Does anyone else make their own clothes

Mrs_Flittersnoop

beemuzed wrote: »

Just have to share the fact that after about eight weeks of procrastinating I've finally cut out the fabric for DH's nightshirt! I love sewing (tho' keep telling myself I have no time!) but absolutely loathe cuting out! Don't know why, but I just do. Any tips to change my mind very welcome!

Morning, fellow sewing goddesses! Ah beemuzed, I wish there was an alternative too. When I was little, I remember my mum sending off for a dress kit from a magazine - it came already cut out, what bliss. Although it wouldn't be any good for me now, too many odd bumps and lumps to try and fit fabric round :rotfl:

To be perfectly honest I think the only part of dressmaking I actually DO like is the machining and the final trying on of the garment :rotfl: The rest of it is just a pain but a necessary one.

Hi Jen, glad you liked the cutter, I'll have a look around and see if I can find any flexible cutting boards available over here. I think the lucky ladies in the States can get hold of the occasional one which rolls up but I haven't seen anything over here.

Today is the day I FINALLY finish that jacket which I've been procrastinating on for WEEKS. All I have to do is finish off the topstitching and make a hanging loop for it and give it a final press and I don't know why it's taking so long for me to get round to it. Sigh.

Mrs F x

thriftmonster

Hi everyone - I used to make loads of clothes but got sucked into the cheap clothes syndrome. However, I am planning to get back into it, if only to ease my conscience about labour rates in the far east.

My Dad got me my cutting mat and rotary cutter from a site he uses for his railways called Expotools or something like that. They work out quite a bit cheaper than the sewing sites.

Does anyone know anywhere cheap for material near Belfast (apart from Paragon)?

lindens

Thanks for everyones advice and tips. :T Got one of these yesterday and just spent a happy hour cutting denim. I reckon I got about 10 times as much cutting done in the same time as before. It will revolusionise my life!
I also got a big cutting mat which will fit underneath the settee when not in use. Its just the right size for my ironing board too :rotfl:And very handy when pinning as I'm not pinning things to my ironing board cover now:rotfl:

Just need to get a pinking blade now....

boldaslove

i've just started sewing, my nana gave me an old jones zig-zag machine, i'm working on a flared skirt at the moment in the most gorgeous fabric. i found out yesterday that i've got an interview for a foundation course in art and design, i'm completely unprepared as i actually applied for a lower level course that required no prep. i now have till 1st may to build a portfolio and make a few garments. eeekk! scary when you've only just found out what 'cut on the fold' and 'against the grain' mean (sat up till 4am reading sewing books last night. rock n roll!).
i thought, along with sketchbooks, photos and altering old garments, that i'd take a basic skirt pattern and play with different fabrics, waistbands and hemlines. it seems like the best way to show some of my abilities and ideas while not overloading myself with projects i won't complete in time. what do other sewers think? has anyone studied at college or has done a portfolio? am i being overly fussy here? i actually interviewed for this same course last year for a uni and was knocked back for not having enough work so i'm thinking perhaps more (as opposed to less) is more this time?!

wendym

I'm taking time out from tidying to scan this thread - it's taken me back to cutting out grey pinafore dresses for my daughter to start school, Burda pattern, so no seam allowance!

I have sewn for ever, and still hate cutting out. Doing it in bulk with a friend with a big table was the only thing that helped.

I have got to admit that I need to prune my stocks. I over-reacted to the disappearance of haberdashery shops, and madly overstocked in sales. Does anyone know of anywhere better than Ebay for selling fabric and patterns? I have some Liberty lawn that I don't really want to give to a charity shop - especially as the last time I gave some fabric and patterns I saw it all in their bin bag the next week! Did I imagine a site for selling craft stuff?

I shall carry on sewing, I imagine for ever. It's the only way to accommodate a generous bosom without having the shoulder seam on my elbow!

champys

I have just finished a summer dress. Much to my surprise I could lay my hands on my button stash much quicker than I imagined, and even more to my surprise there were some buttons in there that went well with the dress, and enough of them, too! Stroke of luck, because the nearest fabric shop/haberdashery is 45 minutes drive away. So the dress is done, and I feel quite smug. Only a bit reluctant to get out of my winter jumpers for the final try-on!
Ready for the next project now.

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Hi all! Glad to hear you like the cutter lindens, I've never tried a pinking blade but am sure they will work just fine.

Hi wendym, all I can suggest is Ebay. The Americans in particular really go for Liberty fabrics and it's horrendously expensive when new, so I bet you'd get a really good price for it.

Champys I'm glad you got the dress finished, that was really lucky with the buttons, I always find I'm one or two short and have to go shopping for more (such a trial :rotfl: ).

I'm pretty annoyed with myself as I started to sew up a pair of trousers I cut out a few weeks ago - I'd made a pair from the same pattern at Christmas and assumed (stupidly) that they would fit. They don't. I appear to have been eating too many OS buns and biscuits and there's about an inch too little round my tum . I've unpicked the seams and sewn smaller seam allowances but I haven't had the heart to try them on again just yet. Back to the diet sheet methinks!

Mrs F xx

wendym

Mrs_Flittersnoop wrote: »

I'm pretty annoyed with myself as I started to sew up a pair of trousers I cut out a few weeks ago - I'd made a pair from the same pattern at Christmas and assumed (stupidly) that they would fit. They don't. I appear to have been eating too many OS buns and biscuits and there's about an inch too little round my tum . I've unpicked the seams and sewn smaller seam allowances but I haven't had the heart to try them on again just yet. Back to the diet sheet methinks!
Mrs F xx

I have just had the same dispiriting experience with a skirt. I actually looked at my middle in a mirror when I was trying it on. Very upsetting.

It's the main drawback/huge advantage of sewing. If you're careful, you need never admit what size you are really. I am turning into Winnie the Pooh.

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Couldn't agree more, wendym! I never admit to anything, my age, size, weight etc etc (at least without protest, I had to get on the scales for my doctor, dammit), I figure that by now I am an Official Grumpy Old Woman and to heck with the rest :rotfl:

Any chance of salvaging the skirt? My trousers are thrown in a heap in disgust at the moment which is a bit of a pity since I had intended to wear them over the weekend. Oh well. Will have to drag out some of the (presumably stretched) Old Faithfuls instead.

Mrs Fx

wendym

Mrs_Flittersnoop wrote: »

Any chance of salvaging the skirt? Mrs Fx

It has a bias cut yoke, and when I'm not so cross with it/myself I guess I have enough fabric to cut a new yoke and hope that I can bodge it. I haven't tucked anything in at the waist for some time, so it won't be seen.