Eimear Hutchinson: There's great joy in learning how to make your own clothes

I WAS chatting with my sister recently, on a rare occasion that we were lucky enough to sit in the same room and not be separated by land and sea, and we got chatting about New Year’s Resolutions.

I know, an odd thing to discuss at the start of February, but conversations take on more meandering twists when you don’t see each other often.

We were reflecting on our resolutions made last year and how we had fared at keeping them throughout the year. This time last year, I had vowed to start making clothes for myself and, all in all, it was a successful year. And a year in which I learned a huge amount not only about making clothes, but it instilled a whole new appreciation for clothes in general.

I was originally eager to start making clothes for two reasons; I wanted to push myself in terms of upskilling and also because I was fed up trying to find clothing I liked and that suited my shape. 

I have spent many a day trawling through the internet and shops in search of the perfect top to wear that fits my ‘not so standard’ shape. I am tall and have a tendency to try and hide the lower part of tummy, that, after four C-sections is never going to be flat.

I usually find tops are just a fraction too short for my liking so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

There is no denying that, even for a relatively seasoned sewist like myself, I found the idea of making clothes overwhelming. It’s a long process from finding a pattern, printing it off and putting it together, cutting it out, and that’s just the pattern. You need to wash your fabric before you start cutting (a step I must admit I frequently skip). You also need space to lay out your fabric and organise your pattern and then you finally get cutting and eventually sewing.

However, I have learned that there is joy in the process and that the satisfaction you get from making your own piece of clothing is far superior to any buzz you get from shopping. 

It is incredibly rewarding to put on a dress or a top that you poured your heart into and to see it on yourself in the mirror.

It has also given me a newfound appreciation for how laborious it is to make clothes; there are so many steps involved in the process, many of which are not automated but done by hand. So, my appreciation for the skill involved in making garments increased significantly.

It has really made me think long and hard about every piece of clothing I have bought in the last year. It is really useful to be able to size up a piece of clothing in shops and make a decision on whether it’s worth spending your hard-earned cash on it, based on how well it is constructed. I love nothing more than inspecting the seams on a garment because it’s a sure sign as to how well it is made.

I have learned a huge amount in the past year and am so delighted with my new skillset. 

If you are interested in learning how to make your own clothes, here are two tips I found useful over the last year, on top of taking a class, because it really is the best way to learn.

Keep it simple to start with – aim for patterns without zips, buttons or binding until you start to get to grips with the basics of putting a garment together.

In the beginning, I bought fabric from the Fabric Outlet in Douglas to practise on, it was cheap but still nice enough that if I made something that worked out, I could still wear it, and if it didn’t work out it wasn’t money wasted.

Material is not cheap to buy in general which, in itself, can be a little off-putting if you put the cost of the material plus the time it takes to make one piece of clothing against how much clothes cost on the high street. But that’s not really the point of making your own clothes; you make your own clothes because fundamentally you love the process of creating something that fits and suits you perfectly.

The other little tip I will impart is to change your sewing needle frequently. 

I had greatly underestimated the frequency at which you should change a needle until I started going to sewing lessons with Joanna (Joanna’s Feeling Crafty) in Glounthaune. A blunt needle will pull and tug at your fabric and inevitably cause your machine to give you trouble, so anticipate the issue and change your needle often.

I am especially pleased with all my creations now that I am back in work – my focus was on comfortable dressy tops and I have a sizeable wardrobe of beautiful tops that are perfect.

Now, instead of looking up websites to buy clothes, you’ll find me on Pinterest searching for the perfect pattern. Sewing for me is an escape, a way to relax but be productive at the same time. A win, win some might say!