Advice for sewing newbies?

[Sophia Maria]

Hey all,

Now that I've realized that I will be obsessed and madly in love with bellydance for the rest of my natural life, I figured it's time to learn how to sew! So, the only thing I've done is sewing the elastic on my zills. That's it. I really want to learn more! I won't be able to start until June, probably, because of my busy school schedule, but I was thinking maybe starting with some very simple things, like making a pillowcase, a blanket, and then a tote bag. My mother also suggested I try a simple circle skirt with an elastic waist by the end of the summer, so I have the material for that. Fortunately, she has sewing experience and can give me pointers!

Who here likes to sew? Do you have advice for some beginner projects, or even advice for the circle skirt?

I can't wait to make my very own costume

 

[Shanazel]

Welcome to the wonderful world of sewing!

There are a lot of us who like to sew. Amulya is particularly good at making costumes out of "stuff."

Go to the library or local fabric store and find a basic sewing guide. I learned to sew on my own using The Simplicity Sewing Book which is still in print (albeit updated) forty years after I bought my first copy. I also like Claire Schaffer's guide to fabric for tips on handling and sewing unfamiliar fabric. Many libraries carry copies of Threads, Sew Stylish, or similar magazines that are great sources of tips and inspiration.

For online belly dance costume information Dina Lydia's The Costume Goddess at Bellydance Costume Goddess Tells All: Enter is the classic. Several members of OD also have online sites that feature costume instructions; I'm sure they'll come by to share the addresses.

All your proposed projects are well chosen to give you confidence and satisfaction. A gathered skirt is also an easy project and something that you can wear as well.

A circle skirt presents a difficulty or two because it is cut on bias. I suggest using a fabric that is easy to handle and sew- silk, chiffon, and other slippery fabrics can drive a person nuts. I like rayon challis- it has a good hand (feel and ability to drape), comes in nice colors and prints, and is relatively easy to sew. My favorite circle skirt is made from black and gold challis.

Be sure and check out the costume subforum for threads on construction techniques and other discussions. I'll ask the appropriate moderator to transfer this thread to costumes as well.

 

[LilithNoor]

A simple panel skirt is probably the easiest BD project to start with, as they have straight seams and aren't cut on the bias.

 

[Amulya]

Thanks Shan

I recommend to browse this section of the forum for tips, tricks and patterns. We've also got a costume encouragement thread where you can post questions and post pictures for advice

 

[Sophia Maria]

Aha! Should have realized to post in the Dance Costume forum, thank you to whoever shifted it over for me

Thanks for the tips and advice, I will try to hang out in the Dance Costume forum for some time, and in the meantime haunt the local fabric stores!

 

[Bellydance Oz]

I've written a few basic articles on my site, Bellydance Bazaar. I'm not a dressmaker but that's exactly why I wrote them - they're basically how to sew a belly dance outfit when you can't sew for toffee

However my absolute favourite site for sewing tips is this:
Shushanna Designs: Bases for Bras

 

[indrayu]

I'll second the advice about the circle skirt. When laid out flat, they are BIG. You need a large working area to lay the fabric out for cutting, and you don't realise how far it is around the hem until you have been at the sewing machine for ages, and still the end is nowhere in sight!

It has been a while since I looked at the sites secommended, so can't remember if any include these sewing tips, so at the risk of repeating things, here's some advice for achieving a good finish on any sewing project:

Lay the fabric flat for all cutting and pinning, even small sections

Press every seam as soon as it has been sewn; don't cross it with another seam until you have done this

Try the garment on to check and make fitting adjustments before committing to stitching - but be wary of cutting off what seems to be excess until you are 110 percent sure!

(My mother was a dressmaker in an era when high standards were the norm. These things were drilled into me from childhood)

Good luck with your projects, there's limitless possibilities for creativity, independence and money-saving! (Oh, maybe not the savings, buying fabric with good intentions can become an addiction )

 

[Aniseteph]

Seconding or thirding or wherever we'd got to on the circle skirt. A generous one takes loads of fabric so you don't necessarily save anything over buying one, the bias causes problems, hemming takes forever and if you didn't hang it long enough guess what? You have to trim it level again, and you get to re do the hemming.

Also ITA with Shanazel on difficult fabrics. I've been sewing for years and it's how to handle those slippery, fine, stretchy or plain awkward (glitterdot, yay! ) fabrics that causes problems for me.

If you want a swooshy wide skirt and are into the Tribal side then a tiered cotton skirt is more straightforward IMO. The miles of gathering might drive you crazy, but the fabric behaves itself and the seams are straight and machine-friendly.

