Several years ago, a young woman, an English school teacher living in Spain, started a little blog. She started making all her clothing, often from consignment items by refashioning and remaking them to suit her style and her size. An adventurer in the world of fashion, she started a trend, one that continues to this day. I am not sure if it is as dynamic as before, but a concept that ignited a fire in the home sewing community. Her hook? Me-Made-May! In her challenge, each person who joined the competition had to wear at least one piece of clothing, self-made, every day in the month of May. This project extended all over the world and set the precedent for future fashion challenge projects. Meet Zoe HERE! On her blog she answers question, has tutorials, and free patterns.
There was a time when I could have easily fulfilled that obligation, now, no. That is my loosely defined goal for next May. I want to be fashion independent. I want all those no longer fit clothes gone. I want everything that has passed its used-by dates, gone. It will take a year, I have no doubt. Now most of the fashion blogs emphasize a core wardrobe, seasonally defined, with high quality "extras" that can extend your options and last for years when properly cared for. The distinct difference for me is that I want to make most of my items, while Jennifer purchases hers. Her fashion budget is quite a bit higher than mine but the concept, the process, and the use of this idea can work!
The Daily Connoisseur, Jennifer L Scott, The Ten Item Wardrobe, HERE>
An upgraded edition of one of the best comprehensive sewing books, this one is on Amazon,a bargain resource for $19.95 US. Older editions are available at secondary book stores online. I had two earlier copies of this one, gave one away, not sure where the other one went, I will use this one for many technique and process demonstrations in future. We are not making a Dior here, I wish!
One of the most prominent topics in the garment making community is about quality. If you are going to spend big $ for quality fabric, purchase a commercial pattern, spend inordinate amounts of time sizing and fitting said pattern, not even considering the time involved in this process, how to you construct a quality garment, using efficient factory-like methods, in your own sewing journey? It can be done. You want a finished garment that will be attractive, it will fit, and it will be comfortable. And just as important you want that work of your own to last and not have the seams disintegrate after one or two washes. You don't want puckers in the zipper or pocket linings, and surely you don't want the hem to fall while you are walking away from an old high school friend! Am I right or am I right? 😁
How to upgrade the quality of your own made garments?
- Fabric Choice: The choices in neighborhood big box stores have actually improved a bit. A recent scan of my local had a nice little display of poly-combo's that would make nice garments, such as blouses, dresses, and skirts. Bottom weight fabrics seemed a little less in variety, but still, a little better quality than I had seen before. I test a fabric by unrolling a section from the bolt, hold it up to the light (hopefully there is a natural light available) then take that piece and crumple it up in hand for a few seconds, then release. I think wrinkle potential is a strong component of suitability for me. If it has a high crumple component, it is a no-go. Move on. Next I like to lay the fabric over my arm to see how/if it drapes. A rigid fabric is very tricky for garments. When it come to knit fabrics, the end-bolt information is helpful. Your pattern will tell you just how much stretch is required to make that item properly.
*This is a Louise Cutting pattern, the best instructions in the industry. - Online Fabric Choice: Did someone say "Candy Store?" Online there is such an amazing array of fabric the mind is boggled. BUT, you cannot touch it or test it, so what is the alternative? Most online shops will ship samples, some have subscriptions for samples, or if you are in a bind, ordering a fraction of yardage to test on your own. Would I go to all this trouble for a T-shirt, probably not, but if I liked that particular fabric, say a white ribbed viscose/cotton blend with 10% stretch and no pilling, I would order quite a bit for future projects. I would not make my dream Chanel-style jacket or a mother-of-the-bride ensemble without seeing that fabric first.
*the classic white blouse is essential with any wardrobe, this is on my radar, the fabric search continues. I need bright white, minimal wrinkle, maybe a wee bit of Lycra for ease. Mood Fabrics, HERE. Another high quality source, Emma One Sock, HERE. And I cannot forget, Gorgeous Fabrics, HERE. - Patterns: There are many independent pattern makers these day, all with products online as a paper pattern or a PDF. The big 4 are still around, 3 of the 4 are owned by the same company. While design choices do not seem to express the individuality and forward trends as they used to (IMO) their core patterns cannot be minimized. One little tid-bit about the big commercial patterns companies revealed in an industry newsletter several years ago. When you see the pattern on a human body, you know it has been "tested." If you are seeing a sketch, a line drawing, or Not on a human body, the chance that the pattern was tested is slim. And Testing is your opportunity to decide if this is the item you want to spend your time and money creating.
- Preparation: Much like assembling a recipe, preparing your fabric, your pattern, your notions, and supplies is an important and methodical way to make a quality garment. Study the pattern, it's markings etc. so that you have literally read the map to a successful garment. Directions may or may not be comprehensive. Many of the instructions are being written by technical writers, not makers, and therefore often out of order and/or incomplete. Some of the indi pattern makers have minimal instruction on their patterns. They assume you already know what you are doing or you have acquired a collection of books that cover construction methods in depth. Do you need a library full of books, no, you do not, but you do most certainly need a comprehensive tome that covers all the most important methods. In addition, there are online sources to support your process. Some are without cost, just Google a phrase that will guide you to a selection of topics, or join a community that charges an annual fee for online instruction and an online library, sometimes instructional videos, to help you.
*A nice book for understanding Vintage Style and Sewing Techniques. - The "Muslin.": Often a topic on the discussion boards is do you, or do you not, make a muslin of the item? Here, the word muslin is actually a term for a test item. An opportunity to test and adjust fit in a sample. Some refer to a "wearable muslin" in their process. Using a fabric that has been idle in your stash, one may make a blouse that is perfect to wear but not in a high quality silk. One other method of testing a complicated portion of a pattern if your fit has already been established, is to "muslin" that portion. For example, a welt pocket can be intimidating to execute and with each fabric new issues may arrive. Does the fabric fray? Does the fabric not easily conform in the corners? Is the finished pocket just too bulky for this application? A test is important because you don't want to be un-sewing precious fabric!
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