Scissors, for fabric, for trimming thread and for cutting patterns (that's 3 pairs in total - never use your dressmaking scissors to cut paper as it will blunt the blades)

Pattern weights – used to stop your fabric moving around while you're cutting out a pattern. These are easy to make yourself with our DIY pattern weights tutorial Helen Rhiannon is an award-winning designer specializing in bespoke wedding dresses. Helen was fortunate to grow up by the picturesque coastline of Gower in Swansea, Wales, where she still lives. She creates beautiful, timeless, handmade gowns from her studio. Basic techniques needed are covered at the start of the book – including seam allowances, notches, cutting out, pinning, machine sewing and finishing. How to sew a hem and how to hem pants – hemming a pair of trousers is an essential skill for those of us who struggle to buy trousers off the shelf, use our step by step guide to master the technique. How to sew a button – if you only learn one skill, then make it this one! It might save the day if you have a fashion emergency.

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Having made sorry, having attempted to make own clothes, this book makes it so much easier, and a pleasure at last

With very few exceptions, we all wear clothes and have drawers and wardrobes full of them. Very few of us know the person who made our clothes, or even which country they were made in. In this post we look at a few of the basics of dressmaking for beginners.account differences in body size across bust, waist and hips. Trace off your pattern pieces, then create a sample (toile) in calico which you can then adapt to create the dress of your dreams, in your own choice of fabulous fabric. Dressmaking The Easy Guide - Helen Rhiannon. A practical and visual guide to create customized dresses that will be a perfect fir for your body. The key to this book lies in discarding conventional high street sizing and taking measurements of YOUR body. Helen explains how to take comprehensive measurements of your own figure and some extra useful measurements too, with a handy chart you can copy and use. I love that Helen has included measurements of real women so you can see her method in action. Helen has gained a solid reputation for her superlative dressmaking skills which has led her to share her knowledge and passion through teaching. Helen set up the 'All Sewn Up Wales' sewing workshops in 2010, designed to help people learn and develop new skills, whilst meeting like-minded creative people. Her expert tuition has attracted students from around the world and she regularly makes guest appearances on national television. How to sew gathers – if you're a fan of the Great British Sewing Bee then you'll have seen lots of gathers on the show! Gathers can be used to create skirt waistlines, ruffled sleeves and much more. If you want to make your own clothes, this is a really handy skill to learn. We have collected a range of sewing techniques which were featured on the show too.