Hi, Ive never posted in this topic before but I tried it in style and beauty and people thought I would get more replies from you helpful lot here :o)

[TrinityRhino]

Was wanting to know about making my own clothes
I;ve never done it before but I have a sewing machine
an 8year old with ALOT of ideas
and enthusiasm

I have made a pair of curtains before
not lined but with a weighted hem and a square pattern that had to match...and they looked good

but clothes to me seem a while lot harder

a sewing machine is on my xmas list

i would LOVE to make clothes. knitting takes so long...

sorry trinity!

Can't add much, but ...

I used to bunk off needlework at school in order to read Paris Match, but after uni my friend and I taught ourselves to sew using Very Easy Very Vogue patterns (she reckoned they had the clearest instructions). I started with very easy stuff like wrap-around skirts (no zips or buttonholes, tada!) and eventually got to making my wedding dress. Making a lined curtain for my child's room was much harder than that!

So, I'd say go for the easy patterns in the book but I think that you'll learn more from sewing clothes than you will from toys. Some sewing shsops do classes - maybe a saturday morning class for you and your daughter would be fun?

I think you said you already had a sewing machine, but if you're buying a new one, I was told that the best test of a machine is whether it does a smooth, neat buttonhole.

Is sewing really the new knitting? How cool are we!

Thanks goat - so you are going? (have been lurking on the thread) I won't corner you, honest! - just need to work myself up to it.

Rhino, you have made curtains - consider yourself crafty

probably will turn up for a bit. depends on when and where really. go and sign up. where in edinburgh are you?

Close to merchiston/polwarth.

I have ventured onto the thread.

Toys are fiddly and difficult. Clothes are much easier!

I'd really recommend that big Singer complete photo guide to sewing - always copies in charity shops in my experience as it has been in print for ever and doesn't date - it has instructions on everything you could imagine, so you can then use patterns that you find elsewhere that might not have such good guidance (as you get more confident!)