My First Dress!

[@jennifergissendanner6297]

Great video and topic. Thank you!! I’m so encouraged

[@karenminet9275]

Loved the first dress. That zip is darn cute. The first item I made was a straight skirt, but I didn't understand wearing ease so it was my body measurements and really risqué and unwearable. I was in high school and just cried because I baby sat for 3 hours to get the $ to buy the fabric. But I lived through it and really love to sew now. I have a light-filled sewing room and make whatever I want. I use mostly knits, viscose challis or pebble crepe. And I have watched your style evolve. I really like what you make and the style you put together. Keep going, Ruthie. You are fun to watch. Cheers from California.

[@sueb4919]

GBSB was such an inspiration for me to get back to sewing (after about 15 years) too!! Well done on that dress. The main thing is to learn from one's mistakes.

[@breehall4300]

Wow such honesty, love the vlog- we all started somewhere, for me it was maternity trousers, made in beautiful cord from John Lewis 27years ago!! Didn't know about 'Nap' , but hay I loved them I even put growing buttons on the elastic waist!!! But unlike you I am still learning and going to make my first dress this year I hope- I have Sewn quiet a bit for the kids when they little but not much for myself. Until I made a cleo!! Loved it and started sewing again😊

[@mgam9501]

Loved your honesty and sharing your first dress, totally impressed, thanks for sharing

[@melcameron8064]

Thank you for sharing your first dress. I have today finished my 2nd garment a Delphine skirt. I had a nightmare putting in the invisible zip, wanted to throw it out of the window. One of the side seams doesn't match up but I have completed it and proud of it. Your video has inspired to to try again and know that I will improve.

[@StitchedUp]

Thank you for sharing Ruthie, I agree it's so important to show the not so great makes alongside the fab makes, we learn so much from the things that don't always work out and how important the 'boring' bits are such as staystitching, understitching and finishing seams, things I couldn't see the value of when I first started, it's only now, 4 years down the line that I feel I have finally cracked invisible zippers so they are actually invisible and the seams match up etc, but it's taken an awful lot of zip insertions to get to this point!

[@janicek6399]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and sewing story. Building sewing skills on your own with only You Tube as your teachers is impressive and hopefully your vlogs will inspire and help other newbies. You've come a long way in only 3 years and I hope you are very proud of yourself and your accomplishments!

[@Hide_and_silk]

My very first garment was (aged 16 - many years ago!) a 'self drafted' halter neck top. It was basically a rectangle and two elongated triangles. It was all hand sewn and the finishing was rubbish - it really needed lining - but I thought it was the bees knees - especially as my parents thought halter neck tops were outrageously immodest! I remember cycling to my grandmother's wearing it - and my gran was even more conservative than my parents - but, bless her, she was really nice about it. My next project was a very simple dress with drawstring shoulders and side splits. Everytime my mum washed it she sewed up the splits and everytime I went out in it I undid her stitches once I was out of sight. I still have that pattern :)

[@annaberry3780]

I loved this and can totally relate. I actually binned my first sewing projects as I couldn't stand to look at all the issues, but I've got my first dress project planned from a pattern and am hoping it will be wearable. I've been watching craftsy lessons online for beginner sewers and have already 'fixed' a lot of mistakes which I now know I was making-in theory anyway, let's see what happens when I actually sit down and sew! As for your dress, I'm really impressed by it! I love that you lined the bodice AND added a godet. I love godets. My first ever project was a 6 panel godet skirt which ended up looking like a parachute🤣 You have fabulous taste in fabrics, both of those are from the Kaffe Fassett collection and still popular in quilting circles. I just bought 10 metres of a Kaffee Fassett print to make my own bed linen...eventually. So many ideas, so little time..

[@kelleyspoerl2138]

Amazing video. It's heartening for us newbies because we know what you can do now after some years' practice! I agree: this was darned ambitious for a first project and I'm sure you learned a tremendous amount from it. Really, this was so encouraging - even people who can make complex things very beautifully had to start somewhere and their first attempts weren't perfect either. You are an inspiration! This gives me the motivation to press on with my experiments. Trying to make the Sew Over It Kimono Dress - and simple as it is, having issues. But I'm going to follow the Ruthie motto: never say die - and finish the thing! Thanks again for another great video.

[@CraftWerk]

Kelley Spoerl ah this makes me so so happy, thank you Kelley! Yes, everyone starts somewhere and in some ways you learn more from the disastrous or difficult projects, especially if you finish them! I can’t tell you how much it means to me to hear that I’m encouraging someone to give just it a shot. You can do it, good luck with the rest of your kimono ❤️💪☺️ xx

[@Mar-vg4us]

Even people that are experienced makes mistakes...on there 3rd, 5th, 100th, 1000th make. I guarantee you nobody will be as harsh on their makes As the person who made them. Walk into any store, pick up any piece of clothing and I guarantee you you will find mistakes. It’s amazing really how hard we are on ourselves. Make mistakes, everyone does, learn from them, move on, things get better and better with experience. Don’t listen to skills levels on patterns. That’d be my one piece of advice. I wasn’t watching KZbin or on Instagram one year ago when I started and whilst it has been amazing for picking up tips etc. I never knew what I wasn’t supposed to be able to do and that really helped me. So experiment, enjoy. You know a lot more today than you did yesterday!

