Making clothes--Easy, elegant

[LNLisa]

I'm going on a cruise! I'm going on a cruise!

 

Okay, so yeah, I still have a year to go, but I know that I won't have a lot of money to spend on clothes. Nor do I have lots of time to spend making clothes. However with a year to go, I figure I could maybe make one signature item every two to three months. The signature items plus my usual jeans and knit tops should make up a fun wardrobe, I hope.

 

What to make though? I am much more of a quilter than a garment maker. I classify myself as an advanced beginner, not intermediate. I know some of the basics for garment construction, but I'm usually only satisfied with the results 15% of the time. I probably need to make muslin demos first, but there again, my time is in short supply.

 

So does anyone have patterns they would suggest as easy and timeless? Tips to share?

 

Also, I'd love to see pictures of any garments that you constructed preparatory to your own cruise.

[luckycruzer]

do as the designers do..make a collection..3 basic bottoms..short, skirt, pant. a vest(possibly reversible, ) a jacket, pair with long sleeve white shirt/blouse, tank, turtle or wrap v neck,Tee. All in a basic easy match colour. I used Camel, red, Blk and soft beige for 1 huge trip to Europe. one or two patterned pcs that have all the same colour elements. Make paper doll-esque pcs to "play" with all the possible combos b4 u even buy fabric. Season , destination, and type of cruze should dictate how fancy, or what fabirics to use, as well as your lifestyle. I use crayons to "mock" the wardrobe. all pcs should be partnered successfully with each other. with leftover pcs of fabric, a shawl, scarf, (tux-type-- faux front only) vest. some basic jewelry to add blingyness.

I made a 13pc collection for myself for 3 weeks in Europe in May(cool weather) got 2 extra pcs from left over lg pcs, and made a patchwork sweater pullover, and tote bag. Navy, brick red, & red/navy houndstooth, and solid knits in wht,red/navy. Cost then was About $80 for the fabic, pattern and notions.

Some of the online catalogues have mix n match..for ideas too.

Another BIG idea..check out gently worns from large Goodwill, Salvation Army, Catholic church thrifts as well as consignment. I wear all one size...the size that fits ME. Never pay any attention to the label, but if I like what it will do for my needs in a wardrobe, it is mine. I rarely pay more that $6 for one garment, and mostly $3/$4..even some Chicos in the mix! As well as other nice brands. I live in the middle of 4 Military bases so great things all over town. If you live near a state captiol or college town, the findings are great. I always make a stop (next week) in our State Capitol for bargains. I can dress really well in 3 pcs, not related by label, but a good pairing, for usually under $12. I buy basic style and thinking of what I already have. Going into the evening gown areas of these stores give you alot of fabric, if you want to cut it up for a project..also the trims to re-cycle. Usually the evening stuff cost about what a yard of the fabric cost to begin with. Hope these ideas help for your cruze....join the addiction. Oh, I buy pre-owned evening bags(have about 50 or so done) and rework with beads, fabric I buy all over, and re-inhance some of my things..alllways on the look out for girly things for my cruzin! Keep us posted on your progress ! Good luck!

[Anita Latte]

I don't have many ideas right now to contribute, but I'm interested in this topic too...

 

LNlisa...I'm right up the road from you in Clear Lake... and I'm sailing the Mariner of the Seas out of Galveston in March 2012!:D

 

I'm on the track of losing weight for the cruise. I know that I will need new clothes for the cruise. I'm a participant in the "Seasons" thread and so I'll be picky about my colors and I'm concerned about the right kinds of clothes (shorts, etc.) being available in the stores when I'll need to be making purchases...so I was also thinking about sewing my own cruise wardrobe too!

 

I'd put my skill similar to yours. About an advanced beginner.

 

I'm very interested to hear what ideas people have...luckycruzer, it sounds like you did a good job! Was it recently? Could you post any pics? I'd love to see what you made...or post the pattern makers/numbers? The handbags sound like such fun too!

