Does anyone else make their own clothes

Frugalmum_2

I make a lot of my own clothes and have done since I got my first sewing machine a Jones one when I was 8 (many years ago). I love being able to make something that is different from the rest and find some car boot sales have fabric stalls where the fabric is usually £1 per metre, I'm also lucky that I know a few markets that have £1 per metre stalls too.

I've made all sorts over the years suits, lingerie, christening gowns, bridal dresses. I love to see the finished garments, for me it's a real sense of achievement.

Our local council runs adult education courses that include dressmaking, try asking at your local library for information.

I hope you manage to find a course, good luck with your sewing.

Hardup_Hester

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.

sandy2_2

I used to make my own clothes, but as everyone says it's now cheaper to buy them. Trouble is like Hardup Hester I am short so I have to alter most things anyway so at least I am still using my sewing skills. I now make dolls clothes, do embroidery, beading, make curtains, cushions etc but haven't gone back to knitting yet

Olliebeak

I've been making my own clothes since around 18 years old (38 years!) - first attempt was a full-length dress for 'the firm's dance'!

I know that these days it is usually cheaper to buy, rather than make, BUT I'm tall and 'generously proportioned' and the majority of styles that I've seen for my size are NOT what I want to be seen wearing. So many things seem to stop at waist length or just below when I want them to cover my rear! I also like to select my own fabrics for what I want and, at 56, I DO NOT want to be dressing like a 20 year old.

I am very lucky in having an 'Abakhan Fabrics' close to where I live (known locally as El Kilos) where they sell their remnants by weighing the piece you've chosen - if it's way too long (I've found remnants measuring over 4 metres) they will allow it to be cut to a more useable length - as long as you are leaving a useable length behind. I am addicted to this shop - their range of fabrics is the best I've ever come across and their prices just can't be beaten. They sell all the haberdashery, crafting stuff, knitting wool, patterns (knitting, crochet, sewing, crafts), furnishing fabrics, doll's house stuff that anybody can ever need. This is their website:

http://www.abakhan.co.uk/

If you live near one of their places - make sure you have a good look round.

Mrs_Flittersnoop

I make all my own clothes too, have even made underwear in the past although I think that may have been a step too far.....

Like Olliebeak I am tall, and am also very busty and clothes bought from any shop will not fit me. I enjoy the process of dressmaking (would not recommend it to anyone who didn't - it can be frustrating) and love being able to make exactly what I want, not what some 'designer' thinks I should wear.

My problem is sourcing decent fabrics locally. I have a John Lewis within reasonable distance but they are downsizing their haberdashery and fabrics dramatically. I buy a lot of fabrics online, mostly from the States which is OK at the moment while the dollar is low but I often have to pay customs charges and VAT which ups the cost a lot. Luckily I have plenty in stock at the moment :rotfl:

A thread on sewing would be nice (pardon the pun :rotfl: )

Mrs F x

Charis

malvena wrote: »

I thinks its much nicer to have something which no one else has and to keep the old traditions and skills alive.

This is so important. Losing the old skills makes us dependent on others to supply our needs, dependent on cheap imports...will they always be available? Even if you buy clothes they don't always fit without a little alteration and you will need to know how repair them. I worked in the clothing industry so know a bit about material and the quality of current fashions, with the exception of the 'better' shops, is such that they are made to be thrown away. The material is the cheapest they can get away with, the seams are not finished off and there is a strange obsession with making clothes look as crushed and worn as possible before they are even out of the shop.

There is also a basic booklet called Teach Yourself to Sew on www.sewstylish.com website.

I looked for this but got an error message. I eventually found it on http://sewstylish.blogspot.com/

Charis

MrsFraggle

Hi
I've been reading this board for a while but this is my first post in here, hello!!

I've been sewing for my kids for a few years, I love it, and its a great stress reliever!

I subscribe to a magazine called Ottobre (http://www.ottobredesign.com) (click on english as you're like to reach the page in finnish). Its about €38 a year but is good value for money if you're likely to sew *a lot*. If not, you can buy individual issues for about €8 if there's something in that issue you like. Each issues has loads and loads of patterns in for kids so indivually I think is great value. There's also a version for womens clothes. The best thing is that they're easy to sew.

I don't work for them honestly, although it is probably as cold here in Wales as it is in Finland! I just love their magazine and have made lots of clothes from them.

My biggest problem of sewing the clothes for the kids is that I keep seeing lovely fabrics on eBay and the like and have to stop myself!

I probably don't save all that much money buying the clothes (depends on the cost of the fabric really), but its enjoyable and I know that its unlikely another child around will have the same clothes as well which is nice to know. I've even made school trousers/skirts and pinafores for my daughter and next on my list is school summer dresses if I can get some nice blue gingham. I'm also planning on making her a lot of summer dresses, she's had a growth spurt lately so I'm intending for most of her wardrobe this year to be home made.

HTH a little

pennib

pigpen wrote: »

I make loads of stuff for the children.. mainly the smaller ones.. less time and all that.. plus they don't complain when I buy super funky fabric and make them something mad.. like capri trousers with big frills on... in bright pink fabric with green frogs on![/quote

I am going to make a patchwork quilt with green frogs on! I purchased 3 different lots, one of which has a pink background. I also got some parrot green cotton to line the back and to make some squares for the front. Havnt got a pattern but I hope that I will be able to make something up in my head:rotfl:

purpleivy

I used to make some pretty bizarre stuff for my dd and niece when they were little. But they loved the bright and colourful things.

I got a pair of trousers for ds passed on from a friend. THey were lightweight cotton, but totally reversible, so warm. I was inspired by this. One afternoon Mum and I sat down and made the girls very funky trousers, also reversible. All out of scraps, sooooooo OS, elastic from my stash (50p for massive amount at Abakhan)

Olliebeak

purpleivy wrote: »

.............(50p for massive amount at Abakhan)

woooooooooo another Abakhan customer!!!!!