Dressmaking

• Dressmaking is the craft of sewing clothes and dresses
• A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns
• Dressmakers were historically known as mantuamakers and are also known as a modiste or fabrician
• Sewing tools are manual tools that do not require electricity
• Sewing equipment includes heavy items such as sewing machines
• Measuring Tools:

  • L-square divides garments into desired measurements, perfect for squares and making straight lines
  • Tape Measure is used for taking body measurements, with fiberglass tape commonly used by professionals
  • Yardstick is used for general marking and measuring fabric grainline
  • Ruler is used for general marking and connecting lines
  • Seam gauge helps make quick accurate measurements for hems, buttonholes, scallops, and pleats
  • Hip Curve connects and shapes curve points
  • French Curve shapes the depth of the neck hole and armride
• Cutting Tools:

  • Trimming Scissors for clipping threads
  • Cutting Shears made of quality steel for cutting fabric
  • Seam Ripper quickly rips seams and removes stitches
  • Pinking Shears/Scalloping Shears for zigzagging and scalloped edges
  • Thread Clipper for snipping threads
  • Stitch Ripper cuts stitches close to the fabric
  • Embroidery Scissors for delicate fabrics and embroidery work
  • Leather Shears for cutting leather and suede
  • Rotary Cutter works like a pizza cutter for cutting fabric
  • Bent-handled Dressmaker Shears for cutting apparel fabrics
• Marking Tools:

  • Tailor’s Chalk for marking materials
  • Dressmaker’s Pencil for making fine lines on fabric
  • Tracing Wheel for transferring pattern markings
  • Dressmaker’s Carbon Paper for marking fabric in combination with a tracing wheel
  • Liquid Marking Pen, a felt-tip pen with marks that may disappear after 48 hours