[iheartbda]

All of Luckycruiser's ideas are GREAT having been a sewer for many years. I made everything at one time or another from a wedding gown, children's clothes, swimsuits, to a men's suit and most everything in between. I really enjoyed sewing and it was a great sense of satisfaction.

 

However, I find that things are a bit different these days and with what I have made over many years, I consider myself an expert sewer. Patterns are pricey, it's harder and harder to find GOOD fabrics if you're going to spend the time, and I find it now next to impossible to find the correct size pattern even with comparing my measurements to the pattern.:confused:

 

By watching for sales, I can buy ready made cheaper than I can "make it from scratch" plus, I can try it on and know how it's going to look and fit.

 

I don't mean to take the wind out of your sails and if it's something you really want to do, look for a pattern in the EASy section of the pattern books that looks like something you would see ready made in stores and give it a try. Vogue patterns has an EASY section and theirs are more stylish than Simplicity or McCalls with Butterick not as stylish as Vogue but more so than the other two.

[STARFISH*4]

i agree altho i am not a seamstress, all i know around here say it is $$$ these days to make clothes....you have ALOT of time to shop clearance sales, sales and even online..i think anyone these days can find an awesome dress or outfit for $50...some sales are incredible just start checking them out...LOTS OF TIME...GOOD LUCK!!!

[LNLisa]

luckycruzer--I agree. I do have a color palette in mind: navy and gray with pops of color like raspberry and baby blue. I just got back from a vacation a few weeks ago, and while I didn't actually plan that color scheme, it really worked well. Of course, that was in NYC. It may be that navy and gray will be too drab for a cruise, but at the moment I really like that combo.

 

However, I find that things are a bit different these days and with what I have made over many years, I consider myself an expert sewer. Patterns are pricey, it's harder and harder to find GOOD fabrics if you're going to spend the time, and I find it now next to impossible to find the correct size pattern even with comparing my measurements to the pattern.:confused:

 

By watching for sales, I can buy ready made cheaper than I can "make it from scratch" plus, I can try it on and know how it's going to look and fit.

 

I don't mean to take the wind out of your sails and if it's something you really want to do, look for a pattern in the EASy section of the pattern books that looks like something you would see ready made in stores and give it a try. Vogue patterns has an EASY section and theirs are more stylish than Simplicity or McCalls with Butterick not as stylish as Vogue but more so than the other two.

 

iheartbda--to a certain extent I agree. While you can get patterns and fabrics on sale for deep discounts, as a cost saving measure, sewing clothes is still more expensive than making clothes, and that's before you count the cost in time and effort.

 

That's why I referred to the items that I want to make as signature pieces. Really, I think that's one of the main benefits of sewing today: making clothes that are unique and that fit your body type, even if that body type is not standard. In my case, making some clothes will allow me to match the styles I like with the colors I want. I will mostly be wearing store-bought jeans and knit tops though. So I'm thinking that I'll probably want to focus sewing clothes for the dinners, nice blouses for more casual nights and maybe a dress or two for formal nights.

 

My main concern is that I don't have a serger, and it seems like a serger is really important/useful in garment making. Oh, and I totally agree about the fit on the patterns never matching up. That's why my garments usually don't work out. The sizes on patterns don't seem to have anything to do with regular clothing sizes. (and it totally depresses me to have to buy a pattern in a size so much bigger than I usually wear.)

 

Anita Latte--I need to get back on a weight loss plan. I'm just so lazy about it. Plus I love making bread. :o The Joanne's across from Baybrook Mall is really nice. The quilt shop over by me on I-45 and FM 517, Pinwheels and Posies, offered garment sewing classes during the summer. I wish that I had taken those classes.

 

What I'm wondering is if anyone could recommend any specific patterns. I know that in the past when I've read sewing blogs, people have really liked Hot Patterns. I'm just wondering if I should stick to McCalls and Butterick or if I should branch out. I don't know. I haven't really decided what to make yet, except that I want to start small/simple.