 

[Amulya]

I only made a circle skirt once and it will stay that way It's cheaper to buy one ready made than buy the fabric and make one. Half circle veils are a nightmare as well....

 

[Sophia Maria]

Hmmmm...this is helpful! I think I will eventually try the circle skirt project, if only to learn how to work through the kinks of a potentially frustrating project.

 

[Shanazel]

I've made a lot of circle skirts over the years and actually enjoy the process most of the time, but I've been sewing a long time and am a bit of a masochist in these matters: the first dress I ever made was both tailored and fully lined because no one told me these were advanced techniques.

A skirt cut on bias uses more fabric than a skirt cut on grain and the waste can be considerable- something that really galls me. I am a saver of scraps and recently made a tribal belt that included left over fabric from the first circle skirts I made thirty-four years ago. I still have fabric from that first dress I made when I was fifteen. I have not been fifteen for a very, very long time. I've learned to judge fabric amounts better than I used to but scraps do have a way of accumulating.

 

[Aniseteph]

... scraps do have a way of accumulating.

Don't they though?

 

[teela]

Yup, scraps do accumulate and I use them for quilted items, for adding here and there on my bellydance outfits, and depending on the type of material and what it looks like, I sometimes use the scraps for beaded appliques. I did see a technique where you take scraps, put the sticky stuff on them, cut the scraps into bits and use the bits to create tree leaves etc so it looks like a tree. You iron it in place so it stays.

 

[Shanazel]

Heeeeeyyyyyyy! New thread: What to do with leftover costume materials?
I'm off to start it. :dance:

Later: Teela, I copied your post to the new thread and made a bit of a muff of it since it appears before my posts explaining the thread. Guess people will figure it out if I don't get it straightened out.

 

[Suzanne Azhaar]

My advise for sewing~ go to the local fabric stores and get on their 'shoppers list'. When their circular comes they contain money saving coupons. 40% or 50% off of nine yards at $8 per yard is quite a savings.

 

[teela]

First, check your local hancocks, Joanne's or other fabric shop to see if they have some sort of basic sewing course to get the basics.

Second, when you are ready, I would try Harem pants as they are usually not very hard at all and made of rectangles. Once you get a bit more experienced try a dress here Sewing for belly dance | sewing and tailoring as it has nice directions.

 

[Amulya]

I have put a few video tuturials in this thread:
Costume How To Video Tutorials Thread - Belly Dance Forums

Some very good tips in there for newbies

 

[Daimona]

I only made a circle skirt once and it will stay that way It's cheaper to buy one ready made than buy the fabric and make one. Half circle veils are a nightmare as well....

Me too, but I am about to resew mine again. It feels like I have to resew and adjust the skirt every time I use it (despite letting it hang for a long time before I hemmed it in the first place about a year ago) and it still needs some adjustments (need to be done by Saturday, so I'm actually in a hurry - why have I spent all evening on this forum instead?). Adding the fact that circle skirts in general looks terrible on me, I'm pretty sure this will be my only circle skirt ever.

I'm also about to adjust my 3-tiered skirt (by April). I've already adjusted the bottom tier (which is 10 m long!) and sworn that I never will do that again, but as it has way too much fabric around my hips I have to adjust this part of it too. Not planning any new tiered skirts either (the design of the tiered skirt fit is as bad to me as the circle skirt).


There are many skirts that are easier to sew and require less space than both circle skirts and tiered skirts.

If you don't know what kind of skirt will suit your body type, see Dina The Costume Goddess' articles on this.


As others have said, a panel skirt is rather easy to sew. A narrow sheat/penal skirt is also very easy even for a beginner (i.e. if this is something you would like to have): Take one or two pieces of fabric, stitch the side seam(s) (leave a split if desired). Try it on and make small darts around the upper hem so it fits nicely around your hips and bum and finish the hems.

My favourite skirt pattern is this pattern with fitted panels and it has served as a base for 4 of the 7 skirts I've sewn. My favourite variation has been putting triangular gores in between the fitted panels to make it flare at the bottom.

I the first dress I ever made was both tailored and fully lined because no one told me these were advanced techniques.

:lol: If my mother told me it was too difficult due to my lacking sewing experience, I became more determent to make it.
But I've been blessed by The Great Sewing Goddess and have certainly learnt a lot from my various projects.

 

[Amulya]

After I made my circle skirt my mother adviced me to hang it out for a week, after that she cut it around the hem while I was wearing it so it got all even. It turned out really good:

Red circle skirt

 

[Shanazel]

Hanging them up and giving them a good solid shaking every day also helps to get the bias properly stretched. I generallyadjust my circle skirts at the waistband instead of the hem because there is so much less fabric to deal with.