Do You Make Your Own Clothes?

[3894]

My 14 year-old daughter is sewing a lot of Vintage Vogue patterns. I help with those. They are so gorgeous but a royal pain to put together.

For myself, I knit. Sometimes it doesn't work out, mostly it does. See? Pretty. (http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e192/Helen_3894/tjknitting.jpg) That's one of my daughters showing off something I made to give to a friend. The yarn is alpaca lace weight, handpainted, 5% glitter.

Are you a crafty schmoo, too?

[lashbear]

I'm making my own Kilt soon !

...Really.

[~MS~]

I've done a few things over the years, I think I'm going to have to bust out the singer again, Missy loves sun dresses but I don't like the styles with the thin spaghetti straps for her.

[Alex]

My mom is a seamstress/tailor and has made her living as such for most of my life (both industrial and small shops).

She hardly ever ever made clothes for us at home (the cobbler's kids going without shoes kind of thing) and while I'm aware of all that goes into clothesmaking (though small home machines are an enigma to me; I was the only kid in high school home ec making my clothes on industrial sewing machines) that childhood pretty much added "clothesmaking" to "car repair" as a reason I went to college and got a well paying job: so I could pay other people to do it.

It is just a bonus that the other people are generally 8-year-old Bangladeshi children.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

This goes up there with baking, auto repair, and carpentry - I sometimes wish I'd spend the time to learn how to do these things myself (as well as be able to afford all the nifty toys that go along with each pursuit). But truthfully, I know I'll continue to take Alex's route and pay others to do them for me.

[Prudence]

I make clothes, but nothing appropriate for this century.

[Not Afraid]

I don't make clothes, however I am a pro at curtain, pillows, table cloths and other "decor" stuff. I just never seem to get around to doing it much any more.

[Morrigoon]

Only piece I ever made that got treated as a regular part of my wardrobe was a red velvet dress back in my teens. Otherwise my sewing is purely costume.

[lizziebith]

I love being able to sew -- I can make anything I can imagine, which comes in handy when I can't find it on the rack handily made by 8-year-old Bangladeshi children. :p

I'm plotting some cool duds for some upcoming decidedly unswanky events I'm attending this Spring.

[Babette]

Costume - that is the extent of my seamstressing. I would love to evolve to skirts and blouses, but never make the time. Costumes always have a deadline so I can push myself to finish those. Regular clothes are on my own time, no pressure, no results. Maybe next summer :)

[Gemini Cricket]

Why, yes. I do make my own clothes.
A bed sheet can make a fabulous toga that you can wear to the john in the middle of the night.
:D

[€uroMeinke]

I tend to be more clothing optional

[Strangler Lewis]

The wife knits and sews. What do you need?

[Kevy Baby]

No



I'm making my own Kilt soon !

...Really.What's so hard about that? Ya get nine yards of tartan, throw it on the floor, roll yourself up in it and toss it over your shoulder.

[3894]

I. Re: 8 year-old Bangledeshis

They sew better than me. I knit better than them.

However, we do own the gold standard of sickeningly exploitative child labor. It's a hand-knotted silk Persian-style rug, bought by my parents in China in 1980 for like $50. The silk threads are very slender and there are many, many thousands of tiny knots. Only a child's hands could do this work and undoubtedly the work did some kid's eyesight no favors.

II. All the costumers out there

Can you link to photos of your work? And Lashbear, when you're posing for us, work it, baby.

[Snowflake]

My mother tried to teach me, hopeless. I can only mend, poorly, hems and such.

[Brigitte]

My mother was a home ec teacher before getting married and having kids, so yes, I do know how to sew. Do I sew clothes? No, though I have. I helped my mom make my wedding dress even, as well as prom dresses in high school. Nowadays, no, I haven't made anything other than decor type items and the infamous strollers we bring to DL. My grandmother taught me to knit when I was a kid too, but I have forgotten how for the most part. I loved to cross stitch for a while too, but haven't even done that in years. I need to get back some time to do some scrapbooking as I have my mother-in-law's pictures here that need to be put in albums.

[3894]

I helped my mom make my wedding dress even, as well as prom dresses in high school.

I'm always in awe of women who sew their own wedding dress. :cool:

I have two teen daughters, both of whom like to go to formal dances. The younger one loves to sew. We made this together. (http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e192/Helen_3894/cleoinformal003.jpg) Check out how the cherry blossoms match up. It's hard to see the top of the dress but it's strapless and has a little bronze tulle shrug.

[katiesue]

I can sew but I don't do it very often. I was in 4H etc, I've even won a few competitions. For daily clothing it just seems by the time you buy the pattern, material etc it's way more expensive than just buying the item. And that doesn't include your time making it. Plus I'm too lazy.

I can knit but it bores me bonkers. My mother knits and crochets. I also get bored out of my mind with needlepoint etc.

[mousepod]

Heather makes clothes. Back in the old days, she used to make an outfit to wear to work that day. Now, since she's a pro, her personal clothes-making is a more rare occasion, but she almost always does her own alterations (and mine, too).

[blueerica]

Last night, I was in the middle of a clothes fixing disaster! I can generally hem pants, fix buttons... basic stuff, though nothing fancy at all. I had a knit sweater with a pocket in the front... something made by some Bangladeshi child, I'm sure. I love it - it looks great and is one of the most comfy things I've bought in ages. So here's the problem:

The pocket in the front started to come undone. I thought it was a random thread, so I snipped a bit off the end and tied a knot (foolishly hoping the problem would go away), though it didn't seem to help. Absent-mindedly wearing it one day, whatever was holding the pocket to the sweater started to come undone. So, I pinned it, and set it aside to fix at a future date. That date was last night.

I tried to hand stitch it back together and couldn't get it to work. Clearly, I didn't need thread, I needed thread or yarn of the same thickness of the original. I brought it to my grandmother who was able to put it back together (with the right color and all) - though it still doesn't look quite right, it'll do the trick and stay together enough for me.

For our knitting mavens - how would you fix something like this? Is there a special kind of stitch you might use?

[lashbear]

And Lashbear, when you're posing for us, work it, baby.

I think I made it soo small....

http://www.unionjackwear.co.uk/images/tartan%20pouch.jpg

[~MS~]

Hubba bubba on 'too small' :D

[3894]

Nicely played, Lashbear.

[Not Afraid]

But, you're bringing it to wear on your vacation, right?

[lashbear]

I'll have pics of the real thing as soon as I get a toile made. I don;t trust myself to just make it from scratch using the tartan.

[Ruthie]

I think I made it soo small....



Oh MY! :D

[3894]

For our knitting mavens - how would you fix something like this? Is there a special kind of stitch you might use?

Is it a kangaroo pocket? There's no special secret way to fix it that I know of.