aibu to want to make my own clothes?

[NoodleOodle]

a) so that they are an accurate representation of my personality
b) to be sure no child/slave labour was involved in their production
c) because it would just be cool, and other reasons like fitting well and being available in the colour of my choice, control costs, not see everyone in my town wearing the same things etc. etc. etc.

Trouble is, I can barely sew. Do any of you lot make your own clothes - how did you get started?

I have only ventured into simple children's clothing.

I'd love to make my own clothes but it's just too expensive buying the fabric off the roll where I live unfortunately.

I want to do this, mostly just because I can never find much that really fits me well. I'm thinking I'll start by doing alterations to clothes rather than starting new things from scratch, so for instance unpicking the sleeves from a top, using them as a template to cut new sleeves which are longer and slightly bell shaped, then sewing the new ones on. I think this might teach me a bit about how clothes are put together before I try to do whole pieces.

I also want to try to copy clothes that fit me, starting with a very simple strappy dress with only two pieces, front and back. If it works I'd like a few in different fabrics and the original is in plain woven cotton so should be reasonably easy to work with.

I have a copy of "Sewing for Dummies" which looks good, just struggling to find the time to commit to getting started!

It's not hard. To learn to sew. I recommend the Reader's Digest Sewing Book. Start with simple things. Butterick patterns run truest to size, and come rated from Easy to Advanced.
Taking a class helps.
Buy a good used machine from a sewing machine dealer, not a cheap machine from a big box store. Ask about classes in the store.

Yep. Love sewing but making clothes is not as easy as you'd think. Mainly because trying to find a haberdashery that has the material you've envisaged, is next to impossible unless you are lucky!

That means being at the whim of the online fabric companies, some of which are great, some not so much. From experience, only go with the ones who do samples!

Anyway, I'm still building up my skills but only started a year ago from scratch (couldn't sew before that). I've made loads of stuff now, including clothes for me and my DS, household stuff, little jobs for friends.

Pinterest is amazing. Full of ideas and tutorials. Get a good sewing bible (DK do a good one) and just get making! Charity shops are a great place to get cheap fabric that you can practice on. Even if it's not something you really want or need to make, you'll learn valuable skills as you do it.

There are also lots of places doing dressmaking courses, mostly following a particular pattern for one course. I've never done any but there is a sewing directory website where you can see what's going on in your local area. PM me if you want the web address (I've forgotten what it is so would need to have a look!).

Enjoy!!

The actual sewing part isn't that hard as instructions on patterns are normally pretty good and easily adaptable - like Lookslike says, it's getting the material that's the hard bit!

My mother is a wizard with a sewing machine, cloth goes in and ridiculously gorgeous dresses come out. Made all my dresses growing up, all my prom dresses, my wedding dress, my bridesmaids dresses, etc. Really, she could make bank if she wanted to, but its just a hobby for her.

I do not possess her magic. It's tedious prep work and my seams end up crooked.

God wish I had the talent.

Would be wonderful like your mum Bulbasaur how fantastic.

I do but I think once you take into account the time put into it, it's not especially cost-effective. Good fabric, particularly prints, that you'd actually consider wearing can be very difficult to find as well.

I like to do it because once I find a good pattern I can make as many as I like or years later..

Sewing is the way to go! Unfortunately for me, the things in my imagination rarely match up to reality. I have been a crafter most of my life, but the penny dropped that cross stitch, tapestry, beading is a world of difference to making clothes. That realisation happened when I went out wearing a skirt and looking at my reflection, the hemline was very lopsided . Bugger!

People who have that talent are amazing, but it is possible to learn at an evening class. A good sewing machine is a must!

I have done in the past. Most of it isn't hard - the bits I always struggle with are the zip, and buttons holes (I hate them with a passion and always make a bodge of them).

Try something simple first that no-one will see much of - say a dressing gown or nightdress (pyjamas when you get a bit more proficient :)).

Find a good material shop locally and ask their advice. And scout out the online fabric shops - get some samples to learn the types of fabric available.

I do every now and then. But it's very depressing making clothes because with the patterns I use I have to make a size 18... In the shops I'm a 12. :(.

I don't know if it's the sizing in patterns or the fact I'm quite a beginner when it comes to dressmaking and doing something wrong.

And I haven't mastered altering patterns for my exact busy shape. I just make it as per the pattern and therefore still have fitting issues as I do with store bought items.

If you want to go for a nice easy start project try Tilly and The Buttons Miette Skirt. Very simple.

there's a dressmaking thread on here which is full if helpful people.

For me I find buying fabric easy - I get most of mine from eBay.

Our council runs sewing classes. See if yours does because it's made a massive difference to my skills. otherwise I learnt via YouTube and blogs.

patterns do cost but if you wait for sales it can be good. I think simplicity might still be half price.

Im 47 this year, and during the 80s and through my teenage years i made most of my own clothes. Just start small and teach yourself how to sew.

We didn't have you tube then, so i was taught the basics by my aunt, and the rest by going to libraries and reading up on it.

I'm doing a course at my local haberdashers. I'm just doing simple things for the children so far but have found that having someone show me how to adapt the pattern is REALLY helpful. I'm more likely now to make stuff for me.

