How To Tailor For Beginners: Easy Steps

Can beginners tailor clothes? Yes, with a little patience and the right guidance, anyone can learn how to tailor their clothes. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to get you started on your tailoring journey. We’ll cover everything from the basic sewing tools you’ll need to simple garment alterations and even a touch of pattern making for beginners. You’ll learn about different fabric types for tailoring and how to achieve a better fit for your clothes.

How To Tailor For Beginners
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Getting Started: Your Tailoring Toolkit

Before you can start transforming your wardrobe, you need the right tools. Think of these as your trusty sidekicks in the world of tailoring. Having the correct equipment makes a huge difference in both the ease and the quality of your work.

Essential Sewing Tools

Here’s a list of must-have items for any aspiring tailor:

Sewing Machine: While hand-sewing is possible, a sewing machine is essential for efficient and durable alterations. For beginners, a basic, reliable machine is perfect. Look for one that can handle straight stitches and zigzag stitches. Sewing machine basics are simpler than you might think!
Measuring Tape: A flexible, cloth measuring tape is crucial for taking accurate body measurements and garment measurements.
Fabric Scissors: Invest in a good pair of sharp scissors dedicated solely to cutting fabric. Never use them for paper, as this dulls the blades.
Paper Scissors: Keep a separate pair of scissors for cutting patterns or any paper-related tasks.
Seam Ripper: This small, handy tool is a beginner’s best friend! It’s used to carefully remove stitches when you make a mistake or need to take something apart.
Pins: Straight pins are used to hold fabric in place before sewing. T-pins can be useful for thicker fabrics.
Hand Sewing Needles: Keep a variety of sizes on hand for small repairs and hand-stitching details.
Thread: All-purpose polyester thread is a good starting point. Have a selection of basic colors like white, black, and grey.
Tailor’s Chalk or Fabric Marker: These are used to mark cutting lines and sewing guides directly onto the fabric. They usually brush or wash away.
Iron and Ironing Board: Pressing is a vital part of tailoring. A good iron helps set stitches and create crisp finishes.
Needle Threader: A small tool that makes threading your sewing machine needle and hand needles much easier.
Seam Gauge: This is a small ruler with a sliding marker, perfect for measuring seam allowances and hems accurately.

Understanding Different Fabric Types for Tailoring

The type of fabric you’re working with significantly impacts how you tailor it. Different fabric types for tailoring have unique properties:

Fabric Type	Characteristics	Best For	Beginner Tips
Cotton	Breathable, easy to sew, comes in many weights	Shirts, dresses, skirts, trousers	Stable and forgiving. Pre-wash to prevent shrinkage.
Linen	Breathable, crisp, wrinkles easily	Summer clothing, shirts, trousers	Can fray. Use sharp tools and consider finishing seams.
Denim	Sturdy, durable, can be thick	Jeans, jackets, skirts	May require a heavier-duty needle and a strong sewing machine.
Polyester	Durable, wrinkle-resistant, can be slippery	Blouses, dresses, suits	Can be slippery. Use more pins and sew slowly.
Silk	Luxurious, smooth, slippery, can be delicate	Blouses, dresses, scarves	Challenging for beginners due to its slipperiness and tendency to run. Consider starting with silk blends.
Wool	Warm, durable, drapes well, can be felted	Suits, coats, trousers, skirts	Can be bulky. Press seams open. Use appropriate needles.
Rayon/Viscose	Drapes well, soft, can be prone to stretching/tearing	Dresses, blouses, skirts	Treat gently, especially when wet. It can be less stable than cotton.

The Art of Fitting Clothes: Making Them Your Own

One of the most rewarding aspects of tailoring is achieving a perfect fit. Fitting clothes is all about understanding how a garment should hang on your body and making subtle adjustments to achieve that ideal silhouette.

Taking Accurate Measurements

This is the foundation of good tailoring. You need to know your body’s dimensions accurately.

Bust: Measure around the fullest part of your bust, keeping the tape measure level.
Waist: Measure around your natural waistline, which is usually the narrowest part of your torso.
Hips: Measure around the fullest part of your hips and backside.
Inseam: Measure from your crotch down to where you want your trousers to end.
Sleeve Length: Measure from your shoulder bone down to your wrist bone.

