5 fun reasons to start sewing your own clothes

photo by Eris Delphi

“I like your skirt”

“Thanks, I made it.”

“Oh, really?That’s fantastic. I could never do something like that!”

Wrong! It’s much, much easier than you think, I promise. Yeah, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes and ruin some meters of really nice fabric (new pillowcases, pouches and bags!). So what? Once you will understand the basics (how to sew a seam and take seam allowance into consideration, how to sew on a zipper and sew a decent hem) you can do anything you want. You just need a bit of patience : )

And if you still need convincing to come to the fun side, here are 5 fun reasons to start sewing your own clothes.

1. You will look more like yourself

There’s one thing I don’t like about big clothes stores. Sometimes (not to often though) I see this piece of garment that is just splendid: the cut, the colors, the fit. I imagine all the fun things I could do in it and how fun it would be to wear it. And while I walk with it to the counter the flashbacks of the rest 10-15 pieces of the same garment start to torture me. Eek, I put it back. Now, I have no problem buying a basic or something that I could easily alter afterwards but if I really like a dress, I want it to be just one. And mine:)

2. Your clothes will fit better

Even a beginner seamstress will tell you how much can a 2 centimeters taking in can do. Or how cool it is when your jeans and pants end exactly where you want them to. And this is just the begging, in time you will know exactly what kind of clothes to sew for yourself – what fits and what feels best.

3. Shopping for clothes will actually be fun

Last year I’ve been without my sewing machine for about three months. I remember the shock I had when I realized my shopping options were extremely limited without the “oh, I’ll just slim the waist of this one”, “this will look great with a pocket of another color and I have just the right fabric” or the “I’ll just buy the xxl and make it a dress”.
When you like to sew, you’re never shopping for clothes, you’re shopping for great projects, neat ideas or brilliant patterns.

4. They look great for a longer time

One thing I noticed is that the clothes that I make are still in perfect shape after one or two years. Sometimes the fabric will start to look dull – this happens when I buy cheap fabric to make a new design and I fall in love with the “mock-up” piece. But the shape, the fit, they are the same as the first day. (Yep, even the flaws are there.:)
I always machine wash them along with the other store-bought clothes I own and beside the occasional ironing, they don’t get any preferential treatment.

5. You can be your own designer

Drawing a new piece of clothing and drafting a pattern for it is not as difficult as it sounds. Many times you can use, combine and modify existing patterns (like Burda, Simplicity etc) and build your garment like a puzzle. Other times, you can just follow the lines of a top or a skirt you love and cut a pattern from that.
It all may sound a bit scary now so don’t think about that. Just start, borrow a sewing machine, buy some fabric and thread and cut.