Would you buy a sewing machine and sew your own cloths?

[Ozymanithrax]

I grew up in the 50's and 60's. My mother and grandmother made all of their cloths, and all but the pants worn my my grandfather, my brother, and me. (They chose not to sew jeans). In the summer, they would take a trip to the five and dime and buy patterns for dresses, shirts, blouses, (everything but underwear and socks) and begin sewing. Until I was a 13, and my mother remarried, we did not buy cloths at a store.

Who here would do that, buy the material, cut it, pin it, fit it, sew it, and wear it?

My mother did that, because making her own cloths could be done at a fraction of the cost of buying.

How far will people go?

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Not all of my clothing

But I have some beautiful 'designer dresses' that I've made on my own. :wink: For me it's about the self satisfaction that I KNOW I can live without every buying a stitch of clothing. Unfortunately, most women work these days and I don't have 3-4 hours a day (let alone a month) to sew.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I used to sew my own clothing...

But it was limited to a very simple shirt and an occasional simple dress...

Pants or anything like that I didn't make.

I could do it again...

[Sanity Claws]

3. It's a skill that's worth reviving

It's no longer cheaper to make your own clothes. Besides that, people really don't have the time.

I'd love to buy a sewing machine and make my own curtains, bedspreads, and other household items.

[liberal N proud]

4. When our girls were young, they wore clothes made by their mother or grandmother

They were in school before they were wearing clothes bought from a store.

I remember my mother made me a sports jacket when I was in high school.

[Ozymanithrax]

10. I'm a guy, and my mother made me learn how to sew on buttons and zippers...

Up until I was 13, I helped her pin and measure my school cloths.

Back then, skills were widely taught to girls. Gusy, not so much, unless your mother made you do it.

Sewing is one of those skills that has gone away with the rise of cheap clothing made in China and elsewhere.

[liberal N proud]

13. Same here

[FedUpWithIt All]

5. When my kids were young i made a lot of their clothes...

and i make a couple things for myself. I enjoy sewing on occasion. I am more the type that uses sewing skills to do things for the house. Pillows, curtains, chair covers...

I must be missing the point of the how far will you go...:shrug: For or as a result of what?

[blondeatlast]

6. I love to sew and use my grandma's first generation Singer electric,

circa 1930s, which means more time to finish seams but well worth it.

I need to find some more time to do it; I miss it terribly!

[Dappleganger]

12. We've been quilting using my mother's old featherweight...

[blondeatlast]

19. That's my baby right there! LOVE it--and I have a nice Bernina, but prefer the

Featherweight by far--NEVER jams, ever.

[Dappleganger]

21. These little things are amazing!

Honestly, you just can't beat the beauty of their straight stitch with anything else I've seen. Mom taught me to sew and quilt using that one, so I'm doing the same with our daughters (the boys prefer the more modern machines). You're right, it can take whatever you throw at it.

:hi:

[blondeatlast]

31. I've got a buttonholer attachment for it that absolutely kicks ass.

couldn't be easier nor more perfect. It's easily my most treasured possession.

[Raksha]

43. I've never used one, but those old Featherweights are legendary in the quilting community.

They are the machine of choice for quilters even if you can afford a high-end Bernina. I understand they are getting harder and harder to find, though. It sounds like building replicas of that machine would itself be worth reviving as a new/old American industry.

[HereSince1628]

7. I am a male owner and user of a sewing machine

Mostly it hems pant legs and does repairs, but I have made pullover heavy muslin shirts that I like and which aren't available through retail.

[Bettie]

8. I sew, but fabric is pretty expensive these days too

You really can't make stuff for much less than you can buy for anymore.

Plus, fabric stores pretty much cater to quilters and crafters rather than people making everyday garments.

Still, I find some stuff and make my 18th century clothes and some modern clothes because I can't find things I like in the stores.

[blondeatlast]

11. All are true, sadly. It goes to show the effects of cheap labor, I suppose.

I've been able to get some nice fabric online at times.

[Bettie]

18. I've gotten some nice stuff at online stores as well

But try to buy US produced fabric! Oh, it is hard to find these days and costs much more.

[Raksha]

75. That's one form of outsourcing that really incenses me...

namely the spinning, weaving and processing of cotton into fabric and thread. American calico is such an iconic product, and was the backbone of our economy at one time, especially in the South. And now it's all made in China like everything else. What did they do, pack up all the looms and ship them off to China?

I've seen Norma Rae and I realize the working conditions in those factories sucked, but mass unemployment is not what you'd call an improvement.

[CrispyQ]

20. I can't believe how expensive patterns are!

I hate to sew. My mother was an excellent seamstress & was determined that I would not only learn to sew, but that I would love it as much as she did. She could cut & stitch up a dress in about 4 hours. I spent many a Saturday having to sew my own clothes & with my watchful mother timing my every move. So, I learned to sew, but I hated it.

That said, today I'm glad I can stitch something together if I had to. But I still hate it. ;)

[Misskittycat]

68. If there's a Joanne's Fabrics near you, they heavily discount patterns.

On an ongoing basis,they discount patterns, including Vogue patterns, 40%. Every other month or so, they hold sales for patterns at $1.99 each (Simplicity, Butterick, McCalls) and $3.99 for Vogue. I've stocked up on patterns during these sales.

They may have some of the same sales online periodically, but I can't recall.

[CrispyQ]

77. Vogue patterns at 40% off - wow.

We used to have a Joanne's but it's gone.

I have dozens of gorgeous patterns from when I was younger. Sadly, my waistline has expanded & they would no longer fit. A good seamstress could probably alter these old patterns to fit my expansion, but I don't have a clue how to go about that.

[Posteritatis]

125. Pattern prices always astonish me

I don't sew or knit myself, but several of my friends do and we're all continually horrified at how much some fairly simple-looking patterns can end up costing.

