on clothes patterns and how to sew clothes
the ones in the book, and in general!
We all wear clothes every day, all have to solve the problem of what do I want to wear? Endless options, endless choice. When you sew your own clothes you can end up with ones that feel better to wear than ones you can buy! Sewing clothes — though it takes time, energy, thought — can be so exciting, empowering, and rewarding, and can make your wardrobe so amazing and personal!
It’s one thing to sew something that you can wear, it’s another thing to sew something that you really really love! Something that fits well, is in fabric that really feels good, that feels like a companion to the other clothes in your wardrobe, that makes you feel awesome when you wear it! Those are the kinds of clothes we want to sew, and probably the kinds of clothes you want to sew too!
Simple clothes!
We’ve always liked sewing simple clothes best, probably because we also have always loved wearing simple clothes best. How to Sew Clothes includes instructions and printed patterns for our two best selling garment patterns, the All Well Box Top and the All Well Cardigan Coat. (Bust circumferences 32-62” / 81-157 cm.) When you unfold the pattern sheets, you will notice that the patterns are decidedly uncomplicated.
Simple shapes, not very many pieces to cut, a pared-down sewing method, as straightforward as possible.
Just because the pattern is simple doesn’t mean that it can’t become a nuanced and complex garment, part of a cohesive wardrobe. That’s really why we like simple clothes so much — because the garment doesn’t tell you how to make it down to every last button, it is more like a building block or blank canvas, adaptable and customizable. Simple clothes really quickly become super personal and interesting. And by virtue of being simple, they’re a super good place to start learning to sew any kind of pattern, or to design your own!
Box Top + Variations
The Box Top is the ultimate building-block sewing pattern. Think of it like a blank canvas to show off beautiful fabric, and a wardrobe workhorse that can complete any outfit. You can make dozen box tops, all different and wonderful. The box top comes with a few variations: long sleeve box top, ruffle top and dress, and box dress, and a bunch of hacks.
〰 The original all well box top is easy-wearing, breezy and comfortable, perfect for summer days or layering. Tuck it in, or wear it cropped with high-waisted pants.
〰 The long sleeve box top will be your chilly weather uniform! The same box top silhouette with a perfectly tapered sleeve for a comfortable but polished look. A perfect layering piece!
〰 The ruffle top is for times you need some flounce! Perfect proportions and so many opportunities for color-blocking and creativity. Easy to hack into a ruffle dress too!
〰 The box dress (paired with the simplest belt, if you like) is easy and comfortable and looks incredible! Wear it to work! Wear it to brunch!
A lot of people have told us that the box top was the first garment they ever made — that makes us so happy! It could be your first garment too! You can make versions for different seasons, different activities, different moods, and keep learning and adjusting and changing things as you go.
Cardigan Coat + Quilt Coat
The Cardigan Coat is the ultimate versatile layer to make a dozen different ways. This pattern is like a template or springboard — a carefully designed base waiting for you to take it and run with it. You can sew it ten different times and produce a totally different garment each time, and you can hack it nearly effortlessly just by following a scrap of an idea or letting the fabric take the lead. We love it so much for this — with its endless versatility and possibilities, this pattern always feels new! Make it out of sweatshirt fleece, chambray, boiled wool, or a vintage quilt, every version will be cozy and wonderful, and totally itself.
〰 The original Cardigan Coat is an understatedly elegant layer to pop over any outfit. Sew it long or crop it to the waist, add a simple collar, or buttons, or leave it open and airy. Try one in linen or chambray for a summer layer, or boiled wool or sweatshirt fleece for winter warmth. So many possibilities from one simple starting place!
〰 Use the Quilt Coat variation to transform a vintage quilt, pre-quilted fabric, or other bulky fabrics into a one-of-a-kind heirloom-quality garment!
How to Sew Clothes — out now!
a book like a sewing lesson!
How to Sew Clothes has patterns AND it’s about the process of sewing the kinds of clothes you really want to wear, from idea to choosing fabric to making it happen!
That’s a big part of what we wanted to read in a sewing book when we were learning: all of the steps of garment sewing that come before and after the instructions on which seams to sew. (You can read the full table of contents!)
First of all, we talk about What you might want to sew, and how, and why. Picking a project can be surprisingly hard, and emotional — we’ve got lots of advice and thoughts for you there.
Get your Workshop Set Up talks about all the things you do in a sewing workshop, and helps you think through where you are going to sew, and cut patterns and fabric. (On the kitchen table? on the floor? a desk in the corner of the living room? a whole room?) There’s advice on choosing a sewing machine, a list of tools you definitely need, and a more advanced tools list. And some thoughts on “notions” like elastic and twill tape and thread—all the other little things you might use besides fabric.
How a Garment Is Sewn, and Washed, and Worn gives a top-of-the-mountain view of the process of sewing clothes, and talks about the steps of sewing, pressing, washing, and learning from what you sew.
In First Seams, First Seam Rips, you’ll meet your sewing machine, practice sewing a straight line, learn how to sew a seam and backstitch to keep it strong. And try out all the steps of pinning and pressing and seam ripping that you’ll use all the time. You’ll practice just enough about how to sew to get started!
If you’ve sewn a few things but haven’t gotten to that I truly love this thing I made place yet, It’s All About the Fabric dives deep into the mechanics of fit and fabric selection and hacks and how it all fits into what’s already in your closet — all the ingredients to find your way to making something that feels just-right!
If you’re already making clothes you love, we’ll come alongside you as companions for the feelings that inevitably come up along the way, and offer lots of info and resources to keep handy so you can continue to sew your dream clothes, and get deeper into your practice!
How to Begin is all about the process itself. Even if you’ve never touched a sewing machine, you probably know that there are sooooo many steps, so many little choices that go into a handmade garment. It can quickly become overwhelming to contemplate. Frequently, patterns assume you know all of that already, and just need to know the specifics of that particular pattern. But there’s so much you do before and after: measuring yourself, reading size charts, deciding on ease, getting the pattern pieces ready and adjusting them, gathering the fabric, prepping, and so on.
Sewing is centering, giving you small goals to achieve slowly and in your own time, a place to solve problems with low stakes, and a way to practice mending, both literally and figuratively.
As you sew through the box top, the long sleeve box top, the ruffle box top or ruffle dress, the box dress, the cardigan coat or jacket, or the quilt coat, you’ll be able to reflect and build on what you learn each time. You can adjust the pattern to change the fit, add some of the variations or special touches, or hack the pattern to make something else. (More on hacking in this weekend’s newsletter!) Things that seemed hard will get easier, your sewing will be more steady, you’ll start to get new ideas.
—Amelia & Amy, ALL WELL
Find HOW TO SEW CLOTHES at Amazon, Bookshop, Powells, IndieBound, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Book Depository, Indigo and bookstores near you.
Finding How to Sew Clothes outside of the U.S. is totally possible! You can get the book through Amazon (for example, the UK and Australia) as well as other major retailers with international reach. Book Depository, Waterstones, and Bookshop ship internationally. Or try asking at your local bookstore! They should be able to get a copy for you. (The ISBN is 9781419762024!) Measurements in the book are given in inches and metric.
ALL WELL: allwellworkshop.com, @allwellworkshop, etsy, spotify, pinterest, youtube.
AMY: amybornman.com, @amybornman, her newsletter My Candle Burns.
AMELIA: ameliagreenhall.com, ANEMONE, @anemone.es, the ANEMONE newsletter.