In May 2024 I started teaching myself how to make my own clothes. I was struggling to find decent options that were natural fabrics and made well enough to justify the prices out there. Sewing began to be a therapeutic practice, especially when I felt burnt out. These are the things I learnt: 1. A mannequin is a game changer 2. Buy one basic pattern and you can use it as a base, by changing small things you can get completely different garments from it 3. Upcycling is 10840402028384x harder than sewing from scratch. 4. If you’re afraid of wasting fabric, start with old bed sheets. However, nothing is truly a waste when you’re learning from it. 5. It’s important to make something you’d actually want to wear! There’s a mismatch of skill vs project in the beginning but something simple but executed well can always be enhanced with embroidery/embellishments etc. 6. You don’t need an expensive machine. Mine is £190 made by Janome from John Lewis. 7. Measure a lot. If you think you got it right, measure again. Then measure a third time to make sure. 8. You can’t iron enough. Just be careful on delicate fabrics like silk. The learning curve is steep but it’s so worth it to have your dream clothes that no one else has. Don’t give up on that little girl who wanted to design her own dresses!! - @andreacheong_