do you sew?

[monolayth]

Just wanted to see who all sews here and what your specalties are.


I sew and do mostly costuming. and Mostly tudor style gowns.

there is a pic of one of my gowns in the photo album.

[XCashier]

I've done some sewing this past year. Mainly, my SCA outfit. When I lose a decent amount of weight, I'm going to make myself a fancier dress.

[Igorina]

I can sew most types of everyday clothing from suits to blouses.

I have sewn a few costumes.

I generally have to make my own patterns for my club/con clothes. If I end up buying them, I can alter them to fit flatteringly.

Slightly off Topic, but I crochet and can do most forms of embroidery.

I can link/post to a few photos of the costumes...and I think I have the photo of the wool suit.

[Seshat]

Both my best friend and I sew. I've sewn for years - my mother taught me to sew on buttons as soon as I could be expected to sew the fabric and not my finger.

My 'specialty', such as it was, was mending for a very long time. Occasionally making something, but more often mending or converting one item into another. (such as scrap fabric and doona covers into a quilted 'blanket'.)

Nowadays, my specialty is making or altering clothing for me (classic hourglass, slanted waist, square shoulders, extremely busty, very large build), my best friend (relaxed rectangle, somewhat busty, narrow waist, medium build), and our blind friend (pear, rounded shoulders, minimal bust, small build, short). I have a small amount of excess fat to allow for in my clothing, my best friend is extremely muscular for her build, which sometimes requires alterations. Our blind friend doesn't need modifications for those, but some of the less practical fashion elements (such as droopy sleeves) can be a problem, and clothing which is fussy to get into isn't practical for her.

The other two can find things in charity shops that will fit them properly with alterations, and they both love the process, so it's more common to mend or alter for them than to make. Me? It's almost easier to make than to buy, though a couple of larger-sizes specialty stores will have things.

Before I met my best friend, I used to just buy 'tents'. As in, if it actually got onto my body and didn't look hideous, it would do.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I sew too. I got a sewing machine for Christmas when I was 9, and was given 4-H sewing lessons for several years after that. My Grandmother is a crafting/sewing fiend, and all my aunts and female cousins (and some of my male cousins too) know how to sew extensively. I'm into detail work---faggoting, embroidery, pintucking, pleating, beading, flounces/frills, etc. All the stuff that people used to add to clothing but rarely do anymore as it is so cost prohibitive.

I collect vintage patterns off of ebay, as well as seeking out websites with instructions for recreating vintage patterns. I'm really into Edwardian and jazz era fashions, although I also love making 40's/50's day dresses and such. I'm actually into historical European costuming from all eras, I just mostly wear early 20th century stuff. I love to read about historical costumes and look at pictures and such.

http://marquise.de/en/index.html

This is one of the most awesome sites I have ever found. It's a virtual treasure trove of information. Originally written in German, the site is being slowly translated into an English version as well.

[Jpurple]

I sew, but as my sewing machine is in storage on the other side of the planet, anything I do is done entirely by hand. At the moment it's mostly hem repair, button replacement and hemming new pants for my husband. When I had my sewing machine I also made baby clothes for the munchkin and SCA garb for my husband and myself.
I knit, crochet, and cross-titch as well, but I'm very, very slow. I prefer to stick ot things like bookmarks because I actually stand a chance of getting them finished.

[Bright_Star]

I can sew. Just know how to do a "running stitch". It does the job..lol.

[Becks]

I can mend, replace buttons and do simple hems.

I want to be able to do so much more.

[It shouldn't]

I can sew, but don't have the patience to do some of the intricate stuff.

My big thing is crocheting, mainly filet crochet (lacy patterns with really thin thread)
I crochet doillies, lace edges for sheets/towels/etc., and curtains. Working on my bedroom curtains right now.

[Saydrah]

I sew stuff for my rats- that's about it.

[patiokitty]

I used to do a lot of sewing before I started university. Before that I used to make all sorts of things - all the way from baby clothes to full Elizabethan gowns.

I've designed my own patterns for SCA garb for my friends when I was still in the SCA, and sewed for a White Scarf once upon a time.

When my son was little I rarely bought his clothes ready-made because I prefered to sew them - Kwik-Sew patterns had some of the cutest stuff for toddlers!

