Sewing skills were highly valued at all times, and the ability to create a unique thing for your wardrobe is relevant today. Possession of these skills provides many benefits. For example, you do not need to contact the atelier every time you make a new purchase in order to fit the pants in length, or stitch up the open seams on the baby's jacket. The main thing on the question of how to learn to sew from scratch is patience and leisurely, as mastery comes with time and experience.
Taking measurements
Before learning how to sew from scratch, it is useful to learn how to take measurements correctly, since a good fit of the product on the figure depends on it. To do this, you will need a centimeter tape (it is better to use a new one, since over time this device tends to stretch, regardless of what material it is made of), a pen and a sheet. When measuring, the following information may be useful:
- The person should be in light clothing or underwear.
- When taking measurements, you need to maintain a free direct posture without stress. In this case, the legs can be put together or slightly apart, and hands can be lowered.
- The tape should not be stretched or loosened, nor should any allowances be made for fitting, since they are laid when constructing the basis of the patterns. Measurements should be taken tightly on the figure.
- The waistline is the narrowest point on the body, and to make it easier to take other measurements, you need to tie this area with a cord.
- Vertical measurements, such as chest height or arm length, must be taken on the right side of the body.
Basic measurements
To learn how to sew and tailor yourself, as mentioned above, you need to take measurements correctly. In this case, the main measurements are:
- - chest circumference, while the tape runs horizontally along the most prominent points of the mammary glands in women. And for men, this measurement is carried out simply by grasping the chest.
- - waist circumference, a centimeter tape is placed along the already tied lace on the body.
- - thigh circumference, measurement is taken along the most convex region of the buttocks.
Knowing these values, you can successfully select the size of patterns of the model you like in the fashion magazine. Moreover, the measurements of O G and O T are the main values for the shoulder products, O B is the main measurement in the selection of belt wardrobe items.
Cutting Methods
Another important point in the question of how to learn to sew from scratch is the definition of the cut method. There are several ways of arranging patterns:
- Face to face - while the fabric is bent with the front side inward. Using this method, pair symmetrical parts are cut.
- Face down (in a U-turn) - the material is laid on the wrong side up, and the patterns are made in two samples or a mirror layout is performed.
- Face up - the same, just the opposite.
In this case, two reversal methods are used when cutting asymmetric parts or when sewing from fabrics with a directed pattern or pile.
Useful Tips
Before learning how to sew from scratch on patterns of a product made independently, it is better to sew several models according to the finished patterns offered by fashion magazines. This is due to the fact that in this way you can gain experience and knowledge about many things, for example, about the depth of tucks on the chest, or what the preferred length of the skirt is already relative to your figure. Having removed the patterns on the patterns in the magazine, you can start cutting. Before this, it’s useful to find out a few points:
- Patterns are laid out, as a rule, in the direction of the warp thread, which can be determined by several signs, for example, by trying to stretch the fabric. Moreover, the side that does not change size is the desired value. You can also look at the material in the light: warp threads are located more directly compared to weft guides.
- The consumption of fabric increases if the layout is performed at an angle of 45 ° to the main thread.
- It so happens that it is impossible to distinguish the front side of the fabric from the wrong surface. This can be done along the edge. So, a smoother edge is on the front surface. Also, if pins are used in the production of material to fix the edges, then this is done from the wrong side.
In conclusion, we can say that learning to sew from scratch for free is a completely feasible dream. There are many resources where you can learn about this skill. At the same time, it’s better to hone this art on simple models and inexpensive fabrics. Thus, you can gain experience and avoid unwanted waste.