To wonder if sewing is a dying art?

[NotHerRealname]

The sum of my sewing ability is to;

Sew on a button
Repair a small hole or split seam
Take up (very badly) a seam.

All these I can do to a pretty low standard. About the same as my Dh. We share these jobs between us!

My mother can use a sewing machine, make clothes, invisible stitching etc. as well as knit and crochet! So can my Mil.

I could have learnt a bit more as a child but I didn't really see the value in it. I do wish now though, that I was a bit handier with a needle and thread.

Would it be very nosey to ask how much you lot can sew? and also do you think lost people now just throw stuff away without trying to repair it?

[steppemum]

I like sewing and do quite a lot, especially curtains cushion covers etc

I am currently making a quilt for our bed in Indonesian batik fabric.
I used to make a lot of clothes, but fabric is pricey now.


But I have to have a little boast about dd1. She asked for a sewing machine for her 7th birthday, and got a proper small one. She can use it properly and sewed a proper pencil case for her teacher who left at the end of last year. I did help her, but she really did pretty much all of it herself including design.

It was awesome. Good enough to sell

[NotADragonOfSoup]

I"ve just this minute sewn up DS1's swimming trunks, 2 minutes before he had to leave for the school bus. Luckily my machine was switched on and threaded up after I made an owl hand warmer yesterday!

[FireOverBabylon]

If anyone has access to Ikea, it seems that they have a range of interesting fabrics that can be used to make clothes (warning, this link contains some dreadful photos of a blogger posing for photos of her finished garment. Not sure she needed quite as many images as she included). I'm actually quite tempted to make my own copy of this skirt.

Dragon, as the OP of the "owl hand warmer" thread, it's good to see you made one so quickly. That's determination!

[NotADragonOfSoup]

Fire, dedication or chore avoidance...

[NotADragonOfSoup]

Ikea fabrics are fab btw.

[catyloopylou]

Last night I sewed a button back on DH's jacket and stitched a hem up on his tie. He would have taken them to the dry cleaner otherwise at a cost of £10 or so; it took me 10 minutes and he did the cleaning up after dinner in return!

I've made a few skirts, shorts and shirts but they took me ages so stopped bothering; also found fabric expensive. But for a Christmas party I designed and made a Dorothy from the wizard of Oz outfit and it inspired me to buy a sewing machine in the Christmas sales. I've not used it yet as have to declutter first in order to have somewhere to set it up. But I'm planning on making things like applique pictures from a huge bag of fabric scraps I have, quilting and making soft toys etc. I recently bought some fabric from Ikea (black printed pictures on white) with the intention of colouring it in with fabric paint and making cushion covers for DS's room so they can be really personal.

I'm not great with alterations and repairs but will have a go. I can't knit or crochet but can embroider and do cross stitch.

My DM used to make lots of our clothes and taught me to use her machine, and my DGM did lots of beautiful embroidery but by the time I was old enough to learn she wasn't able to sew any more. I have lots of her work and it is almost as good on the back as the front, and far superior to anything I can make. I dream of being industrious but am too lazy to do much!

[webwiz]

I think all things crafty are having a big revival at the moment and you can get magazines with stuff in that you might actually want to make.

I can sew pretty well and made my own wedding dress, christening gowns for the DCs, first communion dresses and then prom dresses. I've made curtains, blinds and patchwork quilts and more school costumes than I care to remember.

I can knit very complicated patterns and I taught myself to crochet about a year ago so both the DD's have throws that I've made at university with them. I tend to crochet while watching tv (and mumsnetting at the same time). I think its a bit of a confidence thing as well once you've mastered one thing you're more willing to have a go at the others.

[NotMostPeople]

CaseyShreager - I did the couture dress class on Craftsy (got it at half price), there was lots of hand sewing which I hate, but I still enjoyed it. I've also bought a trouser one, but haven't started it yet.

[CaseyShraeger]

The couture dress and the two trouser classes (fit and construction) are the ones I've been dithering over. I've seen a lot of good reviews of the couture dress class, but then again I do have big fit problems with ready-to-wear trousers.

[crocodilesmiles]

I can't sew. I did make a P.E. bag (drawstring style) whilst at school, but I look at it now and don't know how I managed it.

Seeing this sort of thing www.rufflesandstuff.com/2010/02/making-her-clothes-last-part-one.html always makes me wish I could sew though. I love the idea of upcycling old clothes! Some of the stuff this lady's done is lovely - and totally unique to her LO.

[Arcticwaffle]

I used to be reasonable at sewing, I used to make some of my own clothes. Then I discovered it was as cheap to buy them and I stopped forever. I suppose I could still make clothes if I could be bothered. But I'd rather read a book.

I can't really knit, I have several time started and lost interest. Sewing is much more satisfying.

All 3 of my dds have taken to sewing with great enthusiasm, so now the house is full of sewing kit and projects, and small stuffed homemade animals, and appliqued cushions.

DP is quite good with a sewing machine too so he'll make curtains on occasion. Otherwise I would do that.

[FryOneFatManic]

I like bags, and once I have more experience with my sewing machine, I plan to use some free bag patterns I found online. These patterns are great and the finished bags would easily retail for more than the cost of making them. I even found a great messenger style bag that could do my DD for school, especially as she goes through her bags often with the volume of stuff she requires for school.

I have a stash of waste denim pieces that I think will make a great tote, so I'm looking for patterns for that.

I really ought to start looking at the arts & crafts board