How to Turn to Sewing to Personalize Your Clothes

Attend a fashion show today and see models of various body types showcasing the hottest fashions. This sends out the message that it is not about altering your body to fit designer clothes but about customizing the clothes to fit your body. The real attraction to the models is their perfectly-tailored, trendy clothes. Although the retail industry is improving the design of clothing to appeal to various body types: pear-shaped, hourglass, apple-shaped, spark plug, and noodle, it has not yet mastered creating a blueprint in every style for everyone's exact body proportion. As a result, shoppers go from store to store and even online to find stylish clothing with the ideal fit. Since it is no fun trying on clothes made for someone else, why not take responsibility for creating your best image by sewing? Make yourself the creator of your favorite article of clothing.

My interest in sewing began as a child when I would hand sew clothes for my dolls. Then in middle school, I took a Home Economics course where I learned about several sewing techniques and began to sew basic patterns. Now I am sewing a more detailed pattern for a tunic. If you've never sewn, don't let the idea of reading patterns and operating sewing machines intimidate you. Following a pattern is no different from using a recipe to create a dish or a do-it-yourself guide to construct a shelf. In fact, you are a perfect candidate for sewing clothes if you can answer yes to the following descriptions: you desire a new hobby, you are creative and enjoy making things, and you are frustrated with the limited size selections when shopping for stylish clothes. Treat clothes the way picky eaters treat food. When you are health-conscious, you prefer to prepare your own food rather than to eat out. Likewise, when you are image-conscious, you can sew your own clothes from time to time. This allows you to customize clothing according to exact body measurements, best style, right material, and favorite color.

When planning to sew, I advise beginners to choose patterns with easy-to-follow instructions such as Simplicity and Easy that you can purchase in cloth shops or Walmart superstores. Pattern books are available at these stores for you to browse various styles of blouses, vests, skirts, dresses, and pants. These books contain pattern numbers that are used to locate patterns stored in cabinets while you may see other patterns that are openly displayed on racks. It is important to note the size range at the top of the pattern. The next step is to choose the fabric of your choice in the amount of yards needed, which you will spot on the back of your pattern. You will also need materials such as a sewing machine, needles, thread, straight pins, thimbles, sharp scissors, a ruler, zippers, buttons, snaps, hooks, and elastic. Then when you are ready to sew, you will need to select a spacious working area with a table to set the sewing machine and spread out the fabric along with a stool or chair. It is best to divide your sewing project into steps that can be accomplished over several days. For a newbie, the first day should be spent getting acquainted with the sewing machine which needs to be threaded properly. The second day can be spent cutting out the pattern that you attach with straight pins to the material that you will cut out. Then on the third day, you can preview the instructions of the pattern that includes brief definitions to the terminology such as fold line and grainline and symbols such as those for right and wrong side. Finally, you can begin sewing.

Of most concern, our society is so caught up with instant gratification that very few people consider sewing clothes as an option. Yet, the rewards of sewing outweigh the main drawback of being time-consuming. A major benefit of sewing is the feeling of accomplishment after completing a garment. Sewing at least one article of clothing helps you see clothes in a whole new light. Unlike when buying ready-made clothes, sewing brings you to appreciate the effort, detail, and creativity that go into making clothes. Another benefit of sewing is the satisfaction that you feel with custom-made clothing that fits your exact measurements. Interestingly, surveys from the Lifestyle Monitor TM have revealed that 49% of women feel that today's fashions don't complement their figures and 45% typically have no success in finding their sizes in the clothes of their choice. One of the factors for this is inconsistent size standards among department stores. Conversely, patterns for sewing provide measurements on the back that let you know your true size. Therefore, by sewing, you can take pride in having clothes that are custom-made for you and by you.