Does anyone else make their own clothes

ocemeer

Hi, I wondered if I cuold float around on this thread and use you ladies as the guiding light I so need. have a lovely box of material (and a lack of imagination with what to do with it hence requiring the guding lights and ideas this thread throws up at me) anyway am recovering my dining room chairs with blue velvet to match the curtains and making a couple of cushion covers frm teh material as well.
However I have found the leftovers from the original material (gorgeous turquoise silk from a 1950s? ball gown) and I would like to make some underwear/nighties type stuff as i also have some very nice cream lace (oh I love my charity shop so much) any recommendations at all?
I love the idea of the outhouse being a sewing room - and Iam on the way to doing that - would mean I could reclaim the spare bedroom from being the office/sewing room at least. Definatley going to see if I can get on a course as well.

Savvy_sewing

Underwear needs to be very soft, and so does the lace. Make sure you can wash the fabric, as some silks and satins are dryclean only!.
I am not very good at links etc as yet, but there are so many sites with Free patterns etc.
I have some old patterns for underwear/nightwear somewhere, I will see if I can find them. If you want to PM me at any time then we can see what advise/help I could give you. Unfortunately we are far too far apart for me to come over to help. Perhaps there will be others on here that are nearer to you.
Good luck with the upholstery, and the convertion of the out house.
(Do remember that it will be very cold in the winter, as they walls are usually not cavity, or insulated.). I had mine lined with plasterboard etc. Took a few inches off of the room, but helped with the temperature. Although I still had a plug in electric heater. Wanted to have the heating extended out there but I never did get that far.
Space for sewing is always the hardest. But if you can have the machine up all the time then it is easier to just sew for a few minutes here and there between other jobs. (Unless you get carried away and continue to sew half the night!! mmm

Hardup_Hester

I managed to make a dress for DGD & made a start on a 2nd one for her, I may not get much done on it tomorrow, but I'll try, I also shortened a skirt of mine.

Rikki

www.thesewingplace.com

I've just spent ages trying to find this web site in this thread so I've posted it again.

There are also some good on-line fabric sites mentioned before too.

TomsMom

theoretica wrote: »

Would there be enough material to use the center bit of the fitted sheets to provide the extra width on each side of the flat sheets?

TomsMom wrote: »

Yes Theoretica, I'm sure there would be. That would allow me to make a couple more flat sheets. Rather than cutting up any of the flat sheets to add the extra width onto the others, then by using the middles of the fitted ones I'll gain extra sheets that way and keep all the flat sheets. :T What a great suggestion, I hadn't thought of that! We went all around the houses but got there in the end and a better solution than I had imagined!

Just letting you know that this has worked quite well.

I unpicked one of the fitted sheets, cut out the longer middle piece and made two side pieces to attach to the sides of the flat sheet to give enough width to tuck in on the double bed. The two shorter pieces, i.e. the pieces that went down the side of the mattress, have been used to add extra length to the flat sheet as there wasn't enough to tuck in when used as a bottom sheet for the double bed. A bit like a patchwork quilt :rotfl: but does the job and where the pieces are joined wont be seen as it will virtually all be on the sides of the mattress or tucked in. I've used a flat fell seam so nice and strong.

I'm just about to start the second one, and as this will be the top sheet I think I might get away with just adding width, I don't think I'll have to add anything to the length this time as only the bottom is tucked in.

Fiddly and time consuming but worth it considering the quality of the sheets, there'll be years of wear in them. I've four more to go after this one, I'll be mightily sick of sheets by the time I've finished!

Many thanks again Theoretica for the idea.

theoretica

I am glad it is working and admire your determination and patience!

Savvy_sewing

theoretica wrote: »

I am glad it is working and admire your determination and patience!

I agree, I would have given up ages ago!!:rolleyes:

TomsMom

Mooloo wrote: »

I agree, I would have given up ages ago!!:rolleyes:

:rotfl: I like a challenge!

Savvy_sewing

I have been sorting out some of the remenants that I have lurking around the cottage, and have decided that I could make myself a few things, possibly a skirt or two, and possibly a jacket. I have got to search for a couple of patterns, as I am a lot bigger then I was the last time I made things for me. ( Apart from my Wedding dress in 2003, I havent made anything for myself in years and years.)

purpleivy

dixie_dean wrote: »

Hi. Perhaps off topic and a bit of a long shot but anyone live in Leeds and would put me some new pockets in trousers for a decent price? My local shop wanted to charge £12.50 per pocket. Might have been even more actually!

Well, without sounding rude I hope...

Sewing is quite a specialist skill, which is why it costs. I do some alterations occasionally, usually as a favour for friends. More awkward alterations (making things fit eg) I wouldn't feel able to charge them for, which is why it's a favour.

Straight forward jobs like shortening trousers are easy to do and don't take long to do a neat job.

Some jobs are trickier and need a higher level of expertise and take longer and are harder to do, especially to a good standard. Which is why they are more expensive.

Some jobs are horrible to do and get priced up because noone wants to do them.

I did a bit of searching on the internet just now and found the price of £9.50 for a half pocket replacement and £13.50 for the whole one.

The prices do seem steep, but if it means extending the life of a cherished or expensive garment then they are worth having done, and worth having done well. If you find the £12.50 expensive, then you could probably get a couple of cheapo pairs of trousers somewhere for the same price. If your trousers are a good brand and you like them, then surely it's worth having them repaired.