At this point a lot of people I know who make their own clothing actually do their own patterns because of that (and I imagine at least some of them enjoy experimenting that way).

[enlightenment]

27. That's the biggest problem - and with increases in

base commodity prices, fabric will only get more expensive (thank you, commodity traders . . . )

I love to sew, but between fabric cost and time I don't do as much as I used to do. I also spin (yarn) and would like to start weaving again . . . but time is always a factor there. There's a reason people worked from sun-up to sun-down in the 'olden days'.

It's a shame that so many people have lost (or never gained) the ability for basic skills. I'm astonished at the number of people who say they 'do not know how' to iron. I grasp not wanting to iron - or choosing not to iron - but not know how to iron? wow.

[sibelian]

60. It's people who have a strange fear of growing food that confuse me.

You stick things in the ground. Ta-Da!!!! months later - dinner! For the most RIDICULOUS savings. I mean, shopping for the same stuff costs almost thirty times as much... And the effort involved is so minimal!

[Tsiyu]

66. A lot of people do not like

A)Bugs

B)Dirt

C)Stinky stuff

They don't want to scratch any turnips out of Tara. It feels like devolution to have to work in soil.

I don't have the phobia/fussiness but I think I've come to understand it.

Me? I have snow pea seeds to plant this week and broccoli and lettuce to start and I can't wait for spring to hurry up and get here...

[sibelian]

86. I bow down before your skills!

I can't do broccoli

[Tsiyu]

119. I may not be able to do it either

have not tried it here in TN, but I'm going to give it a try.

parsley, kale etc do well so maybe, just maybe...


So don't bow just yet...;)

[Retrograde]

76. If you're in the Bay Area

I recommend S.C.R.A.P. in San Francisco: it's an organization that collects "stuff", including fabrics and patterns, and makes them available at little to no cost for teachers, artists and the general public. My quilt guild often gets donations of fabric, and things we can't use, like woolens, silks and other fashion fabrics, end up there. There may be something similar in other areas.

[surrealAmerican]

110. I'm just lucky to have a local fabric store ...

... with a broad selection of cloth, for many different purposes, but you're right about it not really saving money. Most sorts of clothing are cheaper to buy already made (especially if you're willing to buy used stuff). You do, however, get much better quality when you make it yourself.

[malaise]

132. So start your own business

import your own material for clothing and teach people to sew and quilt

[Dappleganger]

9. I used to sew most of my clothes up through high school.

I sewed quite a few of our babies' clothes until the cloth became so expensive that it was more cost-effective to just buy them on sale or at yard sales than to sew them together.

It's something that I truly miss as there's a deep sense of satisfaction with creating your own outfit. Lately my daughter and I have taken to quilting together instead.

[CTyankee]

106. I could never sew because I couldn't put the damn pattern together right.

I don't have that kind of mind.

But my youngest daughter was a whiz at sewing. She made her older sister's wedding dress based on a picture from a brides magazine. It had a simple line and was exactly what her sister needed. I often refer to that wedding dress as "priceless" since nothing you could buy in a store could have the inherent value of that dress...she also designed and sewed the bridesmaids dress, her maid of honor dress and the flower girl's dress...they were all so beautiful...

[dixiegrrrrl]

113. I am SO glad to hear you say that.

My mind does not work with patterns either. I simply lose track of which side I am doing, and have no patience at all for it.
But, I am an organic gardener and love planning gardens, timing crops, etc.
Maybe if I could plant a dress pattern??????

[CTyankee]

118. I HAD to take sewing in home ec back in middle school and I actually made

an upside down apron! Yep, I stitched the tie part of the apron on the BOTTOM. That was when I knew to give up.

However, I loved the home ec class the next semester when we learned to cook.

I have tried gardening but I have no patience for it. My bad. I'm too lazy and old to try again...

[surrealAmerican]

139. I sew without patterns too.

I guess I could probably figure one out if I had to (I vaguely remember using a pattern in junior high), but a big part of what I like about sewing clothes is designing them. I usually just make templates. They make more sense to me.

[we can do it]

14. NO

[sinkingfeeling]

15. Home sewing is almost as expensive today as buying off the rack. Patterns that I bought for $.50 in

the 60's now can cost up to $18.00. Fabric is very expensive as well. Even simple cottons cost about $8 a yard now days.

[dixiegrrrrl]

25. check out Etsy for patterns.

There are tons of them real cheap, and lots of them for simple A line or caftan type outfits, which are wonderful to wear around the house.
The lovely thing about retirement, if you are a "sorta hermit" like me, is that the clothes budget goes wayyyy down.

[Lucinda]

87. I never thought about Etsy for patterns. Thanks for the tip!

:toast:

[WillowTree]

146. ebay, too.

You can get brand new, uncut patterns cheap on ebay.

[eleny]

34. Sale prices are often a good deal on patterns

Especially for a pattern that can be used over and over.

And the way I figure it, when I sew something it's going to last. I'm also going to shrink the cotton in the wash before I cut & sew which means no sleeves shrinking up.

It's been a while since I've sewn. But hearing that clothing prices are going to escalate soon, I'm going to review my stash and pull out some fabrics to make a couple of easy-sew cotton summer dresses this year.

There are plenty of places to shop online for decent prices. And I can't remember buying anything at the fabric shop that wasn't on the sale table. I think there's a way to beat the high prices by shopping smart and just sewing basics.

[csziggy]

50. But the clothes you sew at home will be better made than off the rack

If you are careful with a pattern you can make many outfits from the same one so that price can be spread out. There are lots of people selling fabric on Craigslist for very cheap and internet sources for fabric can be less than going to the one or two stores left selling fabric locally.

