Anybody dream of buying a sewing machine and making their own clothes?

[laGrosellaEspinosa]

How delusional am I?

I don't want to make everything but just the odd thing. A jumpsuit or a dress. I see a very clear vision of an item of clothing in my head sometimes and I think it's beautiful and I both want it and I want to create it.

Anybody have a sewing machine? Can they recommend a good solid reliable one that threads the needle (essential). Is it useful for making alterations even if you're not Stella McCartney (I reckon my designes would be better than her :-p )

I'm struggling to find a class. There are some available but always when I'm at work or stupidly priced. Learn to make a dress for £90, just make sure you bring your own machine and we'll give you 5% off the fabric and threads you need to buy on the day. Taking my own machine fine but they won't tell you what fabric do you can't source it elsewhere cheaper. I'm going to ring around a few more places this week, slightly further afield.

I'm thinking about the burda subscription, still not 100% sure but I do like some of their things I've sent online. I'm going to see how I get on with the other one I subscribed to first, or suggest it to DH as a birthday present.

Love the piped bodice.

Glen I don't know where you are but I've done a few council run sewing courses and found them to be brilliant value for money. 2 years ago I did one that worked out £3 an hour with an amazing dressmaker. This year I did pattern cutting for £3.50 an hour to make my own blocks.

Lidl have the Singer sewing machine mentioned upthread as a special buy this week for 89.99.

No sign of the overlocker, sadly.

My local college does offer them but either on an afternoon or at 6pm. I finish work at 6 half an hour away unfortunately.

I'm thinking of buying a machine and attending some classes as we need new curtains, but I'd love to be able to sew my own clothes as well - that would be amazing!

What's an overlocker and do I need one?

I've not done any sewing since DD was small (think 25 years ago). Apart from the odd pair of curtains.

I have now semi-retired and getting bored (due to awful weather). I need to get sewing again and was thinking of starting with this...

it looks easy if I do the no sleeves version

I cannot remember anything really about how to interpret patterns etc, so it will be like starting from scratch.

@comeagainforbigfudge
I'd also add an L square. I've got one from Homebase. They're great for making blinds or curtains to keep a straight edge. I also use mine to make sure stripes are cut the right way and things like that.

What about some of the online courses glen ? or do you want to meet people as well? Burdastyle often have special offers on their online courses. I've also heard good things about Sew Over It and Tully and the Buttons courses

I would love to especially for my daughter, but I'm clueless

I used my Mum's hand cranked Singer as a young teen to make vintage style dresses for my Sindy doll

A couple of years ago I got given a cupboard that 'happened' to have an old Singer machine that sort of folded away - the person giving in to me suggested I pass the machine onto someone or other but it fitted together so beautifully they belonged together...

It turned out to be from 1937, the machine still works perfectly and it was the 'Rolls Royce' of sewing machines. I love it - it can sew through anything so smoothly, the motor is slower than modern motors so easy to control.

Now I'm getting into the various presser feet - love the narrow hem foot and ruffler foot, still working out (thanks to on line videos) the buttonhole attachment, variable depth hemmer, the bias binder attachment and the pin tuck attachment. The quilting and braiding attachments are fairly straightforward, and I have gone wild and ordered a zig zag stitch attachment

I have a lovely, traditional Singer shop near me, they restore machines from all over the country and are as fanatical as I am, every time I go there it's at least half an hour as I get a tour of their workshop to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over their recent restorations (plus they have very cute Yorkies that DD has to cuddle and play with).

DD is at the ahe where she quite likes to wear things I've made - I'm hoping that by her teenage years my skills have increased enough that she will still want me to make her own designs.

At the moment, though, I'm making bags...

I'm currently working my way through a couple of free courses on craftsy but did fancy meeting other beginners, Sunny. I'll keep trying and I'm sure I'll find some eventually!

My simply sewing magazine arrived today. I'm really happy I ordered it, some really nice patterns which look easyish to follow :)

Oh and this is last night's project. Tonight I'm making PJs

I've bought a pattern and material but I'm a bit afraid of fucking it up! Maybe I should start by learning to do seams first. The pattern tells me to use an overlocker and I don't have one. All the patterns I like are at least intermediate and I'm very much a beginner, but I am impatient!

