Dressmaker beginner guide
Everything the tutorial skips: how a commission is judged, where the coins go, and the habits that make the first ten dresses easy.
Updated · checked against Build 443
How do you play Dressmaker as a beginner?
Each story client gives you a commission with tag targets (like Eveningwear 40 or Flowers 60), a Reward and an approximate fabric amount. Design the dress in the sketchbook: pick a bodice, skirt, sleeves and collar, then a fabric for each part. Buy that fabric in one trip, then cut the pattern pieces with the arrows lined up on the grain so Grain Quality stays at 100%. Sew the seams on the machine at a steady speed, add trims and accessories, and hand it over. Tags come from fabric and pattern choices, not accessories, so choose fabrics with the right tags first. A dress the client accepts still pays even if a bar fails (since Build 403). Spend little early, sell spare dresses off the rack, and use the calculator to check each order before you buy.
- Story is about 35 hours
- Tags come from fabric and patterns, not accessories
- Accepted dresses pay even with failed bars (Build 403)
- Shop sells whole metres
The loop, step by step
- Read the commission. The client card lists tag targets, a minimum quality and the Reward. Ring the bell on the counter to call the next customer (added in Build 403).
- Design in the sketchbook. Swap bodices, skirts, sleeves and collars. Component names are clickable (Build 410) so you can jump straight to the part you want. The Randomise button (Build 443) is great when you are stuck.
- Pick fabrics. Every fabric carries tags (Flowers, Romantic, Gothic and so on) plus colour. Watch the requirement bars move as you swap.
- Buy fabric. Note the sketchbook's *Approx. Xm fabric required* and buy it, with a small buffer, in one visit. The fabric guide explains types and tags.
- Cut. Drag each pattern piece onto the cloth. Keep the grain arrow aligned for 100% Grain Quality. Scroll rotates a piece.
- Sew. Hold Space to sew, A/D to rotate the fabric, W/S to change speed. Slow down on curves.
- Decorate. Add trims and accessories; Shift mirrors placement. Right-click the accessories tab to remove one.
- Hand it over. Choose *Complete Commission*, *Keep working* or *Sell dress*.
How a dress is judged
Three things decide whether the client is happy: tags, colour and fabric type, and quality. Tags come from the fabrics and pattern pieces you choose. Since Build 443, colour and fabric-type scores are weighted by area, so a small collar in the right colour now counts for more than it used to.
Quality combines how well pieces sit on the grain, how well the dress fits the measured mannequin, and how cleanly you sewed. Players report a rough split of 30% grain, 20% fit and 50% sewing; the developers have not confirmed it. The quality guide covers getting 100%.
Accessories do not add tags. A dozen roses will not lift the Flowers bar. Pick a floral fabric instead.
Money in the first hours
You start with little cash and fabric is the biggest cost. Buy only what the sketchbook asks for, reuse leftovers, and keep accessories to what the brief needs. Off-rack dresses (sold from the shop window) need no measurements, so they are the easiest extra income. The money guide has the full plan.
Fabric metres
shop sells whole metresType the sketchbook's Approx. Xm fabric required and what you own. Pick a fabric name and its shop price per metre fills in (359 fabrics, checked for Build 446).
Order profit
commission vs off-rackThe sketchbook's Reward (called Budget before Build 443) against what the dress costs you.
Opulence and Excess tracker (5,000 gold on one dress)
The achievement counts what you spend on one successful dress, and the game shows no meter. Spend so far on this dress: 410, so 4,590 to go.
Since Build 403 a commission still pays if the character accepts it, even when requirements fail.
Mistakes new players make
- Buying fabric piece by piece. You end up with scraps in five shades. Buy the full amount once.
- Decorating for the tag. Accessories look nice but do not move tag bars.
- Rushing the sewing. Sewing is the biggest part of quality. Slow down with S on curves.
- Ignoring the measurements. A gorgeous dress that does not fit loses quality. Check the mannequin preview.
- Selling the commission dress. *Sell dress* can pay more than the Reward, but the story only moves when you complete the commission.
- Thinking fabric vanished. The sewing-room list only shows the first 10 m of a bolt.
What unlocks as you play
Each of the ten clients has friendship stars. Completing their commissions raises stars, and stars unlock new pattern pieces: Priya's three-star Ruffle Skirt is the one most players hunt for because it powers the Sew Long achievement. See unlocks by star and the achievement list.
Questions players ask
+How long is Dressmaker?
The developers say the story commissions take about 35 hours, not counting off-rack dresses. Achievement hunters take longer because of Trim and Proper and Opulence and Excess.
+Can you fail a commission?
A client can refuse a dress that misses requirements, as Prudence does at the funeral. If they accept it with failed bars, you are still paid (Build 403).
+Is there a time limit?
No. Steam lists Dressmaker as playable without timed input; you can take as long as you like on each dress.
+Can I undo a seam?
Yes. The seam ripper removes sewn seams, and you can drag a piece back to the cloth area to re-cut it.
+Is there a tutorial softlock?
There was one at launch; Build 410 (Sep 24, 2026) fixed it. Update the game if you hit it.