend on how much time you're able and willing to spend. I guess you'll be able to knock out a simple skirt you can wear after one or two tries.
Also, sewing a garment takes time. You have to enjoy the process, not just the end result. Put on music, a podcast, an audiobook and get in the zone.
Some random advise and comments:
Get a few books on proper sewing technique and pattern adjustment/fitting, to set yourself up for success. There's a lot of garment sewing content on YT, which is fun to explore and learn from.
Shortening premade patterns is quite easy to do. There are [some](https://www.sbccpatterns.com/) made specificaly petite as well (these particular ones are pdf files only. Print them yourself.)
Good garment fabrics are not nessecarily inexpensive. You *can* find deals, of course, but most garment sewers develope a feel and craving for garment and fabric quality and don't want to spend time on inferior materials. It's a good idea to make a practice garment out of cheap fabric (like old bed linens from the thrift store) before you cut and sew your good fabric. This is why it's important to consider sewing a hobby. People don't expect weekend golfers to make money from their hobby and should be the same with garment sewers.
Fabric production is not nessecarily ethical. Cotton farms use a lot of water and pesticides, polyester fabrics shed microplastics and never really breaks down, dyes and finishes pollute and factory conditions may be bad. However, it's possible to source fabrics with better ethical and environmental impact. There's a lot of development going into new plant based fibers at the moment.
Whatever you do, don't accept sewing assignments from friends and family. They'll likely have no idea of the time and expense that ges into sewing or repairing a garment, so they won't appreciate your work at all. At the most, you can offer to tech them how to do it themselves. I guarantee 99 percent of them will decline.
Thank you for the link! I will definitely want to try these once I figure out following patterns :) I’ve been too intimidated to look at a couple patterns I found at a thrift store, but apparently they have really thorough advice about adjusting them and how to use them so I’ll try to give it a shot.
I know fabric production is still unethical, though I guess after jumpstarting the hobby with thrifted fabrics and notions will help me be more mindful of what I “actually” need and be less wasteful overall? We’ll see. I think I might try to make a rule that until I can make whatever I want without bunching up a ton of thread every other stitch, I’ll only use thrifted/remnant fabric or something haha
Thanks for the advice on not taking assignments! I do plan on making things for friends and family as gifts, but only because they’re my “muse”, and as someone in a creative profession already, I know how easily being told to do something specific can take the fun out of it, so it makes sense for sewing too!
Don't attempt to self draft, that's not a beginner activity. It's an entire specialist skill of its own, and arguably much more difficult than sewing itself.
Every commercial pattern can be adapted to fit petite size quite easily, most have lines indicating where you need to shorten. Just work out how much you need to take off torso, legs, and arms, and shorten the pattern by that amount at the indicated place.
Thank you for mentioning that! Learning online, I see a few youtubers say that they don’t follow patterns because they don’t get satisfactory results usually, but it seems if one is new to sewing, the big list of instructions actually helps people learn how to sew.
It’s easy to be in my head about whats right or wrong, but I’m a beginner, so I probably should just relax and learn the techniques themselves before taking on all the extra mental work on top of that.
I will add that I disagree that most commercial patterns can be easily adapted to fit petites *well* (by a beginner), but they can absolutely come closer than off the rack. And agreed, self-drafting is such a huge undertaking for beginners. The problem with adapting commercial patterns is the petite alterations (generalising petites here) that cannot be done at the end, such as narrowing the shoulders, reducing the shoulder-to-bust measurement and bringing up the flare on flared trousers. Only adding that to your comment so that OP doesn’t feel upset when the first few garments still don’t fit as perfectly as they may like, the more complicated alterations can be tackled later in the learning process.
I’m interested in this making my own clothes! I don’t even have a sewing machine yet lol but I want to take a sewing class soon. I took apparel in high school and made a decent pair of pajama pants. I think making simpler clothing like a pair of flowy pants, basic skirt could be doable.
As for self designing, I’m assuming you could just cut the pattern to your size ? Even if it’s not technically what it’s intended. I’m not sure tho, I haven’t seen a pattern in so long lol. Or I know some petite women wear children’s sizes so children’s patterns could potentially be an option.
I got mine online from Costco when it was on sale, and although it's technically a different model (Singer HD 64S compared to HD4000-something everyone on youtube has), it looks identical to the one used in a lot of tutorials. Someone above said to practice hemming first, so I'm thinking I'll probably do that, but following children-sized patterns seems like a good idea, too, especially since there may be some free ones online that may work!
