How to Design Your Own Clothes

Here is how to design your own clothes:

Take a shirt or other garment that fits well.
Here is the shirt I used:

Find a fabric that you love. Hold it up to your face to make sure it is a good color on you.

Here is the fabric I used:

Take large pieces of muslin and lay it over your original garment. Draw pencil lines around each shape. Cut out the shapes then place them on your new fabric. Cut out the fabric making sure to leave seam allowances. I left a hearty 5/8 inch around each piece. Place pieces on fold as necessary to insure even shapes.

Here are some of the pieces I made by laying muslin over my original shirt and tracing desired shapes.

  

Sew. Sew. Sew. A few hours later, and voila! You have designed your own clothes! Refer to old patterns if you are unsure how things are put together. Or, better yet, join up with a few sewing friends and have a project nite where you can put your heads together to figure things out. This can be quite helpful and make the process more enjoyable.

(My husband/photographer makes me laugh)

Now that you have made one pattern, think of little adjustments that you can make and try another one in a very different fabric. The second one always takes half the time because you have already done all the puzzle solving.

I think I will add a piece of fat grey ric-rac to the hem.

What design changes will I make for the next one? A scoopier neck? No puffed sleeves? A little less fabric in the front and back pieces. Something appliqued? Hmm. Endless possibilities.

Pretty cool. I didn't spend a penny or leave the house, and I have a new spring shirt. Oh. And I was able to watch a movie with the boys to boot. (Speaking of boots, I'm picturing a pair of thrifted cowboy boots, don't you think?)