How to Sew Clothes can help you get your studio set up, choose a sewing machine, sew your first stitches, find fabric you love, and gather all the tools you need!
What kind of clothes do you like to wear? Those are the kinds of clothes you can learn to sew! Start with your wardrobe, find what you love and what you need more of, and sew your way toward that! We like simple clothes, so our patterns are simple — but simple can very quickly become complex, even secretly, even in little ways!
Using the envelope full of patterns (bust circumferences 32-62” / 81-157 cm) and the instructions included in this book, start sewing bags, plus a box top, a dress, and a cardigan coat or jacket that will fit you exactly right. We’ll tell you everything you need to know to sew your own clothes and bags— and how to have fun in the process.
The book also has lots of writing about how it feels to sew, and about continuing your sewing practice for a long time once you get started!
Box Top
If you’re looking for a place to start, the Box Top is a good one. It’s a true building block, a pattern to learn and grow with — a really great first sewing project or hundredth sewing project. The box top is a sort of blank canvas for beautiful fabric to shine. Sew one for yourself, customize it to your body and style, and wear it until it’s threadbare.
Cardigan Coat
The all well cardigan coat is a foundational sewing pattern for a simple and versatile layering piece that can fill any wardrobe hole you throw at it! This pattern is appropriate for beginners and advanced sewists and everyone in between, as it’s an opportunity to experiment and make choices as you sew to make a completely unique garment each time you pick up the pattern. You can also make a quilt coat! There’s a whole chapter about it!