I've even tried my skills at quilting...I enjoy making the quilt tops but I think I only ever completed two quilts in my life! I can never decide on what I want for backing when I make a quilt top.

Now I mainly crochet, although I do know how to cross-stitch, knit, and tat. It's easy to take ball of yarn and a hook with me to a lecture and work on something between taking notes. And it keeps me busy when I'm waiting for my next class too.

[tropicsgoddess]

I crochet. I can do baby caps, pot holders,scarves,shawls and blankets. Just the basic stuff. I'm trying to learn some of the more intermediate stitches to make things like ponchos ans such.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

I love to sew. It's mostly costumes for conventions. My latest was a gothic lolita-esque outfit I wore to AWA.

[coldcupofjoe]

I've made my own pants before. Does that count?

I wish I had a sewing machine now cuz that would be whole hell of a lot cheaper than buying pants...

[sms001]

Just wanted to see who all sews here and what your specalties are.


Kind of. My mother-in-law got me a machine for Christmas a few years ago, and I use it to hem, do repairs, that kind of thing. The toughest thing I've tackled so far is reupholstering a couch. Curves are hard :)

[Becks]

Curves are hard :)

Not all of them. :angel:

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I see all the SCAdians are chiming in on this thread. :wave:

I sew, but I'm not very good at it. Mainly, I make SCA clothes for myself and various people. Fortunately, the clothing my household wears is mostly very simple. We ladies wear "infinite gore" skirts....huge, multicolored circle skirts that are actually pretty easy to make. I can make a poufy sleeved shirt or chemise, but I would rather buy one. I have made fitted garment, but I hate it and I'm not good at it, so I usually buy my doublets. The gents in my group wear poufy "gypsy" trousers, and those are easy to make, too.

Amazingly, I made a small quilt and some eyelet curtains for my daughter's room off the top of my head and they came out perfect.

And if upholstering furniture counts as sewing, I can do that, too. Actually, I'm a better upholsterer than I am a tailor.

[Seshat]

Kind of. My mother-in-law got me a machine for Christmas a few years ago, and I use it to hem, do repairs, that kind of thing. The toughest thing I've tackled so far is reupholstering a couch. Curves are hard :)

Curves take practice.

Find a piece of paper with a variety of curves on it. (Also some straight lines, if you need straight line practice.) Draw the curves if you have to.

With an un-threaded machine and a needle you don't mind blunting, sit down and try to follow the curves on the paper. Keep doing it until you're totally bored silly, or the needle holes are precisely in the middle of the lines.

Now thread the machine with a contrast thread, switch to a sharp needle, and do the same with scrap fabric with curves in the pattern or drawn on. Fabric behaves differently from paper, but the practice you had with the paper will help you improve with the fabric.

I find wovens easier than knits, cottons easier than silky-synthetics, and slippery fabrics very difficult. So start with scrap woven cotton (or cotton-like) fabric that's not slippery, and keep challenging yourself with more and more difficult fabrics until you're happy with your skill at curves.

Using the different scrap fabrics will also help you develop skills at choosing tensions and needles: by the time you can sew straight lines and curves precisely on all fabrics, you'll be great at the sewing part of sewing. All you'll need now is pattern choice, fabric choice, pattern alteration . . . all the fun part. :)

[DarthRetard]

I dont sew, but sew what?

*ducks*:lol:

[sms001]

Curves take practice....Find a piece of paper with

Thank you so much - I'll keep all this in mind.

[Seshat]

Glad I could help.

My mum taught me basic sewing machine usage with leftover wrapping paper. That's how I know the trick. ;)

[monolayth]

i took a sewing class my sr year in high school. They made us pratice with paper first too.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Speaking of leftover wrapping paper, every year after Christmas I go to the nearest Target type store and buy the rolls of wrapping paper on clearance. They always have a few, ugly, pitiful rolls left, and they want them gone. They'll discount them to like 25-50 cents a roll. I stock up, because I use it to draw pattern pieces on.

[wagegoth]

I was hand sewing clothes for my doll before I was in school. I also learned basic crochet stitches and simple beading at that age. I first learned to knit when I was nine.

I used to sew nearly all my clothes, except I never liked sewing pants. I even made a winter coat.

When I studied belly dancing, I made a couple of costumes.

Now, I have no time. I work full-time and have a commute that's well over an hour each way. School part-time, two kids and a husband. I've pretty much given it up.