sewing, crafts (and a question for ploesj)
 

do you sew? what do you make?

I mostly like to sew up dresses and simple things, I change patterns but don't draft my own. I also like doing some quilting but I dont enjoy keeping to patterns.. I like big patchworks made from odds and ends or clothing that we don't want to throw away but can't wear anymore.

I'd really like to see some of the things people have made, if you do sew?

even crafty things not just garments, because there are lots of awesome things to sew that aren't clothes.

Do any of you post at craftster?


ploesj.... I've noticed you seem to sew a lot, do you draft your own? I've only ever done my own corset and waist cincher patterns from scratch, never any other garments. What should I try first that wont make me go crazy? I've lots of books to help me and the like, just never been sure of what to try first..
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I totally forgot that some people sew.

But most of the clothes are made by machines , right?
Like , the standard t-shirt?

I guess it depends on the person, but I'd think so. I've never made my own t shirt from scratch. I've altered some due to being massive and wanting a girlie fit, and screen printed or embroidered them, but never bothered to make one up.. its pretty easy to find a t shirt that fits in any colour you like.

my friend knits scarfs but i don't think she has ever knitted one before.

ooooh nice i can help someone!

well i wouldn't call myself a great seamstress, i'm still in the process of learning... i started with editing pieces of clothing. go to a cheap thrift store, look for very cheap dresses or other garments. you might not like the shape, but look for prints you like and try to make something nice out of it. i taught myself how to make things fit me and all at first, that's pretty important.
right now i'm starting to make clothes from scratch, mostly skirts or shift dresses. i hardly ever use patterns, since i dont know anything about how they work, but i drape pieces of cloth onto myself and pin everything, fitting it all the time untill it's right. shift dresses are good to start with, since theyre pretty wide and don't need complicated darts or tucks, or not even closures.

cool! I've thought about draping to create items for myself a few times, but the clothes model I have doesnt really go small enough for me, anywhere on it.. So I'd need to make a cast of me, which I havent done..

Thats a really great idea about re working garments, Ive thought about it a lot but not done it extensively.. like.. not totally re-modelled anything.

haha i just pin it on myself, don't have a model... it causes a lot of tiny pains. sometimes i have o ask for help to pin something at the back.

i don't have enough time to finish my projects these days :(

I want to learn to sew. I did a bit in grade eight, but don't remember much.

Can anyone suggest a decent machine?

just buy a well known brand in the most basic model. That way, if you like it you'll easily be able to sell it on and buy a new one.. or still sell it if you dont like it. Otherwise the cheaper ones can break and won't re sell as easy. :)

I have a janome dc3050 and I love it.

start by making small and quick projects. The worst thing about sewing is getting frustrated so if you stick to small things first, you'll be okay. Its even better if you can find someone to hang out with and stitch n bitch. My SnB buddy got a new bf about a month ago so I havent seen her since ahah.

do you just use mirrors a lot to see around?

I havent finished anything big in a long time, but my school year is nearly finished (tomorrow, yay) so I'm finishing a baby blanket for somene, a pair of pants I started about 4 months ago, and starting a new patchwork quilt cover over the weekend. :D

woah nice, good luck! my schoolyear is starting now, stress and wrk is building up :P i'm working on a skirt, and still have a dress lying around that needs finishing.

thats neat! you should post some pics when you're done or as you go. I'll take some and post them in here once I've finished for the weekend. :D

Wonderfull! Thank you.

BUMP

i promised i'd post some of the stuff i finished but can't remember in what thread, so here we go...

a top out of an old men's shirt:




i want to change the shoulder part a bit, but like the result so far. there's a turorial for this top on my weblog.

plain canvas sneakers decorated with kitties:





simple and quick projects. the shirt top is great if you just start sewing, i finished it in about an hour and it's very easy.

I love the kitty sneakers!

is the shirt gathered and sewn or using rouching elastic?... hmm i could just click and find the tute :P

thanks!

it's done with elastic, makes it easier to make it fitting...

ploesj do you know any international/euro zines that include fancy dress or clothing patterns with them?

