Does anyone else make their own clothes

frostyspice

Olliebeak wrote: »

I am very lucky in having an 'Abakhan Fabrics' close to where I live (known locally as El Kilos)

Ooh I'd totally forgotten about El Kilos - I used to get all my fabric from there before I moved away from Liverpool! What a goldmine! I'm delighted to hear it's still there. May even have to pay a visit next time I go 'home' to see family, especially as this year is turning into a necessarily frugal one...

dolly_day_dream

I have sewed since I was 11 (41 years ago) I made my first skirt out of a flannalette candy stripe sheet. Then I persuade my mum to buy the gingham so that I could make a summer skirt for my last year at primary school. She couldn't/wouldn't sew because her mother was a fantastic seamstress and would create entire wardrobes for her large (13 kids) family all by hand. My dad had bought her a sewing machine but I was the one to use it. I made all of my children's clothes.

The first bought coat my son had was the one he started school in because the family were worried that the other children would tease him for wearing something home made. I never did that again I continued to make them because no one knew/cared. I used to recycle adult clothing into children's clothing but cutting it down.

My daughter had an upbringing where no-one had the same clothes as her. She loved it - no one could copy her. I too made her prom dress. I used a Vogue Pattern (BTW if you order them from the states they are cheaper and get here quicker than if my shop orders them in for me) We took a trip to Soho and got some wonderful silk and velvet - her dress was much admired although by then everyone knew that her clothes were made by me. Total cost less than £25 and she had friends who hired their dress for £90 She still wears it - it is in two parts and swears she will never part with it. I still make her special occasion dress because we can get just the style you want in the fabric you want and it fits her - yes she is tall as well. Time constraints mean that I no longer make all of our clothes and I try to buy from Charity shops as a more ethical way of shopping.

I was soo pleased the other night though because my daughter announced that she wanted to learn to create her own clothes. She is studying abroad at present but when she comes home we will start creating together. I was worried that like my mum having a mum who sews had removed the incentive to sew herself. I have gone on a lot but fabric is a pasion to me - has been since I was a small child - knowing that I can create something unique is priceless, putting the care into it that you get won't get elsewhere.

I have used Burda Moden magazine for years. It too has lots of patterns for all ages and sexes in it each month. The cut is good and I have kept the magazines for nearly 30 years!

Mariel

I like the fit of Burda, I usually buy the individual patterns though as I never seem to get around to tracing the patterns from the mag! I have bought other patterns but they just never seem to fit as well and I only ever use them once. The Burda ones I seem to use over and over.
My Mum or great nan always made my clothes as I was tall and fat as a kid and in those days (late 60s early 70s) you couldn't just wear clothes meant for a different age group like you can now. That's a scary thought, by the time I was 6 or 7 I would have been in adults sizes! Fortunately I stopped growing at 12. I used to fiddle about with fabric scraps and I can distinctly remember being competent enough to use a sewing machine unsupervised before my brother was born when I was 6. I just wish I could let my 8yo loose on a sewing machine, she is desperate to learn.

metherer

Can anyone recommend sites/brands for a very plus size woman and her equally plus size husband??

I got a sewing machine for christmas from my parents, as we find it extremely hard to get trousers to fit DH. His 'good' leg swells up to over double the thickness of the other one, so normally lives in Jogging bottoms. We're hoping to be able to make a pair of trousers with different widths of leg for him.

I'm 5'8" and a size 30 or thereabouts, and fed up of Evans. Like someone else mentioned on here, everything I find seems to stop right where I don't want it to. Talk about emphasising your worst assets...

Thanks,

Metherer

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Hi metherer, you could take a look at the Khaliah Ali range in Simplicity patterns www.simplicity.com - go to Plus Collection. They go up to quite a large size and some of the designs are quite fashionable. The men's sizes seem to go up to about a 48" waist but if you were to make combat type trousers or casual trousers they would probably end up more roomy (don't know what size you need for OH). Most of the US patterns offer a Plus collection these days.

Hope this helps a bit.
Mrs F x

Olliebeak

Hello Metherer - is this the sort of thing that you mean? I've got quite a lot of McCalls patterns and find that they are easy to follow and can be mixed/matched/adapted as well

http://www.mccallpattern.com/list/large_sizes/page-1


This link is to the men's/workwear pages and again some of those may be useful for your husband - what about adapting something like a pyjama trouser pattern for the days when your OH's leg is particularly swollen?

http://www.mccallpattern.com/list/unisex_men_uniforms/page-1


Try having a search in Burda as well.

Good Luck with your search.

metherer

Thanks both, I'll have a look at them a little later on.

dolly_day_dream

metherer wrote: »

Can anyone recommend sites/brands for a very plus size woman and her equally plus size husband??

I got a sewing machine for christmas from my parents, as we find it extremely hard to get trousers to fit DH. His 'good' leg swells up to over double the thickness of the other one, so normally lives in Jogging bottoms. We're hoping to be able to make a pair of trousers with different widths of leg for him.

I'm 5'8" and a size 30 or thereabouts, and fed up of Evans. Like someone else mentioned on here, everything I find seems to stop right where I don't want it to. Talk about emphasising your worst assets...

Thanks,

Metherer

Have you considered looking at the Wild Ginger software? http://www.wildginger.com/
It allows you to fully customize your patterns and the price is good right now although still about £100 however you would be able to make a pattern that will definately fit you and there is no top size to their range.

It is on my wish list for some time in the future.

LuciferTDark

I don't make my own clothes but I do repair them when needed, all the mickey taking at school when I learnt to sew was worth it.

Old_Meanie

Hello All

Thank you all so much for contributing to this thread. I am not alone after all! As many of you have said the sewing bug seems to run in the family my daughter made her own bridesmaids dresses and outfit for christening.

I first learned to sew at school. (Yes I know its sad). We had one afternoon a week sewing classes covering each element with a garment we made in class given marks at end of term for our school report. In the sixties I made all the new teenage fashions but as time went on I sewed less as I worked full time. What started my interest again was getting rheumatoid arthritis and finding most clothes are soooooo difficult to get on and off and wanted something fashionable that made dressing easier. I think I am going to move to Liverpool!! It sounds wonderful. When I can get out I do find the markets in the East end of London sell a lot of fabrics because the immigrant population keep them going because they sew their own traditional clothes some of the fabrics are fabulous and £1 a yard for 60in wide.

Metherer I can recommend a fabulous book called "Sewing for Plus Sizes" by Barbara Deckert who is herself a dressmaker and a size 32. I got mine secondhand from Amazon and it is a mine of information. It shows you how to alter patterns easily to fit and make things like comfy waistbands in fashionable clothes.
Hope we can keep this thread going and inspire a revival in the traditional craft of home sewing.