me, me, me... and sewing
daybreak777 asked me some questions about sewing, and I thought I'd just write a short(ish) post to talk about it.
My mother taught me how to sew when I was quite young. First I did a few hand-sewn items, then she let me use her grandmother's treadle (foot pedal) sewing machine. Later she taught me to use her usual sewing machine. I sewed a few items throughout my teen years and even in college--mostly dresses. My mom and I sewed my prom dress together. (There will not be pictures. Just... no. The hair alone is enough to make me never scan those pics into the computer.)
Then I got my first teaching job and had a bit of extra money to buy more clothes. I stopped sewing, other than a few basic alterations. Plus I moved to a larger metropolitan area that had a better thrift store selection. (I'm not squeamish about second-hand clothes; they probably make up the majority of my wardrobe.)
Looking at today's clothing market, it is not often cheaper to sew than to buy ready-made clothing. The basic materials (fabric, sewing notions and patterns if needed) can reflect some of the "make it cheap" labor market. Without including time and labor, it's possible to save some money. Depends on the project. Add in time and labor, nope. And if you do lots of thrift-store shopping, sewing isn't going to be a money-saver by comparison.
So why have I started sewing again after a long hiatus? I like doing creative things, such as making beaded jewelry. I also like owning something unique. Sewing clothing myself takes one step out of the sweatshop cycle. Plus it's just interesting to know how the flat fabric and shapes can result in items that fit three-dimensional bodies.
What I'm hoping for with my sewing:
* Clothes that fit my own body better than off-the-rack items. Few of us have an off-the-rack type of body. I have a classic pear-shaped body. Next month when I sew a fitted sheath dress, I'll grade the pattern to fit my smaller bust and larger hips. (I'm a bit nervous, yes. Fitted dresses can be tricky.)
* Little details to personalize some of what I sew, like a bit of ribbon embellishment.
* Items that fill the gaps in my wardrobe. I have lots of cotton and cotton blend button-front collar shirts. They're easy to find in my size, even at the thrift store. What I'm lacking are tops made from patterned fabrics that are less prone to wrinkling, with attention-drawing details that balance out my hips.
* Continuing refashioning clothing that might otherwise go to waste. I'm still pleased with my fuchsia eighties dress makeover; I also recently altered a too-large thrifted dress to fit me. (Didn't take pictures or blog about it, though.)
Do I like my own sewn items? Not always. Sometimes a fabric and pattern combination can be disastrous. Also, home sewers simply can't access (without great cost) many of the materials used to create a professionally finished garment. Sometimes I just can't replicate the finish of factory-made clothes. I'm cutting myself a little slack, since I just started sewing again. Plus I've learned to trust my initial instinct. This dress, for example: I planned on using a different pattern, then talked myself out of it. Now I wish I'd made it the way I first planned. (This isn't to say that I can't change my mind, but I need to have a good reason other than "I don't feel like sewing in a zipper today.")
I'm not an expert sewer; I'm comfortable with basic to intermediate patterns and some minor alterations to those patterns. Lots of people sew much better, but that's okay. Right now I'm in "learn as you need to know" mode. Oh, and knit fabrics? Right now all I plan to do is alter a few tee-shirts, because I don't have any desire to tackle knits. And since they're stretchy, knit clothes usually fit me just fine from the stores.
One thing I'm enjoying about getting back into sewing is just how many resources I can find online. When I do sew that fitted sheath dress soon, I have multiple places to read about how to do a small-bust adjustment. (Also known as the Mine Will Stay Perky Longer Than Yours Bust Adjustment. Hee!) People post about patterns they like (and don't like), and why and how the pattern worked. They post about upcoming sales on patterns, fabric, etc. They post free patterns they designed, ideas and pictures and anything else about sewing that you can think of. Oh, and the variety of people who blog about sewing is just amazing. All ages, sizes, ethnicities, nationalities and walks of life. One of my favorite sewing bloggers loves to wear dresses sewn from vintage patterns, with her much-tattooed arms peeking out from the gorgeous fitted wool crepe dress shaped with horsehair-curved hem.
Speaking of vintage patterns: my mother is letting me borrow her wedding dress pattern. It's not a bridal-wear or evening-wear pattern, just a pretty dress with a shape she liked. (My parents got married in the daytime, from her childhood home.) I'm thinking about adjusting the pattern and making my own party dress. Since we're both pear-shapes, it should look good on me, if I can successfully adjust the different pattern size to me.