[@kelleyspoerl2138]

Actually, it was a pattern from Simple Sew - but not so simple!! Screwed up the cutting out, struggled mightily with the belt, did the side seams three times!!! Crazy! But I'm learning with every battle so it's worth it. And honestly, so heartened by the example of your first effort and the great good humor with which you presented it. I laughed and laughed! And now you can make such lovely, professional-looking things. LOVED THIS!

[@kelleyspoerl2138]

Thanks for this. You know, you are right: if you are desperately looking for the pattern to walk you through everything, you miss the opportunity to learn by having to figure things out yourself, even if it takes a while. No idea what the Simple Sew Kimono Dress pattern was about yesterday with the belt - so I just had to do the best I could with what I had - and it looks fine! And the struggle makes the final result all the more precious and valuable and also empowering because you had to save yourself and not rely upon someone else to do it.

[@AdirondackRuby]

Annika was one of my influences too. I watched her videos but, despite having a sewing machine, never bothered to try. But continuing to watch her, combined with Holly creating the Seamstress tag, as well as my sister-in-law giving me some cosplay sewing patterns for Christmas...well, it all just added up and gave me the shove I finally needed to make use of my machine. Like you, I was also gifted sewing supplies. The grandmother of my youngest cousins used to quilt & sew, so when she moved into a nursing home and the family cleaned out her house, I was given so much bias tape and zippers, even a vintage pair of pinking shears, along with well over 100 spools of thread.

[@guthriesworld6553]

RubyLovesRocket iI

[@rikkib7636]

What a cute dress Ruthie!:) Hearing your thoughts brought back memories of my first wearable dress:) Oh I wish I had kept it, or at least gotten a photo in it:/ It was a knit cowl-neck Simplicity pattern and the fabric was printed turquoise, white & black. I was very proud of it, but after a few years I donated it. Ah well. Anyways, thanks for sharing!:)

[@sagepreaumx9903]

It's interesting about directional prints. Maybe you thought the flowers needed to be placed in one direction? As a beginner this really needs to be explained. So much knowledge is taken for granted. I remember as a beginner how so many terms were totally Greek to me and I couldn't find anywhere that didn't make assumptions that I would know what they meant. And as a sewer it it wasn't until years later that I started to pay attention to the type of fabric, it's drape and structure, if it breathes, needs stretch, etc. I love the top you're wearing, did you make it? That's awesome you got so many compliments of your first ever make. THAT is what will keep people sewing, not knowing how to do it perfectly.

[@jandimarco3113]

We ask so much of ourselves! Remember learning to drive? so many things to learn all at once and quite scary too. Making a dress for the first time is a big ask too. . My first make 30 years ago was trousers. They did not fit, surprise surprise.. Then I made an unlined jacket that did fit. But no I’ve not kept them. I’ve kept my wedding dress I made though. When I saw your dress I thought wow, those colours and print do not seem like Ruthie’s usual makes. You’ve come a long way.

[@CraftWerk]

Jan Di Marco exactly! But once you learn how to do it it seems crazy to think how hard it was to begin with. There are always new things to learn with sewing as well that at first seem very hard and then become like second nature once you practice them 😉 haha I know these are so different to the things I’m making now! But I’m a bit of a magpie when it comes to pretty prints and colours and I often have to remind myself that it’s not what I want to wear! Thank you ☺️

[@joannajp7811]

I still have my first dress too, with all its flaws and it is a similar style, without the zip, i just slide it on over my head LOL

[@sallydingle321]

Hi Ruthie, bless you for showing your early mistake which we have all done for sure. Funnily enough I'm much more nervous about sewing wovens than knits, especially if it's a fitted garment. Also I expect, Ruthie, that when you made this dress there was much less tutorial videos to watch and blogs showing techniques. My first garment was out of the British sewing bee book and it was a simple top in a very flowery pattern and I have to say....not the best of fits. I'm still holding on to it though as it has some sentimental value😊. It's all a learning curve isn't it and that's what's so fun about it. I have watched Annika Victoria's channel and she is an amazing young woman isn't she and so funny with it👍. I have just made my first dress which is the Betty dress from Sew Over It for my niece and I have just had pictures through and it fits her perfectly.....I'm so pleased. My dress wasn't lined so you were one up on me in that score😁. I'm thinking of starting Instagram so when I do I'll post a picture if she doesn't mind 👍😘