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Sewing guide

How to play Dressmaker: one dress, start to finish

Every commission runs through the same eight stations: the counter, the measurements, the sketchbook, the fabric shop, the cutting table, the sewing machine, the accessories and the photo. Here is what each one asks of you.

A green patterned panel under the needle of an old black sewing machine, a 100% dial by the needle, and the keys Space Sew, A D Rotate, W S Change Speed along the bottom.
The sewing machine with its keys along the bottom edge: Space to sew, A and D to rotate, W and S for speed. Image: Cozy Lives / Free Lives, from the Steam store page.
  1. Ring the bell and take the commission. Clients arrive at the counter with a request. Since the first patch, the next customer only comes when you ring the desk bell. The request goes into the sketchbook as a card.
  2. Measure the client. The studio describes it this way: “Each character is measured (in a simplified way, compared to real-life measuring) and the mannequin adjusted to fit their measurements.” The pattern follows from there: “The pattern pieces are drafted according to the person’s measurements.” Written in the studio's April Tea post
  3. Design the dress in the sketchbook. Pick a bodice, a collar, a sleeve and a skirt, then add fabric swatches to preview the style tags. The left page holds the request card; what each number on it means is on style tags and requirement rules, and every card seen so far is on the commission finder. The sketch also estimates how much fabric the design needs.
  4. Buy fabric by the metre. The fabric shop lists each fabric with its material, colour and tag scores, and a metre counter with a Buy price.
  5. Lay out and cut the pattern. Arrange the paper pieces on the fabric and cut around them. Each piece shows its grain quality as you place it. The store page puts it plainly: “Whether your pattern is aligned to the grain or cut on bias, how you choose to arrange and cut out your fabric is what appears on the final dress.” Listed on the Dressmaker Steam store page
  6. Sew on the mannequin. “Feed your fabric through the sewing machine to stitch it together.” The on-screen keys are Space to sew, A and D to rotate the fabric, and W and S to change speed. Staying on the guide line is the second half of your quality score: getting 100% quality.
  7. Add accessories. When the last seam is done the game says sewing is complete and opens accessories: lace, trim, bows, buttons and the rest, placed by hand. See lace trim and accessories.
  8. Photograph and deliver. Photo mode takes the picture, then the dress can complete the commission, go back for more work, or be sold. Selling and gifting are on off the rack, selling and gifts.

The stations, on screen

The International Emporium fabric shop: bolts of fabric on a shelf, Dusty Pink Silk selected with its tags and a 2 metre counter beside a Buy (100) button.
The fabric shop, The International Emporium. The selected silk lists its material, colour and tag scores; 2 metres cost 100 here. Image: Cozy Lives / Free Lives, from the Steam store page.
Paper pattern pieces laid on strawberry-print cotton at the cutting table, scissors cutting along one, several pieces labelled Grain Quality: 100%.
The cutting table. Pieces laid with their arrows running across the fabric show Grain Quality: 100%. Image: Cozy Lives / Free Lives, from the Steam store page.
A lavender ball gown with lace tiers and white flowers on a mannequin in photo mode, with camera arrows, Environment, Light and Take Photo controls at the side.
Photo mode: environment, light colour and viewfinder settings, then Take Photo. Image: Cozy Lives / Free Lives, from the Steam store page.
Close-up of a strawberry-print bodice with a pink bow and lacing, a Sewing Complete box with a Finish Dress button, accessories listed down the side.
After the last seam: the Sewing Complete box, and accessories down the right-hand side. Image: Cozy Lives / Free Lives, from the Steam store page.

What the game leaves out

It is built on real dressmaking but trims it down. A developer lists what is not there: “We don't have darts, ironing, plackets, draping, don't fold fabric, gathers are pre-created, etc.” Answered in a developer's answers on r/CozyGamers Steam also lists it as playable without timed input.

Where to go next