Does anyone actually make their own clothes?

[Bubbless]

I'm thinking about investing in a seeing machine to make, mainly, my daughters clothes.....
Does anyone actually do this? How long does it take, she's nearly 1? Does it save any money, equal to buying in places like Primark or cheaper?
Help!!

Thank you! What I need is a nice granny type who can knit, will teach dd in return for cakes or errands!

I'll get on YouTube as well.

I find that making my own curtains saves a fortune. But clothing less so.

I do quite often get fabric quite cheap from abakhans or ebay, but you do have to be patient and wait until they have what you want at a reduced price.
I don't find buttons and zips to be too expensive because I get them from a haberdashery stall at the market or raid my mums sewing box as she has thousands of buttons and various different trims.
The best thing about sewing is creating something unique.
It's also very handy for creating costumes when the kids need something random at short notice.

I knit, agree it can be more expensive if you have a taste for the more beautiful yarn. However, it can be cheap, you don't need much equipment, & you can just pick it up & put down for the odd 5 minutes, or 3 hours. Can do it in front of TV as well. Whereas you couldn't do this with a sewing machine - needs to be set up on a table, clear up after, you can't really supervise the kids while you're sewing (noisy & not safe), & the machine is noisy, mine sounds quite loud, even from upstairs.

LavenderHoney I learnt to knit entirely from books. I can cable, do lace, anything really.

I'm hot on alterations. Once upon a time I did make clothes but don't really have the time now.

I also knit for myself, very slowly, but knitted cardigans do seem to have better longevity. I'm wearing one at the moment I made maybe 12 years ago, rather satisfyingly there was one very like it Boden this season! I am very choosy about yarn.

Me too, Fossil. Love fancy yarn wool addict

I'm a bit of a charity shop / super sale bargain queen. I usually wouldn't bother making clothes, as I suspect I wouldn't be able to get as good a fit as I can in the shops. However I'm an odd size, so I'm more than happy to make alterations to good quality clothes picked up cheap in the shops. Scored a pair of Phase Eight trousers for work a few months ago for £3. Just needed turning up (as I'm only 5ft). Fab!

I rarely make everyday clothes because it's rarely cost effective. I do, however, make evening wear as I have to attend some evening functions. I can often make something for a third of the price of buying it.

You can also save on altering and recycling garments.

I wouldn't shell out on a machine for everyday stuff.

I sew and knit a lot.

You will save money on home decorating stuff. Curtains, throw pillows etc. Clothes, not so much. If cost is your main concern, you won't be able to compete with the supermarkets, primark, etc.

Now, if you spend £80 or more on a dress, you will definitely save money and get a much better fit. Places like Goldhawk Road in London have amazing deals on fabric if you hunt around. For instance, I made a silk tweed, French style jacket, lined with silk de chine two summers ago for less than £20. It fit through the shoulders, bust and hips! Something I wouldn't find "off the peg."

I don't sew much for my dc because they grow too fast and don't always like what I make. Sewing is fun, but time consuming!

The economics of knitting is similar. To buy the same quality as a homemade, handknit, pure wool jumper, you would have to spend over £300 in the shops. The handnitted one will cost more like £70 in wool. But an acrylic mix jumper from river island is more like £35.

I have just started using a sewing machine again because I needed new curtains and couldn't find what we wanted ready made. I used to make stuff when mine were young. It is really only worth it if the fabric is free or very cheap. To buy new material and a pattern would be fairly expensive but for some it is a hobby as well so that won't matter.
I made most of my DD clothes from inexpensive bits of cloth/my old clothes/jumble sale buys when she was little. I made less for the boys but I did make several pairs of dungarees. Made some out of my old maternity trousers. I was always on the look out for bits of fabric I could reuse even old sheets can be recycled for a small bed.
If you enjoy sewing it's worth having a machine but it will take a long time to recoup the cost if you are doing it to save money on clothes.

I knit , the cost of yarn these days is a lot more expensive then buying something in primark , but the item will last years . Plus I get my yarn in the clearance section on a website , £1 a ball for sirdar snuggly , I've made my 18 month old a cardi for £3 :) yay me