There are ways to reduce the costs of sewing at home!

[Blue-Jay]

16. Hell no.

I'm sure that I don't have the patience.

[malaise]

17. One of my aunts and one of my sisters were /are unbelievably talented

My sister still makes lovely clothes and you can wear them on any side when she's finished. It's great shopping with her because she also knows what is well made.

She used to make money sewing wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses for her friends. Truthfully she angered me when she decided to head for a traditional college degree - she should have had her own label and boutique.

I can darn well and make adjustments, but I'm simply not talented in that area. I do make lovely drapes and cushion covers.

Of course I have a sewing machine - it's still fabulous - my faithful Singer.

[CrispyQ]

28. "...she should have had her own label and boutique."

Project Runway - I love that show!! The ones who excel not only have an eye for design, but also have excellent sewing skills.

I have an old Singer, too. And a newer Bernette. Haven't used either in years.

[eleny]

39. "Project Runway" - gasp! I love that show

Not to make this thread go sideways and not because I live in Colorado -BUT- I wasn't too happy with the last season's final decision.

Btw, Mondo was participating in a charity clothing swap that ran locally, recently. I didn't go but I was glad to see him give time to the event. If you dropped off some clothes to a thrift shop you could then pick out some to take home. Nice way to get folks into the thrift as I'm sure many would bring clothes and not take any.

[CrispyQ]

46. Agree totally!

I swore I would never watch another episode when Gretchen won. But I know I won't be able to resist.

There have been several seasons where I disagreed with the judges.

[eleny]

51. Yup, same here! But you know we'll be back

:hi:

[malaise]

123. I made some new cushion covers

for Christmas

[EFerrari]

73. I learned how to do everything with a needle except darning.

And my knitting looks like a dog has been chewing on it. All of the needlework described in novels and which is the province of hobbyists now. Maybe there's a market that caters to women who are stuck in 19th Century novels. Remember Meg March and her endlessly refurbished gowns or the dress Jo burned so she had to stand with her back to the room? Or Laura Ingall's bonnets with the feathers that wouldn't stay put? The Bennet girls got all the hot gossip at the millner's. lol

[malaise]

124. We had sewing classes twice a week at school

The key to darning is to have a matching piece of cloth.
After that it's pretty easy.
My mom and oldest sister knit beautifully. My oldest sister has her own quilting business - she even teaching quilting. She abandoned her profession and went into quilting full time. I don't know what happened to me :D

[rucky]

22. Is this really so unusual?

:shrug:

[tridim]

23. I just took up crochet, and plan to make some hats and scarves.

I guess that counts? I doubt I'll be crocheting pants any time soon.

[Sanity Claws]

48. Haha

Let us know how you crochet a fly.

[madmom]

24. I sewed for my kids when they were little, I crochet (sweaters and such ) now. I've

done it and would do it again.

[Heidi]

26. Not unless I absolutely had to.

I'm genuinely happy for anyone with that skill set, but it's not my skill set, as an long as I can afford to buy my clothes, I'll buy them.

[Vodid]

29. Sewing; Expense & Reality

Every now and then you can find some nice fabric at a thrift store...but it's much easier to find inexpensive finished clothes at a thrift store. And if you have to pay regular retail price for fabric with which to sew...it's MUCH cheaper shopping at thrift stores for finished clothes.

Frankly, most of the folks I know that sew these days are well-off. They do not sew out of economic necessity...it's their hobby. Have you priced some of the top o' the line new machines lately? THOUSANDS of dollars. Of course, you can still find a high-quality used machine without all the fancy bells and whistles for less than a hundred bucks...they are plentiful.

Okay, all that said...you can transform high-quality but ill-fitting thrift store clothes into incredible custom garments if you can do some alterations to make them fit properly...to me, that's where the real value of sewing comes in for those of us living on the lower end of the financial spectrum, and that's what I do. Also, you can get lots more life out of your clothes if you are willing and able to do the occasional repair.

[Gormy Cuss]

54. So true about fabric and thrift stores.

It's easier and cheaper to find finished clothes at thrifts but it pays to keep an eye out for fabric, especially at smaller thrifts run by churches and other nonprofits.

Also true that a sturdy, basic sewing machine can be had for under a hundred bucks secondhand.

I mostly use my sewing machine to fix clothing these days rather than make it but I could make garments if I had to do so.

[EFerrari]

64. Retail fabic and patterns are expensive. Even if you find a remnant,

it's still usually less expensive to go thrift shopping. I sewed for myself in high school and for my whole family when my kids were tots but that was before there were thrift stores every two feet. It's nice to have the skill and the option though. :)

[Misskittycat]

72. Agree. As I wrote in another response to this thread, Joanne's Fabrics

has ongoing coupons for 40% (and sometimes 50%)off. Re fabric, that means a single cut of fabric, so you can buy, e.g., $10 fabric for $5 or $6 a yard. These coupons often apply to online purchases as well. Just go to the website and sign up for their email circulars or look for the weekly ads online.

BTW, I don't work at or for Joanne's; I just spend too much time there.

[surrealAmerican]

141. I still don't understand why people buy new ...

... sewing machines. Not only are they incredibly expensive, but they are no where near as durable and dependable as older machines. My machine is probably about 45 years old, needs no maintenance, and can sew through almost anything.

[Codeine]

30. No. Homemade clothing looks like crap.

I am still sufficiently decent looking that I care about my clothes and how they look.

[CrispyQ]

41. It depends entirely on the skill of the seamstress.

I will grant that it's harder to find nice fabric these days, as most fabric stores are really craft shops with a fabric section geared toward crafts, not clothing. But I can guarantee that any item my mother made would be of higher quality craftsmanship than any store bought item. And you would not have to re-sew buttons that are already loose, & clip the numerous tiny threads sticking out all over the place.

