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?

I absolutely adore sewing. Something about the sound of the needle going up and down makes me so happy 😁
This is one of my proudest makes because it was soooo fiddly and the quilting which I’d never done before. I now make most of my clothes and my DDs too (toddler)

You can pick up super cheap patterns on eBay for a couple of quid. If you buy from the same seller you can ask them to combine the postage which can save you a bit too.

I don’t mind using PDF patterns , after a while you get quicker at cutting and pasting. Plus don’t have to wait for postage as they’re instant download and don’t risk losing/tearing your patterns. I store mine online (Google drive) in folders.

I need to work on quality pieces though. It’s so tempting to hoard everything and just rush it all as I’m so impatient. I’m working on a loungewear set and doing french seams, ah what a sight.
I’m 5’10 and have always found clothes too short, annoyingly on the arms too. I’m holding off making anything nice until I can lose the stone from giving birth two years ago!

As for machines, I’d strongly recommend a vintage Bernina off eBay. You can get something decent for £300 (80s) to £500 (90s). Try and get one that’s already been serviced. These machines are all metal and still going strong decades later! I’ve got a vintage Janome from the 80s which I absolutely adore.

I have discovered the model that my mother used to make my wedding dress. 40 plus years ago. I think it is adjustable. Has anyone used one? Do they help? I was 150 miles away when she did my dress.Thinking of transforming the study to a sewing room.

I agree about old machines. I got my mum's old Brother machine when she bought a new one when she planned to make my wedding dress. It must be from the 70s or even 60s and is solid and everyone who has worked on it loves it. Every time I think about replacing it I am stunned about how flimsy they are. And not sure about the electronics.

I've just binge watched season 5 of the Sewing Bee on Youtube (thank you to the people who post the programme there, you're doing stellar work and us foreigners appreciate it). I was thinking of something they often say, how sewing is a stress reliever and it calms them. Now, for me personally, very few things make me angrier. So many things that can go wrong and will. Surely things are only calming and de-stressing when you've reached a certain level of competence, until then it's a battle and a struggle. I'm more a straight seam person and even they always wobble. I've always loved pratical skills but never mastered them.

I'd like to post that Lekala (google them) do loads of basic patterns (pdf) and can give the options of making them adjusted to your measurements.

I love the immediacy of PDF patterns, but hate the slog of print and taping them together. Have you seen that some people have started using digital projectors to shine the the patterns onto either tracing sheets or directly onto the fabric? That seems kind of cool (if you already have a digital projector). While a lot of the blogs make it look simple, I imagine getting the scale perfect is a challenge.

littleragamuffin.com/the-projector-project-a-paperless-pattern-revolution/

Just been doing a teeny project with my DD - just about to turn 10 - I'd made her a cute little cord pinafore the other day and had a little left so her art project for today was making a scrunchie. She's very happy, first time she'd used the machine

I did make me think one think for total newbies looking for a machine - if you can, get one with start/stop and speed control. Mine has this, and it means you don't need to use the foot pedal so it takes away one of the things to think about. Made it a lot easier as she could just concentrate on guiding the fabric.

Quite often the older machines have a good selection of functions. My machine is from the early 80's and has buttonholes, stretch stitches and a load of embroidery patterns and accessories, all mechanically operated.

I spent quite a lot of time researching sewing machines and was very tempted by some beautiful older models. But I decided the most helpful piece of advice I had seen was that, unless you knew what you were doing (and I didn't) it was better to buy from a local dealer, for aftercare and in case of problems. So I ended up with a modern Brother with a reasonable but not overwhelming choice of stitching. It's not as pleasing to the eye and, compared to my mum's old one, it feels like a strong gust of wind would knock it over. But so far, it's been relatively straightforward to use.

One gadget my ageing eyes would really struggle without is the needle threader.

I need to take mine to get serviced as I broke the needle threader! Mine was a Black Friday bargain (normally £400) so has a ridiculous amount of stitches, but it seems to cope with fairly sturdy stuff. My previous two machines were cheaper (£100 ish) and I think you can tell the difference even for a relatively amateur sewer.

Some of the vintage machines are beautiful though

Does anyone feel a bit overawed at what some people produce?

I'm in a facebook group for Jalie patterns and it's just amazing what creative people can do with the same base pattern, they use fabric choice really cleverly and then add some little tweaks that elevate things.

Can I join? I was halfway through a beginners sewing course when lockdown happened (finished the course online). I’ve made a couple of dresses since and I’m hooked. Looking to make something for my children next. So far I’ve been using up old curtains and bedsheets rather than ordering any beautiful New fabrics

I wish I could say the same - my stash has grown, and I currently have 3 baskets open full of loveliness!

