When I first started sewing dresses for myself, they were definitely wearable, but I must say, practice and experience has improved them a lot!
You can sew a dress with no experience. To sew yourself a dress, all you will need is a sewing machine, some simple sewing tools, a dress pattern and dress fabric.
Sewing a dress for yourself is so rewarding even though it takes time and lots of patience. And then you get to wear a dress you have made with your own hands!
You Can Sew a Dress With No Experience
How do I learn to sew a dress?
You can learn how to sew a dress even if you have absolutely no experience! It will take time and you will need lots of determination and patience, but you can do it!
Start slow, give yourself room for mistakes and enjoy the process of making something with your own hands. Plus use the creativity in you and simply create.
There are so many ways to learn how to sew a dress! There are written tutorials, video tutorials and sewing courses that walk you through each step.
Find out which type of learning works best for you. If you like learning through writing and pictures, find some tutorials that show you step by step with pictures.
If you like learning “hands-on”, find a video tutorial that you can watch and work along side.
And, if you would like to learn sewing and go deeper than what tutorials can do for you, go ahead and find a full course that takes you through each step in more detail.
When you finally decide to jump in and sew yourself a dress, here are a few simple tips.
- choose a very simple pattern
- purchase fabric that is easy to sew (types recommended below)
I know, that’s what we all want, beautiful dresses to wear, that we made ourselves.
But a sure way to frustration is choosing a pattern and fabric that are difficult to sew.
Ok, so what is a difficult pattern or difficult fabric?
A pattern with lots of seamlines or many different pieces is going to be more difficult. Starting out with a plain pattern that has fewer seams to sew is going to be the easiest.
Like this FREE Anna Dress Pattern. It has raglan sleeves which are super easy to sew in, and just a few seams.
So find a pattern that is plain and basic for your first dress.
The Anna Dress pattern requires knit fabric, which is stretchy, making it easier to fit and comfy to wear. So choosing a pattern that requires knit fabric is going to be a good choice.
Since there are different types of knit fabrics to choose from I would recommend Liverpool or Bullet knit fabric since they are both nice stable fabrics.
You can find a lovely selection HERE to buy online if you are in the U.S.
If you are in Canada, you can look HERE or HERE to find some beautiful fabrics to sew your first dress.
The other type of fabric that is easy to sew is cotton or linen. But be sure to choose a pattern that is designed for cotton or linen fabric.
Once you have chosen your pattern and fabric, purchase the recommended notions and supplies needed to complete the dress such as thread, buttons etc.
Sew a Dress With no Experience-Tools You Need
Now for a list of tools, you will need before you get started.
- sewing machine
- fabric scissors
- pins
- measuring tape
These are the basic tools needed to get you started. Even though you will find lots of other nifty tools that you could buy, pass them by for now until you know this is the path you are going to take, sewing dresses.
Here is a tip on sewing machines. If you don’t have a sewing machine but don’t want to spend a ton of money on one, either borrow from someone you know (best option) or buy one second-hand.
Any fabric store, especially the small ones, that sell sewing machines are going to have a lot of knowledge in helping you pick the machine that will work best for you.
Those small stores also sometimes sell used machines as well, giving you some cheaper options.
Any sewing tools you need like the scissors, pins you can purchase from those fabric shops as well. These places are perfect for getting started since the people working there are going to know so much about what types of tools are good.
You can purchase the sewing tools at Walmart or other stores like that but you won’t get the same customer service.
When it comes to buying fabric, you can buy online using the links I gave you above or shop and stores such as Fabricland in Canada or Joann Fabrics in the U.S. These stores usually have a good selection of dress fabrics.
And don’t spend a lot on the fabric right now though. Cheap fabric to begin with is just fine.
Buy 3-6 yards so that you have room for mistakes and starting over. Six yards will be enough to cut out 2 dresses.
How to get started to sew a dress
Can a beginner make a dress?
Absolutely a beginner can make a dress!
I was probably 11 or 12 when I started sewing my own dresses…yes with a lot of help. They were wearable as far as I remember. 😉
Give yourself confidence! You can do it!
So once you are ready to just take the plunge and sew yourself a dress, here are a few quick tips.
- get familiar with the sewing machine
- practice sewing straight lines and curves
- get familiar with the dress pattern
Get yourself familiar with your sewing machine, testing what buttons do what, using the owner’s manual to get familiar with them.
Cut a 5 inch width of fabric off of your fabric piece and just practice sewing. Sew 2 pieces of fabric together, lining up the edges and sewing an even width along the length of the fabric piece.
Practice as much as you need to until you can sew an even seam every time. The seams need to be consistent so that the dress fits properly. 😊
Next, it’s time to look the dress pattern over and get familiar with it. Read through the instructions and locate each piece of the pattern and identify it.
Once you are familiar with the pattern and instructions you are ready to start cutting!
Conclusion on sewing a dress with no experience
Anyone can learn to sew a dress if that is an interest to them. You can do anything you set your mind to!
But start simple, get lots of help from others, take your time and have patience with yourself.
Dressmaking isn’t hard to learn, but there are ways you can make it harder on yourself. Like being willing to ask for help. 😊
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Yes, we can learn from our mistakes too, but asking for help gets us where we want to be, faster.
Being willing to make mistakes and not rushing the learning process are also ways to make learning dressmaking easier.
It is so hard to back up and start over. And it’s so hard to admit that I didn’t follow the directions properly.
But if I accept the mistake, rip out the seams and then talk nice to myself, the process goes much smoother.
Just remember that everyone makes mistakes. Professional dressmakers make mistakes. No one is exempt from making mistakes.
So give yourself room, a pat on the back, a few encouraging words, and learn all you can about dressmaking!
You got this!
Cheryl
