Sewing

Are there any other seamstresses out there?

I really enjoy sewing and creating things from scratch--particularly costumes. I started sewing when I was 13 years old for 4-H, and I've been doing it ever since. My mother was a seamstress/tailor before I was born and taught me the tricks of the trade. Most of my projects have been formal wear or costuming, but I have made the occasional practical item like a pair of pants.

Does anyone else enjoy sewing? What is your favorite part? Do you have certain types of projects you prefer or enjoy doing more? Have you learned any neat tricks or shortcuts? This is the place to discuss your projects, current, past, and future, and ask for advice form others!

I want to be a seamstress, and actually have sewn a lot of things from clothes to quilts/curtains/pillows to upholstery and even sculptures.

My main problem is finding fabric to use. I go into a fabric store and can't find anything I like- or I like fabric that isn't really right for my project. I get confused and leave. :lol: My other problems are space and time related. Sewing projects take a lot of space and I don't have a room dedicated to this kind of work. It has to take over the dining room or office. And time! It takes a lot of time to get started and then I tend to get in a rush and shortcut, so the quality of my sewing is not great.

I adore sewing, but my problem, as has already been pointed out, is time!
I also get bored with repetativeness, with I find quite often in certain things such as upholstery.
I have been sewing since I was about five years old (Obviously not with real needles! :) ) I helped my mother with a few things, and really enjoyed it.
I could read and use a pattern at eleven years old.
I love being creative, and often make up samples of random things and join them together, something I am doing for my college course, and I quilt them too.
I would like to learn how to make my own dress making patterns, but I don't think I have enough patience to do something like that.

It is great to hear from other people who like sewing, because everyone in my college course moans about it :)

xx

My mum taught me how to do embroidery but I haven't done it in 3-4 years now. :(
I wanted to start again and I love making stuff...But I just don't get round to doing it!

I would like to learn how to make my own dress making patterns, but I don't think I have enough patience to do something like that.


I got a couple of books and learned how to adapt patterns to the perfect fit. I made a t-shirt pattern that had just the right fit- neck line and sleeve length and style. It was great. But only ever sewed two of them.

My mother does that kind of thing all the time, and used to design dresses for me putting parts together from different patterns.

.. I sew.. I have to.
.. I'm in school for fashion Design..
I've been sewing since I was about 12... I started out making clothes for my barbies... No one really taught me how to do it... No one I know sews... I had to figure out how to do everything on my own
I got into making costumes for anime conventions when I was about 15..
I did it all by hand for years.. I didn't have a sewing machine until I was 18 or so ^^;;

At the moment, I'm in my second year of fashion design in college...

For anyone considering doing fashion in college, it's very expensive, and it's a lot of work

It is really expensive! My mother used to sew because it was cheaper than buying ready made- but it's not like that any more.

I'm not a seamstress, but my grandmother was a seamstress. When she came here from Italy she started her own business out of her home. She used to make people's wedding and bridesmaid dresses, and also she would repair and alter clothes.

It is really expensive! My mother used to sew because it was cheaper than buying ready made- but it's not like that any more.
It really depends on the project. Sewing, say, a pair of pants is generally much cheaper than buying them in a store; formal wear or coats on the other hand can end up being just as or more expensive than buying it in a store. It mainly depends on the fabric and the accessories (beading, trim, zippers, etc) needed for the project.

As mentioned earlier, fitting a pattern is something that is very important that most people don't pay enough attention to. Many people just cut whatever size they think they are, which is where bad homemade clothing comes from. You really need another person to help you measure yourself and then adjust the pattern to fit what you need. If I made patterns the way they came, the chests would be too wide, shoulders too narrow, and every pair of pants or skirt would be far too short. :lol:

I started on a teddy made of towels now. It's more difficult than I expected, especially as I am not used to those "sewing terms" and I sometimes not know what to do. :lol:

I started on a teddy made of towels now. It's more difficult than I expected, especially as I am not used to those "sewing terms" and I sometimes not know what to do. :lol:
Stuffed animals can be quite a challenge! If you have questions about different sewing terms, I'd be glad to help you. :)

Stuffed animals can be quite a challenge! If you have questions about different sewing terms, I'd be glad to help you. :)
Thank you!

