Sewing Machine 101: Make Your First Dress

Meet Juliet Uzor, discover her dressmaking journey, and learn why she decided to stop buying clothes and make them herself. Learn about her love for fabrics and the fabric designers she admires. Get an overview of what you’re about to learn in the course.

Get familiar with the tools you need to make your dress. Discover the main features of a sewing machine and learn about its basic functions. Go through the main stitches offered by your sewing machine and learn how to use them correctly. Then, it’s time to start sewing! Create straight and curved lines, sew fabrics together, and see how to finish the raw edges of your fabrics.

Prepare your sewing pattern and learn how to identify and cut the correct size for your body type. See how to choose and prep your fabrics before learning how to cut your pattern. Create your facings with an interfacing and sew the raw edges of your fabric.

Start sewing the bodice of your dress, then prepare and sew the skirt before adding the finishing touches to your neckline pattern. Get an in-depth look at how to construct buttonholes and buttons, adding finishing touches to your dress that leave it ready to wear.

See how to fix and avoid common sewing machine problems as well as how to keep your equipment and fabrics maintained. Discover Juliet’s tips for matching bold and patterned fabrics and finish the course by seeing how to vary the pattern used for your finished dress.