Does anyone else make their own clothes

InkyCats20

Well I finally cut the pieces to make a blouse, thought I'd try something easy (Butterick B4659 "Fast & Easy"), so hopefully it does what it says on the packet :rotfl:

Used some of the 10mtrs of white poly/cotton I got off ebay last week, then realised I need some interfacing, fortunately there's a little shop about 2 1/2 miles away (a real little gem of a place) so I popped in there & he asked what weight interfacing I would like, obviously the look on my face said it all - didn't realise there were quite so many different types but came away with some very lightweight stuff & I sure I read on here that your interfacing should be of lighter weight than the fabric being used, so it should be all ok :rolleyes:

Also (as it was previously mentioned on this thread) I had a look at the Reader's Digest "The Complete Guide to Sewing" in Waterstones when I was in Windsor on Saturday, it was £17.99 :eek: , so when I got home I had a look on ebay & manged to bid a the last minute this morning & got a copy for £2.39 (+ p&p of £6.99), so still a saving of £8.61, but whilst having a rumage in the loft this morning I came across 4 ring binders of a subscription sewing magazine / part work called Successful Sewing which also has a lot of really good tips in although it's quite dated late 80's / early 90's I think, (lots of shoulder pads, flounces & ruffles)

Right off to put all the tailors tacks in my freshly cut out fabrics pieces.

Happy Sewing
:j

Mrs_Flittersnoop

boldaslove wrote: »

1. does anyone know where to buy 'snap on crystals' for dressmaking? after much searching i found clear crystals at john lewis but at around £3 for just 12 it's pretty expensive, and there were no colour options. i've looked at prym (the makers) on the net but can't find anything other than sewing supplies.
2. does anyone know a particularly good shop for african/tribal print fabrics? i think i'm being TOO ambitious by wanting fair trade but it's worth a shot! i really love the huge big colourful symetric african designs, they'd look amazing as a big handkerchief skirt
hope these help someone!

Hi boldaslove, I found this site http://www.beadsandcrystals.co.uk/ amongst my bookmarks, hope they are of some use. I haven't used them myself.

I thought I had an African fabric site around somewhere too but can't find it at the moment, will have another look for you. I'm glad you found a solution for your waistband.

Don't blame you kittie for chucking the satin. I loathe sewing that stuff and of course, bridal wear is very often satin-based :rolleyes: Good luck with the dress, I hope it works well for you. I agree about the interfacing: I'm always re-stocking my supplies, I seem to use it up very quickly. I had a friend in the States who offered to send me a complete bolt of it but I couldn't afford it at the time, wish I had done now.

Rikki the way I hem chiffon or georgette or any fine fabric is with a machine rolled hem. If the fabric is really wriggly you could spritz it with a spray on starch to control it (try and shield the rest of the garment with something) and then give the finished hem a quick rinse. To make a machine rolled hem (without using a special hemmer foot) first cut off your hem with a 1.5cm allowance. Then fold up the hem, and edgestitch round as close to the fold as you can (this is where the edgestitching foot comes into its own). Trim very very closely to the stitched line (the edgestitched one). Fold the hem again, and wrong side up, stitch along the last stitching line again. This results in a tiny little hem with two rows of stitching on the wrong side but only one on the right side. As kittie suggests, practice with your cut-off bits first!

Oh and if it's a double leg, you will need to hem the inside shorter than the outside so that it doesn't sag down and peep out from underneath.

HTH

Mrs F xx

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Me again. Just found this site http://www.africanfabric.co.uk/index.htm boldaslove which has some wonderful mudcloth pieces on it. Again I haven't bought from here but they look OK. I'm not exactly sure of the process but I would imagine that as they're handmade individual pieces they may be fairly traded?

Inkycats20 you sneaked in while I was writing my last epistle! Hope the blouse works out well for you, the Readers Digest book was indeed a bargain! I think I paid about £10 for mine a few years ago. My Vogue Sewing book is really dated now, but the information is just as valid, it's just the illustrations that make you smile .

