Thread: Dressmaking

I am thinking of taking dressing making course in September and i was wondering if it is worth doing. The fact that you can make them to fit you exactly and the time to make them aside, is it worth making your own costumes today? I would love to know what people think, especially if you already make costumes.
Thank you for looking.

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Go for it! Dress and costume making is such a valuable skill to have! It's fun to make your own costumes and what if someday you have an idea for an act but can't find the perfect costume pre-made?
I'd take a similar course if I could!

I just can't believe its not taught properly in schools these days. Like gizasangria says its a valuable skill to have. I'd certainly recommend anyone to take it up, and if you or anyone are stuck I'm always happy to help where I can. good luck
denise x

Well I don't do dress making but I do occasionally make costumes and I wish I'd done a course because I'm sure that would help, however all in all it has been a useful skill to learn, I even made myself a nice breathable ski jacket a few years ago that is still going strong, so well worth learning the skills

I'd love to do a dressmaking course. Unfortunately, the nearest class I can find since my local adult college closed down is a good hour and a half away (and that's without factoring in public transport restrictions). So even if I could afford to shell out for the course in the first place, it'd end up costing me twice as much in travel. And that's cost that I just can't afford right now.

I have started making some of my own costume pieces though. They're not exactly what you'd call professional - or even well-constructed! - but they work for what I want them to do. I'm very much using the method of 'cut a bit of fabric to about the right shape, hem it, pin it mercilessly in place and then sew it so it won't fall apart'. So I've got a few bustles, skirts, bikini tops etc. that are very durable, work perfectly for my acts, and are very pretty (once I customise them with rhinestones etc.), but which would have a seamstress in tears if she saw the way I'd put them together! I'd love to learn the proper way to make clothes, but for now, my limited and very geometrical method is the best I can do.

Go for it! It's an incredibly valued skill. I taught myself to sew when I was younger, and I wish I had gone to a proper course, as it's taken me much longer to learn all the important skills of patternmaking and such. Plus it's always cool when you get compliments on something you've made, and having poeple ask where you bought it.

xx

Trixie

If there's a good basic course nearby then give it a go. But I'm a great believer in determination and a good sewing book (like the Vogue one or the Reader's Digest one - I've also heard good things about Sew U). It's amazing what you can pick up on your own. sewingpatternreview.com is a very good resource too. There's nothing the women on that forum don't know about sewing!

I've been sewing since I was a teenager but last year I did a pattern cutting course. It was well worth the money and time because now I don't need to fork out for patterns any more and everything I make will fit me perfectly. I say go for it. If you need any help with anything there are plenty of us sewers on here with lots of hints and tips.
good luck
x

Originally Posted by trixie das booty

Go for it! It's an incredibly valued skill. I taught myself to sew when I was younger, and I wish I had gone to a proper course, as it's taken me much longer to learn all the important skills of patternmaking and such. Plus it's always cool when you get compliments on something you've made, and having poeple ask where you bought it.

I agree, I taught myself to sew as well and it is really cool when someone compliments you on something you've made. I think going on a course is probably worth it as learning by trial and error does take longer. I say go for it, it's a very handy skill to have.

I've taught myself over the last year but I wish I'd been taught it at school or done a basic course earlier on as it would have saved me a heck of a lot of time instead of discovering things via library books and the internet and I bet there's a whole load of 'secrets' or tips I don't know about that could make making costumes etc easier.

I had a look at the courses being run by my local adult education centre this year but to be honest I dont want to spend money going back and learning some of the basics I've already stumbled through learning myself, so I'm going to do a corset making course or similar sometime in the future.

But I say if you haven't done anything before and the course isn't too pricey, go for it because it will save you from a lot of hair-pulling out in the early days