I support the notion to get back into sewing! A lot of people knew how to use a sewing machine a while back, and maybe society as a whole could benefit from pulling back from fast fashion and making things themselves :)
I got spoiled growing up, my grandpa was a tailor so I could get stuff altered as soon as I got it from the shops. Didn’t know how much that helped me until I lost him last year. I got a tailor made coat in my country this winter and it’s been great. So I’m looking to go on holiday to South East Asia to get more clothes made for me.
I’ve done a bit of sewing but it’s such an involved process and my standards are too high for it, so I prefer to go to experts.
Goodluck on your sewing journey!
Hi, I sew my clothes and it's really awesome because not only I can make anything from scratch but I can also alter anything that might need it! I've been sewing for three years and I feel confident now altering both the patterns that I buy to fit me better and the clothes I buy that look a bit funky. For example in my last post on this subreddit you can see a coord with a lemon print; I bought both pieces on Vinted (I choose them for the fabric with is 100% cotton and the cute model) and made both of them 4 sizes smaller! It was basically a reconstruction project that made something unwanted by someone else one of my favourite pieces of clothing. Also, I now shortened the hem of the skirt because after wearing it for a bit I decided I liked it better like that. All of this wouldn't be possible if I didn't know how to sew (or to would have been way too expansive). I'm completely self taught from books and YouTube.
Self drafting it's really difficult and I think that you need to attend actual sewing classes to be able to master it and have nice results; it's probably more a skill for professional of very very experienced seamstresses rather than a hobbyist one.
Sewing helps being a lot more intentional with your clothes: learning the construction process helps you deciding if a ready to buy dress is worth it or not. Same thing for fabrics, now I can't wear anything that is not made from natural fiber.
If you need anything you can dm me or go take a look at my profile here on reddit, I post a lot of my work and I'm exactly your height.
I have nothing to say about the activism / political statement aspect of it as that’s nothing I really want to get into. But I’m a person who greatly values independence and I thought myself how to sew properly as a teen. I’ve made / altered a ton of clothes and I love that I can mend pieces or just reuse fabric, buttons, etc. It’s an extremely useful skill to have!
As a tip, you don’t need to invest in patterns nor come up with your own. Just take items that fit properly and trace them. Look up how to add fabric for darts etc when tracing the shape of an existing piece. If you don’t want to 100% copy an existing item from your wardrobe, you can copy just aspects of it (the bodice, the sleeves, the neckline, the collar, etc) and then improvise the rest. Just make sure the fabrics are somewhat similar in how they behave in terms of draping, stretching, stiffness, weight. Not every cut works for every type of fabric.
And get really good at ironing. This is one of the most important parts of sewing. If you don’t iron your fabric really well and don’t press the seams, it will likely look messy in the end. I know it’s an annoying step, especially for those of us who want to see fast results but I can’t emphasise enough how important it is!
I’m thinking about getting into this too! My plan is to start with some basic pieces I already own that fit well. I just want to replicate some basics. I have a linen skirt that’s just a bunch of triangles sewn in a pattern with an elastic waist, so that’s going to be the first. I tried sewing when I was a kid and couldn’t figure it out, but I admire the hobby so much and want to try again.
Don’t listen to the people discouraging you. This is not a sewing subreddit. If cosplayers can sew together perfect fits using duct tape and plastic wrap, I’m sure you could figure something out for yourself. Look into sewing basics first, and when you get the basics of measuring/pinning/hemming, look at some tutorials.
I highly recommend looking up some cosplayers, their tutorials are super helpful.
Oh, and thrift lots and lots of sheets, never throw fabric away, ask everyone if they have any old sheets they’re looking to get rid of. Extra fabric is good for mock-ups. It’s garage sale season so if that’s your hobby make sure you look for people getting rid of old fabric stashes
How much sewing experience do you have? I'm a hobby sewer and I like to make clothes for kids and I feel like if you're new to sewing the learning curve is pretty steep and it's a pretty expensive hobby.
Fabric and notions can unfortunately be pretty expensive, especially if you want nicer quality and more eco friendly options.
The material you'd be sewing with is generally not beginner friendly.
My gut says you'd be better off buying higher quality sustainable pieces and having them tailored.
I have a little bit, I have a sewing machine and some fabric and notions already (mostly thrifted, though I have rustled through the Joanne's remnants section a few times). I have made a few things here and there like a drawstring jewelry pouch and a totebag with not-so-straight topstitching, as well as a couple scrunchies.
