A Garment Construction Plan; 25 Steps to Successful Sewing
I’ve always loved the excitement and sheer certainty that comes with starting an ambitious new project. Once the fabric is in hand, it feels like it is only hours until I get to wear this dream de jour. Each moment spent preparing, is filled with thoughts such as, “what shoes should I wear with it?” “What kind of bag goes with awesome?” Oh and – “where will I wear it?” Of course, as a mom, I quickly realize that time slips away and those mere hours from concept to ‘all decked out’ turn into weeks or months. When I was much younger, it was nothing to stay up all night and sew a new outfit for school the next day, or for some dance or occasion. I can still picture myself sitting on the floor in my room, sketching, cutting, sewing and dreaming the days away. I’ve managed to hold onto a few of those pieces that I made early on. When I look at them now, part of me is appalled by the lack of skill and obvious haste in which these clothes were made- but the other is touched with the charming memories and joy of the sheer zeal and passion of my younger self.
In the decades that have passed, I’ve refined my skills. While some of my training has been formal, much has been learned through trial and error. It takes time to learn to sew well. Part of it is being able to execute a set of individual skills, but so many aspects of sewing are interdependent. Fabric, fit, structure, design; if any one of these is less than ideally balanced then the project is a flop.
There are as many methods and ways to sew as there are people who sew. Some of my favorite projects for beginners- and anyone who is enthusiastic about sewing, are purses and other wearable fashion accessories. They are fairly quick, a great opportunity to try out new techniques and don’t always require lots of fabric and experience. In fact, if you are ready to jump in right now, I have written a lots of blog posts with tutorials and a couple of books on sewing fashion accessories. (Shameless plug!)
Cutting, marking, pinning, basting, stitching, seam finishing, trimming, pressing, stabilizing- all of these techniques are used in sewing over and over no matter what it is you are making. While there is a general order of construction to follow, and some guidelines, there happen to be a lot of exceptions too. This can lead to unnecessary frustration for beginners!
When you buy a pattern, whether indie or from one of the big commercial companies, you will find several pages of directions for constructing the project. The instructions begin with a few line drawings and a list of pattern pieces that will need to be cut out, marked and sewn together. Most beginner – Intermediate patterns will rely on the method of unit construction. Unit construction means that you will work on a single piece, completing as much as possible before moving on to the next. This method offers many advantages to the beginner. By keeping the work flat, it reduces handling of the fabric which could lead to stretching and distortion in inexperienced hands. The straightforward finishing and construction is mostly completed on the machine, which speeds up the sewing process. When you are learning how to sew, there are so many details that you need to consider, that projects calling for very basic techniques and few pattern pieces are a great place to begin.
As you gain more sewing experience, you will begin to anticipate the sewing instruction order. The easier patterns will use basic construction methods, but as you move on to more advanced styles, you will be working on multiple steps at once. Pattern instructions are often minimal and presuppose some type of working knowledge. This is where books, sewing classes, and articles about specific techniques come in handy- they help to fill in the knowledge gap.
No matter how simple or advanced a project you are making, the steps will be outlined with a plan. With this plan, even complicated construction can be simplified. A sewing project begins with preparing the fabric and pattern before moving on to fitting, shaping and finishing. Some patterns have more information and are more detailed than others. I have found that those new to sewing are often apprehensive to work bit out of order from the pattern for fear of ruining their project. Additionally, many patterns that my students bring in are written without much emphasis on fitting and finer finishes.
With this in mind, I have written a plan for garment construction with an eye toward fitting and design. Of course, this list is not exhaustive and will not apply to every project. Some of your garments you make may not have every detail that I’ve mentioned- and some will have more. I encourage you to use this as more of a companion to your pattern instructions so that you can begin to make connections to the steps and to discover how to integrate new techniques.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we can take a deeper look into the organization of this plan. My goal is to help you to not only understand what you are doing, but why. Once you understand that, sewing will become so much easier.
Garment Construction Plan
25 Steps to Success
Preparation
Study the pattern.
Compare your body measurements to the pattern and make any necessary pattern adjustments.
Prepare the fabric by straightening the grainline.
Layout the fabric and pattern pieces. Pin (or use weights) fabric to pattern when you are pleased with the layout.
Once you have determined that you have all of the necessary pieces laid out correctly on the grain, double check again to confirm before cutting.
Mark all of the construction details.
Staystitch each garment section.
Interface each area as suggested in your pattern.
Stitch and press all darts, tucks, pleats or gathers.
Shaping
Prepare all lining or underlining.
If there are any style lines such as a yoke or princess seams, pin and stitch.
Stitch the center front and center back seams.
Prepare and apply style details such as tabs and pockets.
Baste the shoulder seams.
Baste the side seams and inseam.
Try on for fit. If you are pleased with the fit, go ahead and stitch the shoulder, side seams and inseam. Remove basting.
When the design calls for a waistband, prepare and attach it to the seam.
When the style features a collar, make it.
When the design calls for sleeves, set and stitch the sleeves
If a neckline or armhole needs a facing, prepare and attach the facing.
Finishing
If a zipper is needed, insert it.
Finish the inside seams.
Set and sew the hems
Add the closures-buttons, buttonhole and snaps..
Complete any other hand finishing.
*Throughout each step, have your iron and pressing cloth ready.
Here is a handy PDF of versions this plan for you to print and keep with your sewing books and patterns.