The Elle's Beads Blog has opened up guest posting opportunities to knowledgeable craftspeople who are enthusiastic about handmade. I hope you enjoy this new endeavor!
With so many shops and sites selling mass-produced clothes on the cheap, how’s a girl to show her sense of style - without spending a fortune? Of course there are loads of ways of styling up an outfit to inject some personality, but for a guaranteed unique look, handmade clothes are the way to go.
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| Coat's & Clark's Thread Photo by trekkyandy Used under Creative Commons License |
Now you want to pick fabric that’ll make your simple pattern shine. Seek out vintage fabrics, patterns and colours that you love, to make even the simplest smock stand out. Or get playful with your choice of dress fabrics - try velvet instead of cotton, embroidered fabrics and brocades.
If you’re panicking at the mere thought of crafting your own clothing, there’s still lots you can do to get the homemade effect. Even simple customisations, like stitching a trim to a skirt or cutting a new neckline into a plain t-shirt, can transform your clothes instantly.
And there are a whole host of fixings and fastenings that can be used on your clothes to minimise stitching. From safety pins for a punk look to fabric glue and the less messy fusible fabrics – sometimes called “no sew” adhesives. Just place the adhesive between the two pieces of fabric, iron and voila! You’ve just customised your clothes.
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| Summer grass dress Photo by ingermaaike2 Used under Creative Commons License |
Or if you prefer books, there are lots to choose from. I’m a fan of Yeah, I Made It Myself by Eithne Farry. The subtitle - DIY Fashion for the Not Very Domestic Goddess - tells you all you need to know about this book.
Once you’ve got the hang of dressmaking, you’ll find her simple ideas a little pedestrian. But if you’ve got enthusiasm and not a whole lot of technical skill, it’s a great starting point – even Coco Chanel had to learn somewhere.
So if you’ve got a fabulous fashionista inside you just waiting to break out, start to make your own clothes. Not every experiment will work, but you’ve got to keep going until you’ve built up the skills to personalise your entire wardrobe (although you don’t have to customise/hand make everything).
Good luck!
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12 comments:
Great advice! I completely agree that small details can make all the difference to giving a typical article of clothing a custom feel. Thanks for sharing this!
I love the idea of wearing handmade! Although I love to sew, for some reason I have never had much luck with apparel construction -- but that doesn't stop me from embellishing the clothes I already have so that I can continue to enjoy them even longer! My advice would be to frequent your favorite thrift store for great finds and reasonable prices to practice on. Besides the economic value, I personally love wearing pieces that have been given a second life. Those handmade embellishments combined with the unique secondhand-store finds can really jazz up your wardrobe for next to nothing!
I personally don't have much in the way of sewing skills. Rather, I like handsewing patches on my pants/hat/vests for the punk look. Basic sewing is really easy it just takes some time. I have altered one of my vests before using another vest I had as a pattern. So, you can get really creative and use what you have laying around without necessarily needing to buy anything.
I'm just learning to sew, at age 53and am very excited about it. I am in awe of the fabrics and prints available in our local fabric store. Can't wait to try new projects. Thanks for this post.
Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts! I agree that embellishing is easier for me than trying to make an outfit from scratch. That's one of the reasons I make pins and patches - they are easy to make for someone at my skill level while still being 100% unique.
What a great post! I have been thinking about going to the local thrift store, picking up some shirts and altering them with flowers or whatever I can pull together. :)
That sounds like fun! I love thrift stores - you can find some really neat clothing there to upcycle.
Thanks for all your comments! I definitely agree that simply customising your clothes is a great way to go - it's tough to find the time to spend on dressmaking, even if you are great at sewing. And thrift stores are a great place to look - you might even find some vintage fabric or old curtains that you can use to make your next garment.
Although I can only sew by hand, your article certainly inspired me!
And might I add wonderfully written, and chalk full of information.
Thank you so much!
Now, I want to learn how to sew!
So many crafts, so little time.
Thanks for a great post!
"So many crafts, so little time."
Too true! Basic sewing is not that difficult to pick up. If I can do it, anyone can! Of course, a project as involved as designing your own clothing will take practice and considerable skill development, but there's no reason you can't get there!
Great post, Elle! And what a super idea to branch out to a different craft. Personally, I don't enjoy sewing. I find it tedious (sorry!), but I still admire and commend those who do. But, I still enjoyed reading the post!
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