Companies and books which suggest learning sequences

Skill building garment making sequences from commercial companies

You haven’t got to choose your own sequence of learn-to-sew-clothes projects. There are several companies that do it for you – most of them are pattern companies which want to encourage you to sew so have a focus on teaching. These video classes and books include patterns, and show you how to sew specific patterns. Though of course the sewing skills taught are generic, and you will be able to use them on other patterns.

These courses start from complete beginner to garment sewing, though they don’t all start with basic machine skills, see Get to know your machine posts.

Sadly, most of these pattern groups do not include extended sizes. There’s a special section near the end below.

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On-line videos and DVDs

Would you find it less stressful to make doll versions of garments first ? No worries about fit or flattery ! or wasting large amounts of fabric.
Rosie’s doll clothes patterns each have a sew-along video. She has a sewing course (on-line video or DVD) which works through 8 doll clothes patterns (included) for 18″ dolls, to learn starter sewing skills.

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Palmer-Pletsch Learn to Sew is on 4 DVDs, with associated paper patterns : make an apron and a nightwear/ casual leisurewear set (body bust 30″-44″), with a workbook of samples (change fabrics for night/ casual daywear).
Cumulative – you can’t start with DVD 3 ! DVDs :
1 – apron.
2 – robe or ‘kimono’ jacket.
3 – pyjama or elastic-waist pants, pyjama jacket or camp shirt.
4 – extra skills.
Or download videos at Palmer-Pletsch Digital. Patterns not included, paper patterns have to be ordered separately : apron, pyjamas and robe.

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The Closet Core patterns Learn to Sew Clothing course is mixed in style. They aim to make you confident in following written instructions, so their materials are a mixture of written and video, the videos are not ‘complete’ sew-alongs. There are three main patterns, for top, skirt, and pants. Each comes in 3 versions with different style elements, and there are full pattern pieces for each.

From there you can go on to more specialised courses for making :
jeans
blazer
lingerie
swimwear

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Sew Over It patterns Stitch School
Sew Over It patterns are more oriented to dresses and softer styles.
Introductory video classes, with pdf patterns included (pay extra for A0 printouts) :
Introduction to sewing : video course making cushion/pillow cover, zipped purse, pyjama bottoms.
Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking : video course making circle skirt, pencil skirt, shift dress/top.
Introductory e-books : with pdf or A0 patterns for clothes for body with hips 34″-60″, 86cm-152cm.
The Beginner’s guide to sewing e-book teaches new skills with each project as you make a cushion/ pillow cover, drawstring bag, tote bag, zipped purse, wrap skirt, pyjama bottoms.
Moving on to the next level, in the Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking e-book you work through making an a-line skirt, shift dress, and tee.

Sew Over It don’t suggest a specific order for their intermediate to advanced classes, but you would learn much the same skills as in the discontinued YCMI series by following the beginners’ guides with this video ‘master class’ sequence (pdf patterns included) :
Grace sleeveless dress.
Sewing and Fitting trousers – easier pants.
Advanced pants – full and narrow legged pants with fly zips.
Women’s and Men’s shirts.
Tailored jacket.
The Carrie pants pattern goes up max body hip 60″, the other patterns go up to max body bust 45″, max body hip 48″.
SOI also have several courses on learning to sew knits.

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Those courses aim for classics and normcore styles.
Sew Liberated patterns are for more casual relaxed ‘artist-crafter’ styles. They have a Learn to Sew course with an intro video class on basic skills, then 10 garments to make, from elastic-waist pants to a lined coat, including tee and leggings. Papers patterns included. From the class materials available so far, the instructions are slow and detailed (6 hours of video about making elastic-waist pants).
Their main pattern range goes up to body bust 53″/132cm, hips 55″/140cm. No skirt – if you love skirts try Sew Over It or, after making your pj pants, see the Elastic-waist skirts post.

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If your style is looser and more creative, especially lagenlook, Tina Givens patterns has a Learn to Sew course with patterns and videos. Good variety of fabrics and techniques. Here’s an idea of the style. She claims the course is for complete beginners, but the guidance on absolute basics such as using a sewing machine and cutting out is minimal. I suggest this course is better for confident beginners. Especially as sometimes her patterns and instructions are more ‘starting points for creativity’ rather than the detailed accuracy and completeness someone like me is more comfortable with !