Now, if I made the item . . . well, yeah, store bought would be better. ;)

[Retrograde]

62. You never met my grandmother

An expert seamstress, she produced clothing that was consistently of better quality than off the rack because she took the time to finish seams. She was fashion-challenged when it came to selecting colors and patterns, but the workmanship was always perfect.

It's easy to make shoddy homemade clothing, especially if you start with poor quality materials, but I say if you're going to do it do it right and you'll have something better than the factories in China churn out. Be prepared to spend more time than you'd expect, though.

[Hannah Bell]

90. have you ever seen "bespoke" clothing? i assure you, it looks much better

than anything you buy off the rack in normal middle-class stores.

[CrispyQ]

133. "Bespoke" clothing.

Funny. I first read that term a few weeks ago in regards to software. I had never heard the word used that way before.

[LanternWaste]

99. I can understand how vanity would take precedence over value...

Well, maybe *your* homemade clothing looks like crap, and as such, I can readily understand how vanity would take precedence over value...

[laundry_queen]

103. Well, you haven't been to Etsy.

Go take a look at some of the gorgeous stylin' clothes some of the home seamstresses dream up on that site.
Today's clothes makers are not your grandma's sew-ers.

[Lyric]

32. No--I'd sew blankets, sheets, curtains, etc. by hand and then barter them.

I made a comforter for my son's toddler bed when he was 2, and I sewed that entirely by hand. I can make almost anything but clothes. I can also crochet beautiful antique-style white lace and linen tablecloths--the kind your grandmother had, but that you never see anymore. I can't use a sewing machine, but I figure that I can trade my hand-sewn things for clothes that someone else made with a machine. :)

[catabryna]

33. No...

I'll stick with home decor. And, with the price of fabric these days, I'd say that it doesn't really save you a whole lot of money. I'd rather just buy inexpensive gently used clothing at a thrift store.

[Donnachaidh]

35. I have a machine, and have sewn for years

But to do *all* our clothes? Nah. Jeans are cheaper off the rack.

I've started sewing more because DH works for a large fabric company. Those employee discounts certainly help.

[csziggy]

36. I am about ready to start sewing again

My mother or I made most of my clothes when I was a kid, other than jeans and the things Mom got at Goodwill. Now I can't find clothes well enough made to last and I am just about ready to start sewing again.

I just want A) ONE good suit that is classic styling, nothing fancy; a couple of good blouses to wear with that suit - those will be for funerals and if I ever have to go to court. B) "Hanging around the house" clothes; C) Clothes to wear to town or to "events" - I've got two outfits I bought for weddings that fit this category - far too expensive and I am afraid to actually wash them or get them cleaned since I don't think they can hold up to the process. Before I spend that kind of money again I'd rather try to make my own outfits.

I've got a sewing machine (actually three - my grandmother's that was made in 1900, an antique portable Singer hubby bought me for some unknown reason, and my good, all-purpose machine that does everything a basic sewing machine should do) so I am set for sewing. I don't even need to buy fabric - I have boxes of fabric that I set aside years ago when I quit sewing. Most is old enough it would qualify as "vintage" so I could have a distinct style from today's fashions. If I wanted to make T-shirts and sweatpants, I'd need a serger - they sew the kind of seam best for that knit fabric - but I can fake it with my current sewing machine.

Problem is, good quality cloth is harder to find these days at a decent price. There are few fabric stores left and their selection has been reduced to a fraction of what they used to carry. Even the quality of the cloth is not as good as it used to be and the price per yard is higher. And the fabric is no longer made in the US - it comes from China, India, Thailand, etc.

Selection of patterns are not as good as they used to be. I looked for a pattern for a good, classic styled suit a while back and there are not the classic styles available in all sizes like there used to be. There are more quick and easy patterns for casual clothes - I guess that is what many people want these days.

[Cleita]

37. I used to back in the fifties and early sixties, but today

it's cheaper to buy clothes. Good quality yardage and notions are very expensive. Even the cheap material is more expensive that let's say shopping at Ross or TJ Max. I think the only way you would save money today is if you did your own spinning and weaving as well. I still do a lot of knitting and am trying to learn to spin yarn. Since I live in ranch country, many of the ranchers around here raise llamas, alpacas and sheep, so obtaining raw wool at a very small price is possible.

[handmade34]

38. I do...

and have most of my life. I carry my Janome and my Juki Serger with me on the road... I remake a lot of used clothing I find traveling...

I will sew for others too... just ask - you have to pay for shipping

[mainer]

40. It's hard to find fabric stores these days.

I used to make all my own clothes as a teenager, but as an adult, time is now the limiting factor. Still, I love sewing. If I were retired, and had granddaughters, I'd love to sew outfits for them!

[dkofos]

42. Have you priced fabric lately??

[DainBramaged]

44. My sweetie does, bought her a sewing machine Xmas of 2009, she's into it

Comforters, skirts, fixing holes, she uses it as stress relief too. She had a very simple machine she used occasionally, now she sews just about every day. She made me a beautiful comforter that I have on my chair in at my desk that I wrap myself in at night when I'm playing on the komputer. And cloth shopping, oh boy, that's what's fun for her.......she made small comforters for her godchildren for Xmas last year.

[GoCubsGo]

45. I have a sewing machine.

I rarely use it, mostly for mending, curtains, etc. I have an outfit that I started 15 years ago sitting in a box, because I got so bored working on it, I just quit it. If I had to make my own clothes, I could. I suppose If I had one of those fancy machines like they use on "Sewing with Nancy", I might be a little more enthused about it, but I only have a portable job that does the basics.

