Garment sewing is a type of sewing where the created object is some kind of clothing item. There’s nothing substantially different when sewing Accessories (e.g. bags), although there are some potential considerations for arranging data.
Quilting is taken up as a separate entry, although one can combine the techniques here with those described there to make quilted garments.
Supplies
The equipment you need for garment sewing will vary depending on whether you’re sewing Woven fabric (non-stretchy) or Knit fabric (stretchy). Fabric with a little bit of stretch (e.g. fleece) can be sewn with a regular sewing machine like a woven fabric, but for very stretchy fabric, the process is less frustrating and the result is better if you use the right equipment.
- For woven (non-stretchy) fabric: A standard sewing machine. You can get a basic but fully functional model for under $200. More expensive machines work better on thicker fabrics, have more built-in stitch patterns, and generally are less fiddly. Many makerspaces have basic sewing machines available. Use sharps needles for the sewing machine, unless you’re working with particularly thick / tough fabric, where you should use a more durable jeans needle. Woven fabric is cheap and widely available; to start with, you can even work with materials like old bed sheets. If you’re using thrifted or repurposed material, fabric can be (close to) free. Good quality quilting cotton with interesting designs can be close to $20/yd. High-quality fabric intended for garments can be more (upwards of $50 for specialty fabrics).
- For knit (stretchy) fabric: Ideally you should use a serger (500-600) to finish the hems of knit fabric. Use jersey needles, which slide between the threads of the fabric rather than puncturing new holes. Knit fabric usually runs $15-20/yd and tends to have fewer interesting patterns than woven fabric, though you can order Custom fabric online for $20-30/yd. You can also reuse material like old t-shirts.
- You can get away with a sharp pair of scissors (use them only for fabric, never for paper, because they dull quickly), but if you’re doing a lot of sewing, one of the first upgrades you’ll want is a rotary cutter and mat, which makes it much easier to cut out pattern pieces.
- Wonder clips are better than pins for aligning pieces of fabric together as you go to sew them, but you may need pins as well if you’re attaching fabric in the center of other fabric.
At Stanford
The Textile Makerspace on the second floor of Pigott Hall has all these supplies available to use for free. Check the website for current open hours.
Resources & Tutorials
If you’re completely new to sewing, you should find a tutorial video specifically for the sewing machine model you have. There are YouTube videos for just about any modern machine, and many older machines as well. The exact features and locations of different options vary from machine to machine, and you shouldn’t struggle to figure out how general instructions apply to your particular sewing machine.
Sergers look intimidating, but with a little help getting started, they’re easy to use. Threading them can take some practice! Here’s a YouTube video (10 min, by Seamwork) that goes over the anatomy of a serger and how to use it, using one of the most common serger models.
It’s easier to start with an existing pattern for your first project, even if you plan to design your own patterns. This YouTube video (10 min, by vintage thirsty) covers the basics of sewing pattern symbols, and how to trace and cut out a pattern. Pattern Niche has a more thorough YouTube video (15 min) on pattern terminology and jargon.
Garment Sewing & Data
Because garments can involve many different parts, there are numerous opportunities for incorporating data, some more subtle than others.
Color blocking
Color blocking is a design approach that involves juxtaposing pieces of fabric with contrasting colors. This visually bold approach allows you to use the color parameter for conveying data. You can find sewing patterns that are already designed for color blocking, with individual pieces meant to be cut out in different colors. You can also modify existing patterns by adding color blocking; this YouTube video (15 min, by Sew DIY) covers how to do that.
You don’t necessarily have to use color as the data parameter; you can use the same approach of splitting pattern pieces to be cut out in multiple fabrics to use a different property like texture, even with the fabric all being the same color. Just be sure that the different fabrics you are using are all compatible with your pattern — for instance, don’t use a piece of woven (non-stretchy) fabric for color blocking on a pattern that requires knit (stretchy) fabric. And if you’re mixing different stretchy fabrics, think carefully before mixing fabrics with very different amounts of stretch. For instance, if you have a thicker, less-stretchy fabric and a thin, very-stretchy fabric, it’s better to use the less-stretchy fabric towards the top of the garment (e.g. shoulders / top of a t-shirt), and the more-stretchy fabric lower-down, or in places where they won’t be stretched out of shape by additional weight, like on the sleeves.
Hems / cuffs / neckline
You don’t necessarily need to make the data front and center in the garment you sew. You can sew a garment in a single color, and save the data for one of the bands around the edge of the garment — like a cuff, neckline, or hem. For instance, you could sew together fabric of different color to represent the data into a thin band that you attach for the garment neckline (like on a t-shirt), cuff, or instead of bias tape to finish the edge of the garment.
Notions
Some patterns require notions, or small accessory items often used to close the garment. This can also be an opportunity to incorporate data, typically through color or texture but potentially also size. Buttons are a great medium for conveying data, given the numerous colors, styles, and sizes available — plus the opportunity to custom-print buttons using PETG in a 3D printer, or using resin with a button mold.
Zipper pulls offer another medium for data: you could attach some form of cord to a zipper and tie it in knots of different size or Spacing.