lies to unlearn about making your own wardrobe 

This was such a thoughtful and thorough comment, thank you so much Laura

😊😊 I hope it helps others see that these crafts are possible for them, just the journey might look a bit different to what you're usually told and that's totally okay 💚

Exactly that. ❤

Yes I second that! I had been wanting to learn how to sew for years but could never bring myself to actually learn all the basics and stuff. But last year I got into historical fashion and wanted to create an historically-accurate 18th century outfit, so I started with that. Made a shirt and a pair of breeches. It probably took me much longer than if I had actually learned the basics beforehand, but I now know how to do most things with my sewing machine and I managed to stay motivated because I really wanted the final outfit!

Some of these issues have been what's kept me from finishing the skirt projects I started two years ago and last year. I get to the point where the pieces are together, it looks like a skirt! but I need to do the closure, waistband, and hem, so I just stop working on it for fear of messing up (and the daunting-ness of all the little steps).

My favourite part is how she leans into her mistakes and works with them. I've been sewing since I was young but have very little to show for it cause I'm too much of a perfectionist (though tbf the limited resources of poverty also contributed). But watching her just have a go and still being impressed with the chaotic results has definitely helped me let go a bit. I've made so much more because of it and I wear and use it all

Oh most definitely, I’m an avid fan - I was just using examples of big creators who now work in large spaces. She’s the best x

@@soulsworn13 I beg to differ, tbh. most of the time she rushes the process to fit a deadline or just out of laziness, and ends up with an underwhelming result -even to her-, which means she'll never wear the garment and therefore that the fabric has been, well, wasted. My impression is rather that she keeps making the same mistakes (no making a mock-up, not using the right kind of fabric, not making sure she's got enough of it, etc)

@@AliciaB. Obviously if she gave herself more time she'd likely feel more comfortable taking the extra time and attention, especially with some of her more complex ideas. But honestly, as someone with ADHD I relate to the chaos and difficulty seeing projects to the end without having to cut corners and do things less than perfectly (I typically won't start if I can't be sure I can do it exactly and I know I won't, so I don't end up doing anything and that sucks). She definitely has an enthusiastic "yeah I made the thing and I like it, even though I don't like this part and can see where I could have done better here" energy that is refreshing. She's definitely learning and improving through the process, and at least makes more effort than most to source a lot of second hand materials and use what she already has. It's definitely far less wasteful to be using local second hand materials and a bunch of your own time thinking and creating and enriching your life than to buy something that looks similar, if made better, new from across the world. It's not perfect, sure. But it's far better than not doing anything at all imo

