wear the clothes we sew for ourselves

I have to put a `stop` sign in my sewing room. I love sewing and can get carried away. I have a stash of top quality indie cottons, linens, silks and Japanese fabrics, the stash would be higher than my height

I could wish I had this problem. But I am simply the world's worst crafting person. It took me seven years (first form to sixth) to finish the school apron....

How lovely to have this talent.

I used to love making my own clothes. Branching out from needlework classes at school I made practically everything. Dresses, skirts, pyjamas, trousers. All the curtains when my parents moved house. There were fabric shops everywhere though in those days I used to buy a lot from Petticoat Lane market. Fast forward a decade or so and I made my DD’s summer dresses and school trousers. Not nowadays. Hardly any fabric shops thought I suppose it can be bought on line. So many clothes are dirt cheap now though some of the material feels like sandpaper. Suppose there’s no time to get the sewing machine out anyway, too much time spent on the Internet!

My triumph was a pair of elasticated-waist maternity trousers that I made when I was expecting DS.

They were made of brown corduroy (what was I thinking) and it was only when I’d finished them and put them on that I realised I’d forgotten about the pile and the backs of the legs were pale and the fronts of the legs dark

I had my Mum’s old Singer and the motor control was a thing that jutted out of the machine which you controlled with pressure from your right knee.

As soon as DS could crawl, he put paid to my sewing activities by coming over and yanking fiercely on the knee control, with predictable results

I realise now that I was quite an efficient dressmaker in my teens and twenties. My mum showed me how to work her Singer - same model as yours, janea. I remember a princess line blue dress with about eight gores which I managed somehow to put together without help, when I was 16. Thought I was the bees knees. The bridesmaids' dresses which mum and I made for sister's wedding were another triumph - ripple satin and fully lined. Not much nowadays. I got out of the habit when the boys were small. Maybe I'd have found it easier if I'd had daughters!

It has taken me 53 years to be able to put in an invisible zip without it puckering, showing, or gaping at the top or bottom. Two years ago I discovered you can get an invisible zip foot that gives a professional finish. When did they start making those?

Like Alima I used to make a lot of my own clothes, all types, and also for friends and my children. I never had the experience of craftyone of not feeling confident in clothes I made. I made my own wedding dress and ‘occasion’ dresses for my daughters who were very happy with them.

The problem nowadays is lack of availability of fabric and the relatively low cost of clothes. When I did sew more, I was very particular about the details and finish - I never wanted anything to look ‘home-made’.

farmor that brought back a memory, I made my wedding dress and 4 bridesmaids dresses and the wedding buffet and 3 tiered cake. Don`t know how I did it, I was working full time. I was aged only 22. I started learning very early in life, sewing on a singer treadle when I was 9

So does anyone remember clothkits? I loved those clothes, the gorgeous childrens clothes and skirts and pinafores for me and my goodness they lasted well

I got my collection of fabrics online from very good suppliers, none of them were cheap but some were bargains from the likes of croftmill. One of my best sewn garments is a parka type coat, lined with a hood, pattern from ottobre women, fab value patterns with multi sizing that needs to be traced

I am feeling an urge to make some dresses like Kirstie Allsop wears, the shirt collar, buttons, waist, sleeves and flaired skirt but am sitting tight, for now

Maybe you are normal sized farmor, I am short with small shoulders and a short waist and I have to alter all the patterns bar skirts. I do a fba (full bust adjustment) to make sure that darts point to the right place. The clothes I make are far more individual from the ones in the shops, I have dozens of indie patterns and very unusual fabrics

craftyone - yes, I remember Clothkits. Got a lovely cord dress for daughter from them.

My OH is from India so I’ve been there many times. I found buying saris was a great way to get nice fabric for dresses for special occasions.

Years ago a Dutch friend introduced me to pattern magazines Neue Mode and Burda. They had all the patterns on complicated looking sheets with lines all crisscrossing, but once you got the hang of them, they were great.

oh yes I remember those magazines, my mum was Dutch. Ottobre is similar but with much better pictures and layout. Much cheaper than buying patterns and the fit was very good. Dots n stripes sell it in the uk and it is in English. Oh dear, I am going to get another one or two. There is ottobre woman, they also do beautiful designs for children.

