Does anyone else make their own clothes

lindens

lauradora wrote: »

trying to make a top and really losing my patience!

If I get like that (most of the time) i walk away for half an ghour and do something completely different. Then come back with fresh eyes and can usually sort out the problem then.

gillycat

Hi

I always used to make a lot of my own clothes, but they're so cheap nowadays it just isn't worth it unless you want something special that would cost hundreds. I still do make the occasional thing, but that's usually only if I can get some cheap fabric from a market stall. Certainly can't afford John Lewis prices!! Although John Lewis have got a special offer on Simplicity patterns at the moment

Mrs_Flittersnoop

lauradora wrote: »

trying to make a top and really losing my patience!

Is there anything I can help you with? what's happening?

Mrs F x

Mrs_Flittersnoop

lindens wrote: »

I think I'm a bit thick I cant see how that foot works or even if i've got one. Here is a piccy of my feet lol
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/thumbnails.html?c_album=7783653

does anyone know what they do??

Mrs F - those cutters look good, I have a cutting mat, will they really cut through things like denim??

Sorry lindens, couldn't see your photos, do you have to make them public or something?

Trust me, those cutters will cut through anything. Blood, gristle, bone, denim is a walk in the park!

Mrs F x

Rikki

Mrs_Flittersnoop wrote: »

Sorry lindens, couldn't see your photos, do you have to make them public or something?

Trust me, those cutters will cut through anything. Blood, gristle, bone, denim is a walk in the park!

Mrs F x

I've recently got one of these. Your warning is duely noted.

Just need to work out how to go round corners and notches. :rotfl:

Bellie_2

Hi there, I am a complete novice at sewing. But I want to be able to make my own clothes as I dont like dressing exactly like everyone else. I have just bought the readers digest book and the i made it myself book on amazon, and see if I can master how to use my mums old sewing machine to make something as soon as the books arrive and I have had a chance to flick through it. I live in Scotland and the only fabric shop I know of is rejects in Kirkcaldy which is close to me. Hope I will find something in there. Thaks for a very interesting thread.

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Rikki wrote: »

I've recently got one of these. Your warning is duely noted.

Just need to work out how to go round corners and notches. :rotfl:

You can't:mad: at least not very well. I use my little snippy scissors for notches and corners. Sorry

Hi Bellie and welcome! Hope your books arrive soon and you can soon get snipping and stitching. You could always cut up some sheets or curtains to practise on (ask permission first :rotfl: in case you get into trouble) if you can't get to the fabric shop for a while. Good luck!

Mrs F x

lauradora

Mrs_Flittersnoop wrote: »

Is there anything I can help you with? what's happening?

Mrs F x

thanks mrs f. Its a simpliciy pattern and I just cant tell wether or not i've got the collar right. It doesn't seem to be matching up to the body :mad:

LizD_2

kittie wrote: »

I have made a baby dress this weekend and was reminded about why I used to have a sleeve board (for ironing armhole seams etc). I looked for one on ebay but have found a new minky sleeve board on the woolworth site for £5 with free p+p and that is a bargain. imo it is an essential bit of kit if sewing garments for little ones

How did you get free postage? I'd like to get a sleeve board, but £4.95 postage is a bit of a cheek.

Mrs_Flittersnoop

lauradora wrote: »

thanks mrs f. Its a simpliciy pattern and I just cant tell wether or not i've got the collar right. It doesn't seem to be matching up to the body :mad:

OK, is it a lapel collar? Can you let us know the pattern number? Must admit I have a love/hate relationship with collars (usually hate). It's really, really important to mark the matching points at the front of the collar, and the notches which match up with the shoulders. Also the neck of the blouse is often a little bit longer than the collar, due to stretching (it's slightly on the bias which opens up the fibres of the fabric and elongates the edges). You can avoid this in future by staystitching (running a line of stitching about 5mm away from the edge) before you start to sew.

If you can pin the opposite edges of the collar to the fronts of the blouse and the notches to the shoulder you will see if the neck has stretched. If so, you can make *small* snips along the edge of the collar from shoulder to shoulder which should make it slightly longer and enable you to pin it to the neck more successfully. This is a bit of a quick fix though and the professionals would probably slap my wrists!

When you stitch the collar to the neckline, you should start in the middle, at the back and sew from middle to outer edges on each side, this will make the collar stretch evenly onto the neckline.

HTH
Mrs Fx