why don't you make clothes?

I admire your resolve. I bet you'll be a fabulous dressmaker.
I love to quilt, and do a pretty fair job, I think. I don't make
garments
because I was scarred for life in home economics class. I still
have nightmares about A-line skirts with invisible zippers. :-(
Seriously. The only thing my home economics teacher successfuly
taught me was to hate sewing.
But I've been thinking about wanting a vintage-style full-dress apron,
made
out of feedsack-type fabric. I bet I could swing that one.

Ah, but I'll never make an A-line skirt with an invisible zipper, I
think stretch fabrics are actually much more forgiving, if you get the
machine set right - I chopped up some cheap t-shirts to turn into
nursing shirts (almost unavailable and expensive in the UK) and I did
manage to get a reasonable seam without puckering after a lot of
playing, but I think you need the fancy threads if it's going to be
something more closely fitted, as the seam needs to stretch much more
once it's sewn. Start with black I guess, it's a common colour for
dance trousers and skirts.

Cheers
Anne

Clothes aren't flat. I don't do what is not flat!

:0)

Actually, every time I have ever made a piece of clothing, I have not
liked it well at all. Although I will do those easy-peasy sundresses
for my daughter since I only have to sew one seam and make some FLAT
straps to attach at the top!

Dannielle

On May 17, 12:26*am, Kate XXXXXX
wrote:
As a dress and costume maker and teacher, my advice would be to start
with something basic and classic and learn the methods of fitting.
There are some excellent books that can help, from comprehensive
dressmaking manuals to start you off to specialist books on fitting.
Just ask if you want some titles to look out for.

Once you know your way round a garment, and can fit one, start on the
stretch fabrics. *Make yourself some exercise clothing to start with,
and maybe a swimsuit or two! *See if you like the stretch fabric sewing
before dipping into the deep waters... *Fitting competition dance
dresses is a specialist field, as is learning the fitting for negative
ease in stretch fabrics. *The fabrics themselves are not especially
difficult to handle using the right equipment. *You'll need patience, a
serger/overlocker, and a steady hand and lots of time! *You'll find that
a lot of your quilting skills WILL transfer, but you'll also need to
learn a few new ones...

Once you have made a few basic practice dresses to hone your skills, you
can start playing with some fantastic effect fabrics and all the
glorious Rhinestones, which need to be glued in one at a time! *You'll
be getting into Swarovski crystals, hot-fix wands, special fabric glues
and all sorts! *Some of those gowns take 40-50 HOURS just to glue the
stuff on after the basic frock is made...

I can see if I can dig out some of my suppliers of stuff that I gathered
on both sides of the pond when a customer asked for a quote for a Latin
dance dress for you after tomorrow if you like. *(Tomorrow I deliver a
couple of wedding outfits - page boy uniforms based on Royal Artillery
of Foot, circa 1880-90.)

I make clothes because I love the challenge. *I'd rather make historical
dress than plastic bridesmaids. *I quilt to relax after the intensity of
the costume stuff.

What a helpful reply, Kate, it's funny, when I posted, I was really
posting out of curiosity on others feelings on dressmaking, but my own
musings as to this unintentionally posed questions, but that's great,
I'm getting answers I didn't even know I wanted!

I have sewed stretch fabric, with good results, before I had a serger.
But you're right, I do need to learn some skills on regular fabric, it
pains me to do so as I don't like to do things without purpose and I'd
never wear one of the classic first projects of pj bottoms, same with
many other things I just don't get on well with wearing things like
that! I've been chatting with people at the dancing studio and it
seems that a lot of people do dabble in it out of necessity, one
fitted for you is a small fortune, even if you do go for the option of
fixing on your own rhinestones. So there is a lot of adapting of off
the shelf dresses going on. Competition rules in the US for youth
costumes is very strict, rhinestones are banned until certain ages and
levels, but of course the kids want them and if they do a show where
the rules don't apply, a plain top and skirt isn't really appropriate
- we were at a show last weekend and I noticed some of them had been
very creative about adding things to an outfit that could then be
removed for competition, but there were also some gorgeous dresses,
but a lot less rhinestones than a full blown adult dress.

I hope to compete more myself, I don't have a partner right now and am
at a level where in some competitions the same costume rules as the
kids apply, but hopefully within the next couple of years I will get
the chance to do some of the higher levels and get to where a costume
- but looking at prices gave me a heart attack, you can spend over
1000 dollars without rhinestones, for an off the shelf dress!
Rhinestones are expensive, but a lot of the cost for the rest is the
hours it takes the maker, hence the appeal of figuring it out for
myself!