​@@soulsworn13 sure. I don't mind _some_ chaos & imperfection, they're actually healthy things to show in a sewing video. I'm sure there was already some of that in the beginning of her channel, in reasonable amounts and for reasons simply due to her personality, otherwise I wouldn't have subscribed. But in the last few years it's gotten out of hand tbh. She clearly favours quantity & speed over quality in her projects. She keeps not applying advice her audience has given her time and time again to fix the problems she keeps having, as I already mentioned (MOCKUPS, APPROPRIATE FABRIC, etc) and she even brushes it off in her videos as some kind of cute, funny spontaneity ("chaotic energy") -which it's not, it's just negligence & disorganization. It wouldn't bother me that much if her approach actually worked for her, if she was satisfied with her creations most of the time, but come on, it's clearly not the case. Recently there's been quite a few projects that have turned out less than satisfactory (transformable dress, jack-o-lantern sleeves, autumn leaf dress, barn decor that she kept re-doing, gingerbread dress, disco ball dress...) and that she will probably discard or never wear, and that's where we enter wasteful territory imo. Also she tends to use really nice natural fabric in pretty colours, which are not exactly ubiquitous in thrift stores and therefore precious to us sewists. She's priviledged to have access to a large choice of secondhand items to choose from AND to have the money to buy pretty much as many of them as she wants, and then she goes and cuts them up to make sloppy clothes that she won't even use... And don't get me started on the durability of some of her creations... Sometimes she cuts so many corners it's pretty clears the item won't survive a few washes/uses (cough cough whisical gaming chair), and I would argue that's a wasteful practice. Another point that I think is important : the whole "chaotic energy uwu" thing (aka romanticization of sloppiness) has almost become a brand for her channel. I feel like it's what people expect from her videos, and it kinda discourages her from actually improving on her techniques & organization. The appeal of her channel now is more : "watch me attempt to make something, get stressed, rush the process and probably fail" rather than "watch me make stuff Ilike". And she seems to buy into it herself, sadly... it's like she's high on the success that this 'chaotic' character she's accidentally created brings her, and as a result kinda trapped in it. But yeah, basically, I'm more and more disappointed with her content as it seems to be less and less about self-fulfillment & craftsmanship, and more and more sure. I don't mind _some_ chaos & imperfection, they're actually healthy things to show in a sewing video. I'm sure there was already some of that in the beginning of her channel, in reasonable amounts and for reasons simply due to her personality, otherwise I wouldn't have subscribed. But in the last few years it's gotten out of hand tbh. She clearly favours quantity & speed over quality in her projects. She keeps not applying advice her audience has given her time and time again to fix the problems she keeps having, as I already mentioned (MOCKUPS, APPROPRIATE FABRIC, etc) and she even brushes it off in her videos as some kind of cute, funny spontaneity ("chaotic energy") -which it's not, it's just negligence & disorganization. It wouldn't bother me that much if her approach actually worked for her, if she was satisfied with her creations most of the time, but come on, it's clearly not the case. Recently there's been quite a few projects that have turned out less than satisfactory (transformable dress, jack-o-lantern sleeves, autumn leaf dress, barn decor that she kept re-doing, gingerbread dress, disco ball dress...) and that she will probably discard or never wear, and that's where we enter wasteful territory imo. Also she tends to use really nice natural fabric in pretty colours, which are not exactly ubiquitous in thrift stores and therefore precious to us sewists. She's priviledged to have access to a large choice of secondhand items to choose from AND to have the money to buy pretty much as many of them as she wants, and then she goes and cuts them up to make sloppy clothes that she won't even use... And don't get me started on the durability of some of her creations... Sometimes she cuts so many corners it's pretty clears the item won't survive a few washes/uses (cough cough whisical gaming chair), and I would argue that's a wasteful practice. Another point that I think is important : the whole "chaotic energy uwu" thing (aka romantization of sloppiness) has almost become a brand for her channel. I feel like it's what people expect from her videos, and it kinda discourages her from actually improving on her techniques & organization. The appeal of her channel now is more : "watch me attempt to make something, get stressed, rush the process and probably fail" rather than "watch me make stuff Ilike". And she seems to buy into it herself, sadly... it's like she's high on the success that this 'chaotic' character she's accidentally created brings her, and as a result kinda trapped in it. But yeah, basically, I'm losing interest in her content as it seems to be less and less about craftsmanship & self-fulfillment, and more and more about the mere entertainment value of _watching someone make something_ , the _performance_ of it regardless of the practical real-life results... kinda like a 5-min crafts video, to be honest with you

Same! I’m slowly edging towards making a whole garments from scratch, but the fact that I can fix AND ADJUST existing clothes brings me so much happiness. Boob dart needed? I can do it. Vest straps too long and neckline too plungey? I Can Fix It!! Stupid long trousers need adjusting for my 5ft 0in housemate? I CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN!!!

‘Not available in your size’? EVERYTHING is available in my size now!! Mwahahahaaaa!!!

exactly!! even a me-altered wardrobe which is wonderful because you’re inevitably going to get more wear out of things that you have altered to fit you well (and which you can repair should they need repairing!)

