tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post9220920121016990792..comments2023-10-20T08:27:40.314-04:00Comments on male pattern boldness: Can You Still Save Money Sewing Your Own Clothes?Peter Lappinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-1306863274922424062018-05-26T03:47:34.390-04:002018-05-26T03:47:34.390-04:00I save money sewing for my family. I'm skinny ...I save money sewing for my family. I'm skinny and 6ft tall with a 29C (vs the smallest bra being 32c). My fiancé is 5'1" and buying him pants means spending time cutting and hemming the legs to then have them look disproportionate rathet than just make one's that fit well in the first place. Our daughter is less than a year old and infant/ children's clothing here go for up to $15+ a peice evan at walmart. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-40279989374183696852017-01-28T03:32:40.542-05:002017-01-28T03:32:40.542-05:00Need I remind you of all people, Peter, of salvagi...Need I remind you of all people, Peter, of salvaging? I definitely save money sewing but I also don't buy fabric - this is where making friends with overzealous and time poor crafters comes in as well as getting dirty in bins. I do it too! I find a lot of fabric in my hauls, and steal my buttons and zips off defunct clothing no longer usable. "Make do and mend" wS a saving motto!<br /><br />I have spent a total of $30 in 6 months on patterns and seam rippers only. I even found my mundials in the bin! If I didn't need a basic pants pattern for two genders, I'd only be about $20 in the hole. I've made a blouse this week alone from found fabric, a found pattern, found thread, and even a scarf for sleeves! Why if I hadn't broken a needle being careless with my pins, it would have been an entirely free project! Minus electricity. Now to find me a treadle to save that, too!<br /><br />-SplithoofAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-47835637726873907372016-08-01T07:35:53.319-04:002016-08-01T07:35:53.319-04:00This is exactly my situation. I enjoy sewing, whic...This is exactly my situation. I enjoy sewing, which is great. And I particularly enjoy being able to wear clothing in fabrics I enjoy, and that fits me. I can never buy a shirt off the rack. Or a nicely fitting dress either, for that matter. For much of my life I've had to resort to stretch clothing to overcome this, but it's not always the nicest.<br /><br />Sewing gives me the option of silk shirts, cotton shirts, linen dresses, all the things I love. And in a beautiful quality fabric of my choosing and a style of my choosing. <br /><br />You're right though Peter. It doesn't save me a cent. But it makes me feel like a million bucks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-11680339967136682862016-04-24T20:41:38.944-04:002016-04-24T20:41:38.944-04:00I sew because I'm very picky, and I want to we...I sew because I'm very picky, and I want to wear good quality things that actually fit me.<br />I don't sew with money in mind, but I'm probably spending less in the long term by trying to find good quality fabrics and repairing my clothes when they're damaged.Vincent Briggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03854232669957741296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-84022196765881189982016-04-18T03:30:20.243-04:002016-04-18T03:30:20.243-04:00I sew for myself because I like it and also becaus...I sew for myself because I like it and also because it gives me access to styles and a fit I couldn't get from RTW. I often buy fabric at low prices at my local market and have become really good at finding the good stuff in the piles of polyester there, so I think I usually spend less on fabric than I would on clothes if I didn't sew. But that doesn't include the time spent on sewing, obviously.<br />In general, I think fast fashion has massively decreased the value of clothes in the eyes of the general public. I have done sewing work for a while (mostly alterations on bridal dresses) and people's willingness to pay for that is (at least here in the Netherlands) shockingly low. Basically, if you feel you are already badly uncharging for something, customers will complain about the cost and try to get a discount. From their point of view, I suppose it makes sense: If even a "nice" and "expensive" dress at a fast fashion place will cost about 100 euros, paying the same to have a wedding dress altered seems like a lot... Even if that is a very labour-intensive process which requires the use of specialist tools. <br />This attitude really turned me off sewing as a jobLaurianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16602295642057814667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-5374804327608670182016-04-17T23:24:04.887-04:002016-04-17T23:24:04.887-04:00I primarily make bras now so I definitely saveI primarily make bras now so I definitely saveAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15946831589598315950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-38439058118583348402016-04-17T14:05:11.665-04:002016-04-17T14:05:11.665-04:00That's exactly how I feel too! I'm tall to...That's exactly how I feel too! I'm tall too, so where some of my petite friends get RTW things taken in or taken up to fit them, that just isn't an option for me. It's so sad the way that RTW clothes often fall apart these days after just a few washes - much better to take time and be picky about fabric so you get what you want. Why buy off the rack when you could have couture?