If you have any links/resources I would really appreciate them.

Btw, I do love your historical costumes.

Anne

ROTFL

--
Kay Ahr in NV
http://community.webshots.com/user/kayahr
to respond to me directly, remove "WESTHI" from the email address



"Kate XXXXXX" wrote in message
...
Kay Ahr wrote:
I used to but not any more because all my patterns shrank.

Kay Ahr in NV
Silly girl! You're supposed to wash the CLOTHES, not the PATTERNS!

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Anne Rogers wrote:

What a helpful reply, Kate, it's funny, when I posted, I was really
posting out of curiosity on others feelings on dressmaking, but my own
musings as to this unintentionally posed questions, but that's great,
I'm getting answers I didn't even know I wanted!

My first love is, and always will be, garment making. I love to quilt,
but the 3D aspect of garment making and the multitude of fabrics and
effects are special. One day I shall indulge my fancy and combine an
art quilt plus garment and make a wearable art quilt! I love to
airbrush fabric too - another skill you might find yourself exploring in
the dance wear world!

I have sewed stretch fabric, with good results, before I had a serger.
But you're right, I do need to learn some skills on regular fabric, it
pains me to do so as I don't like to do things without purpose and I'd
never wear one of the classic first projects of pj bottoms, same with
many other things I just don't get on well with wearing things like
that!

But you need practice skirts and dresses! Hone the skills on those, and
a few swimsuits! Leotards are another good practice garment... Hit the
sale tables and see what you can find in cheap stretch Lycra/nylon, and
see what you can do.

Having done some of this stuff with both a standard sewing machine,
using stretch fabric techniques, and with the serger, I'd have to say
that to get a strong enough, stretchy enough seam with a professional
finish, you really do need the serger.

I've been chatting with people at the dancing studio and it
seems that a lot of people do dabble in it out of necessity, one
fitted for you is a small fortune, even if you do go for the option of
fixing on your own rhinestones. So there is a lot of adapting of off
the shelf dresses going on. Competition rules in the US for youth
costumes is very strict, rhinestones are banned until certain ages and
levels, but of course the kids want them and if they do a show where
the rules don't apply, a plain top and skirt isn't really appropriate
- we were at a show last weekend and I noticed some of them had been
very creative about adding things to an outfit that could then be
removed for competition, but there were also some gorgeous dresses,
but a lot less rhinestones than a full blown adult dress.

It seems to work much the same way here in the UK. I used to know a
lady that did all the gowns for her granddaugher's competitions. The
moment she turned 16, half her old dresses were sold on and the rest
gradually acquired more and more bling until they weighed 3 times as
much as before!

I hope to compete more myself, I don't have a partner right now and am
at a level where in some competitions the same costume rules as the
kids apply, but hopefully within the next couple of years I will get
the chance to do some of the higher levels and get to where a costume
- but looking at prices gave me a heart attack, you can spend over
1000 dollars without rhinestones, for an off the shelf dress!
Rhinestones are expensive, but a lot of the cost for the rest is the
hours it takes the maker, hence the appeal of figuring it out for
myself!

Absolutely! For that kind of work, which is hard on the back, hands and
eyes, I charge £25 an hour minimum... More for sewing on beads! At
40-50 hours per dres, BEFORE you pay for the fabrics and stones...
Well, doing it yourself is a great way to go if you have plenty of time
and limited cash!

If you have any links/resources I would really appreciate them.

I'll hunt them out for you.

Btw, I do love your historical costumes.

Thank you. 2 more go out today... See y'all later!

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

About 3-years ago, I purchased a sewing machine so that I could sew
some clothing & things for the house. A few months later, I happened
to find out about a beginning quilting class. As I was curious, I
took the class and fell in love with quilting. I have little time so
when it came down to learning more sewing clothing or quilting, then
quilting won out. If I had more time, I might do both.

Bev in TX

On May 16, 4:36*pm, Anne Rogers wrote:
Another thread made me think about this, now I know some of you out
there do make clothes and some of you are converted dressmakers and
others of us have either never made clothes, or made one or two items
and not found it satisfactory, so I was wondering why that was.
... portion snipped ...
Cheers
Anne

Used to make nearly all my clothes, back when I was living below the poverty
line. Then had children, made clothes for them for fun, but bought my own
simply because I could. Then quilting took over.
I do occasionally get the urge to sew clothing, just not very often. Why
force it?
Roberta in D

"Anne Rogers" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
Another thread made me think about this, now I know some of you out
there do make clothes and some of you are converted dressmakers and
others of us have either never made clothes, or made one or two items
and not found it satisfactory, so I was wondering why that was.