Absolutely, that’s where I’m at too and it’s so perfect-instead of feeling overwhelmed trying to figure out how and where to get rid of clothes that had lost an essential button or a strap ripped off, I can fix it very quickly and keep wearing it!

yes! I also had the epiphany that every piece of clothing that I don't wear anymore is not just repairable but also fabric!! If I don't like the style of the skirt anymore but I like the fabric it could be made into a top! maybe it's very clear to other people but I had a real hard time thinking of old clothes as fabric and taking them apart.

You're not the only one! 😂

Honestly I do this so much that I’ve gone away from DIY projects altogether. My biggest win with my decades old sewing machine (which is still good as new ) was patching my worn out jeans last year and being able to keep them in rotation!

The worst thing about this is that I sometimes feel overwhelmed by my stash. Like there's too much choice and then I end up not sewing anything but scrolling through pinterest instead. I've got some free time from work coming up, so my plan is to do to my stash what I already did to my wardrobe: look at everything and if I'm not absolutely in love with it/can't think of a project for it - it's going to the sell/donate pile. Hopefully that enables me to actually *do* stuff with my stash, if I like everything that's in it.

@@Treepwastakeni don’t think genuine minimalism (e.g. not having a stash of supplies) is compatible with creating honestly… Sewing aside I have lots of art supplies (I have like 10 projects at any given time) and like you don’t think about how much space everything takes up until you don’t have a choice BUT to think bout it 🥲 So anyways don’t beat yourself up about it, it’s still doing the better thing for the planet to create your own things instead of buying new…

Saaame! At the moment I'm on a yarnbuying ban, because it works just the same with knitting! I first have to bust my stash before I'm allowed to buy new yarn for new projects (never buy yarn without a project in my mind!)

I think everyone can do it definitely. But not everyone will like it or invest time, patience and energy into it. Not everyone will have a natural talent and passion for it. But it’s definitely something that you can learn if you have two hands and a healthy mind.

Yeah, me too! I was just at a store yesterday with a big sale, saw some nice brown pants I could've added a couple darts to. But I just made super comfy jorts, so the brown pants gets to stay in my mind, waiting for the right fabric 🧵🤣

My proportions haven't been fashionable since about 1895, so buying clothes (or even sewing patterns!) that fit me is near impossible. I feel so good wearing things that really fit me and that is much easier when I am making them myself.

Do you have any guidance/ tips/ videos for taking in the waist on bottoms? I have a similar shape & am really struggling with that dreaded waistband gape (on elasticated & buttoned waistbands alike).

@@JBUHJBUH I have the waistband gape, problem too! What has helped me is using a curved waistband, there are some videos on RU-vid on how to create one. I've used Miss Matti's video "How To Make a Perfect Waistband Without Gaping At Waist", she explains the difference between the types of waistbands and how to alter them. I've also just added a couple darts to the back of finished pants. This has helped on a couple I've bought.

@@JBUHJBUH I found this video very helpful for jeans ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j5v2CN18rDc.html and then for elasticated waists I usually unpick the seam that is needed to reveal the elastic. Chop a bit off the elastic and sew everything back up. Hope that helps!

I love that! It's also very encouraging and motivating.

Sound cute and fun!! Everyone has small tops and tricks that aren't always the same as online or in a book.

I used to go to one in Edinburgh and absolutely loved it. Until they moved away and now they have it in working hours🙄 so can't go anymore😢

A sewing cafe where people mend their items and share skills? Is that in the UK? Sadly I don't think there is such a thing anywhere in the USA.

That is so cool!!!

Yes, definitely! Another thing I always advise beginners is to move away from chunky yarn as soon as you can stomach the idea of knitting with thinner yarn. Chunky yarn just doesn't last, because of the way it's spun. Plus the garments are almost always too warm, thick or heavy to be functional.

