36 Sewing and Alterations You Can Do Yourself (2024)

FAQs

How to do alterations yourself? ›

If the item is too big around the middle, you can put it on inside out, pinch out the excess, and re-sew the side seams closer to the body. If it is too long, turn up the hem a suitable amount and re-sew that.

You can make a living sewing at home depending on the skills, supplies, and time that you have. You just have to know which sewing skills people commonly outsource.

Tailoring aims to create a garment that fits perfectly and is uniquely crafted for the individual. Altering: Alterations, on the other hand, involve making adjustments to existing clothing to improve the fit or modify the style.

With your skirt or dress on a dress form, you can measure yourself from the floor and mark. If you don't have a dress form, this is where you'll want to ask someone to help you mark the skirt while you wear it. In order to mark the hem, you can use pins or a marking tool like chalk or a water soluble pen.

Turn your dress inside out and draw a triangular shape on both sides of the waist with the point facing downwards. This triangle shape is called a dart, and it will help pinch the fabric in to take in the dress. Sew 2 darts on either side of the dress.

To adjust the width of your shirt, start by trying it on and pinching the excess fabric at the sides. Carefully pin along the marked lines, making sure not to poke yourself. Once the excess fabric is secured with pins, take off the shirt and use a sewing machine or needle and thread to sew along the pinned lines.

Can a size 14 dress be altered to a size 8? ›

Yes – it can be done!

Using your sewing skills to set up an upcycling or upholstery business could be lucrative. You could source the items and materials yourself and then sell them on when you are done, or you can focus on upcycling your customer's existing items and fulfilling their requests.

Other forms: seamstresses. A seamstress is a person whose job involves sewing clothing. You could be a seamstress if you hem your own pants, but most seamstresses work in factories sewing garments using sewing machines.

Bonding Tape

This is a simple way to create a permanent bond that isn't at all messy and doesn't require drying time. It's perfect for cotton and other fabrics that can withstand medium to high heat. It helps to use the steam setting on your iron to create the best bond.

Turn the pants inside out and re-pin the excess fabric you want to remove. Stitch together the fabric on either side and try on the pants to ensure they fit better. Once they fit the way you like, fold the waistband down and straight stitch the fabric down, reattach the belt loop, and you're ready to go!

If you plan on being self-employed, self-training might even be enough to get you started. You can browse around at a book store for manuals that can teach you new sewing techniques or more information about fabric types, fashion design, and other topics related to the field.

However, the truth is, that you simply need not be intimidated. I am here to tell you that you do NOT need to be an expert seamstress to receive great joy by sewing your own masterpieces. You CAN learn to sew! In fact, just like me, all you need are the basics in order to get started.