Eimear Hutchinson: I've started making my own clothes...

I MADE myself a New Year’s resolution that this year would be the year I start making some of my own clothes.

I know, you’re probably asking yourself why I am talking about New Year’s resolutions so far into the year, but for some strange reason I dwelled too long on the idea and ended up leaving myself totally overwhelmed.

I spent so long trawling through Pinterest and blogs in search of the perfect dress that I completely psyched myself out.

I started sewing about 15 years ago but I have only really started improving in the last year. I taught myself the basic techniques through a mixture of trial and error, YouTube and step by step tutorials on various blogs. Lately, I have been trying to slow down and tidy up my sewing, taking the time to sew more even stitches and neater edges.

I started a dressmaking class in Fermoy and it was this that pushed me to go home and start my first dress. I also recently stumbled upon the idea of zero waste dressmaking which really appealed to me. Previously, when I went looking at patterns in shops they all struck me as a little old fashioned. You can purchase any amount of patterns online in pdf format but that means you have to print them off at home and stick the pages together before you even start cutting out the pattern and transferring it to fabric. 

That can take up both a lot of paper and a lot of time, and I am time-poor, so it was a step that struck me as painfully tedious.

Zero waste patterns come in a handful of pages to download (no sticking together of patterns so it cuts down on paper use) and it usually involves a little mathematics. 

It is generally a series of rectangles cut out to form different elements like the skirt, the sleeves, the bodice and the bindings, and you can get clever with ruffles, binding and cuffs as you hone your skills. Some patterns are dependent upon the width of the bolt of fabric you bought or as you get more tuned in you start to know the width of material that suits you best.

The zero waste patterns also use a lot less fabric, because there is no waste, which I find useful. Fabric isn’t cheap and if you are only starting out, it’s nice to be able to create something without the pressure of thinking the material you are making a mess with cost a lot.

I started with Birgitta Helmersson’s Zero Waste Wrap Dress because it was a silhouette I gravitated towards, a boxy oversized dress with plenty of ‘hacks’ or tweaks you can make to create a very different looking dress from the same pattern. The first iteration worked out well, but considering it is based off the width of fabric you have bought, it ended up being a very full and wide dress. I added some elastic to the waste to sinch it in a little bit which worked well and I have to say it’s a very beautiful dress.

My second adventure in dressmaking was the Maya Ruffle dress from DIY Daisy. Again, zero waste in a slightly different style that worked out really well but, again, it needed elastic around the waist to make it look more like a dress and less like a hospital gown!

At this point I was feeling slightly disheartened, so I sat down and I looked at what I had learned and what I liked about the two dresses I had made. 

I drafted up my own dress, making the rectangles a little less wide, and this time it was a case of third time lucky and it is perfect! I am so thrilled.

I used four rectangles of fabric to create a cap sleeve, midi dress. I used binding that I made with the same fabric to hem to sleeves and the v-neck and left a little binding hanging down to make a tie bow at the front because I do not have the bust to fill any sort of dress.

In terms of supplies, you don’t need much to get started in dressmaking. I buy my fabric online, opting for printed dressmaking cotton so far as it is easy to work with. I buy from Vibes and Scribes in Cork, the Fabric Counter, the Craft and Sewing Basket in Sligo, or the Crafty Fox (which stocks Liberty fabric). I have a basic Singer sewing machine I got in Lidl some years ago. I treated myself to a decent fabric scissors that I guard closely. Everything else you probably have at home anyway like an iron, chalk, a ruler and some pins.

My adventures in dressmaking have thus far been thoroughly enjoyable and very rewarding. Next up, I want to try a top or a blouse as I struggle to find tops long enough for my torso (why is everything cropped lately?). If you had any notion to try dress-making, I would highly recommend it, it’s nowhere near as difficult as you think it is and it’s hugely satisfying!