The problem is that the site and description is in German otherwise I'd link it. :shrug:

I'm making a teddy bear too! :D I'm doing it by hand (I'm hopless with a machine, it hates me) and it's not turning out as ugly as I thought it was going to....

I'm making a teddy bear too! :D I'm doing it by hand (I'm hopless with a machine, it hates me) and it's not turning out as ugly as I thought it was going to....
Sewing by hand takes me forever so I admire the patience with which you are sewing your bear!

What kind of sewing machine do you have out of curiosity?

I have to sew a tailored suit for class.. Need a jacket, and pants... I'm making them for my boyfriend (because he's paying for materials) .. I'll post pictures when they're done =D

i in general love textiles and sewing :D my future ambition is to become a costume designer/maker and in under two years i will hopefully be off to a London Fashion university to do a Costume Design course for three years that looks absolutely amazing!!! i would love to sew in my space time for fun...making some clothes liek costumes however college takes up all of my time...i do Textiles in college which i love and i did it too in high school so i have been sewing for a few years and have learnt different techniques etc....embriodery....i love it...machine embroidery is fun too..i just get on the machine and go!!! i just get this huge thrill it is amazing :lol: however in my summer hols this year i am going to make a few corsets which i am excited for...also i might go and work with a designer i did some work experience with...with ehr i made a lot of curtains....they were huge as well :lol: so i picked a few tips off her as well :D yeah...any tips on making corsets anyone??? :D

I kind of like sewing plus it is the only alternative to be able to wear appropriate skirts and dresses. I just made a couple weeks ago a purple skirt with sequens running all down in stripes and then I made a spagetti strap white dress with redish pink flowers on it. It's really cute!! My next project is a purse and another dress.

I made a bag for my first school project then a cushion for my second. I couldn't find the exact type of material I wanted, but I was pleased non the less.

Has anyone else done GCSE textiles by the way? I did and was predicted an A but got a B. I was pleased with that though because I was doing 13 GCSE's otherwise I could have invested more time. And it was by far one of my most demanding courses.

Here are some photos of my cushion, bearing in mind that the aim was to demonstrate how many different techniques we could do rather than design which was second. There's tie dye, batik, hand embroidery, quilting, couching and various other techniques on there. Plus a handy zip at the bottom. :)

Front:

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll99/alwayssilverdoe/Forums/S7301337.jpg

Back:

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll99/alwayssilverdoe/Forums/S7301338.jpg

I loved reading all the posts in this thread. It is amazing how many of you started sewing at such a young age. I started when I was 10. I got a sewing machine for Christmas and some sewing lessons to go with it. I made an outfit for my Cabbage Patch Kid - which definitely shows my age. :)

I love sewing, but it does take up a lot of time. I now mostly make quilts and I also make skirts and dresses for my little girls. They're not picky and they love that I made them something.

I actually just got some 'double gauze' Japanese fabric that I've never seen or worked with before. I think I'm going to make night gowns out of it. It is soooo soft. It was on sale, so I thought why not. :)

Anyone making Halloween costumes?

I made the easiest ones ever (2) this year. The kids wanted to be vampires, so I decided to make long, full black cloaks for them, and came up with a super easy, cheap way to do it. I bought one queen sized flat sheet in black cotton from Wal-mart. Then I measured the length for my older son, and made a fold. I stitched a seam just below the fold, and then cut off the "excess", most of the length of the sheet. I then used a hand sewing needle to baste gathers into the cloak just above the seam, measured the needed neck side, and tightened the gathers to that length. Then I pinned the gathered end of the cloak to a black ribbon, and seweed seems along the top and bottom of the ribbon. The result looks great! My son can lift his hands out to his sides and the cloak barely opens in front, it is that full. He loves it.