I use swedish tracing paper for patterns. It was so good to use, I helfd it down with hm weights, little bags filled with sand. I was terrified of it being discontinued, it was hard to find, so I stocked up

also direct from ottobre, with much better online pictures

www.ottobredesign.com/en/

I have done couture dressmaking and pattern cutting classes for years and have learned all the professional techniques. Drawback is it takes time to do things properly. Commercial patterns are fine, but making your own patterns to your individual measurements is the best, particularly with trousers and close fitting dresses. It does make you dissatisfied with ready-made clothes in high street shops which are poorly finished in nasty synthetic fabrics and obviously not made to last. I made my eldest daughters’ wedding dress, four bridesmaids dresses and my own outfit. That took me a year. A “ Chanel” style dress and jacket in pink and blue tweed with a pink floral silk lining took me about a year as well, but I still wear it and love it. Making something is so creative and satisfying so dust off those sewing machines!

I've made summer dresses (a few lined) and wear them when it's hot. The original pattern has a zip (can't zip up at the back) but as it has a fairly large neckline I sew up the back and pull it on which seems to work. They look fairly elegant in my eyes. It's taken a lot of trial and error to get the shoulders right. It saves a fortune to make them yourself if you can.

Wear your hand made clothes with pride.....that's a talent I would have lime to have.

I used to sew a lot for the DC but I've yet to make a thing for the DGC.
You're right, it's the cost mainly and the lack of tempting fabrics.
I came across a stash of things I'd made which I'm loath to part with. So many memories!
I still knit though. I even unpicked a ripped sweater of DH and after much washing and rewinding, knitted a jumper for DGS.
DD can sew much better than I can so I must have done something right!

Thanks craftyone . I’ll look out for Ottobre- might look at their children’s patterns. I’ve 3 granddaughters (girls are easier to sew for) and lots of fabrics.

I absolutely love fabric. I go to see the various exhibitions of clothes at the V&A or the Palaces just to ogle the fabrics. Some are breathtakingly beautiful, and the skill, artistry and dedication that goes into making these fabrics, including the little worms? is a wonder.

Its hard to adjust clothes solo but I am managing, I have this special tape measure that slides through a loop. Details on a craftsy video called `fitting solo` by Linda Lee. The video is expensive at the moment but they have big sales several times a year. I own dozens of videos online with craftsy. They always inspire me and get my mojo going

So dresses in vintage style
jaycotts.co.uk/products/s1459

jaycotts.co.uk/products/m7433-misses-inverted-notch-collar-shirtdresses-and-belt

I have just ordered the second dress pattern, first one would make me look like a pea on a pumpkin but would look fabulous on a smaller size

So my plan is to do the pattern alterations on a traced pattern so as not to damage the original. Then do the alterations and use the swedish paper as a (drat cannot remember the word) draft dress before I go near the final fabric

Frustrating really as I have not yet got my cupboard installed and most of my sewing stuff is still packed. No harm in planning

oh and if you have never tried making knickers, well they are so easy, made mine from tea shirt fabric and t shirts. They are so comfortable and wear much better than (expensive) sloggi. I use stretch shiny bias around the cut edges

When I was at school, we made knickers in needlework class - by hand! Mine were purple lawn and unwearable, being very much like my grandmothers' 'drawers'. Yours sound much more civilised, craftyone, but I'm far too lazy and will stick to M&S.

I have just done what I don`t normally do. I have ordered a couple of retro dresses online. I need to see if these styles do anything for me. They were not expensive and the co has very good feedback. I would rather do that than make the dresses to find they are not suitable. I can always send them back if they don`t look good

I have made 3 trapeze dresses, all from fabric stash. The first one was basically going to be a muslin but it felt very nice to wear so I adapted the neckline, which is now a nice fit. The fabric was a bit wrong for the design ie I think it was batik cotton and it tends to hold its own shape too much. It is very bright, reds blacks yellows, from croft mill I am sure. I added a red belt this morning and the dress is transformed and is now curvy and looks very nice on me as well as being cool on. The other two skim me better, they are slinkier fabrics but wow I am already looking retro, like I remember my mothers generation

look at the price of these

clothkits.co.uk/products/merchant-mills-dressmaking-workshop-trapeze-dress?variant=4921815302178¤cy=GBP&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjMfoBRDDARIsAMUjNZosRor-gzRvwjuUqJPrIwOrB9FGpNC8I5UJXtzvGQl1F2HCbLub_yUaAt1BEALw_wcB

I have several merchant mills patterns and they look like sacks on the envelope but are super nice to sew and wear. My trapeze has short sleeves and probably cost me £25. No zips or darts
drapersdaughter.com/products/merchant-mills-trapeze-dress

I bought patterns from drapers daughter or direct from merchant and mills, they have a big fanbase

craftyone - I was a bit puzzled about what a trapeze dress was, till I looked at that clothkits link. In the 60s we called them A-line. I still have patterns from then. Trapeze sounds more exotic.?. Very easy to make.