POLL: What's your Sewing Style?

I nabbed a copy of "Simplicity's Simply The Best Sewing Book" from the bargain table today. In the introductory notes, there is an interesting section on choosing your sewing philosophy. I'd like to know what your sewing philosophy is.... does any one description suit you to a "T"?

(A) BUY HARD, SEW EASY you sew easy basic pieces (top, pants) but buy the luxury tailored jacket to go with it.

(B) BUY EASY, SEW HARD you sew the tailored jacket with luxury fabrics but buy the basic pieces (top, pants).

(C) SEW THE CLASSICS you sew traditional garments that don't go out of style.

(D) SEW THE "FAD" STYLES you sew the latest fashions, keeping up with the latest new techniques.

(E) SEW SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO you enjoy the opportunity to experiment with everything.

Reply to
RLK
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I don't think any of them *QUITE* fit me, as I sew manically for way too may reasons!

I sew lots of strange and difficult things because it's fun (Fairy costumes out of sequinned mad stuff, with 7' wide wings to match, a wench outfit and am Elizabethan corset, just so I could say I'd done it, boned wedding outfits for money, historic costumes for any period you like... ).

I sew easy things like simple quilts to relax.

I sew cheap and cheerful fabrics because they are effective.

I love to sew expensive and hard to handle fabrics: they give me a buzz when things go well!

The things that are NOT fun to sew: Curtains - too boring! Bras - too skiddly and fiddly! Things like T-shirts - you can buy them cheaper than I can make them!

Reply to
Kate Dicey

I was considering buying this book just today and I'm wondering if you found it helpful. I'm not quite a beginner but not quite an intermmediate yet. Is it a good reference guide?

Peggy

Reply to
Peggy

Reply to
Melinda Meahan - remove TRASH

C for regular clothes

E sometimes-I will try anything at least once to see if I can make it work. Twice if it DOES :-)

Reply to
Poohma

I'm definately an E. I sew what catches my fancy and just have fun with the process

Reply to
Mike Behrent

Same here, for clothing. However, for home dec stuff, I usually make almost everything, hard or simple, because I can make it for less.

Interesting question!

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Reply to
SewStorm

"Kate Dicey" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@diceyhome.free-online.co.uk...

I'd like to know what your

I'm with Kate on most of this..... I can sew for 20 hours straight and then not touch something for weeks or grab a nap and keep right on going. I also sew with my foot pedal mashed right to the floor 90% of the time. I seldom baste, don't use a lot of pins most of the time and when I do I sew right on over the things.....yeah, yeah, I know, but I have lots of fresh needles and my glasses have safety lenses and amazingly enough I very seldom hit one anyway! LOL I like the challenge of fiddly, strange, difficult, "can't be done" things...reproduction costumes for museums of many different periods and social classes within those periods. .I love expensive fabrics to make great things I KNOW will be worn more than a fad season. I sew things out of inexpensive fabric because it's gonna look just too kewl NOW, but probably not in another 6 months ;)...but inexpensive fabric must not look CHEAP...I avoid curtains and slip covers; YAWWWWN! Made a bra ONCE, fahgedaboudit! but love sewing lacey, silky lingerie and I seldom if ever mend anymore. The reply when asked if I will mend? *lifting nose in the air* "Would you ask Rembrandt to paint your garage?" Not that I didn't put in my many years of dues altering and fixing and mending and sewing for others because I honestly NEEDED the money, but I just don't NEED to anymore so I'm not gonna!!!..The thought of making another wedding dress gives my hives (not the dress actually, dealing with bride and mom, mostly) but I make Christening gowns that a shop will sell as many and as fast as I will supply....and I don't sew something if I can buy it just as well, cheaper.........and I just LOVE sewing cute little kiddies clothes, one of my favorite things...quilting isn't my thing, would choose gum surgery over this so far...I make intricate Barbie clothes to relax and unwind and trauma bears for local agencies...are we round pegs in square holes, Kate?? LOL I also no longer have the responsibility and priority of family care to cut into my sewing time and that makes a BIG difference in what and how I do.

Val

oh yes.......and now that I have reached that ''lady of a certain age" and stage in my life I sew when I damned well feel like it and when I don't feel like it I just do something else interesting. "Deadline" is no longer allowed in my vocabulary.......perky breast isn't either but that's sort of OT and we won't go there!

Reply to
Valkyrie

What a great discussion.