You might like to start first with the old boho book on sewing without patterns (scroll down for the much cheaper recent edition).
Next section on more books.

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Books

Some people prefer books to videos, as you have more control over the pacing and it’s easier to look at topics on other pages.
I like to have videos to be clear about what is needed, as well as pictures with writing for reminders and quick reference.

Most ‘learn to sew’ books are about home dec, bags, quilting, ‘little’ projects.
There are a few which teach through making clothes. Here are some authors I get on well with. Patterns included. I think you need to be a confident beginner to use these, see the two Beginner Sewing posts. Although these books focus on good instructions, most of them don’t suggest a ‘best’ sequence for making the projects included. I have tried to put the books in order of how advanced your sewing would be if you worked through all the projects included.

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Very basic casuals : The Act of Sewing by Sonya Philip of 100 Acts of Sewing patterns. Full size paper patterns which need tracing, for cut-on sleeve top, skirt, pants (both with elastic-waist), sleeved shirt (body bust 32″-58″). Quarter of the book is on making those 4 garments, quarter on improving the fit, and half the book is instructions for choose-your-own variations. Instructions for changing necklines and adding buttonholes, facings, gathers, pleats, pockets, yokes, also for piecing, flaring or narrowing pattern pieces. No darts, collars, zips, or knit fabrics. At about advanced beginner level of sewing, but if you like casual wear that will be all you need 😀

Sonya has slightly easier but similar pdf patterns, and video sew-alongs with a few style variations, in her classes at Creative Bug.

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Basic casual classics including collars, hood, sleeve cuffs, buttonholes : Easy Sewing the Kwik Sew Way by Kerstin Martensson. Long out of print, from the days when Kwik Sew patterns were famous for clear instructions with many diagrams. Full size traceable patterns (body bust 31″ – 45″) for tee, blouse, elastic-waist skirt and pants, with all the pattern pieces needed for many variations.
Patterns have somewhat dated proportions, so look for modern equivalents. These are more recent Kwik Sew alternatives, but sadly even they are now out of print as the whole pattern line has been discontinued : tee Kwik Sew 3766, skirt Kwik Sew 3765, pants Kwik Sew 3345. The blouse is camp shirt style, try New Look 6197. If you use patterns which are not in the book, you’ll have to make your own variant pattern pieces. Look at the patterns included with the book for how they’re done – you’ll be able to trace off some of them.

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The Merchant & Mills Workbook includes 6 main patterns with variations, in ‘crafter casual’ style, and aims to increase your sewing skills.

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More ‘girly’ styles in Tilly and the Buttons patterns book Love at First Stitch : pj pants, then blouses, skirts, dresses. Some are more fitted styles so need darts and zippers. I don’t think this book is for complete beginners as there’s a big jump in skills needed to go from scarf to pj pants. See Amazon ‘look inside’ for photos of styles included – work through them in turn to learn many skills. Full size traceable patterns, or download (body bust 30″ – 48″). Clear photos of techniques.

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Intermediate level classics : Alison Smith is an expert sewer – not a pattern maker but a teacher to high quality. Her books have good photos to show techniques, and download pdf patterns for very classic styles. You could go up to Upper Intermediate level with her guidance. Most of her books focus on technique, but she has three which teach through making garments.

Dressmaking Step by Step has 12 basic ‘classic’ style patterns with variations (tops, skirts, pants, dresses, jackets, no knits or fleeces). Good big photos. Paperback.
Dressmaking is a bigger version of the same book with more variations on the patterns, and leads up to higher levels of technique. The fabrics chosen make the clothes look frumpy, but the technique teaching is excellent. Some years ago I wrote many posts on this book, links in this long review. Used to be a big hefty book, now a Kindle edition available through Amazon UK.
Download pdf patterns up to body bust 45″, body hip 48″.

Her most recent book claims to be the second edition of that. Not exactly the same, this version includes simple shirt and unlined blazer. Download pdf patterns, body bust 32″-47″. 31 projects in all, some include simple pattern hacking. Projects are not labelled with difficulty, but individual techniques are. If you follow the sequence of patterns, you work up from skirts to jackets as in the courses above.
UK edition called The Dressmaking Book.
US edition, called Sew your own Wardrobe, appears otherwise to be exactly the same book.

