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I have to have all of my clothes and shoes custom-made because I'm a literal giantess with a freakish growth disorder (they don't even make men's shoes my size, if that tells you anything). I honestly wish that I knew how to make them myself. You are mad skilled for sure, and I would hire you if I could.
proudcatladyOctober 18, 2024
That’s awful! Do you have to buy custom shoes and clothes?
LadybugStardustOctober 18, 2024
Yep, I have to buy all of my clothes custom-made and wait a long time for them to be made - even my bras, since I'm M cup.
I feel you. I wear a 28hh and it is next to impossible to find bras and clothing that fit my body. I found a promising sewing pattern for a bathing suit top that I'd like to try, but bras and swimwear are terrifying so I've been afraid to start.
Honestly, the whole reason I started sewing clothing was that I was spending a fortune on my kids clothes. If you want gender neutral (ie free from sex based stereotypes!) clothes, you have to shop at small bougie clothing boutiques where the clothes cost a fortune (as they should.) I figure even with buying only high quality organic fabric, my costs are about half what they would be if I bought the clothes, which makes them comparable to something cheap like Carters. (Although I am conveniently not considering the money I spent on sewing machines, lol.) And I used to spend so much time scouring online shops for appropriate items, that I'm not actually spending that much more time sewing them myself.
All this to say that if you're looking for a hobby and already buying custom made clothing, I highly recommend learning to do it for yourself! It is so rewarding to wear your own handmade clothes. And as this post demonstrates, people will be way more impressed with your work than you think they should be!
ProginoskaOctober 18, 2024
Are you at all interested in learning to sew? With such fitting needs it could totally be worth your while, and expand your fashion choices. Like skirts - a great place to start learning regardless of your size. Won't help with the bras, those really are hard to sew, so it's worth it to spend the money on a specialist.
LadybugStardustOctober 18, 2024
Where would I learn how to sew? I wouldn't even know where to begin.
I only wear massively oversized hoodies and baggy pants.
Wow! That’s so fabulous. It really does look professional. So a server is really the secret with knits? Now I want one.
GenderHereticOctober 18, 2024
That 's so beautiful! You have great taste as well as impressive skill. I love the pumpkin print and how perfectly the shade of green goes with it.
HelenaHandbasketOctober 18, 2024
That's absolutely adorable!!
I have a serger, I just have to get over my nerves and learn how to use it. Thanks for the inspo!!
RNPhalaropeOctober 20, 2024
I am glad you ate doing this. Back in the day, we all (females) learned to sew.
Then for a time, even boys took "Home Economics", because I think most people recognized that these skills are important for daily life.
Now? I don't think females or males learn much of anything about sewing, cooking, laundry, etc. in school. Am I wrong? I guess I don't really fault schools, there is too much on them these days.
OMG, this is so beautiful! Love the print and the colours! Your child is lucky to have such a crafty mom!
heremiroreOctober 18, 2024
You've done an absolutely beautiful job on this. The colors, the style, the craftsmanship! Really lovely!
MKatieOctober 18, 2024
The topstitching on that front pocket and the entire garment is immaculate! Looks super comfy and cute, fantastic job!!! You should definitely be proud of that!
terffanyOctober 18, 2024
Wow, that's awesome! Do you have any tips for someone wanting to start learning how to sew? Like a good YouTube channel to follow or something. All I wanted was to be able to patch crotch blowouts and hem my curtains at first. But I hoping to take a liking to it eventually because I hate buying at the women's section and would like to make some items myself.
WhichWitchAmIOctober 18, 2024
Look for Sewing with Nancy episodes online. She had a way of breaking things down to make them doable. She's also very calm and reassuring. She did clothing and quilting and bags and everything in-between. What she didn't know, guest experts would fill in.
assigned_terf_at_birth [OP]October 18, 2024
The key, for me, was getting a serger. Whether you want to sew knits or wovens, a serger takes a lot of work out of sewing clothes and gives you the clean finish you see in all of your ready to wear garments. It really is a very useful tool that can make even household sewing better.
A lot of pattern makers online have video tutorials so you can watch them sew up your pattern from start to finish, which is REALLY helpful when you are first starting. My first garment was a little sweatshirt from Ellie & Mac, and I probably watched their video a dozen times before I started sewing. Sometimes even excellent sewing instructions can be confusing if you don't have a lot of experience, but the videos are great for building confidence.
Also, almost all pattern makers offer some patterns for free so you can test out the quality of their designs and instructions, which is really helpful as well.
[Deleted]October 18, 2024
I just finished this hoodie for my kindergartner, and I am so pleased! I think I am now an "advanced beginner" at sewing clothing so it really is nothing fancy, but with each article of clothing I've sewn, I've learned a little something new and am slowly becoming more skilled and confident.