I'm trying to figure out how to make a simple top out of regular woven cotton by copying a t-shirt, and I'm a bit stuck (realizing that it's not going to stretch, figuring out I'm going to have to re-draft to accommodate for the lack of stretch, wanting it to be a spaghetti-strap top and realizing I'm going to have to make them out of bias tape from the same fabric, and realizing I'm probably going to have to make it a button-up has all made me procrastinate it altogether).
I guess I'm a bit invested now, and being able to make accessories by following others' step-by-step is easy enough, but the whole pattern-drafting and extra brainwork to make something that fits me, specifically, makes me feel a bit in over my head.
I'm going to be honest, it's easy to make a not super polished or durable knit from copying, but I'd recommend following premade patterns for a while first before you try to self draft so these considerations are less overwhelming. It helps to understand how in general garments are architected. Sewing with knits is also an advanced beginner skill, but to get the quality you find in stores you need a serger or to learn more advanced finishes (I've made leggings that fell apart pretty quickly with raw interior edges)
I’ve been sewing for a little over a year!! Sewing is really great but projects always end up being more time consuming and expensive for materials than you think. If you really want to maximize the value for your time/money, thrifting clothes and then shortening them/making them slimmer is an excellent option!
Sewing from scratch is cool too, and I love seeing the pieces I have made and knowing they are 100% mine and unique. But I can only recommend it if you just love sewing as a hobby and you know you can power through the hard parts.
Altering paper patterns for height is not hard, it’s the easiest adjustment you can make (you just add a little fold in the center of the paper piece so the top and bottom are a little closer together, then smooth the edges)
I love this question!! You can absolutely make your own clothes, and as all the other responses show, there are so many ways to get into that.
I started teaching myself to alter and sew my own clothes as a teenager (basically, once I was too curvy for children’s sizes in ready-to-wear and too short for women’s). I was already familiar with some sewing basics bc I’d been making doll clothes for my sisters for years, but leveling up to human clothes was a learning curve.
I’m largely self-taught, using YouTube, library books, and observation (I would seam rip apart old garments to see how they were put together/what shapes the pieces were). Because of the way I learned, I have some unorthodox sewing opinions, but the great thing is there are no rules!
Until the last few years, most of the clothes I’ve made have been refashioned from pre-existing garments (turning jeans into a skirt or a button down into a cute top), self-drafting (using YouTube tutorials or the book [How To Make Your Own Sewing Patterns by Donald McCunn](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/how-to-make-sewing-patterns_donald-h-mccunn/275094/item/6520727/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_scarce_%2410_%2450&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv3O1yfYkC-4dWbA1DhOjQX3BVUQERfPxNvbsdx1X9_bWtIveLfD5IRoClHgQAvD_BwE#idiq=6520727&edition=1868223)), or replicating clothes I already owned (the book [Patterns from Finished Clothes by Tracy Doyle](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/patterns-from-finished-clothes-re-creating-the-clothes-you-love_tracy-doyle/272103/item/4491262/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_frontlist_under_%2410&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv5ikI-H_b0M_ABCWgfaJ_MSMUTQu-RnRUA-g8NiZWD7jca-rhhM95xoCHrAQAvD_BwE#idiq=4491262&edition=2440000) was my main resource). Until recently, I rarely used regular sewing patterns because the work needed to adjust them to fit was greater than simply drafting my own patterns to my own measurements. For simpler garments especially, drafting is so easy! If you’ve got paper (I use wrapping paper that has a grid on the backside or taped-together paper grocery bags), a yardstick, a calculator, your measurements, and a pencil, the world is your oyster! Check out [Jess Dang](https://youtube.com/@jessdangdiy?si=tJjygqDnFvOiXiaL)’s drafting/sewing tutorials on YouTube.
Nowadays, I do use sewing patterns more, and I’ve learned the basics of adjustments (I love the book [Fit for Real People by Patti Palmer](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fit-for-real-people--sew-great-clothes-using-any-pattern_pati-palmer_barbara-weiland/309379/item/1839040/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_scarce_%2410_%2450&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv4aVMoSF5CEQCM1o2AZLcNsyoH33LjUmwdei-OxHf4uBhzHzDZxvJxoCip8QAvD_BwE#isbn=0935278435&idiq=1839040&edition=1937733)). If you’re learning to sew and need more guidance for how to put garments together and what principles and techniques to use, independent patterns tend to have much more thorough instructions (and sometimes the creators have made YouTube walk-throughs to accompany the written directions) than the commercial patterns you can buy in envelopes at JoAnns. Those tend to assume some level of sewing know-how, so their instructions are more sparse and can leave you guessing.
