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?

Clangers not changers

Oh Entshuldigung I'm so sorry you've been bummed out by this experience. I can't count how many times I've sewn the wrong bits to the wrong bits, or inside out. It happens to me so often I have started marking the cut out pattern pieces with tailors chalk with things like F for front etc. Also cuts down on my 'inside out' problems too, as with some fabrics the right/wrong is less obvious (until you sew it together and then you can see the slightly different appearance clear as day). Though this did lead to me wearing a tshirt with F on the left tit yesterday as I'd forgotten to wash it after assembly.

In fact - it happens to the folk on sewing bee who have years of experience, so it can happen to anyone.

Also - nightmare days on the sewing machine, we've all had them. They are super delicate, and it can take something as simple as slightly rougher textured thread to cause you a lot of problems. When you're starting out, I think it's best to buy good quality needles and threads to start with (Gutermann sew all is reliable) as then you can get the tension settings correct with confidence. Oh, and always double check the manual, I had started (for some reason) to put the bobbin in the wrong way round in the bottom, so it still 'worked' but the tension was off.

Thanks for the encouragement, you've cheered me up.

As I was just using an old, white sheet I'd written F and B in pencil on the pieces and STILL managed to go wrong. I will give it a go with the fancy material but will write the F and B in big, tailors chalk lettering and maybe come with a colour scheme to add some tailors tacks to remind me.

I'll order some more Gutermann thread. I couldn't believe how much thread was used for overlocking. Is it okay to use polyester thread with cotton fabric?

I've found plastic Singer bobbin cases online but my machine is a Frister + Rossman Euro 21 so I'm not sure if it will work.

I have got another machine in the loft (my Mum's old Singer which is about 65 years old) which I could have a go with but it won't do overlocking. I've also got an overlocker in the loft but remember that being fairly complicated to thread etc.

Do people always overlock? I'm sure when I was a school we were taught to fold ends over twice (don't know what the technical name is!). I think we did sewing for one term at school and we made half a skirt and a pencil case.

You are all an inspiration!

I almost always overlock - so I have cheap cone threads on the 2 looper spools (as you use those most) and decent quality colour matching ones for the two needles. This is because basically I'm too lazy to do 'french seams' (this sounds like what you're describing from school) and definitely too lazy to sew, then cut with pinking shears or zig zag! Overlockers can cause heartache though - they're a bitch to unpick if you've gone wrong and are not good at going around tight inside corners evenly.

I tend to use quality threads in my normal sewing machine as it definitely balks otherwise, but it's only a cheapie Husqvarna. I'm pretty much always using polyester thread regardless of the material I'm sewing - the main disadvantage would be if I was planning on dyeing it afterwards as poly threads don't pick up dyes so well.

Have you measured your bobbins to see what diameter and height they are? Perhaps you can find out if the singer ones are the same size. This place claims to have bobbins for your manufacturer, but they just look like generic ones to me. www.hsmsupplies.com/product-page/frister-rossman-bobbin-frister-bobbins-spool-metal

Back on the saddle @Entschuldigung!

I read something recently (here? can't remember) that the disadvantage of using polyester thread with natural materials is that the thread is so strong it actually wears out the fabric around the seamholes, thus when the garment rips it's the fabric that rips not the seam, and this is much harder to mend. It was a bit of a wake-up for me, because I've noticed this sometimes but not connected the dots. I'm going to try using more cotton threads when sewing linen and cotton for sure. I've always been a Gütermann polyester woman before, it's good thread - but now I'll get some of their cotton threads too!

Yes, back in the saddle!

I've just ordered some Gütermann polyester but will probably use it for overlocking rather than the main seams as I'd ordered cotton thread to go with the material I bought.

It's not bobbins I need, it's the bobbin case. I've attached a picture of the relevant part of my manual. It's not an easy to read manual but I have come to the conclusion that the 'fixed point' has worn away so the case keeps slipping past the 'stop point'. I have to unscrew the whole needle plate so that I can reposition the bobbin case. Very frustrating!

I was just saying to my DH that it feels like having a newborn again where everything seems to be fine and then it all starts going wrong. You go through the whole checklist of things that might be wrong and sometimes you work it out and other times you feel like you've checked everything, nothing makes a difference and it's all too much.

I shall get started again. I'm going to cut out my pattern pieces now and just do a little bit each day.

Thanks again. It's so good to share the angst!

The Lidl overclock threads work well in my overlocker it can be a pain to thread but you get the hang of it with practice especially with YouTube and manuals online I also found changing the needles helps with it staying threaded

Ents - I pin a piece of paper to each piece of cut out fabric.
I don’t have an overlocker, I use pinking shears to stop fraying.
Definitely use Guttermans thread, cheap cotton can “catch” in the machine.

Hi all, I have these patterns that I've accumulated from sewing magazines which I'm not going to use as not my style. So if anyone wants them just pm me your address and I'll post them to you.

And

ent it seems so odd that the stop point can have worn clean away! How old is the machine?

banivani it hasn't worn completely away but definitely doesn't look right. I bought the machine about 16 years ago. We bought it from a shop but I can't remember if was one of their second hand machines, my husband thinks it was. It's had very light use and has spent years in the loft.

That's no good at all! What make is it? I have a Pfaff and lots of the bits in it are metal so don't get worn out. The bobbin case is held in by two plastic arms, but they only hold it there so don't get worn really.

@Didkdt

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

I'm late to respond but I've been looking today and found this person who prints out for you here

Thanks that's a really reasonable quote I may give them a go

banivani it's a Frister and Rossmann.

I finished my top yesterday. It's not great but just about wearable. Not sure it will survive the washing machine as definitely got a few dodgy seams.

I'm back to feeling enthusiastic now. DD's keen to try making a skirt so we might start on that this afternoon.

I'm late to the party too but keen to start sewing my own clothes. I've found a free pattern for a top I like and have some impulse buy fabric I think is right for it, so just need to work up the courage to cut the fabric.

I'm really tempted by an overlocker, my local machine shop has a good price on the Brother 3034d and Janome 8002DG, any thoughts on which would be best?

Proper version if my sports skort/ leggings mashup. Skirt made from Airtex from Minerva Fabrics, the rest is lycra from the misleadingly named Pound a Metre.

I have a Janome 9002DG - its solid, reasonably easy to use. A complete bugger to thread!

I finished my cocoon dress. Well the practice one. It looks better than I thought it would, especially after I added a belt. I have bought some viscose / linen mix fabric in navy to make another one. This time I think I am going to add a belt and make the back also v neck and maybe a bit deeper.

Ooh a V back will be interesting! I still haven't traced my cocoon dress off, I have a massive backlog of projects that I haven't done.

I was too lazy to trace it and just cut it out.... This is my inspiration here. I think I might attach the belt but make it double v necked.

I did some tracing and cutting at the weekend - depending on the weather I'll get round to sewing them.

A couple of Jalies, 2805 tshirt in black jersey and 3905 top in cheap black broiderie anglaise.

I've spent the most I've ever spent on a pattern to make some harem trousers for a 18 month old. £18. FFS.

I had a middling sewing mojo day, made a ling sleeved top in what was described as 'slinky jersey' . Slippy painin in the arse more like!. Ran out of steam on the other top in my queue, as I started reading the instructions on how to do the neck binding and I was like 'huh?'

@kittykarate, Is the cocoon dress easy and quick? I have the pattern but am not confident that I'd make something wearable? Is the sizing true to size - I would like it to be generous?