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Biggest range of sizes

Sadly the possibilities are not extensive, though recent courses are more inclusive.

Up to confident beginner
These Advanced Beginner written instructions do include patterns for extended sizes :
– Sew Over It beginner courses in e-book format (see above, e-book not main video courses), up to 58" body bust.
– Sonya Philips' book The Act of Sewing, up to 58″ body bust. Also the patterns with her Creative Bug classes, see above.

Up to Intermediate
Sew Liberated patterns go up to about 56″ body hip, and their Learn To Sew on-line video courses teach sewing skills up to about upper Intermediate level.

Muna and Broad patterns is one of the pattern companies that specialises in larger sizes. Their styles are mainly casual and loose fitting. They do not suggest a specific learning sequence, but they do divide their patterns into 5 levels of difficulty. Their patterns go up to 64″ bust body size, and they offer to draft larger if you need it.

Patterns with a wide range of cup sizes
If you don’t want to all the hassle of doing an FBA yourself.
Cashmerette is another pattern company for larger sizes, body bust size up to 62″ and cup sizes A-H. Their patterns are more fitted, with many dresses. They have a series of on-line classes about making various styles, with an emphasis on pattern hacking. They do claim to have a ‘learn to sew’ bundle of patterns, but I don’t think they are very easy.

These pattern ranges cover a wide range of cup sizes but aren’t oriented to teaching :
Sinclair patterns go up to 60″ bust, and increase the cup size designed for with the size of the pattern.
Jennifer Lauren Handmade patterns include pattern pieces for cup sizes A to F, body bust up to 62″.

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For those of us who do fit in the size range included in these courses :
from beginner to blazer – Wow, big achievement 👍 😀

Though don’t think you have to be able to make a shirt, fly-zip pants, and a blazer to be able to call yourself a sewist 😳 Or to sew your elastic waist skirt using couture methods !

Choose to stop, enjoy, and congratulate yourself on what you can already do at any point in any of these skill building sequences, and you’ll find you can make many garments and other items. No need to add more techniques unless you want to ♥️

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Beginner sewing 2 : first garments

The first part of this topic is on the initial stages of learning to use your machine, and to make simple projects from fabric.

This second half of the topic is about starting to make garments.
Sections here on :
Intro to first clothes projects.
Patterns and sizes.
Garments you can make without adding more skills.
Some easy ways of learning neckline finishing techniques, and changing simple basic patterns.
Optional for garment making :
– adding simple shaping : learn to sew darts, zippers, buttonholes.
– sewing with knits.

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Moving on to making garments

Free videos and photo tutorials are helpful for what to do, and you can look at them beforehand to see if they show processes you feel ready to try.

If you’re not confident about the techniques used – get some cheap fabric similar in weave and weight to the ‘proper’ fabric, and perhaps make many samples of the new techniques until you feel confident. Then make a test garment, it may turn out to be a ‘wearable muslin’. Or it may be so awful you just need to laugh/ weep/ groan/ scream and try again 😀 These are called UFOs – unfinished objects. Or you may like to upgrade to calling it a WIP – work in progress.

For the proper garment, be sure to choose fabric in a flattering colour, and a favourite random print. Leave clearly directional prints, and textures, to later learning. It isn’t possible every time to make a garment you love to wear, but do start with a good chance. And you can learn from every item you attempt, even if it goes wrong !

And once you’ve made one of these you may be able to look through the pattern catalogs and see styles you can make using the same sewing skills (develop the skill of looking at line diagrams to see what sewing skills are used) 😀

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First add-ons to your skills : patterns and sizes

The previous post has some links for learning to understand sewing patterns.
If you’re really worried about using patterns for garments, then you can sew without them, such as in this out of print book of boho styles, The illustrated hassle-free make your own clothes book by Bordow and Rosenberg.
Move on to crisper styles in Rosie Martin’s book DIY Couture.

The only other extra step you need for making simple garments using patterns is to find your size. Get it from your measurements (bust for tops, hips for bottoms), as size numbers vary between pattern companies. Try to forget all the cultural messages about measurements and sizes, no one else need know these numbers. The basic bust, waist, hip measures aren’t all that you may need to get the best fit, but they make a good start. Many of us find it’s more comfortable, easier to move, and makes us look better, to wear a garment that skims over our body rather than one that’s tight. Celebrate the self-care of making what’s right for you.
Here’s a post on finding your size from Tilly and the Buttons.