I then repeated the process for my other son.

The beauty of using a sheet is that I did not need to do any hemming at all - the two hemmed ends of the sheet ended up being the hems of the two cloaks, and the hemmed sides of the sheet, the two sides of the cloak. It took maybe 2 hours altogether, with interruptions to keep my kids from destroyign the family room (our customary evening activity).

I was too lazy to sew my carnival costume, my gran did it. :whistle:

Of all the things I sewed am I so proud of my pillow. It is all self-sewed and painted (it's in Japanese style) and I use it for countless years now (maybe I should wash it more often though).

I learned sewing at school, at the age of 12 or so and liked it. Made bags, pillows and other things, but they are all lost. I wish their would be reasons and occassions for me to sew more, but there is any except carnival.

Anyone making Halloween costumes?

I made the easiest ones ever (2) this year. The kids wanted to be vampires, so I decided to make long, full black cloaks for them, and came up with a super easy, cheap way to do it. I bought one queen sized flat sheet in black cotton...
I did a similar thing one year for myself as a Princess Leia costume. :) Of course I got a white sheet for it. Although Mine was a bit more like a poncho with a hole cut in the middle and then parts taken off the sides to make sleeves. I managed to use part of the extra for a hood. It was all hand sewn in giant stitches, but it looked great. It even lasted a second Halloween when my sister used it the following year. :)

This year I've made 2 kitty cat costumes for my girls. A black cat and a white cat. I got some faux fur and sewed it around an old headband for ears. Then made wrist bands and a tail. The rest is a leotard and tights. Pretty easy to put together.

:)

I sew and I've made a few different things. I'm aspiring to be a costumer. :D

Yes I do also passionate about stitching and sewing

yess. i sew a lot.
i get all of my clothes that i own really cheap from thrift/second-hand stores and then i wack them apart and sew them back together again so they fit better and how i want them too =]
its pretty awesome because i dont have to spend like 40 dollars on like a pair of pants from the mall and whatnot.because for one i dont have 40 dollars lol

I have just noticed this thread. I was looking for a place to talk about sewing and discuss ideas and get tips, but I was looking over in the Fashion forum, hehe. I'm glad I found you guys (or should I say girls, hehe). I am so jealous of you who have been sewing since you were little. I mean, hemming up trousers, sewing on a button, and patching something were skills I sort of picked up on my own at random times, only in the last four years did I start taking classes and work on full construction projects. Now, I'm happy to say, I'm a decent seamster(?) and tailor, hehe.

Right now, I'm working on a dress for my sister but no longer have access to a serger so have sort of halted that project. Also working on some blue jeans for myself and a couple of shirts and coats. My big project this year, however, is going to be my Hallowe'en costume:

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/Rastaban43/Boutique/TronCostume.jpg

Unfortunately, there aren't really any better screen shots from that film yet, so I'm still at a loss for where to start. I want to try and make it as authentic as possible, but finding vinyl/rubber fabrics might be impossible here. Utah is a veritable fabric wasteland, lol. Anyway, I see this thread hasn't been updated in well over a year, so I hope you haven't all left. XD

I have just noticed this thread. I was looking for a place to talk about sewing and discuss ideas and get tips, but I was looking over in the Fashion forum, hehe. I'm glad I found you guys (or should I say girls, hehe). I am so jealous of you who have been sewing since you were little. I mean, hemming up trousers, sewing on a button, and patching something were skills I sort of picked up on my own at random times, only in the last four years did I start taking classes and work on full construction projects. Now, I'm happy to say, I'm a decent seamster(?) and tailor, hehe.