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10433045038399636151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-74975282029744691362016-04-15T23:14:08.893-04:002016-04-15T23:14:08.893-04:00I guess I'm gonna be the lone voice in the cro...I guess I'm gonna be the lone voice in the crowd who points out that she is an AWFUL seamstress... None of my clothing items is practical and let's not get me started on the fit of my hand mades. Since I'm approx a 10 or 12 in RTW, I can find things that fit and flatter me. <br /><br />I DO hate the waste and damage fast fashion does in our world, but most of day to day clothing is blue jeans (skinny from H&M for $10), sneakers, my favorite Costo brand wool blend socks, a geeky small men's t-shirt from Target, a bra from the internet, and a $100 American Giant hoodie. <br /><br />I can't ask for a better quality hoodie and it certainly isn't "fast" fashion. Screen printing for geeky shirts is a skill I probably won't be adding to my arsenal anytime soon. Bra's are out because I am not gonna risk the ladies to my shoddy skills. Socks I could knit, but my love and energy shouldn't go into something the old, nail riddled, floors in my house devour. Jean's ARE on the list, but it's expensive fabric and fitting jeans is hard! I could stand to make more underpants though, that's more of a practice since I liked my first attempt. <br /><br />I sew because I have a million ideas and a compulsion to buy fabric when I am thrifting. Also, satisfaction when it works out. I am a compulsive creator and it's something I simply have to do to survive.Ronjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05464800282004201253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-28497223349122870902016-04-14T09:02:30.397-04:002016-04-14T09:02:30.397-04:00This is my favorite reply. I sew for the connectio...This is my favorite reply. I sew for the connection as well...I refuse to let sewing be a lost art in a world of fast fashion and sweat shops. I am sewing for my 3 year old daughter and it is so immensely gratifying seeing her pick out fabric, watch me sew, ask a dozen times if it's done yet, and then wear the item everywhere and fall asleep in it. It's a beautiful thing.Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16536962145323635965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-6892069492088739502016-04-13T22:20:17.891-04:002016-04-13T22:20:17.891-04:00Wow, small world! I went to college at WT. Wow, small world! I went to college at WT. Leigh Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17459054294111375380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-9306513408349089942016-04-13T14:27:56.074-04:002016-04-13T14:27:56.074-04:00Why do I sew? I've been sewing for more than 5...Why do I sew? I've been sewing for more than 50 years. H&M and Old Navy didn't exist when I started sewing and I can't even remember why I started sewing. My mother didn't sew and my grandmother had given up sewing years before. I sew because I can't afford the kind of quality that I can make. I also cannot find clothing that fits as well as I can make it. That and it's fun to plan and it's fun to sew. I think that if you compare what you sew to the prices at H&M or others of their ilk no you cannot save money, but if you are comparing and aspiring to sew high end rtw which costs an arm and a leg, then yes you do save money. I your favorite tee shirt sells for several hundred dollars, then you really do same money. I bought some gorgeous quality tie dye knit a lot like the fabric that Proenza Schouler uses for tees that cost more than $200. Even at $22 a yard I save money. The shirts you make are not the same as the ones sold by H&M. If you use high quality cotton your shirts are more akin to the ones sold by high end shirt makers that sell for hundreds. It's all relative, isn't it?Nancy Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02235347323004026695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-37547386901702502312016-04-13T13:56:03.320-04:002016-04-13T13:56:03.320-04:00Wow - that's the store my grandmother worked a...Wow - that's the store my grandmother worked at! I'm from Canyon (born there, but only actually lived there during my teenage years, as my Dad's work moved us around a lot), which I'm sure you're familiar with. I, too, have very fond