Make simple or elaborate costumes.
Costume design and sewing requires you to learn how to do a variety of stitches, how to make patterns, and choose the best fabrics. You will also need to learn how to do all this on a budget. From Halloween to theater costumes, you must learn a variety of techniques because costumes require much sewing and detail. You may even want to utilize some hand-sewing techniques, which will show off your craft as a custom tailor or dressmaker.
Pattern-Making
Sewing costumes may require you to make your own pattern. Many Halloween and historical costume patterns can be bought at your local fabric store, but you may not find exactly what you want. You may alter an existing pattern or make your own entirely. Start with an easier pattern with fewer pieces. You can make pattern pieces by draping muslin on a dress form or draw your pattern on light tissue paper. Making your own pattern allows you to tailor the garment to the person who is going to wear it. You use the person's measurements to make the pieces add up to those measurements.
Stitches
There are many stitches that can go into a costume, and if you have some experience with sewing, you likely have some knowledge of basic stitches already. Your sewing machine probably has options for straight, zigzag, backstitch and blind stitches. You will use straight stitches most often. You can use these types of stitches on your machine to baste, or to hold pieces of fabric together temporarily. You may also need to double stitch areas that may experience heavy wear, stay stitch to stabilize certain areas, and topstitch for decoration (used often for jeans). You will also understitch, or attach the seam allowance of a finished seam to one side. Learn how to use these stitches to make darts, tucks, pleats and gathers.
Seams
Most costumes will require you to put fabric pieces' right sides together and sew a straight stitch. This stitching results in a standard seam. However, you may be asked to do other seams like a French seam, where you put fabric pieces' right side together and sew the seam. This is followed by folding the fabric on top of the seam allowance and stitching again to encase the seam allowance. It is a good idea at the end of seams to backstitch a bit to help stabilize the seam. You will also want to finish seams with a serger or encase the seam allowance in itself to prevent fraying. Acquaint yourself with the different kinds of hems like blind, rolled and folded hems.
Fabric and Notions
A large part of costume sewing is choosing the right fabric. You will likely be on a budget, and if you are making costumes for a large group of people, you will probably not be able to buy silk or other expensive fabric for each costume. If you bought a pattern, it should tell you what kind of fabric works best for the pattern. Think about the era the costume represents. Hold up different types of fabrics to see how they fall or lay on other surfaces. Some costumes will have specific fabric needs while others allow you some freedom. Do not forget about notions -- thread, zippers, snaps, ribbon, piping, feathers and buttons.
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