Does anyone else make their own clothes

lisa26_2

I'd love to make my cousin's little girl a dress but I don't know of anywhere local where I can get nice dress making fabrics. Can anyone recommend a good online supplier? I've never done any dressmaking before.

sooz

I just bought a beautiful little dress at a craft fair. It looks so simple I think even I, with my very limited sewing skills & only a mini plastic sewing machine, could make one.

It's two rectangles, with crescents cut out for armholes. The top & bottom are hemmed. The top 'hem' around the neckline, has been made larger to allow a pretty ribbon to be threaded on each side. These are drawn tighter, & a bow tied on each shoulder.

The woman who made them added a lining layer to it, & stitched a contrasting border to the bottom hem of the dress.

zippychick

Hi Lindsey

Hope you get on well with it. I've merged this with the thread on making your own clothes, to keep the discussion together

thanks
Zip

evilwitch

sooz wrote: »

I just bought a beautiful little dress at a craft fair. It looks so simple I think even I, with my very limited sewing skills & only a mini plastic sewing machine, could make one.

It's two rectangles, with crescents cut out for armholes. The top & bottom are hemmed. The top 'hem' around the neckline, has been made larger to allow a pretty ribbon to be threaded on each side. These are drawn tighter, & a bow tied on each shoulder.

The woman who made them added a lining layer to it, & stitched a contrasting border to the bottom hem of the dress.

That sounds very much like a pillowcase dress, you can make them as simple or elaborate as time and skills allow

http://www.jenleheny.com/pillowcase-dress-instructions

Jacey53

When you make babies and children's clothes, do you buy particular fabrics? I am thinking of nightclothes and flameproofing?

I would like to make clothes for friends children but have always been wary because i don't want to give them something that is not safe.

Is it an issue nowadays with central heating?

lindseykim13

thanks for the links, i've spent most of the day making a dress for my 7mth dd and for my first atempt i'm quite pleased. It fits doesn't look wonky lol and has buttons with proper button holes too

Finally learning how my sewing machine works. Seem to have the bug now so looking at other dresses to make.

Jacey53- Being a mummy of 3 i nearly always go for cotton, i know you can get clothing in fleece but i've not put any of mine in that until they were old enough to tell me they were hot/cold.
I find cotton breathable and worry with anything else when they are tiny about over-heating. hths

Arty_Bird

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Hi
I make some of my own clothes, it is cheaper to buy them, especially when you shop in charity shops, as I do.
My problem is I'm 4'11, so even if I do buy something I have to alter it.

I'm 4' 11 too! And just about ready to sew a complete outfit and leatherwork the belt too, as I have spent too much time trying on clothes that just don't fit!!!

Hardup_Hester

Arty_Bird wrote: »

I'm 4' 11 too! And just about ready to sew a complete outfit and leatherwork the belt too, as I have spent too much time trying on clothes that just don't fit!!!

Hope it all works well

flea72

Jacey53 wrote: »

When you make babies and children's clothes, do you buy particular fabrics? I am thinking of nightclothes and flameproofing?

I would like to make clothes for friends children but have always been wary because i don't want to give them something that is not safe.

Is it an issue nowadays with central heating?

unless its commonplace for the family to use naked flames, then it shouldnt be a problem

however, if they do have open fires, and use candles, i would assume they have taught the children how to act around fire/flames, as tbh any clothing can catch fire. ive never really understood all the fuss about only nightwear having to be flame retardant, are you more likely to set fire to your bedclothes, than your day wear?

F

penarthian

I was teacher trained in the 60's in what was then called Domestic Science. Over the years my subject changed its name and when I retired I was teaching Design Technology Textiles, but it was still referred to as sewing by the students. I too have noticed a decline in the availability of fabrics and shops to sell the habidashery necessary to make the finished product. Years ago every woman owned a sewing machine and was taught by her mother how to use it, today few people own one (apart from the trusty Singer, black and beatiful, inherited from an elderly relative) Also as a teacher the students wanted the garment 'yesterday' so gone were the days when it took you a whole year to make your apron! I moved away from making clothes to making items for the home and although bulky a pair of curtains can be completed by sewing a few straight lines. The students responded well and I found my main source of fabris for this to be Dunelm, which now has a large number of branches throughout the country. Charity shops are an excellent source of fabrics both new, donated by people who have stored the fabric for many years for when they had time to sew, or recycled. I have made sleepwear from sheets and duvet covers bought from a charity shop or car boot.
Garment making is no longer taught in many schools so the art or craft is going to die out. My suggestion is adult education where weekend courses will take you through the steps and you will emerge with a finished item and the knowledege to tackle another. John Lewis also sell and demonstrate sewing machines .