[Kellie Poodle]

I'm going on a cruise! I'm going on a cruise!

 

Okay, so yeah, I still have a year to go, but I know that I won't have a lot of money to spend on clothes. Nor do I have lots of time to spend making clothes. However with a year to go, I figure I could maybe make one signature item every two to three months. The signature items plus my usual jeans and knit tops should make up a fun wardrobe, I hope.

 

What to make though? I am much more of a quilter than a garment maker. I classify myself as an advanced beginner, not intermediate. I know some of the basics for garment construction, but I'm usually only satisfied with the results 15% of the time. I probably need to make muslin demos first, but there again, my time is in short supply.

 

So does anyone have patterns they would suggest as easy and timeless? Tips to share?

 

Also, I'd love to see pictures of any garments that you constructed preparatory to your own cruise.

 

Quilt a jacket! You can always change the color of the shirt or tank top underneath to make the look different.

 

I have a very unique jacket with flower appliques. It is a one of a kind item that I confess came from a thrift shop, but whenever I wear that jacket, strangers approach me and tell me how pretty it is. I think a hand quilted jacket would be absolutely elegant.

 

If you don't have the time to make the jacket, get a ready made one and cut some pretty shapes and quilt them on. Make one with lame type fabrics for formal night and wear it with a black tank top an flowy black evening pants.

 

Even if you are going on a cruise to a warm weather place, a jacket works in the dining room and in the theater at night where they crank up the air conditioning.

[Happy ks]

If you can find it, take a fit class, it will be indespensible. I have yet to find a pattern of any kind that will fit me from the package. I consider myself an intermediate sewer that hasn't sewn much in recent years. Because try as I might, nothing ever fits quite right without alterations that I don't know quite how to do. My sis is an advanced seamstress and she continues her education all the time...she says the most valuable class she's had is a pattern making class where you make basic patterns for yourself that can be adapted to any type of pant/dress/skirt. She can measure a ready made pattern and fit it to herself with the measurements from her patterns as well.

 

If you cannot take a class (I know they are few and far between), invest in a fit book and have someone else help out and measure you according to the chart, it should show you exactly how and where to measure.

 

I'm taking a beginning sewing class right now at our local community college with my daughter, pretty much to support and help her out. I see sewing techniques I'd like to try out but my home machine isn't one I can trust to always do a great job. I cannot find the type of fabrics that I'd like to use, plus many of them are hard to sew, such as jersey knits.

 

But with a little dedication, thought and planning I think you can successfully make yourself a beautiful wardrobe. I would like to take a "field trip" with my daughter up to LA to Mood, the fabric store featured in Project Runway, but I'd be afraid of spending hundreds of $$ :eek:

 

I will add that with sales in department stores, I find I can buy ready made for about the same or slightly more than what I can sew at home.

[luckycruzer]

make way for the sparkley fabrics!

[LNLisa]

Thanks Kellie Poodle and Happy ks, for the suggestions.

 

The quilted jacket might be a fun idea. My mom does the actual quilting for me. She has one of those 13-ft quilting machines. That works out really well because I've never liked anything that I've quilted on my machine. So I'd just have to plan really well how to do the quilting.

 

I would love something like a fit class. I bought a book years ago, Sew U, that was supposed to be like that. However, when the book arrived I realized that the patterns included only went up to a size 12. Maybe I should try again with that book and just adjust up to my own size?

 

Last night I was looking at Hot Patterns.com. The patterns are expensive $14 to $17, especially when you consider that you can often get patterns from the main pattern companies for 99¢. However, and Anita Latte, you may be interested by this too since you're trying to lose weight, one pattern includes all sizes. With all the sizes included, it seems like it should be easier to adjust the pattern? I like this skirt. Not sure how well a full skirt like that will look on me, a short size 18.