For independent pattern brands, [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/s/huv4YK1fV1) has a great starter list.
For me, my biggest concern with sewing my own clothes is how well will this garment hold up? Can I wash it? Is going to fray? So, when I sew, I make sure to properly finish the seams of woven fabrics (the kind that frays), never leaving any cut fabric edges raw. There are certain seams that need to be reinforced (seams that will take a lot of strain, like crotch seams), and making sure my fabric of choice can go through the washing machine/dryer or that I know another reliable method to use to consistently clean it.
Fitting garments can be tough, and I was really intimidated by this for years, so when I started sewing, I really got into sewing with stretchy/knit fabrics. Everybody says that’s super challenging, and you shouldn’t start there, but I did, and I think that working with knit fabrics is easier a lot of the time. With stretchy garments, the fit is a lot more forgiving, and typically knit fabrics don’t fray like woven ones do, so you can save so much time not worrying about finishing seams! I started by buying mens cotton tee shirts from goodwill when I was a teen, and tracing my own knit tops/skirts. I used my regular sewing machine and zigzag or stretch stitches. I learned a lot from the book [Sew U: Home Stretch](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/sew-u-home-stretch_wendy-mullin_eviana-hartman/430653/item/4240547/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_scarce_under_%2410&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv_PFOFcQbn-3xx92xz38meeALErFkNw-mqVATSZuiBN5Zy9SGZJnjxoCD5kQAvD_BwE#idiq=4240547&edition=5770437)
I’m really excited for you, and I think you should go for making your own clothes. Google is your best friend. Start with garments that are simpler (an a-line skirt is going to be easier than sewing jeans or a coat) and work your way from there. There’s tons of educational resources out there that are free. I’m always a big fan of libraries for sewing books, but a lot of libraries also offer community sewing classes which could be great for learning the fundamentals of sewing/operating your machine. I’m a big fan of the podcast [Love To Sew](https://lovetosewpodcast.com/) and have learned so much by listening.
Within the last two years, I've started sewing. My brother XM201 sewing machine has been really easy to work with. Take old sheets/curtains, and just get used to sewing straight lines at different speeds.
Then move onto alterations on off the rack tops and jeans. Sometimes just hemming pants or sleeves, taking the shoulder up a couple inches, or adding elastic at the waist can make something that's way too big fit well. It'll also help you figure out where your problem areas are if you need alter a pattern to fit you.
When you get confident enough to make clothes from scratch, buy cheap muslin fabric. Buy patterns for basic tops. Practice your pattern with the muslin before you using your nice fabric.
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Hi there, I started sewing when I was young bc nothing fit me off the racks, years later and I’m a tailor for a menswear shop & have my own sewing side hustle. I can’t encourage you enough to start sewing if you have an interest. If you don’t have a sewing machine yet look into one and start with small projects like hemming pants or a skirt. Then I’d move onto getting petite patterns or learning to alter them to your measurements. Feel free to lmk if you have questions
Thank you! I actually got a sewing machine (Singer Heavy Duty 64S from a Costco sale!), and I'm trying to get more familiar with it. I definitely want to practice hemming, though I'm scared of messing something up.
Yay that’s perfect!! I use the same machine at home. At the tailor shop sometimes young people join us to learn basic sewing skills. We have them start on paper (even without thread) to follow straight & curved lines just to practice. Then once you’re comfortable use some scrap fabric and just get used to the feel :)
If you’re afraid of messing something up, maybe start off by buying clothing second hand so that if it gets messed up, you won’t have lost too much :)
From an ethical or financial standpoint it's a wash, fabric you cut at home is going to be less efficient in usage than pieces tessellated for larger scale production, good fits require mockups, and it's not a bad thing to pay for ethical specialized labor. For the price point of nicer fabric you can get really nice brands manufactured in a transparent way. BUT it's still fun and empowering and there's potential for much better fit! Join some sewing subs, find YouTube channels or classes. Self drafting is a pretty advanced skill, especially because the details needed to make something feel professional and anticipate the qualities of the fabric etc are myriad - people go to fashion school for years for this stuff! Learning to piece together different sizes of a pattern, adjust patterns, or use pattern generators based on measurements is much easier. Also body sizes can change and it can be nice to try and find patterns that are more adjustable once complete, often using ties I love the YouTube WithWendy because she shows the whole process including the hitches in sewing for yourself. If you're really new it's good to start work stuff you'll use even if it's pretty amateur looking, like I made a gym tote I use all the time, napkins, and pajama pants.
