stitchu

stitchu / sewing guide

You drafted it. Now sew it.

The pattern is only half the job. The other half is which fabric to use and why, and the order to put it together. Every page here is built on one rule set, the same one the result screen and the printed cover use, so the advice never contradicts itself. Fabric facts are sourced (Extension fibre guides); the construction order is the standard tailoring sequence from Aldrich, Armstrong and the Reader's Digest guide.

Start here

Choosing fabric: weight and drape
The one rule that picks the cloth: a shape that stands away from the body wants a fabric that holds its shape; a shape that falls close wants one that drapes. What that means in grams.
The order to sew, and why
Build flat for as long as you can. The nine-phase sequence every garment follows, and why setting a sleeve too early or hemming too soon costs you.

By garment

A fitted dress
Princess or dart, natural waist, clean lines. The fabric that holds the fit, and the flat-to-tube order that keeps the seams crisp.
A babydoll / gathered dress
Empire waist, gathers, ruffles. The soft-medium cloth that fills the gathers without turning them into cardboard, plus how to gather evenly.
An A-line or straight skirt
A shape that stands away wants a crisp medium woven. Fabric, the short flat-then-close order, and the walking vent detail.
A collared / button top
A collar stand and a placket only stand up on a fabric that presses sharp. The crisp cloth, the interfacing that matters as much, and the order.
Draft a pattern, true-scale A4, free