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Garments you can make with starter skills

For the skills used in making the simplest garments, see the skills listed in the first part of this pair of posts.

When you can use your machine, understand patterns and how to cut out, sew and finish the edges of straight and curved seams, make straps/ ties and hems/ casings, and thread through a casing, you can make simple garments.

Elastic waist skirts, elastic waist pants – links to some easy patterns with free support videos, and some more stylish patterns without. A few up to 71″ hip. Simply change length to make mini to maxi skirts, shorts to capris.

Sussex Seamstress Selsey top, halter top gathered at the neckline by casing and tie. Up to 50″ bust, with free sew-along video.
The suggested fabrics may be slippery, and so difficult to cut out and sew. Best to use something drapey but not slippery for a first garment, such as lawn or voile.
Lengthen to tunic, mini dress, maxi (measure pattern width to check it will go over both bust and hips).

McCall’s 7405 is a similar dress.

The Wilder top from the Friday Pattern Company is not much more difficult than an elastic-waist skirt. The top needs seams, hems, and a casing. Also a strap, but you could use ribbon instead.
The dress is a little more difficult. Add gathering to your skills, also halving and quartering. And handling a huge amount of fabric – keep the weight supported on your working surface, to the left of and behind your machine.

Seamwork have a jacket pattern which can be made by someone who knows little more than how to use a pattern, cut out fabric, sew a straight-line and turn corners : Quince robe-style jacket.

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The next skills you may want to learn :
– The most basic sewing skills don’t include the techniques needed to finish a curved neckline shape, a feature of nearly every top, dress, jacket, coat pattern. So that’s the next crucial add-on to your garment making skills.
– If you prefer some shape to your garments, after that you will want to learn how to sew darts, zips, buttonholes.
– Or if you love wearing knits you may want to know how to sew them.
See the last sections of this post for some possible ways of learning.

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Repeating garments

This is a copy of the section in the previous post about making the same item again until you feel confident. These are simple changes you can make to most projects :
Change fabric colour or print.
Colour block : make each pattern piece from a different fabric, or make each pattern piece from a patchwork of fabrics.
Change fabric type – though not from woven to knit. And check if the original is best made in a stiffer or drapier fabric.
Cut out from pre-used fabric, perhaps your unworn or unusable garments, or ones from a charity shop. Try to align pattern pieces ‘with the straight of grain’. Or see what happens when you don’t !
Add trims such as :
– machine or hand sewn decorative stitches.
– lace, ribbon, ricrac, fringe, pom-pom trim, fake fur strip. These trims just need to be attached with a line of stitching, test if it’s best to use straight stitches or zigzag. (Bias binding and piping are skills to learn later. Leather strips need a special presser foot and needle.)
– appliqué patches – there are ones that stick on, others need zigzagging round the edge.
Add square-cornered patch pockets.

Also for garments : with simple basic patterns, it’s easy to change the length of sleeve, top, skirt, pant legs. Many patterns have instructions for this. If you like to see detailed photos of lengthening and shortening try this post from Tilly and the Buttons.

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The next steps, when you’re a ‘confident beginner’

Learn to finish a neckline curve
Basic casuals

Here are some of the many starter garment making possibilities which introduce sewing a garment neckline :

All Well Workshop have a capsule of simple basic pdf patterns (boxy top, pants, jacket, body bust 32″-62″). These have detailed sewing instructions. Simple ‘hacking guides’ for changing the basic pattern to make other styles, several more than in the style sketch. Fabric facing strip neckline finish on the top, bias binding or neck band on the jacket.
Some supplements :
Instructions just say ‘finish seams as desired’ so see the seam finishing post.
If you want to cut and fold your own bias tape, rather than buying some, see the bias tape post.

All Well Workshop is one of those pattern companies which is not mentioned at Pattern Review but is enthusiastically recommended by people who are new to making clothes.
See instagram #allwellboxtop for many people looking delighted with what they have been able to make.

Another of these ‘easy sewing’ companies is Sonya Philip’s 100 Acts of Sewing patterns (body bust 32″-56″), which have bias facing strip necklines. The most basic patterns are for tops with cut on or separate sleeves, skirt, and pants. Sonya has video classes about making several of her patterns (pdf included) at Creative Bug.