Posted at Dreamwidth: http://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/181937.html. Comment where you wish.
My mother taught me how to sew when I was quite young. First I did a few hand-sewn items, then she let me use her grandmother's treadle (foot pedal) sewing machine. Later she taught me to use her usual sewing machine. I sewed a few items throughout my teen years and even in college--mostly dresses. My mom and I sewed my prom dress together. (There will not be pictures. Just... no. The hair alone is enough to make me never scan those pics into the computer.)
Then I got my first teaching job and had a bit of extra money to buy more clothes. I stopped sewing, other than a few basic alterations. Plus I moved to a larger metropolitan area that had a better thrift store selection. (I'm not squeamish about second-hand clothes; they probably make up the majority of my wardrobe.)
Looking at today's clothing market, it is not often cheaper to sew than to buy ready-made clothing. The basic materials (fabric, sewing notions and patterns if needed) can reflect some of the "make it cheap" labor market. Without including time and labor, it's possible to save some money. Depends on the project. Add in time and labor, nope. And if you do lots of thrift-store shopping, sewing isn't going to be a money-saver by comparison.
So why have I started sewing again after a long hiatus? I like doing creative things, such as making beaded jewelry. I also like owning something unique. Sewing clothing myself takes one step out of the sweatshop cycle. Plus it's just interesting to know how the flat fabric and shapes can result in items that fit three-dimensional bodies.
What I'm hoping for with my sewing:
* Clothes that fit my own body better than off-the-rack items. Few of us have an off-the-rack type of body. I have a classic pear-shaped body. Next month when I sew a fitted sheath dress, I'll grade the pattern to fit my smaller bust and larger hips. (I'm a bit nervous, yes. Fitted dresses can be tricky.)
* Little details to personalize some of what I sew, like a bit of ribbon embellishment.
* Items that fill the gaps in my wardrobe. I have lots of cotton and cotton blend button-front collar shirts. They're easy to find in my size, even at the thrift store. What I'm lacking are tops made from patterned fabrics that are less prone to wrinkling, with attention-drawing details that balance out my hips.
* Continuing refashioning clothing that might otherwise go to waste. I'm still pleased with my fuchsia eighties dress makeover; I also recently altered a too-large thrifted dress to fit me. (Didn't take pictures or blog about it, though.)
Do I like my own sewn items? Not always. Sometimes a fabric and pattern combination can be disastrous. Also, home sewers simply can't access (without great cost) many of the materials used to create a professionally finished garment. Sometimes I just can't replicate the finish of factory-made clothes. I'm cutting myself a little slack, since I just started sewing again. Plus I've learned to trust my initial instinct. This dress, for example: I planned on using a different pattern, then talked myself out of it. Now I wish I'd made it the way I first planned. (This isn't to say that I can't change my mind, but I need to have a good reason other than "I don't feel like sewing in a zipper today.")
I'm not an expert sewer; I'm comfortable with basic to intermediate patterns and some minor alterations to those patterns. Lots of people sew much better, but that's okay. Right now I'm in "learn as you need to know" mode. Oh, and knit fabrics? Right now all I plan to do is alter a few tee-shirts, because I don't have any desire to tackle knits. And since they're stretchy, knit clothes usually fit me just fine from the stores.
One thing I'm enjoying about getting back into sewing is just how many resources I can find online. When I do sew that fitted sheath dress soon, I have multiple places to read about how to do a small-bust adjustment. (Also known as the Mine Will Stay Perky Longer Than Yours Bust Adjustment. Hee!) People post about patterns they like (and don't like), and why and how the pattern worked. They post about upcoming sales on patterns, fabric, etc. They post free patterns they designed, ideas and pictures and anything else about sewing that you can think of. Oh, and the variety of people who blog about sewing is just amazing. All ages, sizes, ethnicities, nationalities and walks of life. One of my favorite sewing bloggers loves to wear dresses sewn from vintage patterns, with her much-tattooed arms peeking out from the gorgeous fitted wool crepe dress shaped with horsehair-curved hem.
Speaking of vintage patterns: my mother is letting me borrow her wedding dress pattern. It's not a bridal-wear or evening-wear pattern, just a pretty dress with a shape she liked. (My parents got married in the daytime, from her childhood home.) I'm thinking about adjusting the pattern and making my own party dress. Since we're both pear-shapes, it should look good on me, if I can successfully adjust the different pattern size to me.
Posted at Dreamwidth: http://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/181937.html. Comment where you wish.