Sketching and Research

Today I am planning my next sewing project - a dress for me. It will be the first time that I will have made a clothing item that I can wear. While considering how to make this dress, I thought of three options: Combining a skirt pattern and a shirt pattern, designing a dress and creating an original pattern, and buying a dress pattern.

Combining a Skirt and Top to make a Dress

I have sewing patterns for separates such as tops, pants, and skirts. I would love to combine a skirt pattern and a top pattern to make my dress. However, being a beginner sewer, I a skeptical to take on such a big endeavor. It seems easy enough when you think about it. However, I would have to adjust the shirt pattern at waist and hemline and the skirt pattern at the waistline. I don't know how to do pattern adjustments yet, but this could project could be a great teacher. Just in case I decide to choose this method, I created rough sketches (super rough sketches) of how I would combine the top and skirt to make the dress:

BEFORE & AFTER

The dashed lines represent where I would join the skirt and top at the waist as well as the areas of the skirt I would include in the dress. Then, the finished dress would look about like the dress in the second sketch. The above sketches are realllly quick sketches,lol.

Designing a dress and creating my own original pattern

Ooooo! This notion makes me giggly! I love fashion design and, as a designer I can design clothes. However, making the blueprints for the construction of the dress is something that I have to learn to do. I have numerous fashion designs. Being able to create patterns for all of my designs would be wonderful! So, I decided to do online research about pattern-making. I found an article on eHow, How to Make Sewing Patterns. This article is very helpful, however it's a lot of information to process. I have to study it for a bit. I also found a great YouTube video, Beginning Pattern Making: How to Make A Custom Tank Top Pattern. I will study over these a bit as well as any additional resources that I may come across. Once I know what I am doing, or understand enough about pattern making, this will be my main practice!

Buy a Dress Pattern

Well, the most sane thing for me to do as a beginner sewer would be to just buy an easy to sew dress pattern to make a dress. This really makes the most sense. But, I reallllllllly want to do a bit more such as option 1 or 2. However, I will let common sense prevail and choose this option.