Similar casuals – top/dress, pants, jacket/coat – with many hacking ideas from Tropical Research (body bust 30″-44″). Pdf patterns and YouTube support videos. Both conventional facing and bias strip facing neck finishes. Visually attractive instructions, a little more difficult than All Well Workshop. Some of the options use more difficult techniques.
One thing which is a little confusing at first :
he says of fabric . . right side and left side,
instead of . . . . . . . . right side and wrong side.

You can now make a variety of simple tops, skirts, dresses, pants, jackets.
Amazing, a basic wardrobe – the clothes may not have any shape, but hey 👍

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Add shaping – learn darts, zippers, buttonholes
And if you prefer skirts and dresses

Shaping needs some more sewing skills : darts, zippers, buttonholes : techniques which some sewists find too challenging.
If you don’t want to learn these techniques, enjoy wearing a boxy fit 😀 Straight cut garments made from knits (see later) or drapey fabrics can mould to your body as you move. The majority of us haven’t got a feature waist anyway.

More closely fitted and shaped garments made from woven fabrics need to include darts to shape them, and zippers so you can get into them.

Or instead of zippers in an opening, learn to sew buttons, buttonholes, button bands.
You can hack your pullover top patterns to add button bands : photo instructions from 100 Acts of Sewing.

Sew Over It patterns have an e-book which is the next step after their complete beginners e-book described in the previous post. Their Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking e-book shows you how to make an a-line skirt, shift dress with length and sleeve options, and Tee (body bust 31″-58″, pdf or copy shop patterns included). Somewhat more complex techniques than the All Well Workshop patterns. You learn to cut out a bias skirt, add darts, invisible zip, waistband, conventional facing neckline finish, back neckline slit, fitted sleeve, as well as working with knit fabric.

SOI also have a video class with the same title, which makes a straight skirt and the same dress, plus a circular skirt. Adds the same skills, except for making a Tee. There are video classes on making a tee in their Stitch School, conventional tee, raglan sleeve tee. Or see the next section, on knits.

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Sewing knits

Wearing knits is the most comfortable casual option for many people. But cutting and sewing stretch fabrics are a little more difficult as the fabric moves around. Also the stitching has to stretch with the fabric. Most people find it easier if they know a bit about sewing non-stretch fabrics before moving on to knits.

It can be very quick to sew knit fabrics on a serger/ overlocker. But those are an expensive purchase for beginners, and not at all necessary. The classes listed here all teach sewing knits on a domestic sewing machine.

Making leggings can be the easiest introduction to sewing knits, see this post on leggings.

Like to wear all knit fabrics ? There are many simple patterns for tees, sweats, joggers, hoodies.
I think it’s easier to start with fleece, interlock, sweat shirting : they’re more stable than jersey. As you get more confident – the more stretch and recovery there is in a fabric, the closer you can make the fit.

For starter guidance on sewing knits, there are many classes, such as :
Video courses from Creative Bug.
At Craftsy, Meg McElwee of Sew Liberated patterns has a video course on making a knit wardrobe.
Sew Over It patterns have video classes in their Sew Over It Stitch School.

Again remember – if one method doesn’t give a result you’re happy with – try another 😥 ♥️ 👍

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When you can do any of these you’ll be well into Advanced Beginner territory 😀

McCall’s and Simplicity patterns both have ‘Learn to Sew’ pattern ranges, but they’re definitely for Advanced Beginners.
Similarly with Butterick and Vogue patterns labelled Very Easy – many of them are not ! Daunting for early beginners. Leave these until you feel confident 😀

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At first I ended this post with a list of the many ways of moving on to yet more learning (see links to Technique Index pages above header).

But with sewing, the list of things you might learn is almost infinite. For some people that is the attraction, but not for everyone.

Do allow yourself to dally, don’t push yourself along faster than you feel comfortable with. We all have our own speed of learning, from people like me who spend a life-time making drawstrings bags 😀 to people who make their wedding dress without a pattern as their first ever garment !

Rather than forcing yourself to rush on, I think it’s more important to celebrate that you can make a simple complete wardrobe with the skills you already have, also many accessories and home dec items (see lists about half way through the first post).
Enjoy wearing and using what you can make. No need to learn more, unless you want to 👍 😀 👍

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