So the Lidl Singer has the three things my very old machine doesn't have that I think would be useful (automatic buttonholes, a free arm and a needle threader) and I'm tempted. I only used straight and zigzag stitches on my current machine so don't think I need anything fancy. Anyone have feedback on the Lidl machine? No idea if there will be any in my local store either, do they sell out quickly?

Mary, the best above is a beginner level pattern I found free on the internet. I have it in my Dropbox so can send it to you if you like.

There are loads of free beginners patterns on craftsy and Pinterest so perhaps start with them.

I didn't make anything last night, I'm going to cut and pin some bits tonight as I'm keen to get some Christmas stuff started :)

Thanks Glen, I'll have a google for something free and easy. I've got some blue shirt cotton that I could try to make into something, does the vest need to be stretchy?

What is a free arm used for on a sewing machine? And if my sewing machine comes with a buttonhole foot, is that the same as an automatic buttonholer? The machine only does straight, zigzag and satin stitch.

This is a really nice vest top for normal cotton fabric.

Proceed with caution with that free pattern (the sorbetto).

I made it a few months ago, and the end result was a strange fit, and unwearable for even a pyjama top. I put it down to me being a newbie, but then I read on another forum that many people have problems with it because it's just not well-drafted (bust darts in the wrong place etc). Apparently this company Colette has constant problems with fit and drafting. It's been a bit of a scandal actually.

Having learnt a bit more about fit since then, I now look at that pattern on the website and I don't even thinks it fits the model well. It hangs awkwardly and the armhole isn't right.

Circle skirts are very easy and quite satisfying to make, just Google "circle skirt calculator" to work out your measurements.

I have been making it for several years break. I think I currently have ten of them in my drawer, with and without the centre pleat, long, short.

I have been sewing for almost 40 years (old) so not a beginner at all but didn't have to adjust the fit and they have always worked for me, otherwise I wouldn't have made more than one of them.

Thank you all for this fabulous thread. I've skimmed it but I'm going to go back through it later and make notes especially about fabric suppliers.

I've sewn since as far back as I can remember and I can't really remember being taught. My granny was a tailoress and dress maker and my mum and 2 aunts all sewed too.

We did sewing at high school though it was called Fabric and Fashion. In my adult life I've done things like curtains, drawstring bags, quilts but I've not done any dress making since I was a teen when my mum was on hand to fit the pattern.

I've been hugely inspired by this thread to start again. My big issue is going to be the fitting.

I'd really like to make a night shirt in brushed cotton with contrast piping around a collar and reveres. I have one that's like a really long shirt and I love it.

I'd also like to sew with jersey type fabrics and make my own perfect fit Breton style tops. I can never buy the perfect one. The neckline is wrong, sleeves too narrow or too wide, style too boxy or not long enough. I'd love to draft my own with a boat neck and a bum covering dipped hem.

DH is taking the DCs away camping this weekend so I have the house to myself and I can leave everything out. I'm trying not to appear too excited to the rest of the family.

I think I'll have a look for a sewing magazine with a simple pattern or maybe a wrap skirt I can make in a chambray.

Breakable the sorbetto has been made by tonnes of people (myself included) with minimum issues. They've recently reworked the sorbetto pattern to make it a bit more modern (longer length) and is getting good reviews. I have a few Colette patterns and find them very generous in size but nice classic shapes

@aayla an overlocker sews and finishes a seam so there is no fraying and cuts off the excess in one operation - great for jersey type fabrics as you don't over stretch the fabric. They take several spools of thread, not just one.

For the poster who asked about automatic buttonholing and a buttonhole foot - you usually need both. The automatic buttonholing is the setting on the machine - it can be more than a one stage process too - and the correct foot needs to be fitted beforehand in order to correctly hold the fabric and guide the needle.

Aayla...overlockers are brilliant..Wow described them better thsn I could.

I've never bought a personal one as I always had access to an industrial one at work.

I think I need to get Santa OH to buy me one for Christmas..

I have a singer, it's 1960s and cost me £15 off a Facebook selling page. Ultra easy to use and reliable and I have made clothes on it. Start simple, maybe an easy skirt pattern. Honestly, dressmaking doesn't have to be really difficult!

Deux have a look at the Tilly and the Buttons Coco pattern for your jersey tops.