For my personal wardrobe, I like to experiment. :) I will play with different fabrics and different designs and see where it goes. T-shirts I won't make. Those come from Wal-Mart much cheaper than I could make them. If I can go get it for $5 or less, I'm going to buy it. Other than that, the sky is the limit. I agree with Val & Kate, I will use inexpensive fabric (not Cheap fabric, there's a huge difference between the two!) And I will use that fabric wherever it seems to work best. The last suit I made myself was from $3/phoenix yard wool blend from fabric.com. But I treated it the same way I would have $30/yard fabric. ;) On the other hand, I have a tremendous stash of really gorgeous, high end fabrics too. Those I have to keep a while and let the ideas percolate. Plus that gives me more time to pet and fondle the fabric I'm hording. lol I like to sew trendy things, but I don't use my really fancy fabrics for them as a rule. I save those for things that I know are going to be wardrobe staples for a long while.

Now for clients, I never know what's coming through the door. The only thing I normally turn down is upholstery. I have a good pal who has an upholstery shop, so I cheerfully hand them her phone number. I love doing fancy stuff for clients. That's almost always a fun time. Although, if they seem like they are going to be PITA's, I will turn them down too. My upholsterer pal often says, "If I don't like someone, I just can't sew for them." And I know what she means. I've also gotten to the point that I can cheerfully turn down those who ask the impossible. (like the guy that called for his fiancé to ask me if I could make her a wedding dress in the 2

1/2 weeks before the wedding. I may have been able to get it done, but I doubt they could have afforded what I would have charged to do that one!!!)

So I guess that makes me an "E." When I look at my fabric stash, I often feel like a 6 year old who has just been given a brand new 64 count box of crayola crayons and a ream of white paper. The possibilities are endless and varied. :)

Sharon

Reply to
mamahays

E, definitely!!

Larisa

RLK wrote:

Reply to
CNYstitcher

and that would be why you are attempting a kilt, right?? LOL

Larisa

Mike Behrent wrote:

Reply to
CNYstitcher

I guess it would be A, but mainly because I don't feel up to tackling something like a jacket yet.

Maureen

RLK wrote:

Reply to
Maureen Wozniak

Mines missing.

BUY HARD. SEW OVER MY HEAD.

Actually, the buying is easy. It's the trouble I get into sewing that is hard. Cut too short. What hem is - sometimes was - that? Where's the rest of the instructions? Where's the seam ripper (argh!).

Oh, and that damned rolled-hem foot.

BP~

Reply to
B. Peg

Well, have you ever priced a kilt? A decent kilt costs between $350 and $425. Gimme fabric and my sewing machine

Reply to
Mike Behrent

I made DH a suit fir £75 because getting one from a decent tailor would cost about £2000!

Reply to
Kate Dicey

I guess I'm way out in left field (as usual) on this one. I sew for the product, not the process. Friends are often astonished when they say "You like to sew, don't you?" and the invariable answer is "Not particularly, I just like the results."

In common with a number of others on this board, I have a very heavy bust, which makes anything other than knit tops impossible in RTW. On the other hand, when I am "dressed up" I like exclusive clothes, well made from quality fabrics, not the same outfit I see coming towards me in the street or sitting across the aisle in church. So I buy things like jeans, khaki pants and t-shirt type tops, and make the rest. Believe me, if I had the money I would happily pay a Cea or a Kate to make my wardrobe, and add say a couple of pieces a year. Not being that well off, I have to make them myself.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

Reply to
Olwynmary

Kate, when I started pricing kilts I near had a heart attack. The prices are very high. I understand why, the tartans aren't really made in large quantities at a time, they're top grade wool and the tailoring is very precise. It's a great deal of work and a decent kilt is made to the individuals measurements. However, for a bit of sweat equity I can make on much cheaper :)

Reply to
Mike Behrent

I guess this comes the closest for me. I also sew sometimes because I don't see what I want in a store (or stores). Like right now, my DD loves skirts. Could I find a single toddler skirt in any store at this time? Nope. I just went to Joann's, picked up a couple 1/2 yard lengths and once I get them out of the dryer today, I'll cut them up and sew them tonight. And I can't stand paying anywhere from $25 to $50 for a toddler special occasion dress. I can find nice fabrics (even things like silk) and fancy notions and make one for less than $20. I also like doing that because it makes it 'special'. My mom made clothes for me as a kid because it was much cheaper to do all kids clothes back then, but as the youngest of 7 and the recipient of tons of hand-me-downs, seeing my mother sit down and sew something just for me meant more to me than the clothes themselves. It was mine, it was made just for me, and my mother took the time (and trust me, she had NO time) to do it for me. I guess that's another category called 'sewing for the people you love, not necessarily because you love to sew'.

-j

Reply to
julia

(F) Buy because you need to (fabriholics take notice!); make the clothes because you either need them or want something new.

Reply to
Beth Pierce

When I saw those kilt prices, I thought 'Add a zero to that and you are closer to the mark for a good kilt and jacket, tailor made.' The prices quoted are what I have seen to HIRE a set for a week!

Reply to
Kate Dicey

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