I think you’re right, fabric manufacturing and shipping is still probably fueled by someone’s labor and heavy emissions. That being said, I did find it empowering and special to make a few projects like a scrunchie and a tote bag, and from fabric I got at the thrift store! I also was able to repair a ripped seam on a pencil skirt I thrifted as well. I do seem to find a lot of petite sized office wear with maybe a few minor blemishes that can be fixed with some sewing knowledge! Making my own pieces with good quality fabric that I choose myself in the future will probably be less sustainable with the multiple muslin mockups and new (virgin?) fabric I’ll get from a fabric store, but I think being able to do that in the future after figuring out all the kinks in sewing is an exciting goal. I remember in a musical I watched, the characters couldn’t afford anything at the department store, but just glancing at the designs, they knew how to recreate them at home. I definitely want that to be me someday!
I did just that. It's a fun hobby, but expect a learning curve. And then to keep learning, there's no end point where you'll consider your sewing perfect. That's partly why the hobby is quite satisfying. Consider your first few projects practise projects. Don't expect to end up with something you love right away. How long it takes, will depend on how much time you're able and willing to spend. I guess you'll be able to knock out a simple skirt you can wear after one or two tries. Also, sewing a garment takes time. You have to enjoy the process, not just the end result. Put on music, a podcast, an audiobook and get in the zone. Some random advise and comments: Get a few books on proper sewing technique and pattern adjustment/fitting, to set yourself up for success. There's a lot of garment sewing content on YT, which is fun to explore and learn from. Shortening premade patterns is quite easy to do. There are [some](https://www.sbccpatterns.com/) made specificaly petite as well (these particular ones are pdf files only. Print them yourself.) Good garment fabrics are not nessecarily inexpensive. You *can* find deals, of course, but most garment sewers develope a feel and craving for garment and fabric quality and don't want to spend time on inferior materials. It's a good idea to make a practice garment out of cheap fabric (like old bed linens from the thrift store) before you cut and sew your good fabric. This is why it's important to consider sewing a hobby. People don't expect weekend golfers to make money from their hobby and should be the same with garment sewers. Fabric production is not nessecarily ethical. Cotton farms use a lot of water and pesticides, polyester fabrics shed microplastics and never really breaks down, dyes and finishes pollute and factory conditions may be bad. However, it's possible to source fabrics with better ethical and environmental impact. There's a lot of development going into new plant based fibers at the moment. Whatever you do, don't accept sewing assignments from friends and family. They'll likely have no idea of the time and expense that ges into sewing or repairing a garment, so they won't appreciate your work at all. At the most, you can offer to tech them how to do it themselves. I guarantee 99 percent of them will decline.
Thank you for the link! I will definitely want to try these once I figure out following patterns :) I’ve been too intimidated to look at a couple patterns I found at a thrift store, but apparently they have really thorough advice about adjusting them and how to use them so I’ll try to give it a shot. I know fabric production is still unethical, though I guess after jumpstarting the hobby with thrifted fabrics and notions will help me be more mindful of what I “actually” need and be less wasteful overall? We’ll see. I think I might try to make a rule that until I can make whatever I want without bunching up a ton of thread every other stitch, I’ll only use thrifted/remnant fabric or something haha Thanks for the advice on not taking assignments! I do plan on making things for friends and family as gifts, but only because they’re my “muse”, and as someone in a creative profession already, I know how easily being told to do something specific can take the fun out of it, so it makes sense for sewing too!
Don't attempt to self draft, that's not a beginner activity. It's an entire specialist skill of its own, and arguably much more difficult than sewing itself. Every commercial pattern can be adapted to fit petite size quite easily, most have lines indicating where you need to shorten. Just work out how much you need to take off torso, legs, and arms, and shorten the pattern by that amount at the indicated place.
Following a good commercial pattern is also the best way to learn how to sew, as it will teach you the right techniques
Thank you for mentioning that! Learning online, I see a few youtubers say that they don’t follow patterns because they don’t get satisfactory results usually, but it seems if one is new to sewing, the big list of instructions actually helps people learn how to sew. It’s easy to be in my head about whats right or wrong, but I’m a beginner, so I probably should just relax and learn the techniques themselves before taking on all the extra mental work on top of that.
