Ever wondered what makes one fashion designer or dressmaker different from the other? Well, some would say it is creativity; others would say it is their training. Well, it could be any of those things but I can tell you that no dressmaker becomes good without the right tools.
Every aspiring dressmaker should know well that without the right tools, it is practically impossible to make great and lovable designs. Just like every other profession, there is a tool for everything you need to do. So do you know those tools? This article seeks to shed light on some of the most important tools and aspiring dressmakers must own in order to be successful.
Aside from knowing the tools you would need as an aspiring dressmaker, you also need to know where to buy the tools.
1. Measuring Tape
Just like a teacher cannot teach without a chalk, the measuring tape is used to get measurement accuracy. It is used to measure the size of the person whom you are making the dress for and it is equally used to measure the size of the cloth. Without the measuring tape, it might be a little difficult to get accuracy. This is why every dressmaker should and must have a measuring tape handy. This is the signature of dress makers.
2. Scissors
Sewing is about cutting clothes in pieces and the best tool for that is the scissors. It is a double faced sharp metal which is used for cutting. The dressmaker uses this tool to cut materials to the exact size and pattern that is needed. The scissors need to be super sharp or it will mess up your fabric.
In actual sense, a fashion designer should have at least three pairs of scissors for different stages of sewing.
3. Tailor's Chalk
After taking the measurement of a client, it is important that the dressmaker cut the material provided to specification with the measurement already collected.
This is made easy by making marks on the material with the tailor's chalk. The chalk is quite different from a school teacher’s chalk, it is flat in shape and can be bought anywhere dress making materials are sold.
4. A Good Sewing machine
After you have cut the materials, you will need to put them together and this can be done with the aid of a good sewing machine.
Notice the word “Good” because not all sewing machines are good for the fabric you want to sew. Some machines can only handle lightweight fabric while some others can handle just any fabric. Getting a wrong sewing machine can frustrate your passion for dress making. A good sewing machine, however,can help you bring out great designs and enhance your creativity. To get the best sewing machines, you need to read as many detailed reviews on sewing machines as possible. Product reviews will help you pick which of the various brands and types of sewing machines people really rate. And these reviews can be found online. A little Google search will show you as many reviews as possible. And you can talk to people offline and ask for recommendations as well.
5. Sewing Machine Needles
Your sewing machine is quite useless without a good and sharp sewing machine needle. This needle is specifically made for sewing machines. As an aspiring dress maker, it is important that you always ensure that your needles are sharp so that every stitch is achieved with ease and perfection. You can’t sharpen sewing needles when they are bad; you just need to buy new ones.
6. Hand sewing needles
There are obviously some stitches that you may want to do with your hand (without using the sewing machine) in order to do this; you will need hand sewing needles. They come in different sizes depending on what you want to use them to stitch.
7. Thimble
When working with needles, sometimes you may mistakenly pierce through your own skin with the needle; hence it is important that you get a thimble to protect your fingers from unnecessary punctures from the needle. There are plastics and metal thimbles but it is advisable you always buy the metal ones for optimal protection.
8. Thread
Whether you are sewing by hand or with the machine, when you pick up a needle, the next thing you'll need is the thread. The thread comes in different colors and sizes. The color or size to use is quite dependent on the color of fabric you are working with as well as other factors.
9. Cutting Table
You'll need to place the fabric on a surface in order to cut properly. This is where the table comes in. You can either get a wooden or plastic table; it makes no difference as far as the surface is flat enough and can enable you to cut professionally.
10. Dress Form
After sewing, you will definitely love to see how your work looks like before the client comes to collect the clothes (assuming you are going commercial) a dress form will do the wonder for you. In the past, wood crossed like it was used but in recent times, there are forms which look more like humans with different postures that you can buy to see how your work looks before delivery.
Your sewing tools are as important as your training. If you are properly trained, you will still need the right tools to execute your sewing projects. Invest in the right tools and you can make your work easier and faster.
