The making your own clothes thread

[MulberryPeony]

Just because a few of us seem likely to get back in the habit with some spare time/wanting to look expensive/capsule wardrobe/consume less.

I made quite a lot of my own clothes as a teen and early twenties but I’m not sure I’ve completed a project for me since. Hand sewing wadding into padded curtains did me in!

I’d like to make a copy of some floaty shorts and duster coat I already own. Got a fair few basic patterns for tops and throw on dresses so might make something light for summer too. I’d like some comfy trousers but worry I’d end up with something resembling pjs! Thinking of repurposing a slub woven cotton smock from a few years ago as there is oodles of fabric to go at.

I’d class myself as a beginner level but happy to adapt patterns. Button holes scare me.

Would anyone like to join me? What is on your to-make list? Any more beautiful sites for me to browse expensive looking fabrics like the merchant and mills one mentioned the other day? Does anyone know of any sites where I can look through a pattern book like the catalogues they have inside fabric shops?

Aw thanks @tinselvestsparklepants I was born in 68, so about my age then!

Has anyone had A0 printing done for some of the indie pdf patterns? Any recomendations. I'm tired of fiddling about with scaling on my computer

The name I've always heard is dotty print www.savvysewist.co.uk/ but I've never used them myself.

They at least should understand sorting out the scaling issues.

Netprinter are good for A0 pdf printing.
I don’t use their sewing printing, they have plan printing which is cheaper and I prefer normal paper rather than their premium (thinner) paper they recommend for patterns

Thanks I'll try Netprint to start with they seem a but cheaper I have a few I want to print so I may try a couple of companies.

You need to go for plan printing for AO pdf pattern files. AO printing can be quite pricey but AO PLAN printing is reasonable. I usually print several AO patterns at a time to make the most of the post charge.

Netprinter charged £3 per AO sheet plus postage.

Sorry to go off topic, but am making a bean bag cushion. Have done the lining. How do I get 3cubic ft of polystyrene beads into the lining without them going everywhere ???????
Please...

@SpringFan that’s not going to be easy. Do you have any large necked funnels that you could use? Maybe use an elastic band to hold fabric in place. Or could you put lining inside a large plastic box while being filled so at least it will catch some?

When I made a footstool, I cheated and reused the intact lining of an old bean bag and some polyester toy stuffing.

The beads are in a bag?

Put the open neck of the bag on the whole and pray?
I'd strongly advise a lining (not that I've been there or anything)

Or have a big hole put the plastic bag in sew the hole nearly up and carefully remove the plastic bag?

Do it in the bath with the plug in

Oh, thankyou doing the whole thing in a huge box is a good idea

@KatyMac I love your dresses.
You must swish as you walk

@TheClitterati thanks - I spend a lot of time in jeans really but I guess I swish when I try them on

I have kept a few for when I am selling at markets and I am currently setting up my market stall (!) which is harder than you'd think!!

A couple of proof of concept garments made in the £1 a metre jersey.

A long sleeve top with thumb cuffs from "Sew your own activewear" pattern was fine but its a basic block without seam allowances and that really slows down my tracing.

The second is Jalie 2946 which is a sports skort, made with full length leggings taken from a kwik sew pattern.

Will be making both again in a more expensive lycra in the next few weeks.

fab @kittykarate well worth it!

I'm hopefully going on a walking holiday in September, and fancied a bit of a refresh on my technical clothing.

I'm wearing the skeggings (they're a bit long in the leg to a skort!) today - comfy for work at home. I think when I do them for real, I'll make the skirt front and back panels in a patterned lycra, with the waist band and legs plain. I'm not sure if I'll do the side panel pockets with the pocket in patterned and the slightly visible under layer in plain. Mr Kitty has pointed out that if I wear them outdoors on the hills we'll always be found by mountain rescue. I probably will leave the skeggings as an 'at home' item but I will wear the tshirt out and about.

My sewing day had started off badly, no matter what I did my sewing machine was skipping stitches, my zig zags were all zag. Eventually after lots of fiddling I realised it was caused by dodgy thread. I've used this brand before in other colours which have been fine, but for some reason the peach one wasn't very smooth and was causing extra tension in the machine.

Anyway, no projects planned for next week, I have 2 patterns that I haven't traced (Tilly & Buttons Bettine and the Simple Sew Coccoon), and 1 that needs printing (the sleeve add in for the Tilly Stevie pattern), so it's likely to be at least one of them. Probably the Stevie, as it's a quick pattern to do normally, and I'd like some summery fabric tops with sleeves.

Don't you hate it when tools/equipment donr work the way you expect? Often there is no reason (like the colour of your thread)

You could always dye your Skeffington a nice navy or black if its the colour that make it an inside outfit!

I have a design commission creating different headwraps and scarves atm it's quite challenging!

The 'ibiza peach' colour is a bit much on the legs. I look like a confused flamingo. I don't think it will take a dye though -it seems to be a poly blend jersey.

