Lessons

Oh also: the lesser the price for lessons, the better.

Try asking at local sewing machine stores, or fabric stores. If they don't have classes, they may know who is teaching. Don't be afraid to chat it up and look around at different venues. Different places will have different kinds of services. Xena

Check with a local technical college. Here the Technical college has all kinds of courses and classes including sewing, quilting and machine embroidery Mike in Wisconsin

I think I've seen "anonymous coward" on some other boards, so this may be redundant information. ( it it is,sorry, just trying to help

First, there is a great make gear discussion board with lots of self taught guy types making packs, tarps and pepsi can stoves here:

(you will need to register to view theboard, but it's a great spam free site and the board is will worth it) second, my Tips site has a lot of good basic info including book recommendations for budding outdoor sewists here: third, check you local adult education/non credit night classes and fabric stores for basic sewing classes.

Good Luck

Penny S

You can take lessons at Barrons Fabrics in Woodland Hills or the Joanns in Ontario Mills. don't know if either of those are by you. You can also buy one of the new sewing lessons on DVD from Hip Line Media. We found them at

Sak

Anonymous Coward,

Your community college would be a great place for these classes. My dad took sewing, home economics and design classes in college. He was interested in learning to sew, there was always food (in the home ec class at least) and he was usually the only straight male in the class. He has a natural talent for design as it turns out and taught me to sew. Kinda weird being taught to sew by your dad, but it worked.

"A" wrote (poorly) in message news:5w0Vb.188546$Rc4.1489131@attbi_s54...

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John, you really should have taken Cea's advice....

Before the Industrial Age fabric was too expensive for "the masses" to have new clothes. People had very few clothes and the poorer people's clothes were mended and patched because a new set of clothes was a significant investment. Even when clothes had been worn until they fell apart the rags were kept and reused. Only rich people could afford to be fashionable and even their clothes would be altered with changing fashion to get the most out of them. There are a number of studies of old dresses that have been altered to make them more fashionable, sometimes more than once. This would not have been done if it had been possible to discard an unfashionable garment and buy a new one. Clothes were left in wills, showing that they were regarded as valuable items, and it was a recognised perk for servants to get their employers' cast-offs.

This is Fashion History 101.

Sally

This is why I think I will turn down my place on the tailoring course I got at LCF, there is no longer the market to support it. It's why my Granddad stopped being a tailor years ago. Men will no longer pay large amounts of money to look good - people today want everything cheap (including me).

Charlie.

Prince Philips clothes are ALWAYS well tailored. Well tailored does not have to mean fashionable. Even if they are not fashionable I think you will find that they fit him like a glove and that he likes them.

What do gay people have to do with sewing? And what do gay people getting married (which they can't) have to do with spiting their parents?

That would be Wales then, where I live.

I'm sure many villages also had tailors once.

Yeah, singapore and china - ripping the bussiness out of Londons hands.

stitching".

That's the difference between and "tailor" and a "seamstress", so I was always told.

Because we're not all obviously as talented as you. Or we'd rather make something we've seen, that we like, that we know will work first time round.

But you don't show us pictures of you work.

Charlie.

Re: Lessons

Re: Lessons

particular blend--very nice and supple.

If you custom made those slacks for that price you under sold for $100, or more like $200-$300 - you need to give yourself a raise Cea.

Before Levi Strauss there were probably 100 seamstess to one tailor. In todays world it's hard to believe that tailors in the past sewed more than men's busniess clothes. In the past, instead of unions, there were guilds for the trades. So, to keep better paying wages they set standards to get in, for example one part of europe may have to many tailors, so if you didn't start before the age of five - they don't know you, whereas, another part of europe they might not have enough tailors, so anybody could get in.

Something for Charlie- Some middle class and the rich don't want average clothes - they will pay $2,000-$5,000 for better suites. If there are no tailors in your town but 50 lawyers in your town, then there are plenty of lawyers, doctors, busniess men/women and rich people who will keep you busy for the rest of your life. This one tailor in this town made more money per hour than I dreamt of. He retired around 55-60. He told me several times that if he felt like not coming back after break or lunch he would take the rest of the day off. Not to mention if he woke up and decided to do something else for the entire day. He wasn't always there on work days, I noticed. So tailoring and cutting maybe worth a lot more than you think and there really is becoming a lack of tailors.

Anybody make costumes for plays- like for a real play company?

Currently I'm a (student) drama society's Tailor/Seamstress/Wardrobe Mistress/Costume Designer and Sound Engineer. And will be for at least the next three years hopefully. Don't let student put you off, it's a very professional company. We're doing Titus by Shakespeare next, with a twist!

Charlie.

Don't think he's looked at some of the stuff I've done for a local school's plays, either... Including a complete suite for one bloke, and a set of fairy wings with a 7 foot wingspan. we mere dressmakers are a lot more tallented and versatile than he gives us credit for! ;)

LOL. They sure pay a lot of money to look that frumpy;) But as Shakespeare's Henry V say: "We are the MAKERS of manners..."

Royal clothes are for public functions - you don't often see the Royals in what you might call private clothing. Some of the major gowns are owned by the state, as part of the Treasury.

Interviewed in The Englishwoman's Wardrobe, Princess Margaret said she couldn't ever have most things she liked to wear, because all her clothes had to function in public. She couldn't have a suit with a blouse underneath, as it wasn't dressy enough if it became too hot and she had to remove a jacket, so she opted for dresses with matching jackets instead. Colours had to be bright, so that you could be picked out in a crowd. "And sleeves can't be too tight. They must be all right for waving." (!)

Mind you, back in the 50s she did also commission some spectacularly beautiful evening gowns from the likes of Desses and Dior when she was young and gorgeous - some of the most exquisite things in the V&A collection.

:) Trish

Rigby & Peller: sell a lot of makes other than their own, and will know what style suits your shape. Me, I'm and under wire shape! Never found a bra without that I feel comfortable in.