Making your own clothes can give you the creative freedom that you crave while also allowing you to create unique pieces that you can’t find anywhere else. Best of all, you get to save money on clothes without compromising your love for fashion,and you can even make money by selling your creations online.
But before you can start making your own clothes, here are the tools and equipment you need:
Fabric
One of the biggest expenses that come with making your own clothes is fabric. There are all sorts of fabric that you can buy from trusted online quilt shops or fabric stores with varying prices and levels of quality. Depending on your budget, you can probably get a good amount of fabric for cheap if you buy in bulk. But when you’re just starting out, it’s better to purchase cheaper fabric for practice to avoid wasting more expensive material.
Iron and ironing board
You probably already have an iron and ironing board in the house, but you might want to consider buying ones of your own. In this way, you won’t have to share them when other people in the house need to iron their clothes.
Measuring tools
Taking accurate measurements is one of the most important steps involved in making clothes. The measuring tools you need are a retractable tape measure, a seam guard, a yardstick, and a regular ruler. Again, you probably already have these in your house, but it won’t hurt to invest in ones to be used for clothes making only.
Sketchbook and drawing materials
Designing your own clothes is fun, especially if you have a high-quality sketchpadto store your designs in. Apart from that, you should also have drawing materials that will allow you to effectively express your visions on paper.
Cutting tools
Cutting is another crucial step in making clothes, which is why investing in the right cutting tools is a must. You wouldn’t want to waste fabric by making poor cuts, so make sure you have high-quality dressmaking shears, a seam ripper, a small pair of scissors (for cutting loose threads), and regular paper scissors in your tool kit.
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is probably the most expensive equipment that you need for making your own clothes. There are two types of sewing machines you can choose from: industrial and domestic. Industrial sewing machines are more powerful and faster, but they are usually costlier and take up a lot of space. Domestic sewing machines, on the other hand, are more versatile and powerful, but aren’t as fast as industrial ones and don’t work well with heavy fabrics.
To decide which type of sewing machine you should get, think about the kind of clothes you want to make and how fast you want to make them. If you’re making your own clothes as a hobby and don’t mind a slower, less powerful machine, a domestic sewing machine should be enough. But if you want to produce clothes at a faster rate and want to work with heavy fabrics, an industrial sewing machine might be a better fit.
Sewing tools
This is the most basic tool that any aspiring dressmaker should have. Get a complete sewing kit with needles, thread, a threader, and a thimble.
Marking tools
When making clothes, you would need to mark fabric regularly. Obtain marking tools such as tailor’s chalk, tracing patterns, pins, and a pincushion.
Mannequin
A mannequin is optional, but having one can make the process of dressmaking much easier. It’s also a great way to ensure that the clothes will fit you without taking them on and off and risking damaging the piece before it’s finished.
These are everything you need to start your journey of making your own clothes. If you want to go a bit further, you can also invest in fabric sewing guides, extra feet for your sewing machine, pressing aids, and other tools that will help make dressmaking easier.