 

Happy ks, I know what you mean about Mood. In Houston we have a store called High Fashion fabrics that is near downtown. (That's where Chloe Dao shopped for her final collection fabrics.) I went years ago, before Project Runway, and I was shocked to see that some fabrics cost as much as $200-$300 a YARD!!!! :eek: Of course, those were suiting fabrics, but it made me realize how much cheaper places like Joanne's are. I've been afraid to go back though. No telling what I could spend in a place like that!

[ArthurIhde]

wow,the advice is nice,i will do as you said

[catllar]

I love to sew. True they are more expensive than RTW but you have something unique. Hot Patterns are not for beginners. I have a few of them and the explanations are a bit sparse! so you need to know what you are doing or have a friend that does. I just made the Penant Blouse and the marrakech drawstring pants in white linen. They weren't for the faint-hearted!

 

A good site to check out is Weekend Designer - hundreds of free things on there from sundresses to formals. I made one of them -a yellow column evening gown with Vshaped straps. I made mine in red. It was easy - took me about an hour. There's also a pattern company called New Look who do a lot of basic knit patterns.

 

Someone posted they were concerned they didn't have a serger.You don't necessarily need a serger, there are many alternative ways to finish seam edges and couture doesn't use sergers!

[catllar]

Several of you have posted that commercial patterns don't fit you - that's because we're all different - a 38 bust gal could have it all in her back and little at the front, or vice-versa. She could wear her girls low or high -Could be short or long waisted, have a high round derriere (I wish) or a low flat one. Could be swaybacked, or no waist - see what I mean? SO, have a look at a book called "Fit for real people" which shows you how to alter commercial patterns without the need for a muslin. There is another one called "Pants for real people" I recently bought them both and have learnt a lot. Mind you I don't often buy commercial patterns I make my own generally, but it has helped me out with fitting problems for customers. I have no connection to the authors, by the way.

[grrl2grrl]

If you are not used to sewing items for yourself, I would also recommend a "easy to sew" pattern and an economical fabric. I sew, not for everyday wear, but more fanciful items for pleasure, like Halloween Costumes, Renaissance wear, things to use for dress up. I don't use patterns, and even though I have a sewing machine, I prefer to sew by hand. I find I am much better with feeling my way and eyeballing what I want, and sewing by hand I can usually circumvent any potential issues.

I guess all I'm trying to say is start small and cheap, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Besides, practice makes perfect, so good luck!

I'm excited to see/hear what you are able to get accomplished in your year!

[Kellie Poodle]

Thanks Kellie Poodle and Happy ks

 

Happy ks, I know what you mean about Mood. In Houston we have a store called High Fashion fabrics that is near downtown. (That's where Chloe Dao shopped for her final collection fabrics.) I went years ago, before Project Runway, and I was shocked to see that some fabrics cost as much as $200-$300 a YARD!!!! :eek: Of course, those were suiting fabrics, but it made me realize how much cheaper places like Joanne's are. I've been afraid to go back though. No telling what I could spend in a place like that!

 

Try Hobby Lobby. They have a nice selection. Also (I hate to admit shopping there) some of the WalMarts have excellent fabric departments with very good prices.

[helpmesailaway]

I am a quilter also but sometimes I would love to actually sew a unique garment just like you. There is a great website called "patternreview" that sewers rate their patterns- any likes, dislikes and any changes they might have made. There is also much more info on the site besides reviewing patterns. You may be able to find a pattern that is reviewed and perhaps see a picture of someones finished garment.

 

Good luck. There are also some great discount fabrice websites online too. I frequently incorporate non traditional fabric in my quilts because I like to design unique wall hangings.

[iheartbda]

Try Hobby Lobby. They have a nice selection. Also (I hate to admit shopping there) some of the WalMarts have excellent fabric departments with very good prices.

I guess we all have different opinions of what constitutes good fabric but personally, I would not spend the time making something with fabric that is not high quality....or what I consider high quality.;)

 

A very simple item made with primo fabric can look fab while the same item out of "cheaper" looks cheap.

 

That being said, the OP needs to start simple and inexpensive.:)