General questions about making your own clothes

I've never sewn anything in my life other than some replacement buttons and the occasional maintenance for my older clothes, but recently I've decided I want to try my hand at making my own clothes and accessories. So far I've made a purse and a hat for my boyfriend out of an old sweater, but I was wondering- how do I judge how much fabric and thread I would need for a project? Or is that info usually included with a pattern?

What the hell is this plastic stick with the spiky wheel on it? It came with some sewing supplies I bought.


Any answers and/or favored weblinks are appreciated.

 

The 'plastic stick with a spiky wheel on it' is for scoring paper, I believe, for when you make patterns. You put whatever you're tracing on the pattern paper and trace around it with the spiky wheel thing. (Haha. I've clearly forgotten its proper name.) I think it makes the pattern easier to cut out, but I've never used mine.

Also, the amount of fabric needed is almost always included with the pattern. With thread you just have to estimate- it's not that hard to knot it when you run out and then continue on your way with more. :]

 

I'm just afraid of not buying enough thread...or maybe buying too much thread, haha. I'm a subscriber to the philosophy of "better safe than sorry", so sometimes I have a tendency to overdo it.

 

No, that wheel is not for cutting patterns, tissue paper patterns don't need perforating.

It's a tracing wheel, for marking darts and such on your fabric.

You use it with special paper that has coloured wax on one side. Put the paper wax side down on the wrong side of your fabric with the pattern on top, and roll the wheel along the lines you want transferred. It gives you a dotted line to sew along.

 

What's the right way to use a seam ripper? I've tried both outside and inside the material, but neither way seems to be better.

 

You do it whatever way is comfortable for you. It's all about cutting the threads to take out a seam. It can be a slow and annoying process, depending on how short your stitches are.