Sewing my first dress (HELP!)?

Question

I am having a themed party and am hostessing as the Queen of hearts. My dress is obviously adapted from the original design, trying to replicate it would be painfully expensive. I decided to try and draw my vision with the program paint. I liked what it turned into, now however I am having trouble with measurements and fabric amounts. I do not want to buy too much but not too little either. I want to get an estimation of how much fabric I will need. And does anyone have advice on finding tasteful fabric at low prices. Otherwise this gown will cost a small fortune.

Answer 1

This is not something someone sewing their first dress should undertake. You need knowledge of pattern making, etc. Check a fabric shop for a pattern that is easy to adapt, not one you drew.

Answer 2

The very first thing I ever sewed was a button-up shirt with darting I made with a pattern I drew myself, and I had no prior experience sewing (except a pillow once in school when I was ten years old). It turned out pretty well, just a little bit too large (easily fixable problem). I just got some information online and had my mom show me how to do the button holes. Sewing isn't rocket science. There's a few tips and tricks that are important to know, but basically if you know simple math and can use a measuring tape, you can make your own patterns. So, yes, if you want to take the time to make this, you can do it yourself (even as a beginner). Plus, it's just a costume, so it's not like it has to be perfect.



In regards to how much fabric you'll need. That depends very largely on the pattern and your size. I'm going to go ahead and take a wild stab in the dark and say that you might need at least three yards of your primary material (the main part of the dress) since I'm going to assume you are of average size and most Queen of Hearts costumes that I have seen are short (so I'm assuming your adapted design is shorter than the original). Again though, this really depend on the pattern you've made.



I think for you, maybe a good way to go about doing this is to find some very cheap material (like muslin) and make a "practice" dress. You can get Muslin for like a dollar a yard in many fabric stores (it's around that price at WalMart). That way you can work out all the kinks before using your real fabric, plus you'll have a better idea about how many yards you will need.



As far as cheap fabric goes, you might luck out and get some Valentines day clearance fabric at JoAnne's or some other store that sells fabric. Look around. As a matter of fact, the best place near my house to buy basic fabric is actually the craft department at WalMart. It's not high quality, but again, for a costume you don't really need high quality. And it's cheap. You might also try thrift stores. Maybe you can find some really large clothes at a thrift store, and cut them and use the fabric for some of the smaller pieces.

Answer 3

You need to go buy a pattern and go from there. there are many in the prom/bridal and costume section of a pattern book that would work for this dress. Plan on spending at least $5 per yard for fabric. Fabric can run you $10/15 per yard

try looking on line or in the Sunday paper for a 40% coupon for JoAnn fabrics

Answer 4

I agree with the previous answer that you would be better off using a costume pattern for your basic dress design. All the pattern companies have a wide variety of these and using one will greatly increase your chance of success plus assure that you buy just the right amount of fabric.



I've made a lot of costumes over the years and also helped my mom sew many -- she was the volunteer lead seamstress for a local theater company for a while. Even they used commercial patterns for the basic garment shape and fitting. There are several options for getting large amounts of unique material relatively inexpensively. One is to look through the discounted curtain and drapery fabrics -- I have made several Renaissance Faire costumes using drapery materials, many of which are quite elegant and relatively inexpensive (shops like Joann's often have even the sale remnant bolts at half off) plus they tend to all be 60" or more wide. The fabrics range from delicate laces and sheers to lush tapestries and embroidered silk looks. Another source for fabrics for costumes is discounted draperies and curtains in off-price stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less. You can often find a package of two 60" by 84" drapes for under $20 -- that is nearly 5 yards of fabric for $4 a yard. The drapery department is also great for fancy trims and tasselled cords that look wonderful on costumes. Also check out thrift stores for old bridemaids gowns and wedding dresses -- another source of lots of fabric for little money once you take the scissors to them. My mom made a Glenda the Good Witch costume for a Wizard of Oz production out of a poufy pink prom gown to which she added sleeves and an embroidered front bodice. And I have even crafted costumes out of bedspreads, large tablecloths, fabric shower curtains and bed sheets -- all other sources for a lot of fabric for little money.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

How much material you need will depend on several things: does the fabric you are using have a pattern to it?

is there more than one kind of material being used -such as layers of fabric? I seem to remember an overlay of material besides the original dress. You need to leave enough space between pattern pieces to allow them to be cut out easily. If the dress has a full skirt, you need to allow 1 and 1/2 times the measurement of the diameter of your hips. I would cut out the pattern you made, (hopefully on substantial thickness of paper) hold it up to your body to see if it fits, and measure the height and width of the pattern. Allowing for the addition of smaller pieces, such as sleeves, collar, etc. You will need to purchase at least 1 and 1/2 times the amt of fabric matching the pattern you have created.