[csziggy]

56. 90% of sewing clothes can be done with a basic machine

The one thing to consider if you want to "upgrade" is to get a serger. Those make the overcast seam you see in T-shirts and most off the rack clothes today and they sew and trim the seam at the same time. My basic sewing machine does a "serged" type seam stitch, but cannot trim the seam so I have to do that step by hand and it is never as neat or as close to the seam as the serger made seams.

[blondeatlast]

67. What I've learned from one too many unfinished projects is--

get simpler patterns, especially simpler to cut patterns (cutting is a real chore, IMHO)

they can still look as good but the frustration level is way diminished. I made my own wedding dress from a very Easy Vogue pattern.

It was actually a two piece skirt and top that I put together and hacked with a lacing. Made it out of plain white satin and it rivaled a Vera Wang.

It took me all of 2 days to make the garment and I took some time adding embellishments.

[GoCubsGo]

117. It was a pretty basic pattern.

I wasn't frustrated with it. I just really don't enjoy sewing, to be honest. As I said, I find it to be a very boring activity.

[blondeatlast]

147. Understand! I loathe cooking. I know it's cheaper and healthier and I do it

out of necessity, but when friends rave about the stuff on cooking shows or the latest cookbook from whomever, my only reaction is "meh." I just can't get the least bit into it.

[Retrograde]

74. Basic machine with straight stitch and zig-zag will get you through most sewing

I have one top-of-the-line-when-it-was-new machine and one mid-line ex-floor machine (of course I need them both: I use them for different things, and I do a lot of sewing), both of which have bunches of fancy stitches and I find I never use most of them: I think the newer machine has them just because it's cheap and easy to computerize them these days.

If I had to recommend something to a new, casual sewer I'd say go with a simple machine and find a good local dealer who will let you try it out before you buy and who can point you to basic sewing classes. And use the best needles and thread you can: it makes a big difference to your enjoyment level if you're not breaking threads all the time.

[WinkyDink]

47. As a final resort. Otherwise, I hate sewing and hated it back in school.

[blondeatlast]

70. I pissed 'em off in school because mom had already taught me and I wouldn't do it

their way.

Learning in home-ec would be enough to turn off the hardiest seamstress.

[Waiting For Everyman]

49. I would and always have - I took fashion design in college in the 60s.

I've been doing it since I was a teenager and I'm 61 now - initially, because being small-framed nothing fit me off the rack without altering. Then I recut my gym uniform because it looked like crap. And then I started designing and learned pattern drafting to make own ideas (it's largely a matter of geometry which I liked). And then took the college courses. The 60s were very cool for fashion, and I don't mean the hippy stuff which came later, or the plastic boots look which was all the big designers could come up while street designers were doing 10 times better.

Lots of young people made their own looks then, just as we made our own music. Some of the big designers today got started the same way at that time. Street fashion is always where it's at. The truth is, the big designers copy that because their ideas are crap, and they are always behind the curve.

It's hard to find a fashion design program today (one that isn't only marketing) because we're not supposed to have our own ideas anymore.

I do need a new machine though. I have the first computerized Singer, 30 years old.

But yes, my grandmother and great-aunt even made lace. I understand it's still done in the Netherlands somewhere. But it's a shame that among "common people" those skills are disappearing.

[Vinca]

52. If I could find patterns I like I might go back to sewing my own clothes.

I did it in high school in the 1960's. A couple of years ago I found a really great Viking sewing machine at the thrift shop for $16.00. Mostly I do quilts and clothing repairs, but I'm starting to think about making some clothes.

[defendandprotect]

53. Absolutely -- tough to get fabric these days tho, except on internet!!

[hfojvt]

55. that's so commercial though

why aren't we growing our own cotton, spinning our own thread and cloth and raising sheep?

Who is in charge of this commune anyway?

[madmom]

58. Some people spin thread from pet hair. After they brush them out save the

hair.It's harder to do because the hairs are so much shorter (my daughter tried it just for kicks) but if it's all you've got...:shrug:

edited to add...this was for knitting and crocheting, not sewing with a machine.

[Raksha]

81. We'll get around to it. You have to start somewhere.

I have a drop spindle but never got the hang of using it.

[shanti]

102. i spin

wool, but not cotton. cotton is one fiber with a higher degree of difficulty. i've even bought a fleece and processed it from the raw wool into yarn into the garment. time consuming, but doable.

[madmom]

57. When I was young, my mom would even get nice things from thrift stores and tear them apart just for

fabric. She would also use brown grocery bags to make her own patterns by turning clothes inside out and trace around them, then make allowances for darts etc.

[Raksha]

78. I've been doing that for years! I especially like ethnic fabrics--

handwoven Guatamalan cottons and Thai silks and so on. Unfortunately, I do far more collecting than sewing, but a big part of the reason for that is because I don't have a good work light in my house where there's also a table to set my sewing machine.

Another thing I like to do is recycle yarn. I buy sweaters in thrift shops, take them apart and unravel them. When I'm done steaming out the kinks you'd never know it was recycled yarn. Of course it isn't worth doing with acrylics, but for cashmere, silk, alpaca, etc. it's definitely worth the time. You can really save a pile of money by recycling high-end yarn.

[madmom]

89. Thanks for the yarn tip :0)

[Tsiyu]

59. I've made curtains but that's the limit of my ability.

I've sewn kitchen and kids' bedroom curtains when I couldn't find what I wanted in the stores, but that's just straight stitching.

I am the suckiest seamstress ever when it comes to assembling clothing. I could practice and maybe get more proficient, and wouldn't mind if I was in a situation where I had to sew. Sewing can be relaxing if you know what you're doing.

When I worked at a retreat center, a lot of our groups were quilters and sewers - plenty of fun for the staff setting up for forty sewing machines! - and they seemed to really zen with their work.

