Making your own clothes - help!!

lallyaya

Hiya,

A few years ago I brought an old sewing machine which has just sat there never used. I decided that before I cart it off to sell at my next car boot sale i'm going to give it a whirl! I've fairly successfully made some very simple cushion covers to go with my new bedding and am looking to branch out.

I've got a skirt I used to love and wear all the time but is completely worn out, and I thought that as a trial (without spending any more cash ;-) i'd unpick it and try and use it as a pattern to make a new skirt probably on an old sheet before I spend money on fabric. Will this work? Does anyone have any tips or links for a total newcomer like me? My local market has lovely fabrics etc. very cheaply and it would be great to be able to make some things.

My main concern is my lovely new skirt falling apart in the middle of the pub!! :eek:

Thanks,

Lally

frugglewump

lallyaya wrote:

i'd unpick it and try and use it as a pattern to make a new skirt probably on an old sheet before I spend money on fabric. Will this work?

Yes - I did exactly the same for a waistcoat for OH. It turned out a little sloppy, but still good enough to wear to work & I was happy as it was my first sewing since I left school.

My main concern is my lovely new skirt falling apart in the middle of the pub!! :eek:

That's less to do with design than getting the stitching right. Before you do any actual clothes take 2 pieces of cloth and experiment with the tension until you have it right. Also, with seams you can use the zig-zag sewing inside the straight line to reinforce it.

squeaky

Hiya

Take a look at the links listed under dressmaking and those under sewing and so on in the Craftwork section of the MEGA Index sticky at the top of Old Style. There are all sorts of helpful hints there and links to good sites for learners.

The shortcut is in the link below:-

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=675297#post675297

lallyaya

Thanks very much for the tips and links, i'm going to give it a try. I got the idea from my new bedding! My old stuff used to belong to my parents is very old and threadbare and I saved and got some lovely natural coloured cotton bedding (special offer of course 2 duvet sets for the price of 1 in Argos) and wanted some pretty throw cushions, all the ones I liked cost a fortune so I got some lovely red sari fabric from my local indian shop and made some myself for a few pounds. As I like my clothes simple I'm going to give it a try.

In true MSE style i'm going to use my old bedding set (which is too threadbare to sell!) to practise on, then if i'm dreadful I won't have spent any cash and will have kept myself out of mischief for a few hours, but who knows I could be modelling some hot clothes this summer. Now if the milk of magnesia tip works on my skin i'm going to be an uber-babe! Eligible men in Manchester start queueing here! :kisses2:

Thanks again,

Lally

frugalfairy_3

Yes, this will work really well. It would be best if you ironed the pieces of old skirt flat before using them as your template. Also if you have enough new fabric to add just a little bit more (say 1/4 inch) to the raw edges you will have enough leeway to make better fitting seams (sometimes seams stretch out a little when they've been worn).

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask if you have any more questions.
FF

catherineblack

Hi,
try https://www.craftster.org the forums there are friendly and some amazing ideas. They make skirts out of pillow cases, recycle old clothes, etc - lots of hip and innovative ideas with great tutorials.
good luck!
Cat

linzibean

If you ever feel like making anything more ambitious, try looking in your ocal sewing shops for sale patterns. They usually have a box ful for about £1 each and you can find suit, dresses, tops..... I get loads of patterns like this to adapt (I'm a dress / costume maker now and then).

Avogirly

My Nan subscribes to Prima magazine and they have a pattern included with it every month (I think). Perhaps you could try that.
Please note though, that the shop bought version of the magazine does not have the pattern (WHY? :mad: ), so you would have to subscribe.

chickadee

Avogirly wrote:

My Nan subscribes to Prima magazine and they have a pattern included with it every month (I think). Perhaps you could try that.
Please note though, that the shop bought version of the magazine does not have the pattern (WHY? :mad: ), so you would have to subscribe.

If you buy Prima in a shop you can phone up or send for the pattern free of charge. I think it is to save costs as not many people buying the magazine actually use the pattern. They used to put one in every month.

If you subscribe they send it automatically, but you don't have to subscribe to get it.

jenniferpa

Probably the best deal for patterns is Burda World of Fashion. This mag includes 40-60 patterns each month! Not for the rank beginner though, as you need to a) trace the patterns and b) add seam allowances. Having said that, these are up to the minute patterns, and considerably less than any others. A website you might like to look at is patternreview.com There are anything from experts to beginners, and they're always willing to give help.

Jennifer

Dobie

I made a new dressing gown for my DH by making a pattern from his old, stained, threadbare one. I bought some fleece fabric from the market & it cost me less than £10. If you're a bit nervous maybe you could start by practising on something like this that you won't wear out of the house? At least I assume you don't.