Making your own clothes

simu

Does anyone do this?

Obviously, unless you had lots of leet sewing skills and free time, you couldn't make all your clothes but I've been thinking of trying something simple like a skirt some day.

Or does any one here modify their clothes by sewing extra stuff on or cutting bits off etc?

Hello Kitty

I tried making a top before it turned out ok(but i wouldnt wear it in public!), and i also made a cheerleaders uniform for halloween(many years ago!!)

Id love to be able to make my own clothes but youd have to pay for all the material + i dont have a clue how to sow properly. I also always used to cut my jeans at the bottom to make em flared but id just end up wrecking them!! :eek:

Fysh

Sewing isn't that hard to do - the main thing to know is that for something to look good, you'll need to do two lines of stitching (I'm sure there's a proper name for this, but I don't know what it is). To use the example of making jeans flared (I've done this before), you'd need to first cut the legs of the jeans along the seams (preferably by carefully breaking the existing stitches, to make it look neater), then do a first row of stitches which adds your extra fabric to the leg. Then you do a second row of stitches about a centimetre away from the original line of stitching. This ensures a neat-looking seam. Although in my case, the jeans in question didn't look right afterwards (stovepipe jeans converted to flared, but I made the flare too big....ah well).

Obviously for something bigger you'd want a sewing machine - I made a full Halloween outfit (cowled robe, made out of several smaller garments) for myself last year and it took bloody ages to sew together.

That said, I think I'm the only guy I know who would be happy sewing his own clothes...any others out there, or am I just an anomaly?

blondie83

I was at a fancy dress 21st last week, and I converted this baggy 70's windsheater into a Kill Bill style jacket (sewed on zip, took in the sides, made it about half as long as it originally had been, and replaced the hood with a collar). Didn't do it properly or anything, just tacked it, but it seemed to work out. Wouldn't have lasted much longer than the one night though! It is fun doing stuff yourself, cos you can design the clothes to be exactly the way you want them.

smiles

Yeah I've made a few bits and pieces, skirts are grand.

Best piece I've adapted though was a dress that I bought that had a square neckline and sleeves and I converted it to a strapless.

But I guess I've always been sewing since I was little, my mums family are all dress makers, and my dad owns a "made to measure" uniform business...

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Rozabeez

me home-ec teacher makes all her own clothes, lovely lime green skirts and orange sweater sets. ah yes...and she paints her shoes.