Always use a flexible measuring tape and keep it snug but not tight against your skin. It’s helpful to have someone assist you, especially for back measurements.

Common Fitting Adjustments

Taking In: If a garment is too big, you can take it in at the side seams or back seams.
Letting Out: If a garment is too tight, you can sometimes let it out by releasing the existing seams, but this is limited by the seam allowance.
Hemming: Adjusting the length of trousers, skirts, or sleeves. Hemming trousers is a classic beginner tailoring task.
Sleeve Adjustments: Shortening or lengthening sleeves.
Waistband Adjustments: Taking in or letting out a waistband.

Mastering Basic Tailoring Techniques

Now let’s dive into some fundamental techniques that are the building blocks of basic tailoring techniques.

Hemming Trousers: A Staple Skill

Hemming trousers is a great way to start. It’s a practical skill that instantly improves the look of ill-fitting pants.

Simple Double Fold Hem

This is the most common and neatest way to hem trousers.

Prepare the Trousers: Try on the trousers and mark the desired length with pins or tailor’s chalk. Make sure you’re wearing the shoes you intend to wear with the trousers.
Measure and Cut: Take off the trousers. Measure down from the pinned hemline to ensure an even line. Trim off any excess fabric, leaving about 1.5 to 2 inches (4-5 cm) for the hem allowance.
First Fold: Fold up the raw edge of the fabric by about 0.5 to 1 inch (1.5-2.5 cm) towards the inside of the garment. Press this fold with your iron.
Second Fold: Fold up the hem again, this time by the desired finished hem width (usually 1 to 1.5 inches or 3-4 cm). Make sure the raw edge is completely enclosed. Press this second fold firmly.
Pin: Secure the hem in place with pins.
Sew:
- By Machine: Use a straight stitch to sew along the top edge of the folded hem. Aim to keep your stitching line consistent and close to the folded edge.
- By Hand: For a nearly invisible finish, use a blind hem stitch.

Blind Hem Stitch (Hand Sewing)

This stitch is almost invisible from the outside of the garment.

Thread a hand sewing needle with thread matching your fabric.
Make a small knot at the end of the thread.
Start by inserting the needle into the folded hem (within the fold) to hide the knot.
Pick up just one or two threads of the main fabric on one side of the fold.
Then, take a small stitch within the folded hem.
Repeat this process, alternating between picking up a thread from the main fabric and taking a small stitch within the folded hem.
Continue all the way around, keeping your stitches small and even.

Mending Clothes: Giving Garments a Second Life

Mending clothes is a crucial part of tailoring, extending the life of your favorite items.

Repairing a Small Hole or Tear

Assess the Damage: If the fabric is frayed, gently trim away any loose threads.
Hand Sewing: For small, neat tears, you can often use a simple running stitch or a whipstitch to bring the edges together. Use a thread that matches the garment.
Patching (for larger holes):
- Cut a piece of fabric slightly larger than the hole from a similar fabric or a contrasting piece for a decorative effect.
- Turn the garment inside out.
- Place the patch over the hole on the wrong side of the fabric.
- Pin it in place.
- Sew around the edges of the patch using a small running stitch or a machine zigzag stitch.

Replacing a Button

Position the Button: Place the button where it belongs. If there’s a buttonhole, align it correctly.
Thread the Needle: Use a doubled thread for strength.
Start Sewing: Insert the needle from the wrong side of the fabric up through one of the buttonholes.
Sew Through Buttonholes: Pass the needle up through one hole and down through another, creating an “X” or parallel stitches.
Create a Shank: For buttons on thicker fabrics or areas that need to flex, create a shank. Before finishing, wrap the thread around the stitches between the button and the fabric a few times. This gives the button a bit of space so the fabric can sit comfortably underneath.
Secure: Bring the needle to the wrong side of the fabric and tie off securely with a few knots.

Taking In Side Seams

This is a common alteration to make a garment fit more snugly.

Turn Garment Inside Out: Start with the garment inside out.
Pin the Fit: Put on the garment (if possible) and pin along the side seams where you want to take it in.
Mark the New Seam Line: Carefully take off the garment. Using a ruler and tailor’s chalk, draw a new seam line parallel to the original seam, ¼ to ½ inch (0.5-1 cm) away from your pinned line.
Sew the New Seam: Sew along your newly drawn line with a straight stitch.
Trim and Finish: Trim the excess fabric from the original seam allowance, leaving about ¼ inch (0.5 cm). Finish the raw edges with a zigzag stitch or a serger to prevent fraying.
Press: Press the seams open or to one side for a professional finish.