Right now, I'm working on a dress for my sister but no longer have access to a serger so have sort of halted that project. Also working on some blue jeans for myself and a couple of shirts and coats. My big project this year, however, is going to be my Hallowe'en costume:

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/Rastaban43/Boutique/TronCostume.jpg

Unfortunately, there aren't really any better screen shots from that film yet, so I'm still at a loss for where to start. I want to try and make it as authentic as possible, but finding vinyl/rubber fabrics might be impossible here. Utah is a veritable fabric wasteland, lol. Anyway, I see this thread hasn't been updated in well over a year, so I hope you haven't all left. XD

My husband sews and is working on costumes for us. :)

I'm not sure about rubber but we found a place online for vinyl.

http://www.mjtrends.com/

The shipping and service were really good.

I'm not sure about rubber but we found a place online for vinyl.

http://www.mjtrends.com/

The shipping and service were really good.Thanks for the tip. I might end up getting the patent vinyl or pvc they've got. The price is right. Do you know if they ship swatches?

Thanks for the tip. I might end up getting the patent vinyl or pvc they've got. The price is right. Do you know if they ship swatches?

I'm not sure, but if you need to call and ask, they do get back to you right away.

Ooh, I forgot about this thread and posted somewhere else. But here's a question for you guys:

I'm about to remake a vinyl bag with patent leather and a polyester (probably) lining. I've never worked with leather before on this scale. I'm not worried about it, but I have a bit of an odd question, maybe. Do I need to worry about interfacing at all for the bag or the lining, and if so, what kind would be recommended? Thanks!

Ooh, I forgot about this thread and posted somewhere else. But here's a question for you guys:

I'm about to remake a vinyl bag with patent leather and a polyester (probably) lining. I've never worked with leather before on this scale. I'm not worried about it, but I have a bit of an odd question, maybe. Do I need to worry about interfacing at all for the bag or the lining, and if so, what kind would be recommended? Thanks!I've only used interfacing to stiffen up a fabric. So I'm not sure you'd need any with patent leather. But I guess if it's slippery it may help the fabric get through the machine.

I've only used fusible interfacing and I always go for the lightest/thinnest kind because I usually want the fabric to still move.

Don't think I've helped, but good luck!

I'm a hobby seamstress and I love it! I almost only sew costumes and fun stuff. I am now working on a Renaissence dress for a festival I hope to attend this summer. My next project will be a Prof. McGonagall costume. Any tips for that?

There is a Yahoo Group called Madam Malkins and there are lots of resources there. I love this woman's McG costume: (you might have to join the group to see the pics)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MadameMalkins/photos/album/2137532869/pic/1041766670/view?picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=1&count=20&dir=asc

I made 2 Hogwarts robes last year for my kids for Halloween. I found a few really good websites that goes over how to make a basic robe, and some are more difficult than others.

Easy robe: http://www.servantsofthelight.org/knowledge/makingrobes.html
(Several instructions on that link, some easier than others)

And this one has such great research: http://www.rebelshaven.com/hogwarts.html#robe

Thank you!! I'll take a look at those as soon as I'm done with this gown! :) And once I get started on the next project I'll keep you updated!

Hi all!
I have made this mini hat on a hair clip as part of my (yet to be sewn) witch costume... if you like and want to know how to make one, let me know. :)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/255617_1394306834071_1724217875_650414_3926539_n.j pg

That looks awesome. I thought it's a real hat sitting on a broom handle. :lol:

That looks awesome. I thought it's a real hat sitting on a broom handle. :lol:

haha it's a mini hat (10cm) sitting on my wand! :)

If anyone is interested in costuming, the society for creative anachronism is an awesome group, as they do period medieval clothing, they are in most countries, just do a google for "sca". many wizard outfits are in fact period costumes with minor changes. this is where I realy learned to sew well. although I do personaly prefer to make armour from metal and leather, my 16th century jousting suit is my fav, heavy but glorious, fully acid etched and all.

I enjoy sewing, particularly embroidery, I'm just not very good at it! :D I'm practising though, trying out lazy daisies and French knots on fabric...hopefully it can only get better :D

I did sew another mini hat on a hairclip (that can be attached to hair band) and a wand bag to match it, of course! ;)
http://a0.img.mobypicture.com/e8a8a8cc605d274bde603aae21074dc4_view.jpg