A post for the sake of it.

[miss_newham]

Bah! I am all anxious about things at the moment and thought the solution might be to stay at home more, but I woke up in a panic this morning after dreaming that my flat had been moved from its current location and dropped into another building, and that atommickbrane was on her way round to visit and I’d forgotten to tell her this! It was terrible! But on

Comments

[pink_weasel]

John Lewis sell patterns. You can also buy them on ebay or here. I don't know how to tell which ones are easy because I only buy them during optimistic times, I never make anything from them. Vogue patterns do tend to be harder than all other patterns - (Not for them a front and a back - they like to include 50 tiny waist interfacings - possibly best to avoid Vogue for your first go)

Patterns often come in different sizes so check to see what size they give before you buy.

Anxiousness is pants and I sympathise.

[perfectlyvague]

In the big pattern books they have a star rating system for difficulty - they even have an easy section for beginners.
Rolls and Rems on seven sisters road in holloway does heavily discounted patterns.

[pollitesss]

Rolls and Rems on Seven Sisters is pretty ace for cheap fabric too!

[miss_newham]

Ah, I live 15 minutes' walk from a nice fabric shop so probably won't go further! How much are you supposed to buy for a skirt though? A metre? Are skirts a metre big? OH I DON'T KNOW.

[puzzled_anwen]

A metre will probably do you for a pencil or a-line skirt, yes. The pattern will tell you how much you are likely to need. If you have a printy fabric (or tartan or whatnot) it will probably need more.

This site http://sewing.patternreview.com/ has reviews of lots of patterns, what you need to do is find the pattern number (eg 5426) and put it into the search box and hopefully someone will have reviewed it, quite possibly several people will have done, and there are probably photos and stuff too. Generally Burda patterns are pretty good, the other mainstream ones (Simplicity, Vogue and also Butterick/McCalls which you won't find in most shops but Rolls & Rems and Macculloch and Wallis sell them) tend to run a bit large.

[shermarama]

Another recommendation for that pattern review site; you'll be able to see what the patterns look like after real people have made them, and they'll tell you whether it was tricky and whether it came out the size they thought it would and stuff. And there's a message board where you can ask questions if you're stuck about anything.

[miss_newham]

Thank you! I just looked at that site and was very much bewildered, but I'll try and look through it till it starts making sense. Currently my only sewing guide is the book Yeah! I Made It Myself which is charmingly enthusiastic and all "Oh yes, I make clothes out of old curtains all the time and they look brilliant!". But the sewing patterns in it seem to be along the lines of "Draw something that looks like a dress, then cut it out, then do another one, then sew it together! Hooray!". I may be exaggerating, but it was confusing...

[puzzled_anwen]

Haha, yes, I like that book (don't actually own it) but it is a bit like that. I can probably give you the SEW book actually, I've not actually used any of the patterns in spite of having had it for two years (not cos they aren't nice, just because I am a dreadful procrastinator and had the ills and oops I bought A BAJILLION PATTERNS).

[miss_newham]

Oh, the books you recommended look quite good! I shall stick them on my birthday wishlist and look hopeful. Certainly you can come to Fabric Galore in Battersea some time if you like. It's not very easy to get to, but then, nor is Hackney - Battersea is just the same but upside down.

[puzzled_anwen]

For the pattern reviews the best way is to find a pattern you like the look of (e.g. on the Burda or Simplicity websites, for example Burda 8155 http://www.burdafashion.com/en/Patterns/Main_Collection/8155_Skirt/1270778-1128998-1002130-1250102.html) and type the 4 digit number into the box near the top of the left hand column. That'll get you a result like this

[puzzled_anwen]

This was the link I meant to post second: http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/search.pl?search=search&patternid=10499&CompanyID=4&PatternNumber=8155

[miss_newham]

Why then, I would like to take you up on your offer! Thank you very much!

[shewho]

the pattern will tell you exactly how much you need! and every other little bit of thing you need to make the skirt (ie zips, buttons, elastic, wotnot)