anyone know of good resources for free sewing patterns?? i'm new to sewing, so i'm looking for fairly simple things to start out with, but i'm interested in making skirts, dresses, vests, bags. also interested in repurposing and modifying clothing. also, any places to get inexpensive material all i've got to work with right now is scraps, and i don't have much money to spend. thanks!
Thrift stores are great for finding cheap patterns. You can go to a Goodwill distribution center and buy clothes by the pound. I love searching out awesome vintage corduroy and patching it together for new things! Happy hunting! :2thumbsup:
Sewing is to make pattern with creativity, so you can find many designs on various blogs and other art sites. In order to see live examples of this art then thrift store is the most preferred place to see such examples.
I have found a ton of free patterns on pinterest. You can find fabric at the Goodwill or other thrift stores sometimes. I also buy clothes there that are too big and cut them up to make something better.
How is your geometry? Some history recreation sites will give you math equations to convert your body measurements into a period pattern from scratch. once you make a fitted patern, like a bodice, there are dozens of sites that tell you how to modify an original pattern in different ways. Check into Gothic Lolita sewing tutorials. Most of the style is made of rectangles gathered down to the body and can be a good starting point for pattern creation. There are also lots of sites with customization methods for pre-made patterns to bring every line just where you want it. you can get these at second hand stores and rummage sales really cheep for a spring board. Tailoring scraps for custom doll clothing patterns is a low fabric use way to start learning more complicated tailoring than simple rectangle and triangles. Depending on the doll, you can print a whole pattern in scale with seam allawance, then play with additions and subtractions to the design to get a sense of how flat shapes become 3-d garments of different styles. This is how i finally learned how to fit a sleve to a shirt, without killing all my fabric stash. I sugest a doll like Monster High with extreme curves so you can get an ideal of how to shape things around your less extreem figure. Old garments can be dissected and used as a pattern. You can also take one apart and put it back together to see how it works. This is how I learned to make kimono and obi the traditional way. Some used ones I had were ripped, so I had a look inside to see what made them tick. Bed sheets and curtains can come up used and cheep. Some are even worth being seen in. The nasty looking ones are good for test fabric to check your fit, save the pretty ones for when you are happy with your pattern. Also watch how thick your curtains are since velvet will make a pretty coat, but may not sit right with a sun dress pattern. Comertial patterns have a fabric weight guide with the right seam allowance for each weight, but homemade patterns may be trial and error. And always know where your seam ripper is. Mistakes happen. Even after YEARS of practice. Don't panic, plan for WHEN it goes wrong. My mom taught me and has been sewing for 35 years and still needs to pop out seams, and you will too.