Also got my eye on a couple of new pattens; I have two of the Gertie Sews books which are pretty good I think but the Charm pattern range that she does has a coat and a top which I love, and which go up to an H cup which might mean I don't have to hack the sit out of the pattern do a huge full bust adjustment

I've made a few things this week; couple of pinafores for my eldest plus a double layer handkerchief hem skirt, a lovely little hoodie for th little one, and a 12 panel denim maxi skirt for me (which I am currently getting up the energy to hem as it's going to be a lot of ironing and sewing!

Sounds like you’ve been busy @StatisticallyChallenged I’ve just googled Charm patterns - they seem a bit pricey but I love the Night and Day dress pattern! May have to go on my to-buy list

They are a bit pricey but I've got on really well with her patterns before- the books have patterns in the back. I think the charm ones are similar, quite flexible with lots of different variations. I'm eyeing up the princess coat and the Hepburn top which looks like a great basic.

Can I join in? I started sewing my own clothes nearly 2 years ago. None of my favourites seem to have been mentioned here yet. I'm plus sized.

Made By Jack’s Mum got me started, hoodies, dresses, tunics and tees all in stretch fabrics.

I also love Made 4 Mermaids and Patterns for Pirates, Ellie and Mac, Hallå, DIBY and Love Notions.

The thread is open to all comers and abilities! Other than getting the sewing machine down and sorting out patterns I haven’t actually got any further just yet

I used to do LOADS of dressmaking! ...made my own wedding dress.

I have got the Mary Quant frock pattern that's been milling about from the V&A to look at, and I "made" a pair of Thai wrap trousers in some cheapo cottony linen-a-like, I just have to hem them I put made in inverted commas because it's not really sewing to cut out two giant rectangles and a gusset scoop and sew them up. But they look alright on! ..just need some hot weather so I can waft about in them.

I am scared of zips and stretchy fabrics.

Zips don't scare me, but trousers do! I own very few pairs of trousers as they are never the right proportions so it's something I need to master but I've not been brave enough to try yet. I ordered a lucky dip bundle of fabrics and got a few good bits so I have a pattern from Trend to attempt. I'm anticipating buttloads (ha) of adjustments!

@LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow is it the mini dress pattern? I’ve had that floating around for a while but never made it!

Knit fabrics scare me - there are so many beautiful patterns but whenever I’ve tried to make one my machine has eaten the fabric It’s fine with cotton!

My mum taught me how to insert visible zips recently by creating a temporary seam to sew the zip to before unpicking. It’s so much easier than the method using a special zip foot and sewing each side on individually

I've bought some fabric this week to make some drapey, floaty culottes (Winslow by Helen's Closet). We've got a sewing shop in town and I ordered online and it got dropped off at my door by the owner's husband. It's so nice a business like that can keep going in these times.

That sound's interesting about the zips. I've only done invisible zips for some reason as that's what the pattern has required. I've found them fine but don't look too closely!

My friend made the Lamour dress by Gertie for wearing to the Pride of Britain Awards. She looked stunning in it. It's a real va-voom dress.

I've got an overlocker which is great for stretchy fabrics but I've still made mistakes where I've caught the fabric underneath and cut it. I don't have one, but a walking foot is supposed to be a great help with stretchy fabrics if you are using a normal machine. I keep thinking of investing in one. You can buy some fairly cheaply on Amazon but the manufacturers own brands are about 3 times the price.

I see stretch fabrics on my sewing machine using either zig zag or stretch stitch.

Some stretch fabrics are easy - cotton heavy blends. I've struggled with scuba and some poly stretch fabrics the dc have picked out for dresses.

I'd recommend starting out with a cotton Lycra fabric - these I've found very workable with a standard machine.

@WhataCant it's a wrap sort of effort, with a sash sort of belt. I just found the line Georgie Dress

going to have a look for the mini dress though!

I had to post this, I bought a sewing table last year, it has a basket under neath that isn't really big enough for my fabric stash but has' work in progress' stuff

And the slots for cotton reels is too small for today's stuff but holds paints nicely

Stretch fabrics have a bad reputation, bit like sergers! Really neither are that bad as long as you go slowly to begin with.

i have recently re-started sewing after a long gap. I even have a dressmakers dummy which I have dusted off!

I am making a very irritating pattern at the moment - it has no length measurements on at all so i had to faff about to work out how long I wanted/work out back neck to waist length. It also hasnt numbered the pattern pieces so I have to keep checking i have the right bits for the view I am making. I am an old git so well used to patterns from the 60's and 70's and they were so much clearer to me! The vogue shirt I made recently was a cinch in comaprison to this modern easy thing!!