Crafty Mommas! I Need Your Help!

So, Brian's wonderful Aunt got me a sewing machine. I'm totally in love.

I'm going to try to make some clothing as a way of supplementing our income while being able to stay home with the baby once she/he's born. But I don't know where to start. I don't have much sewing experience.

So I was wondering if some of you fine sewing mommas can give me some advice, some tips, and maybe some patterns.

I have no patterns, no clue about any of that stuff. I'm basically "sewing for dummies" level. Help a momma out?

THANKS!

 

Hey there Mama, you live in Seattle right? I'm on the Eastside and if you wanna meet up I wouldn't mind teaching you the basics. PM me and LMK kay?

 

get some books too & traditional one & also something funky like 'thread for heads'
i am totally self-taught, so i know how you're feeling. it can be a bit over-whelming at first, but ultimately my best teacher was my own mistakes!!!
definately take cassie up on her offer....having a stitchin' sister nearby is the best!

 

i shall give you a few tips when i come over holly-bug

 

yay! Lots of crafty-support! I can't wait for you to come, Miss Bug! I'm so excited..


And just so I'm not impeding on anyone's territory as far as selling things, I was thinking about making all my clothing (except for special orders) plus-size. As much as I love all ya'lls stuff, not alot of it is big girl friendly....So I'm thinking of being a big-girl sewer.

I've looked up some patterns that are already marked for plus-size women and they, to be quite honest, were just so ugly! I found a couple of them that I might be able to convert to hip clothing:




Plus, maybe some simple skirts...but I don't have patterns for those...

AND I think I might want to, once I get better at this, make my own wedding dress...though, with a baby, I don't see that as more than a Pipe Dream...*sigh*

 

you're right, there don't seem to be a lot of stitchers making plus sizes (nor petite sizes either for that matter). i'm a tiny little mama & when i buy patchy threads they're usually too long. i guess most of us stitch for own size cause then if it doesn't sell it's yours
sounds like you've got some good ideas....be sure to keep us posted!

 

Patchwork Expressions by Elise Clark is a great place to start. It is more comprehensive than Threads for Heads. And besides that the Threads book is not available any more except for people who are selling illegal copies on ebay. Elise's book is available on her web site. I think it's called Earth Expressions.

A simple strip skirt is a good place to start. Just sew strips together until you get enough to gather around. If you cut them narrower at the top than at the bottom it takes the fullness out of the waistline. Just measure the hips. Add a few inches for fullness. Divide the number of inches by the number of panels or strips you want. Then sew the strips together. Fold over the top for a waistband and hem the bottom. You can put elastic or a drawstring in the waistband. Simple, quick, and really cute.

Kathi

 

Thanks, Mom! Sounds like a good idea...I'm always so jealous of some of the skirts on here, so now I might make my own!

 

good call on the 'patchwork expressions' book....i do not have that one & couldn't remember the name!
i didn't realize that lauren was no longer selling 'threads for heads'

 

i think the best thing to do as a beginner is draw yer stuff out as best as possible and really put a lot of thought into the measurements and what is flattering..

i also think..the best thing to learn in making curvier clothes is darts!!
i make plus size stuff all the time..patterns are easy to modify to make em bigger..
good luck :O)

 

HEY! Supermommy! Advice on altering patterns to be plus size? That would really help me out!

 

umm...well...its best of course to have a pattern kinda close to the size ya need ya know? ya cant really take a size 2 n make it a 20 without some hardcore difficulty but..with patterns that are close ya just kinda guestimate...
usually they have lines marking smaller sizes within the patterns n such...ya can kinda assume that going bigger in sizes they would have the same dimensions. So when I cut em out I cut them not on the pattern but outside the pattern just kinda outlining the pattern, making sure to keep the same distance from the pattern all throughout the cutting..
if this makes no sense i apologize..lol

some good patterns i have for bigger sizes..
New Look 6486 sizes 8-18- i got this at walmart and use it (adapted) for all the halters i make.
Vogue 7280 sizes 14-18-wrap skirt pattern i got off ebay
Simplicity 5003 sizes 14-20- peasant top with or without sleeves i got off ebay

hope that helps ya :O)

 

Tankie Tankie, Super Mommy!