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Posted by Kate XXXXXX on February 29, 2008, 3:36 am
The Southern Gentleman wrote:
> Hello Everybody,
>
> My name is Mike and I'm 22 in North Carolina. I have become
> interested in sewing for several different reasons:
Hi there, Mike! Welcome!
>
> A. The clothes that I like, the styles that I like, and the look that
> I like - I cannot afford to support myself in my tastes.
> B. Most of the clothes that I am interested in date back to the late
> 1800's - the Victorian Era; therefore, IF the articles of clothing I
> like can be found, they can only be found online - and at exorbitant
> prices.
> C. I like being able to have one type of clothing in many different
> colors - choose the design I like, and identically duplicate it in
> other colors.
> D. I would like to design my own clothes.
This is why a lot of us make our own clothes.
>
> Now, all this being said, I AM NOT a clothes freak (no offense to
> those of you who are.) I just like what I like, I abhor what I abhor,
> and I want to have more control over what I wear. Lately, I have been
> settling for being more than slightly displeased with my appearance,
> largely because the clothes I want don't exist anymore or are
> inordinately expensive (i.e. smoking jackets.)
Once you see the time and skill involved you will see that they are not
inordinately expensive at all. Expensive, yes, I grant you, but well
made and HAND made clothes require a lot of skill to make them look
good, and a great deal of time. Time is sometimes three quarters of the
cost of a suit, as much of the hidden work is hand crafted, and there is
no substitute! If you are making only for yourself, this is the area
you save on. You can also make HUGE savings on good fabric when you
know what to look for and where to look! Most of my sources are here in
the UK, so not a lot of use to you, but do pop in and look at my Fabric
List some time - see below for URL
>
> So, I had a wonderful notion. If I have such exacting standards when
> it comes to the clothes I wear, and if I dream of the day when I could
> have a tailor to custom make all of my garments, why not just make the
> garments myself? Why not be my own tailor?
It's an excellent notion.
>
> I am sure that many of you may be vomiting at my apparent naïveté when
> it comes to sewing, but I'll be honest: I don't know much at all about
> sewing. So I came to you ladies.
Not all here are ladies! We have a bloke or two lurking amongst the
rolls of fabric! ;) And remember that WE ALL STARTED WHERE YOU ARE
NOW! :D For some of us that was a long time ago, but we all started
not knowing which way fabric should go, what pattern pieces were, and
how to use scissors!
>
> Can someone help me with choosing a good (low-budget) machine? And
> what about MEN'S patterns? How do I create my own designs? Where can
> I learn these things? And how can I spin my idea about making my own
> clothes to my girlfriend so that she doesn't think I'm packing to move
> to San Francisco? Are there any male sewers/home-clothes-makers out
> there?
Most low budget new machines are not worth the money. Read this nice
FAQ and think about what you really need to do the job you want. >
http://www.cet.com/~pennys/faq/smfaq.htm
I strongly suggest that you look at pre-loved mechanical machines with a
decent raft of household/utility stitches, invest in an OLDER copy of
the Reader's Digest Complete Book of Sewing (the one with the tailoring
section in it, not the one with the serger section - used book shops and
thrift/charity shops are where it usually turns up).
Buy your machine from a local sewing machine store where they do
repairs: you'll get much better service, help will be on hand, and when
you are ready to buy a fancier new machine some time down the line,
you'll have a good knowledge of the shop and what they can offer.
>
> Treading on shaky and unfamiliar territory,
We all do that! It's part of the fun... ;)
Oh, and here's a sight for historic patterns that might have something
you would like to make: > http://www.patternsoftime.com/
Start slowly, with something simple, while you learn to control the
machine and familiarise yourself with the techniques, the technology,
the jargon of sewing, and the fun you can have. And if you like, pop in
to my site (URL below - safe on the wallet as I sell nothing through it)
and look in the Resources and Learning Zone sections for some simple
advice and ideas to get you started.
>
> Mike
--
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!
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