memories of that store. They just don't make them like that anymore. Wacohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15117299813469075230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-54965951731620041562016-04-12T22:35:45.949-04:002016-04-12T22:35:45.949-04:00I definitely spend more on sewing than I ever did ...I definitely spend more on sewing than I ever did on my wardrobe before---but I have a much BETTER wardrobe now than did then. Tanit-Isishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15824217102632813598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-65143540835441808362016-04-12T15:26:32.613-04:002016-04-12T15:26:32.613-04:00Oh, Sakowitz! I loved that store. Back in the 80...Oh, Sakowitz! I loved that store. Back in the 80s, when I was in college, I loved the one in Amarillo. I couldn't afford anything in it, but I loved going in there and looking. They had the loveliest ladies room upstairs, all pink and celadon green, with a separate room with plush carpet and couches to lie down and rest when tired out from shopping. As a small town West Texas girl, I was fascinated by this. (And still am. What a civilized idea! Too bad they don't have things like that much anymore.) Alas, Sakowitz is long gone everywhere (a victim maybe of the oil bust in '86? Not sure about that, but it was about that time they closed). Leigh Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17459054294111375380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-71436467246934829712016-04-12T15:15:06.974-04:002016-04-12T15:15:06.974-04:00I think you need to consider time in rotation when...I think you need to consider time in rotation when comparing fast vs hand made. Fast fashion is usually bought and discarded within one year or less. Many hand made garments are made from higher quality fabric and can last for years. Natural fiber fabrics in RTW are expensive and hard to find. Garments made with natural fiber fabric have a rotation life that can be counted in decades rather than months. Sticking to classic styles that never will become passe, makes $$$ sense for any sewer.Denisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09155989557718044667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-36264494346657250612016-04-12T11:12:06.563-04:002016-04-12T11:12:06.563-04:00When I was a kid, my grandmother managed the linen...When I was a kid, my grandmother managed the linen's department at Sakowitz, a ritzy department store that has since closed. Most of my clothes and my brother's came from Sakowitz. My grandmother also made a lot of our clothes, up until we got to be 9 or 10 years old. And up until the early 90's it was still common to purchase good quality clothing in a store and immediately have it tailored to fit, so I grew up thinking of "RTW" in terms of high quality and tailoring. I was so relieved to get old enough to make my own choices, which inevitably veered to the opposite extreme (torn jeans, t-shirts, etc). As I got older and went to work I realized how expensive good quality clothing was, and I really appreciated my childhood wardrobe. I'm learning to sew, now, because I want to merge quality with my love of casual looks. I would much rather spend $70 or $80 a yard for super wonderful fabric I then turn in to a simple top or skirt or pants that'll will be unique and fit me and that I'll love, than spend $400 or $500 or even more for something similar that's priced that way mainly because it comes from a ritzy store. Not that I've spent $70 or $80 -- but when my skills get better (or when I start to amass some TNT patterns), that's the direction I won't mind going.Wacohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15117299813469075230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-19571573099646622162016-04-12T07:40:27.818-04:002016-04-12T07:40:27.818-04:00My sewing is a combination of a few things... I se... My sewing is a combination of a few things... I sew because I love it! Also, finding exactly what I want in RTW is very difficult at times. Mainly because of my fitting issues and styling aesthetics. (I love what I want and how I want it!) I've grown so accustomed to not even bothering with clothing shopping any longer. When I want something special, I tend to look online at stores and in magazines for inspiration. Then I go to my fabric stash and patterns. Myrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04359520837946001668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-72294768662766957782016-04-11T23:48:45.536-04:002016-04-11T23:48:45.536-04:00In an indirect way, I do save a bit of money throu...In an indirect way, I do save a bit of money through sewing. While fond of style and fashion, I've been averse to shopping in most stores. Regardless of the various fitness levels and sizes I've been over the years, finding styles that flattered and fit well was always a challenge. Between lack of decent