You can buy poly dyes & if it's a poly cotton you use both a poly dye and a cotton dye

Kittykarate I printed out the Stevie sleeves and dress pattern today.
How do you match the pages together?
I’ve made the Stevie before, I lengthened it to make a dress. I have also lowered the neckline as well.

Bananas I haven't printed out my Stevie yet but based on other printout patterns there will be marks on the edges of the pages to say which page to join on.

So if I look at the Stevie PDF on Page 3 there's 3 triangles, each with a number and a letter. You use them to match up the pattern pieces. So on the top right or page 3 there's the triangle with 1C written in it. You go through the other pattern pieces and find the other one with the matching 1C (in this case, dead simple, it's page 4!) and you join the pieces of paper with the 2 triangles lined up. On the top left hand side of page 3 the triangle has 1B written in it - that should be joined up with the 1B on page 2.. The triangles on the bottom of the page line up to pages 7 and 8. On the bottom of page 2 there's a triangle for 2B - this goes to page 6.

This all matches up to the instructions PDF which says you need pages 2 to 4 and 6 to 8.

Kitty - thank you so much for your reply. I know understand what I’m doing.

Joining in late & tagging on - I've made most of my clothes since I was about 18. My mother made ALL my clothes.

I'd be a bit wary of some of the independent pattern companies as I think many are a triumph of style (by which I mean marketing courtesy of Instagram) over substance (by which I mean skilled pattern drafting). Agree with comments on Tilly - poor drafting IMHO. Also agree with exorbitant cost of some new patterns. Having learned my lesson I've returned to using more from the Big 4 as I feel that they have been better drafted

Totally agree with this - in fact, I tend to buy only Vogue patterns, and mostly Vogue designer patterns. Yes, they are pricey, but you can generally get a load at half-price at various times of the year. And I have learnt so much about designer/couture techniques from making them. I mostly wear dresses, tailored trousers & jackets. And I find the fit & flair of some of my favourite designers is wrth the extra for the pattern.

It's also not worth sewing in anything but nice fabrics - I get rather annoyed with the amount of polyester that some of these newer "popular" so-called sewists/designers flog. If you're going to spend time - and it can take me two whole weekends to make a tailored jacket - then why use anything but the best quality you can find & afford.

It spoils me for shop-bought clothes though!

Another latecomer here. I began sewing in my 20s but then didn't do anything until a few years back. I mainly make dresses and tops - trousers are a bit intimidating but I'm gearing up. Two things I've not seen mentioned on the tread that I'm very fond of are ..

Mavern patterns, especially her French Dart dress/tunic. Love love love this and now have about 4 variants. mavenpatterns.co.uk/product/the-french-dart-pattern/

And the Love to Sew podcast is worth a listen too. Episodes I found really helpful on buttonholes (yep!), different fabric types, buying fabric online, sizing etc etc. Enthusiasm to the max for all matters sewing. Very pro the Indy sewing scene in case that makes a difference (one of the presenters owns the Blackbird fabric store in Canada and other is a pattern designer). aca.st/082a27

I'm currently at the early stages of making this dress - made a toile which revealed its too short and that I'll need to adjust the sleeve seam. I bought two contrasting colours of a nice linen but have lost faith mid way through cutting out! www.instagram.com/p/By78iR3n4Dd/?igshid=a6crgjhqe8xp

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. In the past I've made a few things - mainly curtains and a couple of cloth nappies. I made my daughter some pyjama bottoms when she was a baby as it was hard to get PJs to fit over cloth nappies. However, I've always found it really difficult and the end result hasn't always been good.

I'm very enthusiastic but get so frustrated when using a sewing machine. They have to be the most temperamental, difficult to use machines ever invented. My sewing machine (and overlocker) actually got consigned to the loft about 10 years ago but I brought the sewing machine back down a couple of weeks ago so I could make some face masks. The face masks turned out ok-ish and so I got all enthusiastic and decided to make a top.

I bought a pattern from the Assembly Line which is beginner level. I've bought some material too but thought I'd test the pattern first using a flat sheet I found in the cupboard. I've spent hours sewing. Have used up so much thread. Wrestled with the blinking machine trying to get the tension right and never really succeeding. I've unscrewed the needle plate countless times so I can reposition the plastic bobbin case which I think needs replacing but I can't find a replacement online.

Have just got to the point where all that's left to do is to finish off the sleeves and I thought I'd try it on to see how it's fitting and it looks really weird, much shorter in the body than expected and very wide sleeves. My daughter and I compared it to the pattern and ... I've bloody well sewn up the wrong sides so the sleeves have become the body and the body has become the sleeves. . Thank goodness it's only the test version but the thought of starting again with the expensive material is not one that fills me with joy.

There's no hope for me is there. It's actually left me feeling quite down as I so want to be good at it.

Keep going @Entschuldigung we've all learned from our changers practice practice practice but get your machine serviced or try doing it yourself and make sure you change the needle regularly