Some people don't see the value in those old "hobbies," but the patience and focus learned - and the products created as the result of making/growing/building something with their own hands - are very satisfying for others.

[pkz]

61. I sew almost everyday and have since I was 8 yrs. old

I used to do weddings, proms and show dresses, now I am making draperies.

I do have a local fabric and foam outlet so it is very easy for me to find fabric I like.

[cynatnite]

63. My mother made the gawd ugliest clothes with a sewing machine...

I'll take store-bought.

[Matariki]

88. Mine too! And she would force me to wear them to school!

Ill fitting elastic waist pants in the most hideous fabrics, dowdy dresses, it was humiliating.

I used to hide my jeans in my school bag and sneak behind the neighbor's shrubbery to change before getting on the bus. Sometimes she would catch me and I'd have a miserable day in school.

[cynatnite]

108. Elastic waist pants still give me nightmares...

My mother made my sister and I these horrid dresses for church one time. :scared: I have photographic proof of the torture.

I am an atheist now. LOL

[Better Believe It]

65. If driven by government policies into poverty I think we can all say yes.

[Generic Other]

69. It is no longer cost effective

I buy all clothes second hand. No way I can beat the price by making my own.

[bigmonkey]

71. I wish this were feasible, socially.

I'm a guy, but my Mom taught me to use the sewing machine a little when I was a kid. I looked into making my own clothes a little in 1980, and even then the look was going to be very different than store-bought clothes. The "Make Your Own Clothes!"-type books that I found basically gave up on making men's clothing, because it's so highly tailored. I did find some patterns for middle 19th century men's shirts, but wearing them would be more of a statement than I currently want to make.

I wish for a time of simpler clothes to arrive, so that it's possible to make clothing more locally. E.F.Schumacher, in his famous essay "A Buddhist Economics", pointed out that the attitude toward fashion could plausibly be transformed into an attitude that clothing should be beautiful but also easy to make and take care of. That's what I wish for, and what I'd participate in gladly.

[azurnoir]

79. I used to long ago when my daughters were little

a friend also showed me how to recycle adult cloths into kids cloths, things like jeans where you could use the existing welt seams ect and little girls dresses we would go to the 'goodwill' and buy adult dresses and prom dresses realy cheap and use those sometimes using the existing gathers and sequins ect

[Amaril]

80. I do it now

Not everything -- I'm with your Mother & Grandmother - sewing denim is the PITS! (especially without a serger) -- but I make a lot of my own skirts and sun dresses and such. I also knit / crochet -- IMHO a handcrocheted afghan beats a Snuggie ANY day -- and do needlepoint (I'm currently working on a set of 4 panels that I will eventually use to re-upholster my dining chairs). I'm thinking about trying my hand at quilting or weaving next.

I'm a frustrated artist at heart who, unfortunately, can't even draw a respectable stick figure. These things provide a much needed creative outlet in my life.

[Liberal_in_LA]

82. have sewing machine. Sew periodically.

[Lucinda]

83. I have in the past....learned for costume design and I would have no trouble doing it now

I wish I had my mom's skill though. She could look at ANY garment and make it...without a pattern. She was incredible.

[Arkansas Granny]

84. I used to sew a lot of my own clothes, but now I wear mostly jeans and

t-shirt type tops, so I don't anymore.

I do love to make little girls clothes. I used to sew most of my daughter's clothes and made a lot of dresses for my granddaughters before they started junior high and homemade clothes weren't "cool". Now I have a great-granddaughter and a great niece and I've got patterns and material ready for their summer outfits.

[Matariki]

85. I bet your mother & grandmother didn't work 40+ hours a week

outside their homes.

[Lucinda]

93. My mother did. And still made most of her clothes.

She loved doing it, so she found the time. :)

[Matariki]

95. Ah, that makes sense.

I'd love to learn to sew but I already have more activities and hobbies I can fit into my week.

[ellie]

91. Yes, I sew

I have three machines and a serger and I sew my own clothes, draperies, pillow covers, etc. I agree that fabric can be expensive but it is best to watch for sales and coupons.

[butterfly77]

92. Yes..

[shanti]

94. been there, done that

but not for awhile. it got to a point where clothes were much cheaper to buy than make, so i went that route for the past 20 years. i could do it again if need be. i also knit too, so am able to make my own sweaters and outerwear. can't make shoes, but have so many pairs that i'll never need any more.

[Hannah Bell]

96. when i was a kid plenty of people i knew still made their own clothes.

that died out late 60s - early 70s.

price v. opportunity cost i believe was the main reason.

[Blasphemer]

97. If I thought that I would be any good at it, I definitely would

However, I tend to be horrible at anything that requires manual dexterity. My grandmother was a seamstress so it would be nice to find out that I actually inherited that skill.

[logosoco]

98. I do own a machine, but mainly have only used it for curtains.

I could see myself making my own clothes soon. The quality of clothes in my price range is getting bad (although I mainly buy clothes at thrift stores).
My mom got me a darning egg for xmas. My husband wears socks one time and they have holes!
My son (who is at college but close enough to come home most weekends) was always coming to me needing a hole repaired, and I made him watch, so I figure he can do it on his own if he has to.
My daughters are more stylish than I ever was, so I am not sure what they would think of my hand made clothes, but they have grown up with parents who always try fixing things first. And I am trying to show them the things that people are saying are becoming obsolete (ironing, writing letters, using a can opener, etc).
I think if I could find some decent material, I would give making my own clothes a try. I used to wear a lot of dresses, but after 3 kids, those dresses didn't fit anymore and now I really can't find the styles I like.

[LanternWaste]

100. Not my clothes, but all my window treatments

I don't sew my clothes from scratch, but I did sew all my window treatments (draperies and valances) because I received a bolt of wonderfully pattered material that looks great with sunlight peeking through it.