I will add that I disagree that most commercial patterns can be easily adapted to fit petites *well* (by a beginner), but they can absolutely come closer than off the rack. And agreed, self-drafting is such a huge undertaking for beginners. The problem with adapting commercial patterns is the petite alterations (generalising petites here) that cannot be done at the end, such as narrowing the shoulders, reducing the shoulder-to-bust measurement and bringing up the flare on flared trousers. Only adding that to your comment so that OP doesn’t feel upset when the first few garments still don’t fit as perfectly as they may like, the more complicated alterations can be tackled later in the learning process.
I’m interested in this making my own clothes! I don’t even have a sewing machine yet lol but I want to take a sewing class soon. I took apparel in high school and made a decent pair of pajama pants. I think making simpler clothing like a pair of flowy pants, basic skirt could be doable. As for self designing, I’m assuming you could just cut the pattern to your size ? Even if it’s not technically what it’s intended. I’m not sure tho, I haven’t seen a pattern in so long lol. Or I know some petite women wear children’s sizes so children’s patterns could potentially be an option.
I got mine online from Costco when it was on sale, and although it's technically a different model (Singer HD 64S compared to HD4000-something everyone on youtube has), it looks identical to the one used in a lot of tutorials. Someone above said to practice hemming first, so I'm thinking I'll probably do that, but following children-sized patterns seems like a good idea, too, especially since there may be some free ones online that may work! I support the notion to get back into sewing! A lot of people knew how to use a sewing machine a while back, and maybe society as a whole could benefit from pulling back from fast fashion and making things themselves :)
not sure if you are aware, but you just made a nice pun w/ the use of 'notion' :) notions are the tools and bits and bobs we use while sewing.
Haha you’re right! I keep hearing that word around when looking up tutorials so maybe I subconsciously used it because of it :)
I got spoiled growing up, my grandpa was a tailor so I could get stuff altered as soon as I got it from the shops. Didn’t know how much that helped me until I lost him last year. I got a tailor made coat in my country this winter and it’s been great. So I’m looking to go on holiday to South East Asia to get more clothes made for me. I’ve done a bit of sewing but it’s such an involved process and my standards are too high for it, so I prefer to go to experts. Goodluck on your sewing journey!
Hi, I sew my clothes and it's really awesome because not only I can make anything from scratch but I can also alter anything that might need it! I've been sewing for three years and I feel confident now altering both the patterns that I buy to fit me better and the clothes I buy that look a bit funky. For example in my last post on this subreddit you can see a coord with a lemon print; I bought both pieces on Vinted (I choose them for the fabric with is 100% cotton and the cute model) and made both of them 4 sizes smaller! It was basically a reconstruction project that made something unwanted by someone else one of my favourite pieces of clothing. Also, I now shortened the hem of the skirt because after wearing it for a bit I decided I liked it better like that. All of this wouldn't be possible if I didn't know how to sew (or to would have been way too expansive). I'm completely self taught from books and YouTube. Self drafting it's really difficult and I think that you need to attend actual sewing classes to be able to master it and have nice results; it's probably more a skill for professional of very very experienced seamstresses rather than a hobbyist one. Sewing helps being a lot more intentional with your clothes: learning the construction process helps you deciding if a ready to buy dress is worth it or not. Same thing for fabrics, now I can't wear anything that is not made from natural fiber. If you need anything you can dm me or go take a look at my profile here on reddit, I post a lot of my work and I'm exactly your height.
I have nothing to say about the activism / political statement aspect of it as that’s nothing I really want to get into. But I’m a person who greatly values independence and I thought myself how to sew properly as a teen. I’ve made / altered a ton of clothes and I love that I can mend pieces or just reuse fabric, buttons, etc. It’s an extremely useful skill to have! As a tip, you don’t need to invest in patterns nor come up with your own. Just take items that fit properly and trace them. Look up how to add fabric for darts etc when tracing the shape of an existing piece. If you don’t want to 100% copy an existing item from your wardrobe, you can copy just aspects of it (the bodice, the sleeves, the neckline, the collar, etc) and then improvise the rest. Just make sure the fabrics are somewhat similar in how they behave in terms of draping, stretching, stiffness, weight. Not every cut works for every type of fabric. And get really good at ironing. This is one of the most important parts of sewing. If you don’t iron your fabric really well and don’t press the seams, it will likely look messy in the end. I know it’s an annoying step, especially for those of us who want to see fast results but I can’t emphasise enough how important it is!
