My Top 10 Garment Sewing Tips
1. Wash your fabric before you even start cutting.
I like to wash my garment fabric as soon as I buy it. That way once I want to use it, I can just go. Prewash your fabric in as hot of water as you plan to wash the garment in, and dry on as hot a setting as you plan to dry the garment on. I like to wash on as hot as my washer will do and dry as hot as my dryer will go. Then if it accidentally gets washed or dried differently than I want, the garment is still safe. And my friend that has a fabric store says we wouldn’t even touch the unwashed fabric if we saw where it came from. I’m going to believe her on that.
2. Make sure you are using the correct fabric for your pattern.
This seems like a tricky one. But it does not need to be. Think of the pattern and how you want it to look on you. Stiff fabrics will always poke out more than soft, drapey fabrics. Is the pattern drafted for woven or knit fabrics? Using the wrong one can bring disastrous results. (Don’t ask how I learned this. Ahem.) If the pattern is made for fabric with 50% cross grain stretch and your piece only has 20%, you will have to choose a different fabric, a different pattern, or compensate. So as you’re learning this, it is a good idea to stick to the suggested fabric.
3. Cut accurately to have a better finished product.
Cutting out is the next big step in the sewing process. Lay your pattern on and weight it down or pin it onto the fabric. Less shifting and moving this way. You will probably avoid some messy situations this way.
4. Use the correct needle for your fabric.
This is one of my favorite tips. If using a midweight woven fabric use a universal needle. The sizes of these vary, so try a few different ones if you are not sure. If you are sewing denim or thick woven fabric, please use a denim needle so you don’t have to break as many needles. For knits, there are a few options–there are stretch needles and ballpoint needles in various sizes as well. I start with a stretch needle usually, and then if it is NOT working, I’ll switch to a ballpoint (or jersey) needle. If your are having trouble with sewing, try a new needle. That is the second thing I try after rethreading whichever machine I am having issues with.
5. Use enough pins or clips.
This one is really important if you are new to sewing. After 15+ years of sewing I am not quite so fussy with this one as I was in the beginning, but if a garment needs special care I will make sure to use enough pins or clips to sew it. Helps hold everything where I want it until I get to sewing it together. And then there is (hopefully) less ripping and fewer tears shed.
6. Take your time.
I have found, even with my years of experience, that hurrying never ends well. Just the other week I was hurrying to finish an apron before work THAT MORNING, and yeah. The pocket didn’t get checked for height and I ended up ripping it all off. Now I need to sew it on before I work next week. Will I wait till the last minute again? I sure hope not. But I do work best under pressure, so…
7. If in doubt of fit, make a muslin.
I cannot stress this one enough. If you are in doubt about the fit of a pattern–first time sewing from this designer, first time sewing in this type of fabric, etc.–PLEASE make a muslin or toile. This can save you so much hassle. If I take the time and make a muslin, even if it is out of not-quite-my-favorite-fabric then I can see what adjustments I should have made. Ideally you will find a fabric similar in weight, stretch, body, and such to the piece you want to make your “real” garment from. This way you won’t have to compensate for fabric differences and mess that one up yet too.
8. Press as you go.
Friends, I am very guilty of failing to do this one in my hurrying. But if I do take the time, I always like my garment better. Always. It is easier to press some of those fiddly finnicky places if you do it before you have all the seam sewed up. So do yourself a favor and press as you go. (Preaching to myself as well here.)
9. Follow the suggested instructions for constructing the garment.
You know, when the designer of the pattern drafted the pattern and wrote up the instruction manual, they knew what they were doing. They really did. And occasionally I will think I know better, but ultimately they know how to achieve the end result they wanted. I will sometimes do a FEW things different, but I know that if I am confused with a pattern, the instructions are my best friend.
10. Use good quality thread.
This. One. Is. Huge. Massive. If you are using junky thread, you will either have stress with the sewing of the garment or the garment will fall apart sooner and you’ll get super frustrated. There is nothing more annoying than going to all that work and having a garment come apart at so many seams that you might as well resew it from scratch. Old thread will also mess with your end goals. Old thread is good for hand basting, but not much else. Oh, maybe it can look pretty.
What do you have to add to this list? What do you disagree with? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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