Pattern Making for Beginners: Simple Adjustments

Pattern making for beginners might sound intimidating, but it often starts with simple adjustments to existing patterns or even to garments themselves. For basic tailoring, you might not be drafting from scratch, but rather modifying existing patterns or learning how to transfer design ideas.

Altering a Commercial Pattern

When you buy a sewing pattern, it’s sized for a standard figure. You’ll often need to make adjustments to get a perfect fit.

Lengthening/Shortening: Most patterns have lines indicating where to lengthen or shorten the pattern piece. You’ll cut along these lines, insert or remove fabric strips, and re-tape them.
Full Bust Adjustment (FBA) or Small Bust Adjustment (SBA): These are more advanced techniques for adjusting the bodice of a pattern to fit your bust size more accurately.
Adding Ease: If a pattern feels too tight, you might need to add a bit more ease (room for movement) by widening seams or adjusting pattern pieces.

Transferring Design Ideas

Sometimes, tailoring involves adding a new design element.

Adding a Pocket: Learning to add a patch pocket or an inseam pocket can be a beginner project.
Changing a Collar: Modifying the shape or size of a collar.
Adding Darts: Darts are triangular folds of fabric sewn to shape a garment to the body. They are essential for fitting and can be added or adjusted.

The Importance of Pressing

Never underestimate the power of a good press! Pressing is not just about removing wrinkles; it’s an integral part of the sewing process that shapes the fabric and sets your stitches.

Press as You Go: Press each seam after you sew it. This makes subsequent steps much easier and results in a much neater final product.
Press Open or to One Side: For most seams, you’ll either press them open or press them to one side. The choice depends on the fabric and the desired look.
Use the Right Heat: Always check the fabric care label for the recommended iron temperature. Silk and synthetics need lower heat than cotton or linen.

Practice Makes Perfect

Sewing for beginners is a journey of continuous learning. The more you practice these basic tailoring techniques, the more confident and skilled you will become. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Every alteration is a learning opportunity.

Tips for Success

Start Simple: Begin with easy projects like hemming trousers or simple mending.
Read Instructions: If you’re using a pattern, read all instructions carefully before you start.
Pre-wash Fabric: Always pre-wash your fabric before cutting to account for shrinkage.
Test Stitches: Before sewing on your garment, test your stitch length and tension on a scrap of the same fabric.
Take Your Time: Rushing leads to mistakes. Enjoy the process!
Join a Sewing Group or Online Forum: Connecting with other sewers can provide support and inspiration.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the most important sewing tool for a beginner tailor?
A1: While many tools are important, a good pair of fabric scissors and a seam ripper are arguably the most crucial for beginners. Scissors for clean cuts, and the seam ripper to fix inevitable mistakes.

Q2: Can I tailor my clothes without a sewing machine?
A2: Yes, you can do many mending clothes and simple alterations by hand. However, for most garment alteration and structural changes, a sewing machine will make the process faster, stronger, and neater.

Q3: How do I know if a garment needs tailoring?
A3: A garment that needs tailoring often doesn’t lie flat against your body where it should, has excess fabric bunching up, feels too tight in some areas, or is the wrong length. Fitting clothes properly means they feel comfortable and look smooth.

Q4: What is the best fabric for beginners to practice tailoring on?
A4: Cotton is an excellent choice for beginners. It’s stable, doesn’t stretch much, is easy to press, and forgiving if you make a mistake.

Q5: How do I prevent fraying when hemming or altering?
A5: You can prevent fraying by finishing the raw edges of your fabric. Common methods include using a zigzag stitch on your sewing machine or a serger. For hand sewing, you can use a whipstitch or a buttonhole stitch.

Q6: What does it mean to “take in a seam”?
A6: “Taking in a seam” means making the garment smaller by sewing closer to the edge of the fabric, effectively reducing the circumference of that part of the garment. This is a primary method for making clothes fit more snugly.

By following these steps and embracing the learning process, you’ll soon be confidently tailoring your own clothes and enjoying a perfectly fitted wardrobe. Happy sewing!