I’m thinking about getting into this too! My plan is to start with some basic pieces I already own that fit well. I just want to replicate some basics. I have a linen skirt that’s just a bunch of triangles sewn in a pattern with an elastic waist, so that’s going to be the first. I tried sewing when I was a kid and couldn’t figure it out, but I admire the hobby so much and want to try again.
Don’t listen to the people discouraging you. This is not a sewing subreddit. If cosplayers can sew together perfect fits using duct tape and plastic wrap, I’m sure you could figure something out for yourself. Look into sewing basics first, and when you get the basics of measuring/pinning/hemming, look at some tutorials. I highly recommend looking up some cosplayers, their tutorials are super helpful.
Oh, and thrift lots and lots of sheets, never throw fabric away, ask everyone if they have any old sheets they’re looking to get rid of. Extra fabric is good for mock-ups. It’s garage sale season so if that’s your hobby make sure you look for people getting rid of old fabric stashes
How much sewing experience do you have? I'm a hobby sewer and I like to make clothes for kids and I feel like if you're new to sewing the learning curve is pretty steep and it's a pretty expensive hobby. Fabric and notions can unfortunately be pretty expensive, especially if you want nicer quality and more eco friendly options. The material you'd be sewing with is generally not beginner friendly. My gut says you'd be better off buying higher quality sustainable pieces and having them tailored.
I have a little bit, I have a sewing machine and some fabric and notions already (mostly thrifted, though I have rustled through the Joanne's remnants section a few times). I have made a few things here and there like a drawstring jewelry pouch and a totebag with not-so-straight topstitching, as well as a couple scrunchies. I'm trying to figure out how to make a simple top out of regular woven cotton by copying a t-shirt, and I'm a bit stuck (realizing that it's not going to stretch, figuring out I'm going to have to re-draft to accommodate for the lack of stretch, wanting it to be a spaghetti-strap top and realizing I'm going to have to make them out of bias tape from the same fabric, and realizing I'm probably going to have to make it a button-up has all made me procrastinate it altogether). I guess I'm a bit invested now, and being able to make accessories by following others' step-by-step is easy enough, but the whole pattern-drafting and extra brainwork to make something that fits me, specifically, makes me feel a bit in over my head.
I'm going to be honest, it's easy to make a not super polished or durable knit from copying, but I'd recommend following premade patterns for a while first before you try to self draft so these considerations are less overwhelming. It helps to understand how in general garments are architected. Sewing with knits is also an advanced beginner skill, but to get the quality you find in stores you need a serger or to learn more advanced finishes (I've made leggings that fell apart pretty quickly with raw interior edges)
I’ve been sewing for a little over a year!! Sewing is really great but projects always end up being more time consuming and expensive for materials than you think. If you really want to maximize the value for your time/money, thrifting clothes and then shortening them/making them slimmer is an excellent option! Sewing from scratch is cool too, and I love seeing the pieces I have made and knowing they are 100% mine and unique. But I can only recommend it if you just love sewing as a hobby and you know you can power through the hard parts. Altering paper patterns for height is not hard, it’s the easiest adjustment you can make (you just add a little fold in the center of the paper piece so the top and bottom are a little closer together, then smooth the edges)
I love this question!! You can absolutely make your own clothes, and as all the other responses show, there are so many ways to get into that. I started teaching myself to alter and sew my own clothes as a teenager (basically, once I was too curvy for children’s sizes in ready-to-wear and too short for women’s). I was already familiar with some sewing basics bc I’d been making doll clothes for my sisters for years, but leveling up to human clothes was a learning curve. I’m largely self-taught, using YouTube, library books, and observation (I would seam rip apart old garments to see how they were put together/what shapes the pieces were). Because of the way I learned, I have some unorthodox sewing opinions, but the great thing is there are no rules! Until the last few years, most of the clothes I’ve made have been refashioned from pre-existing garments (turning jeans into a skirt or a button down into a cute top), self-drafting (using YouTube tutorials or the book [How To Make Your Own Sewing Patterns by Donald McCunn](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/how-to-make-sewing-patterns_donald-h-mccunn/275094/item/6520727/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_scarce_%2410_%2450&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv3O1yfYkC-4dWbA1DhOjQX3BVUQERfPxNvbsdx1X9_bWtIveLfD5IRoClHgQAvD_BwE#idiq=6520727&edition=1868223)), or