The price is usually reflective of fibre content. Some fibres are simply more expensive. Some acrylics are more expensive because they use a smoother or longer fibre than the cheaper brands. I've found that some fancy yarns do sometimes need to be cared for a lot more deliberately than others - I have a cotton and bamboo blend that turns into the most hideous matted mess if it's not gently handwashed by literal fairies, and it has to be kept separate until it gets washed too, because even lying in the basket with a bunch of other items on top of it will probably destroy it. It was definitely still worth the price, but I think the amount of care we're willing and able to give the finished item should be a major deciding factor when choosing a yarn or fabric. Now that I know this fibre type better, I'd only make special occassion items out of it in future, never everyday garments, so I know I'd only have to do very careful washing once in a while.

Oh my if the UK had some I'd definitely be there

That's exactly how I feel about hand sewing and mending - it's like a tie to history. There's a sort of ritual to it.

I have a lovely photo of a paternal great-grandmother crocheting. I remember my maternal grandmother and my mum crocheting. My mum owned a sewing machine shop for a while, and the lady she owned it with was like a lovely aunt (and I'm still close to her daughter). I totally feel this vibe of connecting with not only my ancestors but all women, everwhere, who have always tried to make the mundane into something beautiful. Women did not generally ever have the luxurey of a box of paints, a well lit gallery, and time to paint. But we could make clothing a little bit prettier, since we had to make them anyway. I love that we can still be part of this.

@@bossyboots5000 It's one of my favourite thing about crafts. When I'm sewing, or making clay models, or painting, I feel this connection to all the hundreds of generations of ancestors who spent their time doing the very same things albeit with different tools and methods. And it lets me know that we are really the same as the serfs and Romans and mammoth hunters, that we have always been humans.

This is so lovely thank you for your service

This is such a lovely comment

(Edit: tough meaning sturdy, not difficult)

I was just about to say something similar, I do make clothes from scratch all the time and my topstitiching has always been wonky and my edges not serged on the inside, but it doesn't matter. No one else is looking that close, and they're not going to fall apart anytime soon ( and if they do, I'll just fix them ). Getting something done in a reasonable amount of time and money matters more to me than perfectly straight seams.

This gave me information I needed about cutting already knitted pieces and sewing them like machine made knit garments, thanks!

And honestly, depending on the person you're gifting stuff to, some mistakes don't matter even then. I gift my friends stuff I make all the time and as long as the mistake doesn't compromise the aesthetic or structural integrity of the piece, they don't care. Plus, you can also easily cover those kinds of mistakes with some other thing.

Kudos to you!

yesss, there's always a way to use scraps! if they're small, quilt into one piece, if they're even too small for that, use as stuffing

Half the fun for me is "what can I make out of this stash item?" That's what really gets the creative gears turning. How short do the sleeves on this shirt have to be if I want to get it all out of this one piece of fabric? I crochet, and those little balls of leftovers get to be colourful darning on my thick work socks, and the cotton yarn I use for dish cloths, if I separate the strands, works for darning my cotton sweat socks. And the knees and butts of most of my work pants now sport some colourful fabric scrap as a patch...I especially like the blue flannel bunny face peeking out of one knee hole...

I don't really get your argument. You can make as many clothes as you want. You can mend old clothes and tailor thift store finds.

I do the same. Its way more relaxing to do it by hand. Sure it takes longer but its not like we have to sew a lot of clothes in a short time.

@@happytofu5 So true. The only part I don't like about sewing is repositioning how I sit. But changing your sitting position every ten minutes is just a fact of life anyway.

@@ElizabethMidfordHatesCops tbh when I still sewed on the machine, the posture was not better

How did you get started with hand sewing? I’ve been interested for awhile but it seems so intimidating!

@@sunnyb73 I started with some easy upcycles and mending. You could start by making a small pouch or something similar to get a feeling for the process. Once you know how to do the stitches, the rest is practice. Before I made the things I really wanted, I practiced with old t shirts and such things, which would have been ripe for the trash anyways.

Yes for people who can multitask. I can barely mend anything nicely if I'm talking with my son. I need silence and concentration to do a good job.

I love eating.,... If I´m sitting with friends and there´s food on the table in front of me I´ll eat it... specially the finger food you share qhen meeting friends or family. So..... to avoid over eating I eat and after that I get my knitting out of it´s bag . I´m still participating in the gathering but my hands are busy . And my knitting is growing by the minute....