Previously, I would have said, it's the sizing, the shape never looks
right, I can't fit something to a person, blah blah blah, then I
realised that was a silly thing to say, if I can fit a teddy or a
doll, I can fit a person. So my new conclusion is that it's the
fabrics that are more wearable and washable these days actually aren't
so good for a regular sewing machine, I wear a lot of stretch fabrics,
the threads that are better to use with those are expensive and the
fabrics aren't cheap either. Changing size was another thing I thought
off, I don't doubt my ability to fit a fixed size, problem is I change
shape and before you all go worrying about yo yo diets and what not,
the extremes of my weight in the last 5 years have had no more than 25
pounds between them and that's including two pregnancies, but even
disregarding my actual weight, or cyclical bloating, I still have an
uncanny ability to change shape, I'm always going to be a pear with
weight on my hips, but even so, in the last few weeks I seem to have
shifted that to more at the sides than on the back, leaving clothes
that fitted quite nicely looking baggy in the wrong places! So fitting
is an issue, but it's not my ability to fit, it's the body it's being
fitted to changing to much!

I would like to try making trousers actually, but then those I do
doubt my ability to fit, dress forms don't have legs, plus, you need
to have movement in trousers that allows sitting and standing and what
not.

My expectation is that I will get into all these fabrics because I
dance and so does my son and I expect my daughter will too, ballroom
dance costumes are very expensive, so where you don't save money for a
simple top from stretch fabric, the speciality nature of the ballroom
dance market means you do, but that's going to be one heck of a steep
learning curve!

Cheers
Anne

Anne - you can learn anything that you set your mind to!! If you
think you will fail, chances are you will become a self-fulfilling
prophecy!!!

I started out making clothes, mainly one-seam skirts and wraps for my
Barbie dolls, then my parents actually let me get up to the sewing
machine. Mother still has that machine, and I now have several (not
as many as Kate, however!). My first love will *always* be sewing
clothes, simply because I've always been able to look at a fabric and
see how it would work up into a blouse, or a suit, or even a dress.
When it comes to making quilts, I tend to get all fluster-pated trying
to get the right mix of colors so that they don't look too washed out
or too "these really don't work well with each other"....I always seem
to have those problems.

Right now, I'm taking a break on hubby's Mariner's Compass quilts
(regular and mini - they are both at nearly the same stage of
completion for some reason) and working on some camp shirts for both
of my children. They will be attending Vacation Bible School this
summer, and the theme is Outrigger Adventure or something like that.
So, I decided to make them so-called Hawai'ian shirts. DD, of course,
will have mostly pink - 2 I think (with 1 blue to make me happy). DS
picked out his fabrics when I ran to TSWLTH before his doc appointment
- he picked out a novelty print that is like a pirate's treasure map
and a black with Asian characters on it, plus he has a blue batik for
me to stitch up. I have 2 fabrics to make myself a couple of shirts
since I'm on staff as a crafts and kitchen helper (better to keep my
son away from foods that he is allergic to). And the great thing is
that they are having a Luau on the last day!!

I also just finished up a lovely turquoise knit dress for myself. Had
been putting it off and decided it was time to try and tackle it.
People *still* can't believe that I made it, even though nearly
everyone knows that I sew!! Only thing I would change would be to
make the bodice bits a little bit longer as the pattern doesn't really
take into consideration larger busted women sigh. I pretty much
make most of my children's clothing unless my mother buys them things
or we get hand me downs from friends. SInce both of them are so
skinny, it's just easier for me to make it from scratch than to try
and take out a lot of machine stitching.

Anyway, listen to Kate, find some good resource websites and books,
and dive right in!!

Larisa

I also sew my own clothes, although not here yet...I like to make
womens tops and pants. I have made skirts once in a while, but I
really like making the heirloom type tops. Always for me.

Jean in Metz

i like to make clothes. i've done suits, skirts, blouses and pants,
even tried an outdoor jacket once. i've done weddings, proms, etc.
i still like quilting better. it's relaxing and there usually is no
deadline!!

JM2C
amy in CNY