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| #Post#: 48736-------------------------------------------------- | |
| Free sewing patterns? | |
| By: Nikko-chan Date: March 16, 2020, 2:31 am | |
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| Does anyone have any good places for free patterns for dresses? | |
| 1950's to 1960's vintage, if possible. Modern vintage is even | |
| fine. I've sewn a costume for a con and now I want to start | |
| sewing clothing. Any sewing essentials i need? I have needles, | |
| pins etc. I use tiny sewing scissors that i have from a travel | |
| kit but will probably get some regular scissors. Everything will | |
| be hand sewn so I don't really have to worry about a machine. | |
| Alternately: I've caught the sewing bug. Anyone know how to make | |
| it stop? | |
| #Post#: 48737-------------------------------------------------- | |
| Re: Free sewing patterns? | |
| By: Aleko Date: March 16, 2020, 2:53 am | |
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| Do you know that great old pattern company Folkwear? | |
| https://www.folkwear.com | |
| . | |
| I know you specified 'free', but the beauty of Folkwear's | |
| patterns is that they are made of durable paper and routinely | |
| include so many options and suggestions (and many of the | |
| original pattern themselves lend themselves so well to | |
| adaptation), that in my experience any one pattern can be used | |
| to make several very different-looking garments: so that in the | |
| long run they're very cheap. | |
| Also, patterns in their 'Traditional' category in particular | |
| tend to be relatively easy-fitting and have few if any curved | |
| seams, so if you're new to clothesmaking and / or have nobody | |
| competent to help you with fitting and adjusting a fitted | |
| garment, although striking and unusual they're very easy to | |
| make. | |
| #Post#: 48738-------------------------------------------------- | |
| Re: Free sewing patterns? | |
| By: Runningstar Date: March 16, 2020, 5:00 am | |
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| I see a lot of older patterns in thrift stores, usually for less | |
| than .99 cents. | |
| As for supplies, you need pins, extra sewing machine needles, | |
| scissors (cheap is ok by me - but they need to be nice and | |
| sharp!), and chalk for marking the fabric. A seam ripper is | |
| also a very necessary thing! | |
| #Post#: 48745-------------------------------------------------- | |
| Re: Free sewing patterns? | |
| By: oogyda Date: March 16, 2020, 8:25 am | |
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| In your search, don't focus so much on vintage that you overlook | |
| patterns that aren't necessarily a vintage look but the | |
| structure is the same as it was in the 50's and 60's. | |
| There are really only a few basic patterns. From those, it may | |
| simply be a difference in neckline, collar, sleeve, etc. that | |
| makes it different from another one. So reduce the style you | |
| like to the actual structure of the garment and you can vintage | |
| it up to your heart's content. | |
| #Post#: 48748-------------------------------------------------- | |
| Re: Free sewing patterns? | |
| By: Runningstar Date: March 16, 2020, 9:33 am | |
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| Forgot to add a fabric measuring tape is nice to have. If not, | |
| use a non-stretchable ribbon to measure and a ruler to see what | |
| the measured ribbon is (be sure to measure bust/waist/hips - as | |
| pattern sizes are very different from the sizes of store made | |
| clothing you wear). If in between a size, go up and then if | |
| needed tailor to fit afterwards/during the sewing. | |
| The best advice - just like in carpentry, measure twice cut | |
| once! | |
| #Post#: 48750-------------------------------------------------- | |
| Re: Free sewing patterns? | |
| By: TootsNYC Date: March 16, 2020, 10:39 am | |
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| Even a grosgrain ribbon can stretch a little--I think you should | |
| get a name-brand cloth/fiberglass tape measure. | |
| A seam ripper, for sure. | |
| You will want to be able to transfer pattern markings to | |
| thefabric. You can do this with tailor's tacks ( | |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g3jgib4ZRw | |
| ), or you can get a | |
| tracing wheel ( | |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3-IqXESBz4 | |
| ) | |
| and transfer paper (works just like carbon paper back in the | |
| typewriter days). | |
| I don't know sources for free patterns, unfort. | |
| But you can make your own pattern from a piece of clothing you | |
| have and like (and that fits). There are lots of YouTube videos | |
| for how. | |
| #Post#: 48802-------------------------------------------------- | |
| Re: Free sewing patterns? | |
| By: Chez Miriam Date: March 17, 2020, 9:37 am | |
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| Drat, Nikko-chan, I wish you'd posted this 6 months ago - I | |
| threw a box of my mum's old paper patterns from the 50s to the | |
| 70s in the skip! They weren't in nice enough condition that I | |
| felt I could give them to a charity shop, but they would have | |
| been perfectly OK for a beginner to try out. :'( | |
| One other thing to mention: 2020s women are very different | |
| shapes and sizes [for the most part] to 1950/1960s women, so | |
| unless you're fairly hour-glass shaped, a modern pattern may | |
| work much better. | |
| Hope you have great fun with your sewing!! | |
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