London is full of clothing stores, with both high street and prestigious brands lining the shelves. However, with the cost of living rising every day and wages remaining the same, many people can’t afford the luxury of filling their wardrobes with store-bought clothes. Thankfully, with a little education, fabric, tools and patience, it’s easy to make clothes yourself. Whether you’ve already begun your DIY clothing journey or not, we’ve gathered together six tips to help you along.
Keep Scissors Sharpened
You will need to cut fabric with precision, so you’ll need a decent pair of scissors. As well as this, we recommend investing in a sharpening tool to prevent messy cuts and dulling blades. Further, you should keep your fabric scissors away from paper and non-fabric materials because this will damage them.
Practice Regular Machine Maintenance
If you’re serious about making your own clothes, you will need a sewing machine, even if it’s just a budget brand. To get the most out of your machine, you’ll need to treat it right, which means carrying out regular maintenance including:
- Oiling any moving parts
- Replacing the needle
- Removing fabric from the bobbin case
- Removing lint with compressed air
- Taking it for an annual service
Buy High-Quality Fabrics and Thread
Your clothes will only be as good as the fabric and thread used to make them, so try and avoid supermarket products that will break easily. Instead, visit this fabric and craft store London, which sells everything haberdashery. When it comes to hand sewing, consider waxing the thread to avoid messy knots and add strength. You can do this with tailor’s wax but regular candle wax will work just as well.
Try On Regularly
There’s no point in spending time on a DIY clothing project to find it doesn’t fit in the end. Therefore, at the end of each stage, you should try on the garment. That way, if you spot a mistake, it’s easier to go back and rectify it. In particular, you must try them on before adding fastenings, cuffs, collars and waistbands because they’re much harder to redo.
Get to Know Your Iron
Whether you enjoy ironing a pile of clothes or not, you’ll have to become a master at ironing when making your own clothes. When the fabric is ironed regularly, you will find sewing feels easier. When investing in an iron for making clothes, you’re looking for a quality steam function.
Embrace Mistakes
Making your own clothes is a creative process, and you’ll undoubtedly make mistakes along the way. However, it’s important not to let them put you off. Instead, pick yourself up and learn from your mistakes. If you keep failing at the same part, consider seeking help from the community by visiting your local craft store or finding a digital group through Discord.
Making clothes will save money and allow you to express your personality in ways that weren’t possible before. While you’re learning, remember to adopt good habits and accept that mistakes will happen.