[barbiegeek]

101. I buy goodwill clothes & sew embelishments to copy designers

[The Second Stone]

104. It's cheaper assuming you do not value the time of the

people sewing the clothes. For a professional person to go home and sew the clothes of his/her family members after a long day's work, that's nuts.

[laundry_queen]

105. I did and have.

My mom never taught me how to sew. I taught myself in my 20's, with the help of the internet. There are a ton of fabric shops online. I made my kids their clothes. I was very careful to make sure their clothes didn't look 'homemade'. I often had people ask me where they could buy the same dress and I'd have to tell them I made it. I love sewing, I just don't have time anymore. Also, fabric is very expensive now. Many times I spent more on fabric than if I'd have just bought the clothes at walmart. It's a skill I am proud to have, along with knitting and crocheting. I know if the shit hit the fan, I'd have skills to barter with.

[WillieW]

107. I have made my own clothes for years.

I am a fabric junky. I enjoy creating new stuff and have one of a kind creation.

[hlthe2b]

109. My mother did so, but she did not have to work...

During that time, the entire family could be supported on my father's salary. So, if I wanted to make my own clothes, when exactly would I do so? Who goes to my job, while I sew? Who cooks or shops or does the laundry, while I sew? Who pays the bills, addresses the mail, while I sew?

Seriously? I'd do it if I could but then, I simply wouldn't SLEEP.

[NYC_SKP]

111. I Own a Singer treadle machine, and I've sewn my own clothes with it.

IMHO, You can't beat the ease of use and level of control offered by a machine that does only what your feet tell it to.

I've never sewn a pair of pants or a jacket, but in a post-industrial dream world, I'd be happy to sew all of my own clothes.

[Blue_In_AK]

114. I lived in a commune in southern Oregon once

and sewed a 28-foot canvas tipi on a treadle machine just like this. It can be done.

[Blue_In_AK]

112. I sewed a lot of my clothes when I was young,

but these days I don't buy enough new clothes to make it worthwhile to spend the money on a sewing machine. Jeans and T-shirts for me.

[End Of The Road]

115. It's no longer a bargain to sew your own clothes.

Wedding dresses, party dresses, yes, perhaps. Curtains, definitely. But everyday wear? No. I can sew, I own a machine, but I'd only make clothing for fun.

Decent fabric for clothes is expensive, in my area, anyway. What I find in the stores is geared for seasonal crafts, quilting, upholstery, baby items, etc. I also find the clothing fabric (aside from bridal/party) to be of inferior quality to what I used years ago when I made many of my own clothes.

Women used to have TIME to sew. I assume your mother and grandmother were homemakers and didn't work a 40-hour week outside the home for a paltry salary to make ends meet.

The bargain for women these days is to find a couple of decent blazers/jackets at Goodwill, buy pants on sale (and with a coupon) at DressBarn (ugh), mix and match with some T-shirts from Kohl's, and throw on some cute costume jewelry. It'll give you a week's worth (or more) of clothes for the office, it's fast, and it's cheap. When it gets a bit shabby, it become weekend wear.

I do miss sewing...

[TBF]

116. Yes I will sew my own clothes and also eat dirt so the billionaires can have even more $$$.

:sarcasm:

:patriot:

[Tsiyu]

120. When I see posts like yours

(which you refined with the sarcasm tag)

I think, "Dayum, that person thinks the good jobs are coming back. Poor person."

It would be swell to dream of our former status as consumers, though many of us no longer consume much of anything not vital.

And we aren't going back to any healthy, safe, affordable food supply in the near future.

So it's not a bad idea to have a skill that will earn you at least as much as a burger-flipper, if it is true that we have to work around the economy we've got.

You already understand this, I'm sure. Just thought I'd throw out that observation.

[TBF]

129. Not at all - I have no illusions about whether jobs are "coming back" -

I know exactly what is happening in this country.

The gap between rich & poor is wider than it has ever been in this country, and now we have democratic administrations pulling the "austerity" crap even more quickly than republicans.

Of course it is fine to have skills (I myself can sew, crochet, cook, do many farming tasks etc... as I grew up in the country).

However, I will not sit back and just accept this - that most of us are just resigned to this and must meekly accept it.

WE MUST FIGHT BACK AGAINST CAPITAL

Hopefully this message is clearer than the last.

[Tikki]

121. I sew...therefore I'm clothed..

I most often make my summer clothes. Have since forever.
Now with the grandchildren I make t-shirts and
play clothes for them.

Fun sewing site.
http://www.burdastyle.com


Tikki

[Abq_Sarah]

122. If I had the time, I would do it

I have two sewing machines and the skills necessary but I just don't have the time needed.

[Joanne98]

126. I would. The corporate clothes suck anyway.

[MuseRider]

127. I wore homemade clothes

and hand me downs until I was in high school. My mother even made suits for my father and my brothers. We bought basic patterns and she made her own changes to them. I can sew like a pro but I don't much, even though I like to. I think I may start making myself something, I did buy some fabric and like my mother I can make up my own patterns and be creative.

I don't know why I ever stopped, busy with kids I guess and everything else. Right now I am making a goat coat, poor fella shed out early. I also have some Kansas Equality Coalition flags to fashion and sew.

Sewing is relaxing and rewarding and stuff sure fits better when you do it yourself and it lasts longer when you care that the seams are correctly done and the fabric is cut right.

Glad I saw this thread, it has stimulated me not to put away the machine once the goat is clothed :)

[delightfulstar]

128. I've considered it...

But I'm also into vintage-type stuff (30's/40's/50's/60's). It's tough to find things that fit that style lately, although it can be done. I'm also built like a stick, so I typically have to get things altered anyway. If I had a sewing machine and a good fabric store at my disposal, I'd probably do it.