It's funny, it wasn't hard at all; but there is something so magical about seeing and wearing clothing you made yourself. Feels like a huge accomplishment.
So useful and beautiful
I live in a desert and like to crochet…
Anyone want a scarf we can wear for a few hours in January?
Hah!
You know, I've been looking at cute crochet sweater patterns on etsy and fantasizing about making one for myself, but I don't know when I'll find time.
I would very happily trade you some custom made warm weather clothes for my very own terf-made sweater.
I actually made a terf scarf but don’t know how to share it!
Do you need any special equipment or specific skills to sew stretchy fabrics? I have a sewing machine, but I hardly use it because I can only sew simple woven fabric, which I don't use much. Jersey knit fabric (which I prefer to wear) never works out for me.
Kind of, yes. My personal opinion is that you need a serger. A lot of people do use a sewing machine to sew knits with a zig zag stitch and then use a larger zig zag or a mock serger stitch (I think most sewing machines come with an "overlock" foot to do that) to finish the seams, or you could leave them raw. In my opinion, you need a lot of skill and determination to do it that way and have it not look terrible. I am not a skilled sewist. Advanced beginner at best. People who are actually good at sewing will tell you otherwise, but I think sewing jersey on a regular sewing machine is an impossible feat.
I do use my sewing machine for topstitching on heavier knits when I'm feeling too lazy to break out the coverstitch machine, as the seams are usually thick and stable enough that they won't stretch far enough to break the stitches. A coverstitch machine is very handy for hemming jersey but it's a ridiculous investment. You can use a double needle on your sewing machine to get a similar look.
I was trying to use zigzag and the mock serger stitch after being advised that it was totally doable, only to find out that I couldn't do it at all, lol. It really was an impossible feat!
I really didn't want to get a serger, but it seems like it's just part of sewing and it's worth the investment, especially for jersey. I'm definitely not at the stage where I would get a coverstitch machine; I have a double needle right now and it'll do.
Yeah, I wanted one for a decade before I got it, and boy oh boy, it opens up doors! Totally worth it. I wish I had gotten one sooner. And as far as sewing machines go, they're not that expensive.
Coverstitch machines, on the other hand, cost a fortune. I have one only because my mother bought it for me for my birthday (actually the next ten birthdays, haha.)
I'm one of those people who uses a regular sewing machine to sew knits - it is defiinitely an advanced skill. I use a walking foot, ballpoint needles, tear-away stabilizer, narrow zigzag + overlock zigzag ... it looks OK. Not as good as a serged seam. I never use a contrasting thread as you can do decoratively on knits with a serger. If you've got the money and space for a serger, get one (my crafting is now space limited - I live in a pretty small house).
You also need to use a ballpoint needle for Jersey. I found this out the hard way. 😱
Do you use Jersey needles? IDK how they are different from normal needles.
I did buy jersey needles, which helped with the threading, but the problem is that the fabric itself stretches and bunches, and I don't know how to deal with that. I can see why most seamstresses prefer working with woven cotton fabric!
If the fabric bunches up I use tape, but it does add an extra layer and can be too bulky for some seams.
Have you tried lowering the pressure of your presser foot?
They have a ball (rounded) point so they can slip between the knit threads instead of stabbing them.
Thank you - I usually test a needle against my finger and discard them if they feel blunt so I'll have to remember this!
Where do you get your fabric from? I’ve never made my own clothing but I’m getting more picky and I’m starting to realize that what I want might not exist, so I may have to make it myself
It'll probably be harder to find good places to shop for clothing fabric, at least that's how it's been in my experience. there are a lot of online options, but I like to be able to feel the fabric in person.
chain stores like Joann mostly carry quilting fabric, which is not the most suitable for clothing. they may have some selection of clothing fabric, but it's not necessarily a wide variety or nice quality in terms of fabric content. I've read that Joann's selection varies by location though, so maybe the ones near me just aren't so good. and if you can't find anywhere else to shop, you may as well look there.
I'm in Canada, so this may not be helpful. And I basically only sew knits - mainly cotton jersey and cotton or bamboo french terry. Toddler clothes, lol.
My favorite (Canadian) shops are Fabric Snob (for solids) and Riverside Fabrics (for prints.) Both have excellent quality fabric. Sitka Fabrics also sells really nice stuff, but their stock can be limited.
A lot of small shops will print your own pattern for you, so if you are really picky, you can buy a seamless pattern on etsy or somewhere else (or design it yourself!) and have it printed on anything.
If you are in the US, find a pattern maker you like and join their Facebook group. Most of the people in those groups are American and will tell you right away where the best shops are.