I've also been getting fabric from vintage shops and fairs.

I make my own clothes sometimes. I've got a really good pattern for an a-line skirt and you can just make it over and over in different fabrics. I find set up of any pattern kind of expensive cause of needing new thread, zip, clasp or whatever but once you've got scraps of fabric lying around and all the equipment it works out much cheaper than buying doesn't it?

Yanbu

I started making elasticated waist skirts (because that meant I didn't have to do zips ) in my late teens. Since then I've just gradually worked my way up to more complex garments, and taken a course of evening classes (council run, not too pricey) to improve my skills. I made my wedding dress (with help from my MIL to fit the bodice seams).

Material is expensive, although depending where you are you can get good lengths in some charity shops. Depending on what you're looking for, you can also use sheets and curtains - I know it sounds weird, but I once made myself a gorgeous skirt from curtains that I found at a jumble sale.

I learnt at night classes in my 20s - I loved those classes! Sew and chat and laugh, with a truly brilliant teacher. I started as a young and lonely recent graduate new to London and only stopped about 12 years later when we moved away as a family of 4. I grew up through those classes! In the meantime I learnt to sew, making everything from work jackets and skirts, evening dresses, my wedding dress through to my children's clothes. Sadly I do much less now as I have no time at all, and also because fabric has increased in price so much, and sources of fabric on the high street have almost disappeared. But that is economics - because so few people sew fabric is less economic to make and distribute. So, yes, yes, start sewing! A basic skirt can be made in 2 hours and cost under a fiver if you can find a market stall selling fabric cheap. Patterns are ranked according to difficulty so be careful to choose something at a starter level. Not only is it soother and relaxing to sew, it is so satisfying when someone says they like your dress and you can say you made it yourself. I look in the Boden catalogue for ideas and then make a skirt they sell for £60 for about £8 - being short is an advantage as I need less fabric.

My main recommendation is find yourself a class and learn to do it properly. It makes the difference between looking home made and looking hand made.

I'm of the age when there were Needlework classes at school and part of the course was to make a frock. We had no sewing machine at home so my schoolwork all had to be by hand. I hated the lessons.

Once my mother got a sewing machine, I was away, making my own clothes and enjoying it. It's not hard if you have enthusiasm. I wanted to know how to sew mitre corners for a tablecloth the other day, googled it and found a You Tube demonstration. A useful place to look for a particular task.

ItsNotEasy, snap! I'm about to cut a pattern out and am wincing at being a size 16/18 according to the sizing guide. I'm a 14, very occasionally a 12 in ready-made clothes

Making a muslin is the way to go here, I think. I made all my own clothes years ago when I was young and knew no better; am just getting back into it now and trying to tell myself it's not complicated, but it is prudent to get your sizing right before slicing into expensive fashion fabric.

As said upthread, buy cheap cotton sheets from charity shops etc and you can use those to practice with - cut out, tack together, try on, then adjust if necessary.

It's hip to sew nowadays and there are dozens of great blogs out there for advice. YouTube has videos for almost anything you'd need or want to do. I'd certainly advise the OP to go for it.

I did a one day dressmaking course a couple of years ago as a taster. I have to say I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. It's extremely hard! And I felt I was spending at least twice as much time measuring and cutting as actually sewing (my naïveté there). I would definitely advise trying to find a low cost way to dip your toe in before buying a lot of fabric and kit. Alterations would be a good start as a pp says.

I knit my own sweaters and cardigans. I have sewn clothes, but I have no interest in making all of them, not least because sewing stretchy material is deeply frustrating and I kinda like my comfortable underwear. I'm much more likely to make presents (bags are simple and go down well, and no faffing about with having to make them fit).

Unless you start from spinning raw fibre and you know how it was harvested, I don't see that you can know whether child or slave labour was involved anyway. There's a lot to the clothes making process which happens before you buy your fabric.

I like to sew, I did o level needlework, ahem.....30 years ago! (Ouch!) In summer, I had an old red T shirt that I never wear as it's a bit short. In my sewing box I had a bit of black fabric with small red roses on it. So, I sewed an above the knee A line skirt onto the T shirt & sewed some black ribbon round the join. Ta Dah! I've had a pretty skater skirt dress all summer, for nothing!
I'd say give it a go. Fabrics are expensive now, so start on altering clothes that you've already got!
Good Luck!

That sounds awesome ooaoml i keep meaning to go for a rummage in charity shops but most of the ones by me have closed down.

Great idea if you want clothes to fit well, can save you endless hours trying to find just the right thing in a shop.

Measuring is key, pattern cutting is the most important part of dressmaking so adjust before you think of cutting anything. Fabric is so expensive that its sometimes cheaper to buy a large second hand item and use the fabric from that.

Get a Burda magazine from WHS, they have free patterns which you make up.

Home made clothes are not usually as strong as shop bought, it would be tricky to make jeans or a hardwearing jacket, you need a bit of expertise and special attachments for your machine. Also stretch fabrics need an overlocker, a different type of machine and more expertise.

A skirt is probably the best thing to start with.