I actually grew up with someone whose clothes were made by her mom, and she had one of the best wardrobes I've ever seen.

[pitohui]

130. i did it but quit when fabric became too high, it ain't economic

i gave up sewing in the 1980s, buying a finished item is cheaper than buying the material and making it yourself

i can't compete with someone willing to work for $1 a day and i have many other crafts to do where i can add a lot more value and even make money (well, of course, in the 1980s, even WRITING was economic and i could bill as much as $100 an hour, that's now dead in this century but i still have plenty of other places to put my time)

clothes are so cheap that it just isn't worth your time unless you're interested in creating something very unique -- some of the last items we made were fetish leather items, which of course requires leather working skills not just any ole sewing machine but then that stuff got cheaped down too...

[Manifestor_of_Light]

131. Yes I would.

My mom majored in Costume Design and Fashion Illustration, back in the Dark Ages. How dark? the only synthetic they had was rayon. They didn't have nylon stockings until the middle of WWII, and she wore silk stockings to school.

I hate rayon. Synthetics have gotten to the point of very fine denier (thread diameter) so that nylon undies almost feel like silk.

I have a Featherweight machine and two Slant-O-Matic 401As, which do zigzags without cams. All steel and they will last forever. I call them "The Apotheosis of the Machine Age".

Treadles are too primitive for me. A lot of people keep old Singers and use them -- I'm in a slantneedle yahoo group and an old Singer group.

Clothes are so loose now that they are easy to make. I have a book on pattern drafting and used it to make a witch's robe for Halloween. The sleeves are the hardest part. I ordered the material online. Fabric is not cheap but if you want something that fits you and is unique, then it's fun. It's true that Joann's has lightweight stuff for quilters and not much substantial fabric. If you want real silk or linen or wool, you have to order online or go to the big city.

I made silk brocade curtains for my guest bedroom. Got the material at a big city store.
http://www.highfashionfabrics.com

Mom made some nice clothes for me years ago. I had a dress with really weird seams that was a Vogue Designer pattern. Strange but cool.

The way to have patience sewing is to do a little bit at a time. :D

[ljm2002]

134. The economics don't work anymore...

...that is to say, these days you would not save money by doing so. You can buy perfectly good clothing at Target, for example, at very low prices, and you can try it on first so you know whether it looks good on you. You will pay less than if you bought the materials and notions (fabric, lining, interlining, thread, buttons, zippers, etc.) to make it yourself.

I have sewn many things for myself, but never as a cost saving measure. My mom sewed things to save money, it worked at that time. Now you just spend more time and money by doing that.

So no, I would not, not unless the economics were to change.

[Fire1]

135. Excellent points. Ditto. n/t

[Boudica the Lyoness]

136. I would if I could....

that's if I wore clothes. :crazy:

[Horse with no Name]

137. No.

I tried sewing once. It was horrible.
Besides, with the cost of good fabric, you would probably pay close to the same anyway if you are a smart shopper or shop resale, thrift, etc.
I wouldn't waste my time sewing something with the cheap $1 a yard fabric. Just like everything else at Walmart, it won't last.

[Curmudgeoness]

138. For clothes, I find thrift shops to be much cheaper. I do have a

sewing machine and use it for curtains, tableclothes, hemming, etc. (notice it is all the easy things).

I never did get the hang of making clothes that didn't look like shit. I wish I had learned how to do it, but I just didn't.

[stuntcat]

140. I wish.

I have a good sewing machine but I don't know much about it.. I could make simple stuff if I had to like skirts and pillow cases!

I'm glad I have it because I'm afraid a pretty massive economic crunch will be happening the next couple decades.

[StarsInHerHair]

142. I sew my own clothes, but to begin does take some money-the machine

the basic threads(I recommend all cotton)in black, white. cream. Then there are the costs to buy fabric off the bolts. I checked the prices of ready-made at Walmart, they charge less than it costs me to 'make it from scratch". like a $5 dollar t-shirt, even the clearance fabric would cost more. It's Walmart's wholesale power.

[flying rabbit]

143. I can sew buttons on, but damn

this is an interesting thread. Thanks Y'all. :)

[Ozymanithrax]

144. This has been a fascinating thread to follow and take part in...

Thanks all.

[nashville_brook]

145. i've had many sewing machines handed down to me...and i can't sew to save my life

i'd love to, but i just don't have the talent and/or patience, or dexterity...who knows. i can cook and grow things. that's going to have to be good enough :evilgrin:

[haele]

148. I'm thinking of getting back into recycling thrift store clothes -

Of course, I'm going to have to lose another 40 lbs to really make it work, but that's how I grew up in the 60's and 70's - Mom would get thrift store clothes and cut down dresses into shirts, fix up pants, re-tailor coats,etc...
We had funky, hippy-dippy and patched clothes, but they were comfortable and fit the fashions of the times.

Haele

[tilsammans]

149. I did, and I do.

Been sewing since I was 13. I have two sewing machines and one serger.

Sewing is one of the best skills anyone can have, IMO.

[InvisibleTouch]

150. I would love to, if I had the skill.

Not only for cost reasons, but because you could create something much more precisely to your own taste than what you might find in a store.

Though if the big issue is cost, I don't think you'd spend much more if you go for nice secondhand clothes from thrift shops or garage sales. There are some great finds and great bargains to be had, especially if you just don't have the time to sew, or to learn to sew.

[Mojeoux]

151. I Make Hats from ripped up old Linens and Cottons and Silks

"Hawaiian shirts and the caftans of African Princes."

They are beautiful. Sold one today. Made in America.

[fishwax]

152. I can't see doing that, personally

I'm impressed by people who make their own clothes, though. It's not a skill I have.