Well I haven't even stroked my poor sewing machine today but am hopeful of getting it kicked into action tomorrow, I need to finish off that jersey top and a couple of others that I cut out over the weekend. I'm on the lookout for a nice pattern to make a dress for DS's graduation in July - I have earmarked either a piece of really dark navy linen or the natural linen with printed blue and black sketchy flowers on that I bought in Paris the other week so need something that won't embarrass the poor little love.....:rotfl:

Mrs F x

purpleivy

Quote:
Originally Posted by metherer

edited to add: http://www.fentshopskipton.co.uk/ this is my local fent shop.

Goodness! I dropped in here for a snoop last time I went home to see my Mum. It's quite a treasure trove!



Oh Heck! Last time I went from here to Harrogate I decided to avoid the M62 and go via Colne and Skipton..... I feel there might be a diversion next time I go later in the month!

My Overlocker is back at the suppliers, needle threader up the creek again. It was fixed last Thursday when I was there and when I got the machine out yesterday the threader gave up again very quickly, It seems it's a common fault....anyone else have this prob? It's a Bernina 1150.

Sooo it's at the shop still to be delivered back in a few days. I've cut out patterns for dd, but I think we might disagree about the fit of the skirt I'm doing. Never mind. I want to start sewing my tops, but would rather have the over locker for that, so might have to content myself with some cutting out and fitting... I suppose that might be a good thing.

jamma_2

I've just started a sewing class, need a sewing machine to practice on, any ideas for cheap and cheerful sewing machine. I see woolies have one in store for £49, has anyone brought it? and is it any good for a beginner. Thanks:cool:

metherer

Not sure about the woolies one - do you know what model it is?
I have a brother LS 2125 which I got for 65, and I love it to bits. Really simple, and the instruction manual is really good.

Metherer

jamma_2

metherer wrote: »

Not sure about the woolies one - do you know what model it is?
I have a brother LS 2125 which I got for 65, and I love it to bits. Really simple, and the instruction manual is really good.

Metherer

The woolies on sale in Woolies is a E&R Classic KPN400 sewing machine

Dazi

Should have posted this ages ago, but can I say am very impressed with www.habithat.co.uk too, I ordered a pattern on the Thurs and it turned up on the Saturday. Was a bit wary as it was so much cheaper than others I had seen, but it was the proper thing! Have made the nappy stacker from it, now waiting to see if I am going to have a DGD or a DGS before I make the rest of the pattern.....its all cot bedding, didn't want to do it in neutral colours as DD does not know what 'flavour' lol she is having and all stuff so far is yellow or white, am looking forward to making cot bedding in either pink or blue.

[Deleted User]

edited. I don`t know what happened

[Deleted User]

The dress fits me really well. The first time I have fitted into a flattering dress in very many years and I am chuffed . I need to take about 4" off the bottom so next time I will simply do this on the pattern, which will mean that hemming will be easier :rolleyes:

It was very easy to make and was the princess line, button front dress from petiteplus. I did the collared, long-sleeved version and the neckline is very pretty and smart. I am 4`11 and reckon that petite plus will fit to about 5` 4. The finished result will obviously depend very much on the fabric/colour etc. I made it with the first material on hand which is pure cotton in a small, multi-coloured plaid. Two things made the dress harder to put together 1 the fact that the fabric freyed and 2 the fact that I used a silly plaid because there are 7 vertical pieces to match. I started off making the pockets but got in a mess re pattern matching so I abandoned the pockets and had to shift a bit up and down in places but the pattern coped with it

re buttons: I needed a lot and had some self covered buttons to hand and just covered them in the same fabric

Tomorrow I will cut version 2 out. short sleeved and collared in a pretty pink/white linen/cotton material that I have in my stash. The fabric is squared but pattern matching won`t be too bad

I think the biggest shortcut will come from serging (overlocking) every seam possible and I should be able to complete it all in one day, maybe

all in all a very good result :j :j :j