Does anyone else make their own clothes

January20

I used to make a lot of things for my dd when she was younger. I made skirts, dresses, fancy dress outfits. I have stopped now, but that's because my sewing machine is rubbish and I need to invest in a new one.

Skirts are relatively easy to do, and particularly pencil skirts. Oh this thread has renewed my motivation and I need to get my research done and get a new sewing machine. Will subscribe!

adelight

miasnanny wrote: »

My particular favourite is a waterfall style jacket which takes less than an hour to make up its just straight seems. I have also got a lovely kimono pattern which I make up in sheer fabrics which also takes less than an hour to make, the sleeves have been made 3/4 length to suit my wheelchair.

Could you share a rough idea of the pattern you use? Even a dodgy paint drawing of the shape? Sounds lovely.

fattybumble85

Morning!
I think this is a great idea for a thread, I'm not quite up to making everything but I have a few projects in the pipeline. I would recommend the FREE Sorbetto top as an easy project for budding sewers. It's a basic sleeveless top with a pleated front, darts and bias bound neck and arms. You can also adapt it by omitting the pleat, hiding the bias binding and even lengthening into an easy over the head summer dress. I myself have made four versions which I wear constantly. If you google it you will see loads of gorgeous versions plus the free download and instructions.

My other projects are-
A simple shift dress with some very Bodenesque fabric I picked up in Abakhans
Amy Butler Cabo halters for my summer hols
A vintage 60s dress - currently making the toile out of an old bobbly bed sheet to check the fit
Big project will be the Vogue 1266 - a long winter coat, made all Russian princessy with fake fur collar, cuffs and hem. Bit nervous about this one!

fuddle

So pleased I've found some like minded people

Abakhan seems to be the best place I've found for fabric and habadashery. Anyone know of anywhere else? I'm going to look at local markets too.

I'm going to subscribe to sew today magazine to learn new skills and to get 50% off patterns. http://www.sewdirect.com/acatalog/Membership.html that will have to wait till next month though. I would like to make a denim skirt in the near future.

Bitsy_Beans

My mum made loads of my clothes when I was little, the big department store in town had a huge haberdashery department. It seems this has all but disappeared I don't like Primark, I find their sizing awful, it's all crudely made and quite frankly stuff fits as long as I don't do anything more challenging than breathing. Move and inch and something wil either gape or pull.

I'd love to make more my own clothes but lack of fabric stores (unless it's online and I do generally prefer to view what I am buying) in the vicinity means a trek somewhere else costing petrol or train fare etc it ends up not being cost effective.

If you're looking for some upcycling inspiration this blog is good (she is in the US, really petite (so has loads of options for reducing oversized clothing) and a good range of really cheap clothes available) and makes refashioning clothes look really easy. I am sure its not :rotfl:
http://refashionista.net/

And this lady has some free tutorials for clothing, mostly kids but I do love her stuff
http://www.danamadeit.com/

OrkneyStar

adelight wrote: »

I would love to see pictures of peoples finished creations :j
Primarni isn't as bad as places like topshop, I'm sure I've seen sizes over a 20 there.

Primark does sometimes have larger sizes, well the label says they are, but I often find a lot of their sizing hit and miss. I live on an island and used to love going to Primark when on the mainland- this next planned trip I am only going to go there for long sleeved tops for me, and socks for DS, BhS for underwear. I want to learn how to adapt clothing, not necessarily make from scratch (though that would be nice), so I can alter things if I go off them. For the record I am approx size 12, was a bit thinner when younger.

baconandcabbage

adelight wrote: »

I would love to see pictures of peoples finished creations :j
Primarni isn't as bad as places like topshop, I'm sure I've seen sizes over a 20 there.

Primark does not go over a 20 and Topshop is a 16.

I can't sew at all but i do like one off items and i buy from a lady on Ebay who makes skirts/dresses does anyone know any other good Ebay sellers/websites that do that TIA

flea72

fuddle wrote: »

I'm going to subscribe to sew today magazine to learn new skills and to get 50% off patterns. http://www.sewdirect.com/acatalog/Membership.html that will have to wait till next month though. I would like to make a denim skirt in the near future.

personally i dont rate the sewing mags, as they contain so few useful patterns

if its skills you want, then youtube and google are your best friend, as watching a tutorial is much more informative, than just reading words and trying to work out what they mean

if you want a basics sewing tips book then hit charity shops. you can usually pick up a 'guide to sewing' book from the 70s for under £1 - the pictures and styles will be dated, but the knowledge doesnt change

individual patterns are expensive, so buying a book, such as 'Kwiksew for Women' will give you a basic shape wardrobe of trousers, tops, skirts and nightwear and all the patterns can easily be adapted to give a more personal style.

I also buy patterns by Jali as one pattern covers about 20 different dress sizes and goes up to an american XXL so fits children-adult sizes (most other companies only cover 2-3 dress sizes per pattern and stop at an 18, which is about a shop size 14)

If you want to sew slightly more structured/tailored clothing, or like Boden style clothing, than i would suggest subscribing to Ottobre Design. They are predominately known for their childrens sewing patterns, but also have a couple of issues per year for women

Sewing for yourself isnt about saving money, and if you want access to nice fabrics then it isnt also about stopping slave trade either, its more about being able to wear something that no-one else has, and also can be totally fitted to your shape/size

i make alot of my own tops, because having big boobs but a small back, means most off the rack stuff doesnt fit. The discovery of the FBA (full bust adjustment) means i can now have tops that fit perfectly. Now i just need to crack making the perfect pair of jeans and i'll be set

so, just my 2pnth

F

fuddle

Really useful flea. I'm big chested with a small back too and nearly got sucked in to the whole pepperberry thing for larger busted women. I just can't pay £30 for a basic top that fits me properly up top. I have to make do with cheaper ill fitting or charity shop finds.

This is about building skills, gaining confidence, looking and feeling good and a bit of a hobby/excitement. No, I doubt it will save me money if we base it on rock bottom prices but the fun element is driving me... why the heck not. I do love a challenge.

fuddle

Just wanted to share this: http://www.freeneedle.com/directory.php?directory=Clothes-and-Dressmaking&top=1

It's a directory of handy blog posts and the like where people have adapted or made a clothing item. It's all free so worth a browse.

I've hunted out a pink tweed coat that is two sizes too small for me now. I've kept it in the hope I can one day wear it again but now looking at it in a new light - maybe a winter *long mini skirt? It's all in my mind. I need to take some measurements and investigate how I ould do it but if I can pull it off I will be so pleased.