Making your own clothes?

[liashoes]

I went through my stepdad's closet and found a shirt. It's a little tough to get on whichever way I try to..but I folded it and it looked pretty cool.

Photos please!

 

[crepebacksatin]

i'm also going to start working on a few pieces for myself for fall soon... glad i found this thread!!

i have no need to go fabric shopping, because i kinda hoard it... my studio space is like a fabric store... so much of everything! so far i've pulled out:

- a big, wide piece of charcoal wool jersey (probably 3-4 yards)
- azalea-colored duchesse satin
- cream-colored corded lace with a nice drape
- amazing black chiffon with oversized checkerboard pattern woven into it w/beigey-gold lurex ( !!! )
- lightweight heathered grey cotton knit
- black/grey linen/silk woven w/a bit of a sheen and teensy slubs
- eggplant silk organza

i have it all laid out and am waiting for it to speak to me

will post updates as i go... i've sketched a little but still am not 100% on what i'm making yet... the chiffon/lurex stuff will probably be a drapey sleeveless top for layering, but other than that am not settled on any shapes yet.

yay for sewing!

 

[jun3machina]

awesome! i just finshed a black rayon/linen blend dress i'll have to take pics of. im going to get my beloved wool today! yahoo! i'll post pics of my pallette and sketches too

 

[kissmesweet]

I really want to make a simple tote bag... and screenprint out a nice picture!

 

[jun3machina]

i just picked up some white cotton/silk satin, white voile and this floral stuff to do some dresses reminiscent of chloe s/s 06. i started on that rust swing coat, and once again realized why it's always so much better making your own patterns as opposed to buying one....the fit is awful, so i have to do some alterations...many many alterations...and it was a vogue pattern too :crybaby:

i also picked up some natural gauze with gold flecks and some blood red striped shirting. im really in need of dresses, so that's what i've been making for the most part. im really inspired by chloe s/s 06 dresses, the colors from marc jacobs fall 2007 collection, and then vintage inspiration.

i found this awesome cut of silk/wool/spandex i picked up late in the year last year...and forgot about, so im going to make that up into an equestrian type coat i think...very victorianana

 

[Rightguard]

After reading through a few pattern making books, I have decided to try and start making my own patterns. I will update when I have made some things.

 

[gius]

you guys have so much energy
i'm gonna try and finish up my patterns this week..hopefully
or at the least, i will have the bodice + sleeves finished
i have quite a lot of other work to do :S

 

[fourboltmain]

you guys have so much energy

You're obviously not talking to me. In my draping class I brought a staple gun because I hate spending so much time with pins.

 

[Street_a_Licious]

Question: If I do a trenchcoat, but can only find a pattern for a woman's trench, can I use that and make one for men simply by mirroring the pattern? Or are there more differences?

 

[DandyWarhol]

im making this little smock shirt right now.. its getting a bit frustrating only because i measured three parts the right way and one part the wrong way. =[
pics when im done!

 

[jun3machina]

Question: If I do a trenchcoat, but can only find a pattern for a woman's trench, can I use that and make one for men simply by mirroring the pattern? Or are there more differences?

i would actually not do that, as most womens patterns have darts or seams to accentuate the bust line. if you could find maybe a mens suit or jacket pattern that had an open front, it'd be easier to just extend the pattern with lapels, a double breasted front, etc....trenches are basically basic jackets with added areas in the collars, pockets, and front. you could use a picture for referance of where all these lil details go, but the basic fit is most important. hope that helps.

 

[Street_a_Licious]

Merci! Cause I read that there is a pattern of a Burberry Prorsum Trench around...

 

[Rightguard]

What are some sites devoted to DIY fashion/ making clothes? I am itching to see some people's creations.

 

[uhdinger]

i can recommend to start by talking with an experienced tailor or pattern maker in your area. books aren't bad either but i learn a lot from our tailors and its just so different if someone explains you everything hands on.

if you can't find a tailor maybe a sewing class might also offer information about patternmaking.

 

[lukewarm]

For those of you that can offer a bit of advice, what brand/sort of sewing machine did you buy to begin with?

 

[gius]

For those of you that can offer a bit of advice, what brand/sort of sewing machine did you buy to begin with?

My first sewing machine is the Janome's Memory Craft 6000; and I still use it
It's an embroidery machine and the machine I got is used and was on sale
and it had a bunch of stitches I wanted to try --plus it comes with a bunch of different feet, like hemmer foot and zipper foot

I say get a machine that looks and feels sturdy
(like mine is so heavy and probably made completely of metal, not plastic!)
So it will last longer
Get a machine that will do what you want to do
For sewing clothing, I think all you need is running stitches, zig-zag stitch, and being able to alter the length and width of these stitches (ie. zig-zag in condense format creates a stitch to be used to finish edges for buttonholes)

I guess it's good to get a machine that's a little heavy
so when you deal with heavy fabrics or something, you won't run the risk of your machine toppling over while you sew and maybe smash your feet

 

[fourboltmain]

Check the warranties on the machines. A good one will have a 25 year warranty, which I couldn't believe at first. Pick a machine around your skill level. My Brother has a one step buttonholing thing that's a lifesaver. I also wanted an overlocker, which it has as well. It's good enough for what I know hoe to do, and I got it for about $125 or so at a Wal-Mart.

If you're taking a sewing class, get a lighter one, so you're not carrying a 30 pound machine around. Don't worry about feet, as you can buy new ones anyway. Stay away from plastic presser feet too.

 

[gius]

^One problem though, is that some machines don't come with certain feet
Like the manufacturer for my machine doesn't make a Felling Foot --at least that is what I was told when I had a shop call them

What's it mean when the buttonhole function is one-step? I always hear about easy steps ones... You just put your fabric in and it overcasts the rectangular buttonhole for you? What if you got irregular sized buttonholes.. custom-sized, etc.

 

[lukewarm]

Thank you both so much. I did find another thread here in the diy forum where at some point you were all discussing your preferred machines so I've been looking at Singers, Janomes, Berninis etc, for the past few hours. I also found the thread where Fourboltmain listed the instructions of how to make a dress form. I never thought about that! I've always assumed that I'll just buy a dress form off of ebay or maybe in a shop around here if I can find one, but when I think about it, what's the benefit of having a generic dress form when it obviously can't have the correct proportions? I suppose that's why patterns and my measurements must be correct. Now I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed because I'm only now understanding how much studying this will take. I really appreciate your help on how to choose a machine. I will look for one with a warranty, and Gius I think that I really do want a heavier metal sewing machine, aside from the functionality of a sturdier frame I prefer the aesthetic! Okayy back to sleuthing! I need muslin, I am going to buy the pattern-making book, I feel obsessed.

 

[lukewarm]

Get a machine that will do what you want to do
For sewing clothing, I think all you need is running stitches, zig-zag stitch, and being able to alter the length and width of these stitches (ie. zig-zag in condense format creates a stitch to be used to finish edges for buttonholes)

Thanks! This is so nice to have a direction.

Also, the overlocker and one-step buttonholing sounds helpful.