Make It, Own It, Love It: The Essential Guide to Sewing, Altering and Customizing

283 Pages·2016·41.92 MB·English

by  Matt Chapple

MAKE IT
OWN IT
LOVE IT
The Essential Guide to Sewing,
Altering and Customizing
MATT CHAPPLE
Photography by Simon Brown
CONTENTS
WELCOME
TOOL KIT TO COOL KIT
measure
mark
secure
cut and stitch
helpful to have
cool kit
know your machine
which machine?
FABRICS
choosing
light-weight
medium-weight
heavy-weight
pattern matching
STITCHING
hand stitching
machine stitching
a guide to commercial patterns
measuring
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
hems
shortening jeans
making chinos into shorts
shortening trousers
shortening a dress
seams
slimming trouser legs
slimming a waistline on trousers
turns
adding elbow patches
adding patch pockets
darts
fitting a shirt
fitting the bust of a dress
pleats
making a T-shirt into a dress
adding a box pleat
easing
girl’s dress into a skirt makeover
gathering a tunic dress
zips
inserting an exposed zip
embellishing
nautical-style skirt
customizing a jacket
enhancing a vest top
decorative edge finish
MAKE IT FROM SCRATCH
bow tie
sleeveless blouse
infinity scarf
scuba skirt
Sunday sweatshirt
pyjama trousers
summer dress
MAKE IT WEARABLE
loss of a button
hooks and eyes
press studs
loose hemline
hole in pocket
lost drawstring
zip repairs
torn fabric
torn seam
close a seam
MAKE IT LIVE LONGER
maintaining clothes
laundry symbols
polishing shoes
GLOSSARY
RESOURCES
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Welcome
Hi. I’m Matt Chapple, and I was the
winner of BBC2’s Great British
Sewing Bee in 2015.
It was for this programme that I made
and customized 18 garments, ranging
from dresses and trousers to a kilt and
a leather jacket in just six rigorous
weeks, until I was crowned the first
ever male champion. My previously
secret passion for stitching was now
well and truly out!
I joined the army when I was 16, and
was trained as a vehicle mechanic. My
time in the armed forces taught me
many skills, of which sewing and
general upkeep of my uniform and kit
was one. My passion for sewing actually began, believe it or not, with a curtain.
I was surprised at the cost of made-to-measure curtains. So when my wife,
Gemma, went out one night I knocked one up. You can imagine the smiles and
the raised eyebrows it received.
As my family has grown so has my sewing repertoire, to the stage where I am
not just doing running repairs, but actually creating and personalizing items for
myself and others to wear with pride. The Great British Sewing Bee gave me the
confidence to be more experimental with my projects, and I now truly value the
freedom that sewing allows me. I begin with a blank canvas and get to choose
the type of garment, the fabric and the fit, enabling me to create a truly one-off
item.
Make it, Own it, Love it is my debut book and showcases something extremely
close to my heart, the fact that we can all create something unique, whether it be
from scratch or as part of a customization. High-street shops have given us
competitive prices and online shopping access to a huge variety of clothes at the
touch of a button. But I want us to still have the confidence to use core skills,
such as repairing a pocket or mending a hem, so that we love our clothes and
don’t just replace them. Or alternatively we can take something mainstream and
turn it into something unique and personal.
That’s why in this book I take you from the basics of hand stitching to helping
you to find your own style and learn how to apply it to lots of different garments.
You will discover how to create something unique without the need for a pattern,
and the all-important aftercare that makes a garment live longer.
Thanks for joining me. When I am not sewing you can find me sharing my news,
makes and inspirations on my blog sewwhatsnew.co.uk
Now, let’s explore your wardrobe and see where it takes us …