Alice's thoughts on the Greta Dungarees as a beginner sewist
Lockdown gave me a few things - a new found love for baking, a complex about leaving the house and, the only one that’s lasted, a passion for sewing.
I’d been following Lydia/ Made My Wardrobe on Instagram for a while before I plucked up the courage to buy the Greta Dungarees pattern and try them out for myself. I’d honestly never heard of patterns, I didn’t know this was a thing that people did, and I had no idea how large and welcoming the sewing community would be.
My main fear was that as a beginner I’d struggle to recognise the terminology and lose interest pretty quickly (I’ve a habit of giving up when things get difficult). I also worried that any mistakes made once cutting into the denim would be hard to rectify. Both fears ended up being invalid, Lydia’s pattern has a glossary (which I turned to many many times) and my quick unpick was always on hand though I actually didn’t have to use it too often.
I bought the fabric at the beginning of the year with the intention of making the dungarees over the course of a few weekends but life got in the way… The pattern and fabric lay dormant in the corner of my room. Fast forward a few months and thanks to Coronavirus I was informed that I couldn’t leave the house for 3 months. 12 weeks stretched ahead of me without the prospect of being able to leave the house at all.
But what’s 12 weeks in full quarantine, when you’ve a Greta sewing pattern, fabric and your pal’s grandma’s sewing machine?
I went for it. Taking my measurements for the first time was pretty daunting, I wanted to ensure that for my first ever piece of clothing I did everything correctly. I think I measured and re-measured myself about 5 times and referenced a few youtube videos and blogs to do this.
I fell between sizes and ended up cutting a straight 12 then made sure to wash and iron my fabric before cutting into it. It turns out that laying and cutting a pattern is the part I found the most time consuming - bear in mind I was doing all of this on the kitchen table, so it wasn’t a straight forward cut.
From there I found the process pretty seamless. I honestly couldn’t believe the ease in which it came together. The pattern is loose fitting without buttons or zips which is an added bonus. Lydia’s instructions and the illustrations really helped me through each part step by step. I found the pockets were the most difficult part, but even then the clear instructions helped me through and I was able to follow them without fault.
I’m so happy that my dungarees turned out the way they did because ultimately it introduced me into the world of sewing for which I’ll be forever grateful. Not least because it offered escapism at a time when I could literally not escape the house, but also because the sewing community is incredible and so wonderful to be a part of.
I’ve not stopped sewing since… and so the journey continues.
My tips for beginners
I don’t have too many of these, but my main ones would be:
Jump straight in. Don’t spend months deliberating about whether or not you can do it. If you’ve got the fabric and the machine just go for it. If 2020 has taught us anything it’s very much to live in the present.
Do wash and iron your fabric before you begin. Ok, so I don’t do this every time but with denim it felt important especially knowing how much it shrinks when washed.
PRESS. Honestly, it really makes a difference to iron when you’re required to.
Take your time. Sewing isn’t instinctive, it can take a bit of time to get used to a new machine or familiarise yourself with the weight of a fabric and how it feels under the needle. The hardest bit is getting started, but once you have, take as much time as you need. Enjoy it.
If you want to see more of my makes you can follow me on Instagram at @apb.sews
