Sewing Fabric – How to Sew Fabric

Do you want to sew fabric but you don’t know how? We’d discuss some steps in how to sew fabric here.

If you want to start a sewing business, the first skill you need to acquire is the skill of sewing fabric. There’s no way you can start sewing if you do not know how to sew fabric, hence you won’t be able to earn what you desire from sewing fabric.

However, it is understandable that learning how to sew can be a bit tricky, and just like anyone else you’d rather learn a simpler method of sewing fabric that will not only be easy and fast but also easy to understand. Learning the doors and paying attention to detail will help you deliver quality and high standard products because no customer wants to purchase clothes that are not properly sewn. You can follow the steps listed below to learn how to sew fabric. Before you embark on your sewing journey, you must first get sewing and fabric supplies or you can start with fabrics near you. Here are some steps on how to sew a dress:

Choose Your Pattern

The first thing you need to do before sewing fabric is to choose your pattern, also take a look at our sewing hacks. A pattern is simply a template, that is usually made from paper, e.g tissue paper, or cardboard paper. These patterns are used to trace the design onto the fabric in preparation for cutting, so your chosen pattern should align with the design you want to make. For a beginner, it’s advised to start with simple designs and templates.

Choose Your Fabric

After choosing a style to sew, the next step is to choose the fabric for sewing so that you can pick a fabric that is suitable for your chosen style. There are different types of fabric for sewing clothes with different textures and designs like, fleece, vinyl, wool. Since you’re a beginner, you are also advised to opt for fabrics that are easy to work with, for instance, soft fabrics that can hold their shape are greats choices for learners. Choosing the right fabric for clothes is very important in getting a good result.

Ready Your Pattern

The next step is to get your pattern ready, make sure you have all the pieces required to make the design you’re aiming for like the dress back, dress front, neck, and so on. You might want to iron tissue paper patterns to get rid of any wrinkles

Cut Your Fabric

First iron your fabric to remove any wrinkles and spread out your fabric on your working surface. Before cutting your fabric, you have to take note of the directionality I.e making sure the fabric print all face the same direction to avoid warping or puckering. After you’ve done all these, proceed to lay your template pieces on your fabric and hold them with pins, following the instructions on the pattern cut them out.

Facings

A facing is a piece of fabric that is used to finish up rough edges of fabric like the sleeves, neck, etc. Facings usually need to be interfaced and attached to the fabric. You can sew or fuse the facing to the fabric or you can use block fusing which is an easier way of attaching the facing.

Mark Out Darts and Sew

Darts are popularly referred to as the punctuation mark of dressmakers. This technique is used to shape clothes by creating busy curves from straight fabric. Darts are made by sewing a long narrow pinch of fabric to a point and pressing down to one side. Some templates have darts ok them, all you have to do is transfer the markings from your template to your fabric and sew, after which you press the dart down.

Insert the Back Zipper

If you’re making a piece of clothing that has a back zipper, that’s the next thing you will attach. A zipper can be attached either by hand or by machine. You could have the common central zipper which is also called the railway zipper or an invisible zipper.

Sew the Arms and Shoulders

The next step is to attach the back and front of the rest at the shoulder. Don’t forget to check the instructions on your pattern for the correct seam allowance. The seam allowance is sometimes referred to as the inlay and it is the space between the seam and the edge of the fabric.

Let’s Start On the Facing

Prepare the neck facing by measuring and cutting lit the fabric for your neck facing. Cut out pieces for both the front and back neck facings and pay interfacing to both sides. Connect the front neck facing to the back neck facing at the shoulder seams, however, don’t forget to leave room in the back for the zipper, I.e the back neck facing will be in two halves to leave room for the zipper. You can use a serger machine  to finish the edges of your facing. A serger is also called an overlook, and it is used in sewing fabrics around the edges to create a fine finish.

Attach the Facing To the Dress

After preparing the neck facing, the next step is to attach the facing to the dress.  You will notice that the back neck facing sticks up longer than the dress, all you have to do is finish attaching the facing and fold the excess inside to create a fine finish for the zipper. After attaching the facing, fold it towards the inside of the dress and trim the seams. Note that if you are making a round neckline, you will have to make small cuts around the seams of the facing so that the dress can be turned over easily.

Under-Stitch the Neck Facing

Lift the neckline facing away from the body of the dress and under stitch the facing. An under stitch is a stitch made near the seam of the facing and will help the facing roll to the inside of the dress.  After under-stitching the neck facing, turn to the inside of the dress and iron to keep it in place.

Sew the Sides Together

The next step is to make the side seams by attaching the front of the dress to the back of the dress and sewing fabric on both the right side and the left  side. Don’t forget to always follow the inlay instructions on the pattern. After making the side seams, Iron them open on both sides. Don’t forget to check out sewing tips.

Get the Armhole Facings Ready

Just like you did with the neck facings, measure and cut the armhole facings. Remember to cut pieces for the front and back of both sides i.e you should have four pieces for the armhole facing. The front facing is usually indicated with a dent while the back facing is indicated with two dents. Attach the front facing to the back facing and align the seams of the armhole facing with the armpit and the shoulder seam. Proceed to finish the edges with a serger machine or you could fold inwards and sew to get fine finish.

Attach the Armhole Facings To the Dress

First, attach the facings using pins to hold them in place using the notches on the front and back facing as well as the shoulder and armpit seam to properly align the facing. See the facing to the armhole of the dress and do the same for the second armhole. Trim the edges of the seam, just like you did with the neck facing. Under stitch the facing, this time going all the way round because there is no zipper. Next, iron the facing towards the inside of the dress.

Create A Clean Finish For the Back Neckline

Remember the excess fabric from the neckline facing which you left to fold in over the zipper? Flip the end of each facing over the top of the zipper on each side and sew to hold it in place. Trim the facing using the line of the previous stitch as a guide. Next, turn the facing to the inside of the dress and fold in the corners to make a crisp edge. Use a few hand stitches to hold the edge of the facing to the zipper and iron facing down, repeat the process on the other side of the zipper.

Secure the Edges of the Facing

You could adopt a process called “stitching in the ditch” to hold the edges of the facings in place so they don’t stick up inside the dress. You do this by stitching through the outside of the fabric on an already existing stitch, in this case around the neckline and the armhole to hold the facing edges in place and the stitch won’t be visible on the outside of the dress.

Hemming

Last but not the least is hemming the dress.  A hem is a finishing stitch that is used to hold the edge of a dress or fabric to prevent unraveling, adjust the length and create a cleaner finished look. You could create a hem either by hand or by machine, all you have to do is fold in the base of the dress and stitch to keep it in place. Hand stitches are invisible whereas machine stitches aren’t, however machine stitches are easier and faster, and you can get away with it if you’re working with fabric that has bold colors and designs.

Sewing is very easy once you follow the right steps. You can start with fabrics near you or around the house and opt for sewing and fabric supplies that are easy to use before you move on to more complex ones. It all comes down to choosing the right style, the right technique and choosing the right fabric for clothing from the different types of fabric available to choose from. Remember your fabric for sewing may need different cutting techniques and templates depending on the type.