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Sewing Textiles - Sewing: clothes, furnishings, costumes, etc.
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Posted by Julia Sifers on February 23, 2006, 12:28 pm
Recently, I have had the very double-edged sword predicament of having
lost weight through exercise and nutrition (good!) to the point where
all my clothes don't fit (bad!). I was previously an RTW size 6-8, but
now I'm finding a lot of 4s too big, especially pants. I would like to
salvage as much of my large (2 closets + dressers) wardrobe as possible
and have found the cost of outsourcing the alterations a bit
prohibitive for the sheer amount of items which need fixing. Plus, I
can sew, right?, so I would feel a little guilty about doing that.
My Mom taught me when I was a teenager and I've been sewing off and on
over the years. I'm mostly strictly a pattern sewer, but I have done a
little tailoring on some of my projects. Skill-wise, I would classify
myself as a "determined beginner/intermediate". The most complex
alterations I have made so far, though, are only shortening hems. When
faced with changing sleeve lengths or taking in waistbands, I quiver a
bit. Especially with lined items. *shudder*
I've found tons of information on tailoring, but not much on changing a
finished garment. Here is the *single* book I have found so far and
even it looks a little out-of-date and iffy: http://tinyurl.com/zfezv
Do any of you know of any learning resources (books, videos, etc.) that
teach alterations to the beginner/intermediate?
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Posted by Kate Dicey on February 23, 2006, 1:09 pm
Julia Sifers wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> Recently, I have had the very double-edged sword predicament of having
> lost weight through exercise and nutrition (good!) to the point where
> all my clothes don't fit (bad!). I was previously an RTW size 6-8, but
> now I'm finding a lot of 4s too big, especially pants. I would like to
> salvage as much of my large (2 closets + dressers) wardrobe as possible
> and have found the cost of outsourcing the alterations a bit
> prohibitive for the sheer amount of items which need fixing. Plus, I
> can sew, right?, so I would feel a little guilty about doing that.
>
> My Mom taught me when I was a teenager and I've been sewing off and on
> over the years. I'm mostly strictly a pattern sewer, but I have done a
> little tailoring on some of my projects. Skill-wise, I would classify
> myself as a "determined beginner/intermediate". The most complex
> alterations I have made so far, though, are only shortening hems. When
> faced with changing sleeve lengths or taking in waistbands, I quiver a
> bit. Especially with lined items. *shudder*
>
> I've found tons of information on tailoring, but not much on changing a
> finished garment. Here is the *single* book I have found so far and
> even it looks a little out-of-date and iffy: http://tinyurl.com/zfezv
>
> Do any of you know of any learning resources (books, videos, etc.) that
> teach alterations to the beginner/intermediate?
>
The book may look a little dated, but that really doesn't matter: the
techniques don't change! :) I still use tailoring techniques that have
been around for 200 years...
Personally, I HATE alterations, and look on my weight loss as a grand
opportunity to update and replace my wardrobe. :D I went down from a UK
22-24 to a UK 10-12 (lost 63 lbs - down from 213 lbs to 150 lbs). But
if you want to try it, get the book and start on something that you
don't like TOO much! :)
--
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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Posted by Melinda Meahan - take out TRAS on February 23, 2006, 2:45 pm
What about selling your things on consignment and using the money to buy
new things or the fabric to make them? Certainly your labor in
altering garments would be worth something and would offset any cost.
Julia Sifers wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> Recently, I have had the very double-edged sword predicament of having
> lost weight through exercise and nutrition (good!) to the point where
> all my clothes don't fit (bad!). I was previously an RTW size 6-8, but
> now I'm finding a lot of 4s too big, especially pants. I would like to
> salvage as much of my large (2 closets + dressers) wardrobe as possible
> and have found the cost of outsourcing the alterations a bit
> prohibitive for the sheer amount of items which need fixing. Plus, I
> can sew, right?, so I would feel a little guilty about doing that.
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Posted by Valkyrie on February 25, 2006, 10:52 am
Even high priced designer wear gets bumpkiss for resale but it's probably
better than nothing. Women's Shelters are always in need of clothing in good
condition and you'll get a generous receipt for a tax write off if you
donate to them. If you worked that hard to drop to a four, which I
personally think of as an age or possibly an IQ you most likely deserve some
new duds. However, you are reading a post from a woman who would rather be
impaled on rusty farm implements than doing the alterations you are thinking
about. EPEE-Gads, just thinking about this makes me feel the need for a
cool cloth on the back of my neck and a pile of chocolate on my lap.....I
need to go lie down *shudder*
Good luck,
Val
After thought; Perhaps you could find somebody who does alterations who
badly wants a few buckets of the elusive sawdust and you could do a little
trade and barter. Otherwise I'd just wax up the VISA, do a little
carbo-loading and head for the Mall.
show/hide quoted text
> Recently, I have had the very double-edged sword predicament of having
> lost weight through exercise and nutrition (good!) to the point where
> all my clothes don't fit (bad!). I was previously an RTW size 6-8, but
> now I'm finding a lot of 4s too big, especially pants. I would like to
> salvage as much of my large (2 closets + dressers) wardrobe as possible
> and have found the cost of outsourcing the alterations a bit
> prohibitive for the sheer amount of items which need fixing. Plus, I
> can sew, right?, so I would feel a little guilty about doing that.
> My Mom taught me when I was a teenager and I've been sewing off and on
> over the years. I'm mostly strictly a pattern sewer, but I have done a
> little tailoring on some of my projects. Skill-wise, I would classify
> myself as a "determined beginner/intermediate". The most complex
> alterations I have made so far, though, are only shortening hems. When
> faced with changing sleeve lengths or taking in waistbands, I quiver a
> bit. Especially with lined items. *shudder*
> I've found tons of information on tailoring, but not much on changing a
> finished garment. Here is the *single* book I have found so far and
> even it looks a little out-of-date and iffy: http://tinyurl.com/zfezv
> Do any of you know of any learning resources (books, videos, etc.) that
> teach alterations to the beginner/intermediate?
>
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Posted by Julia Sifers on February 27, 2006, 3:13 pm
Hahahaha. Thanks, everyone. Well, it's nice to know that I'm not the
only one changing set-in sleeves gives the eebie-jeebies to. I think
I'll try a combination of picking up that book to help with the easiest
of the alterations and donating the rest of the items. Thanks again for
the feedback. Ya'll are swell.
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> lost weight through exercise and nutrition (good!) to the point where
> all my clothes don't fit (bad!). I was previously an RTW size 6-8, but
> now I'm finding a lot of 4s too big, especially pants. I would like to
> salvage as much of my large (2 closets + dressers) wardrobe as possible
> and have found the cost of outsourcing the alterations a bit
> prohibitive for the sheer amount of items which need fixing. Plus, I
> can sew, right?, so I would feel a little guilty about doing that.
>
> My Mom taught me when I was a teenager and I've been sewing off and on
> over the years. I'm mostly strictly a pattern sewer, but I have done a
> little tailoring on some of my projects. Skill-wise, I would classify
> myself as a "determined beginner/intermediate". The most complex
> alterations I have made so far, though, are only shortening hems. When
> faced with changing sleeve lengths or taking in waistbands, I quiver a
> bit. Especially with lined items. *shudder*
>
> I've found tons of information on tailoring, but not much on changing a
> finished garment. Here is the *single* book I have found so far and
> even it looks a little out-of-date and iffy: http://tinyurl.com/zfezv
>
> Do any of you know of any learning resources (books, videos, etc.) that
> teach alterations to the beginner/intermediate?
>