Im thinking of tweaking a bunch of vintage patterns(for the sake of copyright) I have and creating something like this. My mom has a box full of 100+ patterns from the 60's and 70's and I think it'd be neat to see them being used again.

um no, i only worked from a pattern once before and i found it for free on the internet...

here is a free pattern to print to make a fifties dress, looks quite nice, i'm making it my summer project...

go wih the patterns your mother has! and post the results!

that one is really lovely. I wish I could find examples online of some of the ones I have.

excuse the terrible qualty, I just tried to take some photos of a couple of things I've made, but there is no full length mirror in my house. The first dress is a vintage vogue altered a bit. The second is waistie just drawn up from measurements. Which didnt turn out too badly though it needs an iron now because of the satin outer.

i love the first dress! looks great on you!

i still love the kitty sneakers. so much.

i have them on my feet now.

they were done in half an hour or so. my next sneakers will have either a marching band or whales on them.

ploesj have you ever made spats? I've done leg warmers out of knits and things, but never sewn anything tailored for calves/ankles. A friend of mind just ordered a pair of custom made ankle boots to look like they have spats on, and I think I want to make a cute pair for over my boots this winter. (as my winter wardrobe doesn't change much from skirts and boots.. it just adds in stockings and lots of defcorative keep warm leg covers..) Maybe in deep red or the neverfail black.

kind of like these but in a fabric that isn't so slinky because I think it would show off the detail of boots underneath too much? ( hope these work, etsy links are very long..

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php...ng_id=22049892

or like this but in two tone black/charcoal with some pretty butons.. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php..._id=2205262 5

haven't made anything like it but i vaguely remember someone writing somewhere about making them... no idea where that was though.

meep :(

I'd just email that girl on etsy but I dont think they would fit me unless I made them myself. I have stupidly tiny ankles. : /

they don't look that hard to make, it you pick a stretchy fabric so they fit well enough..

I'm mostly worried about the part that comes down over near the toes.. if it will lift up, or if I should use an iron on backing or something.

I'm good at sewing buttons back on.

feel free to ask if you need halp.

sure, I HATE sewing buttons on. I find it infuriating. I dont know why.. well I do.. over and over in the little holes. It's like beading, which is also quite tedious.

I have to be good at sewing on buttons because the wife won't do it for me.

WTB: 1950's HAPPY_HOUSEKEEPER

I'm good at crotch-patching.
I ride a bicycle.

eh won't the mexican cook ladee do that too?

boy shape seriously has about 5 pairs of jeans that I have fixed and patched over and over and I have now given up and said just buy some fkn new ones. Maybe you should teach me something I do not know about correct crotch patching. Because I'm a bit fail on that one.:(

You're not uninformed, it's just a losing battle.
I've patched patches before as well. I have several pairs of pants that I just keep around for patch material, because they have pretty much disintegrated. Pants cannibal.
I need to get some new ones as well.

if this had been anyone else's thread, I would have been compelled to ruin it by talking about the hole that my giant metal p33n0r has worn in all my pants.

I'm not going to do that. no way. no how. going to work now, I am.

i have to repair my brothers' underwear all the time. no idea what they do with it to make so many holes in the crotch!

I agree!!1

"you didnt do it very well, they're already coming apart again"

"I sewed/reinforced and ironed like five times!11111 My resources are exhausted. "

wow are you serious? underwear is a no go for me.. more effort required to fix than I would spend working to pay for new pair.. Definately a "just buy new ones" item..

I only rescue 'good fit' items or 'expensive' or 'work clothes'

everything else goes to charity or my painting/drawing rag bag.

heh.

andto think I was going to post how I appreciated the lack of robotpart reference in this one.

yeah my mother keeps bringing pairs of underwear to get fixed, they go through them so quickly it would cost a lot of money to get new underwear all the time.