Sewing Patterns & Supplies

fashion sewing patterns

What are the best 'beginner' sewing patterns?

I am interested in Fashion Design and want to know a bit more about Dressmaking. I mainly like designing ladies eveningwear, but obviously, as i am a beginner to dressmaking and hav'nt even used a sewing pattern before I need to use a basic, simple pattern (of a dress perhaps)?. So does anybody know any good brands for basic and simple sewing patterns?
(I live in the Uk) so please don't give me anything from America!

Learn how to sew -

http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-101-Beginners-Guide/dp/1589230698

Make a few easy projects -

http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm?page=section/classroom/sewinglessons/sewing101hp.cfm

Learn to make your own patterns -

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Sewing-Patterns-Donald-McCunn/dp/0932538002

Books may be found at your local library, or shop online for the best prices.

McCall's 7805 Fashion accessories polar caps for men and women $3.00

McCall's 4424 Girls Easy Fashion Bacis for Kids Jumper Pattern Child sz 3 - 5 $5.99

Those Old Fashioned Skills Could Save Your Life

What old fashioned skills and abilities did your grandparents or great-grandparents have that, if you had those skills, would help you to survive in the event of a long-term survival situation: a real TEOTWAWKI (aka: "the end of the world as we know it")?  This is the question that was asked in a blind study of a group of online workers.

Here are the old fashioned skills most identified as being employed by their ancestors and considered necessary to survival:

1. Hunting - My grandfather and father were good hunters; we always had meat on the table.

2. Foraging - They also gathered nuts and berries which were wonderful to eat!

3. Cooking from scratch - My grandmother could cook anything and made breads from scratch. She could separate chickens and clean and gut fish.

4. Cooking using firewood. I remember when I was small, my grandmother cooked using firewood and she never got burned or overcooked anything. Now I use a modern gas stove and can never get it right.

5. Spinning yarn - They could make yarn themselves, as well as knit and crochet, so they could make sweaters to stay warm.

6. Shoemaking - My grandfather was a shoemaker.

7. Sewing – My grandmother sewed her own clothes. Born in 1901, she had 4 children and made all their clothes by making patterns from newspapers or meat wrapping papers.

8. Dowsing for water - My grandfather (who was of Cherokee Indian descent) had the ability to find water located underground (for wells) using metal rods. This is known as "witching" in the Oklahoma area.

9. Farming - Both of my grandfathers had farms where they grew crops, vegetables and raised livestock.

10. Crafting - They were craftsman and were able to work on fixing almost any item, making new tools, building homes and farming

As this last person describes, our grandparents and great-grandparents employed a variety of old fashioned skills and were all about surviving:

“I'm most impressed that they knew how to live off the land and how to make everything they needed. They knew how to make butter, candles, soap and clothing, and how to hunt and process meat - i.e. smoking, curing, defeathering, beheading etc. They could be described as being very practical, frugal, and pragmatic - as opposed to being rather squeamish and wasteful like most people in the U.S. today.

They were also better prepared to cope with people around them dying since people died all the time back then from diseases, infections, injuries, accidents, natural disasters etc. but they still had to tend to the demanding crops, animals, or other kids.â€

We would all do well to learn some of those old fashioned skills, lest we some day fail to survive a situation that our ancestors would have taken in stride.

About the Author

C.L. Hendricks is a "jill-of-all-trades" and an expert in some. She writes on a variety of subjects for several websites, including InvitingSmiles and Survival Homestead, to name a few.

McCall's 7805 Fashion accessories polar caps for men and women $3.00

McCall's 4424 Girls Easy Fashion Bacis for Kids Jumper Pattern Child sz 3 - 5 $5.99

TEACH YOURSELF TO SEW w/ Pattern How to Fashion DVD NEW $39.99

TEACH YOURSELF TO SEW w/ Pattern How to Fashion DVD NEW $24.99

NEW FRENCH CURVE 9" FASHION DESIGN RULERS SEWING RULE $7.95

Simplicity pattern 8175 Misses jacket skirt pants designer fashion - S10 - c1973 $9.98

Serendipity Studio Fashion Formula Skirt Pattern $12.75

Vogue Fashion Accessories Bridal Veils Sewing Pattern #V8569 $8.99

Womens Size 14 Sewing Patterns Lot of 7 Paris Fashion Simplicity Jiffy McCalls $14.00

Womens Size 14 Sewing Patterns Lot of 4 Designer Fashion Simplicity McCalls $10.00

