Return to 1998 SUMMER Index
Dressmaking's got a bit of a PR problem. It conjures up images of sewing circles, ghastly home-made bridesmaid dresses and dire lessons at primary school, cross-stitching onto green binca. Hardly pulse raising stuff and not a surprise that the Sex and Sewing novel isn't a big genre. Magazines such as Sewing World, Cross Stitcher, Crochet Monthly and Machine Knitting News somehow don't have the same fashion cachet as Elle, Marie Claire and Vogue.
Shame really. Think of sewing in terms of design, couture and tailoring and it begins to have a bit more appeal.
You need never again complain that you can't find the right size, colour, cut or fit. You can pick up on catwalk trends before they've even hit the High Street. Designer patterns mean that you can run up a Donna Karan or Calvin Klein number for a rock bottom price. Alterations are a doddle. And you can save a fortune by making your own cushions and curtains.
The biggest obstacle is that there is an element of skill involved. Paper patterns do include step by step instructions but it definitely helps to be taught or shown some techniques and shortcuts. Get help from friends and family or sign up for an evening class. Better still; find a friend (a mug?) to sew for you.
There's a huge choice of paper patterns available for those who don't want to design their own clothes. The main suppliers are Vogue, Butterwick, Style, Simplicity, Burda and New Look. Prices range from £2.95 to £9.50 with Designer patterns by Vogue at the top end of the scale. The range available is enormous. Most of the pattern manufacturers produce a high fashion range that incorporates current trends and more cutting edge styling. Vogue Elements, Vogue Designer, Burda International and McCall's NYNY are particularly good. Most patterns are conveniently marked to show the level of skill required. Clothes from easy patterns are usually straightforward and can be finished quickly. Look out for Style in Hours, Burda Fast and Easy and Very Easy Vogue. I have to admit that although I've been sewing for years, I still steer well clear of anything marked advanced or plus difficile. The more complex a pattern is the more there is to go wrong.
The majority of British women are size 16 and over yet many High Street shops only make clothes up to 14 or 16. Home sewing can provide the ideal solution to those that despair over finding stylish clothes in larger sizes. Butterwick produce an excellent range of Delta Burke patterns from size 14 – 32. New Look's Up To, Simplicity's Fuller Figure Solutions and McCalls `Fit for Real People' all go up to 32. Vogue also have an elegant range called Vogue Woman with sizes to 24.
Dress-making skills are particularly useful when it comes to special occasions such as weddings and black tie dinners. The range of patterns and fabrics far surpasses what is available ready made and big cost savings can be made. It may be worth tracking down specialist shops to obtain beautiful fabrics and silks. A personal favourite supplier is Soho Silk, 24 Berwick Street, London. An Aladdin's cave stocking an incredible range of silks, with some of the cheapest prices in London.
Patience and attention to detail are useful skills but by no means essential. My own shortfalls in these areas are compensated for by excellent damage limitation skills. Cock-ups are standard but have never yet proved completely disastrous. My most trusted aid is a seam ripper, used to unpick things that have gone wrong. I've burnt holes in ball dresses, mislaid sleeves, electrocuted myself and ruined scissors by using them for wire-cutting. I'm embarrassed to admit that it took me two years to get around to hemming my sitting room curtains. But (amazingly) things somehow seem to work out. It's ironic that my C.S.E. needlework course at school has proved to be of such lasting benefit. I can't remember a thing about differentiation, organic chemistry or photosynthesis but I can still run up a dress and turn up a hem.
Fashion lovers take note. Dressmaking is definitely cutting edge.
Recommended reference books.
Dorling Kindersley -The Complete Book of Sewing. Dorling Kindersley 1996. £25. A comprehensive guide and source book of sewing techniques. Photographic step by step instructions. Suitable for beginners and more experienced sewers alike. As well as techniques, there are chapters on fabrics, patterns and sewing machines.
The Coats Book of Soft Furnishing by Elaine Brumstead. Dorling Kindersley 1987. Excellent source book of tips and techniques for making curtains, bed linen, blinds, lampshades, chair covers and cushions. Clear step by step instructions.