clothing options and living in places with closets the size of a postage stamp, my wardrobe has often been rather sparse. I took it back up so that I COULD have more options to choose from. Granted, I'm still building my skills back up after way too long off the treadle, so I definitely shop sales and plan out my fabric to pattern projects. I do know that the stuff I've made is better quality, and since they're regular rotation, my cost per wear is definitely saving me some shekels. Grumpy Without Coffeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13896914631226102502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-83022355159099374252016-04-11T23:19:51.004-04:002016-04-11T23:19:51.004-04:00I think you can make clothes and save money if you...I think you can make clothes and save money if your goal is to make a garment with the same amount of quality as you would find at Macy's. When I was working, I made some tropical wool lined pants for about $50 to $60 dollars. In my size, if they were available you would have spent $500 or so for the same garment. They wore like iron and I still have them in my closet.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032903680375150744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-78547612584233471062016-04-11T20:54:20.387-04:002016-04-11T20:54:20.387-04:00I, too, love to sew and use thrift stores for yard...I, too, love to sew and use thrift stores for yardage, unusual prints, trim etc. Great fun and challenge. I'm also an avid remnant shopper and sence I'm less than 5 " tall I can always make something to wear from a yard or less.Allie Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02137314192459466847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-30224453949351466592016-04-11T19:28:53.143-04:002016-04-11T19:28:53.143-04:00The irony here is that -- having met the financial...The irony here is that -- having met the financial obligations involved in raising children and sending them to college -- I am now willing to spend more on clothes than I ever have in my life, only to find there is almost nothing out there but disposable crap for teenagers and shapeless bags for "mature" women (looking at you Eileen Fisher). Finally concluded that sewing is the only way I am going to get quality fabrics and good construction.<br />LWShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15416135561090611577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-51968346789031196742016-04-11T17:26:28.372-04:002016-04-11T17:26:28.372-04:00I just like to be creative and sewing is about the...I just like to be creative and sewing is about the only thing that really relaxes me. The construction, the different materials and other related stuff is just all inspirational to me. Shopping for clothes on the other hand stresses me out big time. I just can't stop thinking about the dust and other durt in a clothes shop and above all everyone trying on the clothes just makes me shiver.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-69471199842305668202016-04-11T17:08:49.979-04:002016-04-11T17:08:49.979-04:00I have recently returned to the sewing machine bec...I have recently returned to the sewing machine because I can find nothing in RTW that is stylish, age appropriate, and of decent quality. Improving fit is a bonus, Definitely not trying to save money, except with home dec projects -- I have saved tons making things like throw pillows and drapes.<br /><br /><br /><br />LWShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15416135561090611577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-60229145438887580232016-04-11T16:04:50.864-04:002016-04-11T16:04:50.864-04:00I sew a lot of merino for me, the kids and my husb...I sew a lot of merino for me, the kids and my husband and it's way cheaper to make than buy (an in nz and can pick up merino easily from fabric stores) I see because I get to choose what I wear, and so I can have different clothing to everyone else. Both my kids have strong views on what they like and so we can make their visions work. Fantastikathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11705794218304638956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-317622377892211232016-04-11T14:40:01.050-04:002016-04-11T14:40:01.050-04:00I don't have a google account, sorry for posti...I don't have a google account, sorry for posting as 'anonymous'.<br />I started making my own clother because I both loved sewing and my measurements were very much different from the average sizes - my waist too thin, bum too curvy, arms too long, shoulders too sloping, and other minor measurments differed from standards. Storebought are always a bit ill fitting. Even if it wasn't so I'd prefer my own made mostly because wearing them feels much better. Investing your time and effort adds some non-cash value to the garment, no money can buy it. KristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com