TOPS ~ Young Fashion Burda Sewing Pattern 7912 ~Size 6-18 $0.99

Simplicity pattern 5344 Misses Retro dress designer fashion - S10 - c1972 $9.98

SIMPLICITY 7046 BARBIE FASHION DOLL CLOTHES PATTERN $14.99

Butterick 5272 Fast & Easy Unlimited Fashion Options $1.99

***VINTAGE*** Butterick Fashion Patterns $4.99

VINTAGE BOOK OF 2 DIFFERENT OLD FASHION CLOTH DOLL PATTERNS, UNOPENED $6.99

Vintage Dusan AFI Magic Fit Master Pattern Set-American Fashion Institute 1984 $4.99

McCall's NEW UNCUT Sewing Pattern Fashion M6477 - Device Case - $18.95 OSZ $3.99

McCall's NEW UNCUT Sewing Pattern Fashion M6523 - Flowers - $18.95 OSZ Hair $3.99

McCall's NEW UNCUT Sewing Pattern Fashion M6567 - Skirts- $17.95 Xsml, Sml, Med $3.99

794NB Old Fashioned Dolls Make out of Clay and Fabric Vintage Sewing Pattern $4.99

Vintage 1930s MAIL ORDER FASHION SERVICE APRONS Sewing Pattern SZ S-L # 3059 $10.51

BURDA TRENDY FASHION 7820 SEAMED DRAWSTRING JACKET & VEST 8-20 UNCUT PATTERN $5.99

McCall's Fashion Accessories Pattern M6256 Tote Organizers Cases Yarn Holder $6.99

Barbie Clothes 6 Fashion Doll Outfits Pattern NEW $3.98

Margaret Islander Sewing Systems: Pants, Etc. & Shirts, Etc. (Techniques for Shirt Construction for Sharp, Professional Looking Garment) [2 VHS Videos/Parts One and Two] Through experience gained working in a garment industry training center, Margaret Islander brings a whole new system to the home sewing field. The general byword is "no pins or basting - sew in half the time". On these tapes industrial techniques along with some of Margaret's "desperation" techniques combine for a method of shirt construction which produces a sharp, professional looking garment ...

Islander Sewing Systems - Pants Etc! {Draw Your Own Pant Pattern for a Custom Fit!} $34.92 ...

Learn How to Fashion Design with Bob Martin 3 DVD Set & FREE Pattern $29.99 Learn a complete lesson on Fashion Design, Experience the Exhilaration of designing your own clothes, develop and expand your design skills and abilities, Try "How To Fashion Design with Bob Martin" Today!Professional Designer Bob Martin has opened up his vault of design secrets and is not holding anything back! His personable, Fashion forward approach allows anyone who desires to learn about fash...

Full Busted? Sew Clothes That Fit! $12.47 Created specially for full-busted women—who must often buy oversized clothing simply so they can button the front—this interactive DVD demonstrates how ladies can sew their own clothes for a custom fit and teaches which size patterns will best fit the neck, upper chest, and shoulder areas. Easy to play and pause during alterations, the DVD first explores full-bust fitting basics, listing...

Advanced Tie Dye Techniques: Making Shapes and Mandalas $29.95 Take your tie dye to the next level --and beyond. Get the results you want using simple, proven techniques. All without stitching or expensive tools. True Tie Dye's Tom and Martine share their insights into this wonderful art. Advanced Tie Dye Techniques is a two volume set: Tie Dye 202: Making Shapes with Tie Dye explores the process of making spectacular tie dye hearts, arrows, peace signs,...

American Girls Dress Designer $19.99 If you're a grownup looking for educational and inspiring role models for a girl, look no further. The popular book series has made the jump to software, providing historical background on girls throughout history, from the life story of a freed slave to a bobby-socks wearing daughter of the 1940s who can't imagine any president other than FDR. The software centers around the dress designing shop,...

Barbie Fashion Designer Barbie helps you design thousands of different outfits on the computer. Special printer-compatible fabric goes through your laser or ink-jet printer so you can make clothes for Barbie. Design party dresses, career outfits, wedding gowns, and even something special for a romantic date with Ken. It's up to your imagination. The software package includes lots of art supplies so you can decorate your...

13 inch Newspaper Pattern Notebook Laptop Sleeve Bag Carrying Pouch Case for most of Apple Macbook, Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Sony $12.80 Fashion Critics like newspapers for reading and studying so do we. This designer inspired Newspaper pattern notebook pouch bag is perfect blend of fashion and function in mind. The bold pattern laptop carry case features water-resistant and provides inner padded cushion to absorb shocking. This laptop notebook sleeve features Two-way zipper on the top slipcase offers easy to slip on, slip off. The...