|
|
Vintage Simplicity jumpsuit pattern... |
The news that Fabric.com had ceased operations came to my notice last week.
Watch live classes for FREE at CreativeLive!
[affiliate link]
When I started this current sewing journey, I wasn't interested in taking any side trips towards making structured clothing. I truly felt like I had been there and done that. Furthermore, I don't have a need to keep adding to my closet at this point in my life.
Not particularly crazy about the fabric choice for this one, but I have to admit that it's unique.
While I had likely known that a domain like it must have existed (of course,
right?), I had never browsed or shopped there. From a short fact finding
mission, I learned a bit about its history. It came into being in 1993 and was
purchased by Amazon in 2008. Its demise has been linked to a
move towards "efficiency" — as dictated by Amazon — that fabric
suppliers could not agree with, nor meet. In typical amazonian fashion, the parent company
decided simply to close the shop rather than sell it.
Loyal customers of the site are lamenting the loss of an online resource that provided a wide range of high quality fabrics for sewing clothes.
Loyal customers of the site are lamenting the loss of an online resource that provided a wide range of high quality fabrics for sewing clothes.
It made me think back to my first experiences as a sewer of clothing and
consider how lucky I was to have had in person access to fabric shopping, even
when I lived in a rinky-dink sized town as a teenager.
The world was just different back then.
Many people sewed clothing for their enjoyment and because it was
cost effective to do. I have an example right here to show you.
This is a pair of gauchos (culottes or just a split skirt, if that
first term is foreign to you). I saw the inspiration version of this on a
mannequin in a shop window and recall almost having a mini heart attack when
I checked the price.
|
| The last significant piece of clothing I sewed... |
I no longer remember what the price was, but understand that back in the
early 80s, we routinely paid more for clothing than we do now. So it had to
be an amount that I would never consider paying. Therefore, I went into the
nearby fabric shop (which was located maybe two doors down), rifled through
the pattern books — big, giant-sized catalogs, really — to find what I
needed to make it, and eventually left with a closely matching fabric as
well.
|
| Eyelet fabric for the pocket lining! |
The legs of this pair of gauchos are quite full, so the project required
significant yardage. And yet, cost-wise, the whole enterprise had to have
been quite a lot less than what the finished garment was selling for. That's
how the sewing and clothing world has changed in the past several decades.
This turned out to be the last significant garment that I ever made, apart
from the small projects that I've since featured on this blog.
When I started this current sewing journey, I wasn't interested in taking any side trips towards making structured clothing. I truly felt like I had been there and done that. Furthermore, I don't have a need to keep adding to my closet at this point in my life.
But to come back to the convo I started at the top of this post, when I was
reading about the loss of fabric.com, I came across
recommendations for moodfabrics.com. While someone complained about
their expensive prices, someone else gave them props for their abundance of free
sewing patterns.
So of course I had to take a look. And this caught my eye...
|
| image courtesy of moodfabrics.com... |
This is called the Ivy Trench. I think the slightly modified version shown above looks absolutely
smashing. If I needed a trench coat and had access to the same
fabric, I'd make this in a heartbeat.
It's no ordinary trench. The part that you see in the contrasting fabric
is actually a removable bolero jacket, meant to act as a rain
guard. Isn't that clever?
Another pattern that caught my eye was the
Trillium Ensemble. It's a long (balloon) sleeved cropped jacket on top of high waisted
shorts.
|
| image courtesy of moodfabrics.com... |
Not particularly crazy about the fabric choice for this one, but I have to admit that it's unique.
In case you're wondering, each related blog post for these patterns provides
some basic instructions on how to sew the projects. (You can find them
easily by searching for their names alongside "mood fabrics". To download
the actual pattern templates, you'll have to give up your email address.)
Sizing is available for US size 2 all the way up to 30; there is a chart to
allow you to select correctly.
Needless to say, there are many, many more patterns available on moodfabric.com's site. Another big change that's occurred since the early 80s has been the upwards swing on the price of sewing patterns. They're horribly high if you ask me, so free is always good (even if you have to print and piece them together).
Get 60 Days of FREE Classes at Creativebug this NOVEMBER!
[affiliate link]
Some years ago, I thought it might be a fun topic to survey readers re: their most complex item of (self) sewn clothing. From past communications with fellow bloggers, I already know the answers range from a wedding dress to a men's three piece suit.
Some years ago, I thought it might be a fun topic to survey readers re: their most complex item of (self) sewn clothing. From past communications with fellow bloggers, I already know the answers range from a wedding dress to a men's three piece suit.
For me, the most ambitious I ever got was a denim jumpsuit based on a
pattern similar (if not identical) to the one that you see at the top of
this post. I made it in high school but I don't recall whether or not it was
a project from Home Ec. Wish I still had it.
So what was the most challenging clothing project you've ever attempted? Was it a success?
'Til next...
'Til next...
Love that eyelet pocket lining....I will certainly copy that. Thank you for the inspiration🌷💕
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome and thank you for the feedback! I remember that was a choice based on "using what I have". ;-)
DeleteHi Rochelle, When I worked in a cold school environment, a fleece vest with pockets that I sewed from 1 yard of fleece became my ‘uniform’. I’d make 5-6 every year and buy just a yard of interesting fleece because nice fabric is always ‘buy today, gone tomorrow’. I have a collection of 70+ fleece vests, in all colors and designs, plus about 5 that I sewed sleeves on for jackets. Over the years I lengthened them to keep my backside warm and enjoyed them immensely. I stopped sewing them when I retired but my collection of 1 yard of fleece fabric fills 2 shelves floor to ceiling… also I made beanies and polar fleece socks to match if I bought an extra half yard… I’m thinking of fleece ponchos and jackets now… Marie
DeleteOMG, Marie — 70+ vests?? I suppose it would have been amusing to be at your school to see what vest you'd be wearing on any given day! (That said, I get the appeal of the ubiquitous fleece vest; I have two myself.)
DeleteI've been sewing for a long, looong time, and I started with clothing for myself for school. From there, I started sewing for other people, and I had the fun of creating some very interesting projects. One wedding dress even took me to Hawaii! But when I think of challenging projects, I always think of high school cheerleading costumes! In themselves the costumes are not challenging, but measuring, scheduling and keeping track of multiple teams of teenage girls is most certainly the most difficult project I've ever undertaken!
ReplyDeleteWow, Michele, you've had a storied history with respect to sewing clothes! It sounds like you enjoyed it all, though, which is certainly a plus. The "sewing for other people" part is not something that I'm familiar with (re: clothing), but it must have been quite a feeling of accomplishment to see the results... particularly when it's a parade of cheerleaders!
DeleteI think I'm most proud of a tailored/lined wool jacket I made in the late 70s. I impressed my instructor and myself, but not the dry cleaner (an elderly European old-school tailor) who wrote me a review complete with his (many) suggestions for improving my tailoring techniques. (I wish I still had the note and the jacket!)
ReplyDeleteMy second most complicated make was a pair of jeans I made this summer (in Canada!).
Both projects had... So. Many. Steps. Fiddly steps. This is very satisfying when it comes out well in the end!
LOL - what a story about unsolicited advice! (And too bad about not having the items anymore.) How intriguing that you would have crossed the border to attend a jeans making class, too... I meant to ask about that when you first mentioned it a few weeks back.
DeleteI think if we're in the right frame of mind to approach a complex project (i.e., knowing it will consist of many fiddly steps), it can be so rewarding when it's done. We should all make time for one of those.