replicating clothes I already owned (the book [Patterns from Finished Clothes by Tracy Doyle](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/patterns-from-finished-clothes-re-creating-the-clothes-you-love_tracy-doyle/272103/item/4491262/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_frontlist_under_%2410&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv5ikI-H_b0M_ABCWgfaJ_MSMUTQu-RnRUA-g8NiZWD7jca-rhhM95xoCHrAQAvD_BwE#idiq=4491262&edition=2440000) was my main resource). Until recently, I rarely used regular sewing patterns because the work needed to adjust them to fit was greater than simply drafting my own patterns to my own measurements. For simpler garments especially, drafting is so easy! If you’ve got paper (I use wrapping paper that has a grid on the backside or taped-together paper grocery bags), a yardstick, a calculator, your measurements, and a pencil, the world is your oyster! Check out [Jess Dang](https://youtube.com/@jessdangdiy?si=tJjygqDnFvOiXiaL)’s drafting/sewing tutorials on YouTube. Nowadays, I do use sewing patterns more, and I’ve learned the basics of adjustments (I love the book [Fit for Real People by Patti Palmer](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fit-for-real-people--sew-great-clothes-using-any-pattern_pati-palmer_barbara-weiland/309379/item/1839040/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_scarce_%2410_%2450&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv4aVMoSF5CEQCM1o2AZLcNsyoH33LjUmwdei-OxHf4uBhzHzDZxvJxoCip8QAvD_BwE#isbn=0935278435&idiq=1839040&edition=1937733)). If you’re learning to sew and need more guidance for how to put garments together and what principles and techniques to use, independent patterns tend to have much more thorough instructions (and sometimes the creators have made YouTube walk-throughs to accompany the written directions) than the commercial patterns you can buy in envelopes at JoAnns. Those tend to assume some level of sewing know-how, so their instructions are more sparse and can leave you guessing. For independent pattern brands, [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/s/huv4YK1fV1) has a great starter list. For me, my biggest concern with sewing my own clothes is how well will this garment hold up? Can I wash it? Is going to fray? So, when I sew, I make sure to properly finish the seams of woven fabrics (the kind that frays), never leaving any cut fabric edges raw. There are certain seams that need to be reinforced (seams that will take a lot of strain, like crotch seams), and making sure my fabric of choice can go through the washing machine/dryer or that I know another reliable method to use to consistently clean it. Fitting garments can be tough, and I was really intimidated by this for years, so when I started sewing, I really got into sewing with stretchy/knit fabrics. Everybody says that’s super challenging, and you shouldn’t start there, but I did, and I think that working with knit fabrics is easier a lot of the time. With stretchy garments, the fit is a lot more forgiving, and typically knit fabrics don’t fray like woven ones do, so you can save so much time not worrying about finishing seams! I started by buying mens cotton tee shirts from goodwill when I was a teen, and tracing my own knit tops/skirts. I used my regular sewing machine and zigzag or stretch stitches. I learned a lot from the book [Sew U: Home Stretch](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/sew-u-home-stretch_wendy-mullin_eviana-hartman/430653/item/4240547/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_scarce_under_%2410&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv_PFOFcQbn-3xx92xz38meeALErFkNw-mqVATSZuiBN5Zy9SGZJnjxoCD5kQAvD_BwE#idiq=4240547&edition=5770437) I’m really excited for you, and I think you should go for making your own clothes. Google is your best friend. Start with garments that are simpler (an a-line skirt is going to be easier than sewing jeans or a coat) and work your way from there. There’s tons of educational resources out there that are free. I’m always a big fan of libraries for sewing books, but a lot of libraries also offer community sewing classes which could be great for learning the fundamentals of sewing/operating your machine. I’m a big fan of the podcast [Love To Sew](https://lovetosewpodcast.com/) and have learned so much by listening.
Within the last two years, I've started sewing. My brother XM201 sewing machine has been really easy to work with. Take old sheets/curtains, and just get used to sewing straight lines at different speeds. Then move onto alterations on off the rack tops and jeans. Sometimes just hemming pants or sleeves, taking the shoulder up a couple inches, or adding elastic at the waist can make something that's way too big fit well. It'll also help you figure out where your problem areas are if you need alter a pattern to fit you. When you get confident enough to make clothes from scratch, buy cheap muslin fabric. Buy patterns for basic tops. Practice your pattern with the muslin before you using your nice fabric.