Making clothes at home

[val douest]

If anyone has been thinking of making clothes at home but has been put off by the cost of commercial sewing patterns, then www.fitzpatterns.myshopify.com is a good site to know.  It's Australian and the woman who runs it produces a variety of simple patterns which can be downloaded - some are free and others cost A$3 (about €1.50).  If you have access to an A3 printer you can print everything very easily, otherwise the patterns are printed off in sections which are then tiled together (quite easy to do). 

[Bastet]

This is certainly well worth bookmarking, thanks.  There's a little haberdashery in our village where there is a small selection of delighful patterns, circa 1950s, costing around €10 each.  They'd probably make a fortune as collector's items on eBay.

[Framboise]

Thanks for that!    The biggest money-saver for me is the fact I was taught sewing and repairworks when I was very young by my Grandmother and then a little at school - these are skills that have been proven time and time again over the years, from the taking-up of trousers and skirts, school trouser zips (often!!), and all those little jobs around the home  from which I have saved a fortune.   Thats not including all the curtains etc I have created over the years.

Its a shame that it is a dying art in this Chuck-It-Away age where people throw out a shirt simply because they lost a button.   Or am I just Madame Thrifty???[kiss]

 

[Russethouse]

I used to sew quite a lot, but I haven't done any  for some time - I have started knitting again though and am just awaiting delivery of a Phildar book of baby patterns en Francais....

[Framboise]

There is nothing more cute than handknits on a tiny baby!  

Unfortunately I am rubbish at knitting - scarves are about my limit and then they are so tight on the needles you can't get them off properly.   My Gran could knit both ways (one needle and then backwards) whilst watching tv.    I wasn't blessed with a knitting skill!!

[Callie]

There's a brilliant fabric shop on the edge of Tours at Chambray lès Tours which is huge and sells furnishing and dressmaking fabrics, accessories etc etc if anyone is interested. Good prices too !

One of the advantages of dressmaking is that if your shape is not "standard", you can at least get clothes to fit you ! Plus no-one else will have the same - and you can put your own designer label on it !!!!

[YCCMB]

It's certainly easier (and maybe cheaper) to do sewing and knitting in France these days than in the UK. Most of the department stores and small haberdashers around me have either closed down or severely cut back their ranges of fabric, wool etc. I buy fabric quite often in France, where the prices can be good (or expensive) but the range is impressive.

As for knitting, I wanted some wool to knit stuff for the offspring for Christmas (first knitting I've done for a long time) and, apart from having loads of trouble even finding wool, the range, prices and dearth of interesting or suitable patterns was a real disappointment. I've got the bit between my teeth now, though, and have managed to find one or two good websites that I'll be using after Christmas.

[Russethouse]

 I think Phildar have the edge on baby knitting, ( I have sent for

Tricot Bebe 50 modeles de layette No 768 Reference 2107680000000000 )

 its easy enough to convert the wool needed etc. I'm hoping whatever I knit will be used, traditional mattinee jackets are great but not too trendy I guess.

[Bertiebe]

I have recently started knitting again, woollies for these long cold winter nights, after a gap of 20 years.  I am enjoying it although a bit rusty with some of the knitting terminology. 
I did, however, order my wool and knitting needles etc. online from this company in the UK:  www.dragonyarns.co.uk/erol.html (sorry don't know how to make it a link), and I found them to be very helpful, had a good choice of patterns, although not the cheapest I think. 

[Kitty]

Here is the link, Bertiebe (which you just copy and paste from your address line when you are online to them):

http://www.dragonyarns.co.uk/erol.html#1X0

It looks interesting.

 

[Scooby]

I used to sew, knit and crochet  and I agree that phildar patterns are the best - have used them for 20 plus years.  Though I love Kaffe Fassett and Patricia Roberts designer knitwear patterns too.  In fact I used to make most of mine and my children's clothes  (my mum, grandmother and great grandmother were tailors and my grandfather used to make shoes).  Whilst I still make all the soft furnishings for our homes both here and in France (i.e. curtains, cushions,  upholstery,  quilts etc)  I find the cost of dressmaking fabrics prohibitively expensive when compared with the price of clothing in the shops.  I certainly wouldn't dress make to save money - only to give me a better fitting and unique outfit.

[Russethouse]

 I ordered from the Phildar site last night and had an email in English to say my items had beed despatched today, so hats off to Phildar, looks promising.