Does anyone else make their own clothes

purpleivy

nuttywoman wrote: »

has anyone any ideas or links for taking out a pair of mens trousers please? a friend of mine has asked me to do a pair for him.The only thing i can think of doing is cutting the seam at the sides , were the pockets are and inserting extra fabric there.
thanks.

Lots of mens' trousers have a bit on the middle of the back seam which allows you to do this. Have you had a look?

Mrs_Flittersnoop

nuttywoman wrote: »

has anyone any ideas or links for taking out a pair of mens trousers please? a friend of mine has asked me to do a pair for him.The only thing i can think of doing is cutting the seam at the sides , were the pockets are and inserting extra fabric there.
thanks.

Yep I think Purpleivy is right. If you take the waistband off they are generally in two halves on the back of men's trousers with extra seam allowances, you should be able to let out both the back seam of the trousers and also the waistband to match, then re-attach the waistband. This depends of course on how much you need to let out.

You MIGHT be able to let them out slightly at the sides but if there are pockets involved, then things get a bit trickier. I would definitely go the back seam route first.

Good luck.

Mrs F xx

Mrs_Flittersnoop

LizD wrote: »

Though I would add my twopenn'orth!

I'm 26, average height and size and I can't find ready-made to fit me, so I'm not suprised taller/larger ladies/men struggle! I've sewn my own stuff for years, although working full-time doesn't give me the time I'd like. I've made allsorts from my bridesmaids outfits when I got married last year, to curtains for the living room.

Fabric can be expensive and difficult to find, but I feel the key is to keep an open mind. You never know what will turn up. I recently ordered from Croft Mill and was very impressed. I'm planning to visit the warehouse itself next month.

http://www.croftmill.co.uk/

Couldn't agree more, Liz! That's the main reason I sew, although I do love the creative process and of course the online shopping :rotfl:

I've never been to Croft Mill although I have bought from them a few times. I think if you can get samples before ordering it's wise as sometimes the strange descriptions are a bit misleading. I have had some lovely silk tweed from there in the past and also a couple of doozies so I think it definitely pays to try before you buy.

Mrs F x

LizD_2

Definitely!

I bought some Rose & Hubble cord from them which was described as 'lime green', but turned out to be more of a grass green instead. Not quite what I was expecting, but it was only about £2 a metre.

purpleivy

Mrs_Flittersnoop wrote: »

Yep I think Purpleivy is right. If you take the waistband off they are generally in two halves on the back of men's trousers with extra seam allowances, you should be able to let out both the back seam of the trousers and also the waistband to match, then re-attach the waistband. This depends of course on how much you need to let out.

You MIGHT be able to let them out slightly at the sides but if there are pockets involved, then things get a bit trickier. I would definitely go the back seam route first.

Good luck.

Mrs F xx

I've not done it for a while, but as I remember it's quite an easy job.

nuttywoman

nuttywoman wrote: »

has anyone any ideas or links for taking out a pair of mens trousers please? a friend of mine has asked me to do a pair for him.The only thing i can think of doing is cutting the seam at the sides , were the pockets are and inserting extra fabric there.
thanks.

Well i followed your advice and let them out at the back and it was so much easier than what i was going to do, Thanks :T :T :T
Just hope its enough for my friend,lol

champys

caleo wrote: »

I get my sewing patterns from www.sewingpatterns.com. They are quite cheap compared to here, especially if you buy a batch at a time to save on postage. They have a great selection too!

Caleo

Caleo - I have been having a ball browsing this website (thanks for the tip!!), and you are right, the choice is great and their prices are pretty good. Have you had any luck with the downloads though? I have tried using 2 different PC's but couldn't get the software to load successfully. Maybe this only works in the USA......

Grandma_Carol

Croft Mill is great, I use their mail order service, the newsletter is such an amusing read too.

Also has anyone else tried downloading patterns - www.burdastyle.com and www.sewingpatterns.com offer some freebies. However the down side is sticking all the A4 pieces of paper together. You can pay for patterns too, usually cheaper than getting the tissue pattern sent, saves waiting but you still have to stick the A$ together.

Must admit, I was able to download from the sites fine once I had understood what I was doing.

Carol

top_drawer_2

hi,

I have been following this thread with interest as I am really eager to learn ... any ideas where I should start? what would be a simple pattern to start with? I dont have a sewing machine (yet lol), what other things should I start with learning first and what basic matierals should I buy?

Sorry for all the questions!

Jen

C1aire

Jen_L wrote: »

hi,

I have been following this thread with interest as I am really eager to learn ... any ideas where I should start? what would be a simple pattern to start with? I dont have a sewing machine (yet lol), what other things should I start with learning first and what basic matierals should I buy?

Sorry for all the questions!

Jen

What about a simple 'one hour' pattern for tops or a simple skirt pattern (front, back and waistband)? A top is less likely to have fastenings (unless you choose a blouse) to fiddle with. Most patterns give a difficulty level. Or if you have a fabric/pattern shop have a look in their catalogues as they often have an 'easy' section. You can also ask the shop assistant's advice. As for fabric, I prefer a cotton mix as I find them generally easy to handle and nicer to wear.

Ooops, just seen that you are sewing machine-less. Erm...what about a bag or even a stuffed toy if you can find an easy pattern (I'm looking for a traditional teddy bear pattern at the mo if anyone can help? You know, the old style ones with long limbs and a pointy snout. Sorry, I digress...).