To me that is common knowledge, like that you should be able to put in a new nail or skrew into your broken bookself.

...this is me realising that i only buy Gutermann and that cheaper brands do exist. Oops. another tip for getting a sewing machine for cheap is asking around your local community, especially if you know people who already sew! someone may be eyeing one of those fancy digital sewing machines with 5000 stitches and looking to pass on their old machine. or, there may be older ladies who haven't used theirs in a while who would be happy to gift/lend it to someone who would get some use out of it.

@@Moocow2003 Yeah I got a 1970s machine that was still in its box ($549.99 price tag) for $130 from a friend, and a friend found me a 1960s machine at a thrift store, got it rewired when she had her own machine serviced, and gave it to me for my birthday last year. Still trying to figure out what thread my 1914 hand crank (free from a friend's mother who passed away), it's still a bit silly sometimes but so far Gutermann cotton hasn't been any better than dollar store cotton...

@@Moocow2003 Who can blame you? The first time I tried Gutermann thread instead of whatever cheap 20 pack of assorted polyester spiderweb that Tesco had it was night and day lol. Also, just starting by hand-sewing is an underrated option. It's not hard, just time-consuming, and much cheaper to get going. Plus good hand sewing skills are invaluable for all sorts of clothing maintenance. Biggest issue is that hand needles are crap nowadays.

as a way to complete the above comment: i work part time so i have time, i use my moms sewing machine so i didn't pay for it, and i use a mix between second hand fabric, fabric from the scrap bin at a local shop and mostly either make my own patterns or use free patterns. also, i learned how to sew when i was unnemployed so i had a bunch of time to kickstart it. and i need to replace a lot of my clothes that don't fit right, because they are 10y old and my body changed a lot between 13 and 23 😅 and also im heavier than before and hourglass/pear shape so very hard to find decent clothes that don't cost a kidney...

Yay, congrats on all those me made items! It's a wonderful boost to finish something, as someone who never posts on IG I basically only ever share photos of finished crochet/sewing projects 😅 The way I always think about the time invested in sewing is you will be wearing it many more hours than it took to make 💪

@@deenoekuekinjuhuujahaa1804 yes! and having all the creative control over my wardrobe is 👌✨✨

Hahah I’m glad I’m not alone!

😂😂 Haha thats secretly why i sew

Nothing wrong with learning transferrable skills is there? 😅 People laugh now but when society collapses they'll be at your door 😅 also had a funny conversation with my vet neighbour about which sewing stitches are transferrable for wound sealing. I was teaching her mending in terms she would understand lol 🤣

Me too, and the benefit of knowing what un-alienated work feels like. I can also carve spoons!

So you're sewing for the end of the world? 😂 While everyone else will be worried about ammunition ,you'll be stocking up on yarn and just kicking back waiting for the barterers

Kids grow so fast too! I'm a slow worker and getting things finished before summer ended and the kid grew out of it was a challenge!

I'm the same! I don't usually see my gender expression in shops (especially underwear), and that's what motivates me to get better at sewing! Learning to make my own underwear that fits my body and my gender expression has made me so happy!

@@smelly-y I'm more about outer wear construction, but I can totally see how undergarments resonate and express you gender. I'm kind of scared of sewing undergarments, they seem difficult!

one of mine is from 1957, a singer made of steel. never had a problem with it. you have to oil the moving parts

I learned during the pandemic too! It feels great being able to alter clothes to make them comfier/get more use out of them! And now if I try on something that doesn't fit right, I can make a better fitting copy!

You didnt get all your yarn at the same time? Have you heard of dye lots?

My sewing machine belonged to my mum, and I wish I could ask her when she got it, but at least I believe it’s older than me, and I’m 26. Still works perfectly fine, and I’m so grateful that I learned sewing at a young age - nothing seems too scary, it’s more a matter of getting started with making room for the process.

Aw I’m so glad!