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When I was growing up my momma used to sew all
my clothes for next to nothing.
Why should I sew when it costs
almost as much for fabric and notions as clothes off the
rack?
- Because you can get exactly what you want to wear instead of whatever
you happen to be able to find on the rack.
- Because you can fit your garments to your real measurements instead of
whatever standard body type the garment manufacturer designs around.
- Because you can sew a much higher quality garment than you can buy
for the same money. You may spend $30 on materials for the shirt,
but if it's as good as a $150 off-the-rack designer shirt, it may
well still be worth it.
- Because you can make a garment that isn't dry-clean-only.
- Because your family will love wearing stuff they know you made for
them, and you'll love seeing them enjoying the fruits of your labor.
- Because sewing is fun.
How can I sew more frugally?
[Tom and Paulo reply:]
- Take buttons and zippers out of worn out old clothes. Cut the
fabric of the old clothes up and use it for something else.
- Buy patterns only on sale. Patterns are generally sold at a
very substantial markup, so they often go on sale. $1 or $2 per
pattern sales and 50% to 75% off sales are not uncommon.
- Look for large fabric remnants at good discounts. Also when
confronted with a remnant bin, look to see what's actually in it.
Some fabric stores just want to get rid of small pieces and don't
bother to pay attention to what they are, so you'll find silk
jacquard in the $1.99 bin with the cotton print.
- Sew stuff that isn't dry-clean-only so you can save by washing
it at home instead of paying a dry-cleaning bill. Imagine
business suits that you can throw in the washing machine - every
time you do you save like $7 for the jacket alone.
- This may seem like a contradiction, but use higher quality
fabrics so the stuff you make will last longer so you won't have
to replace it as often. (This isn't particularly useful advice
when sewing for a child who will outgrow it before it
wears out.)
[Alicia
replies:]
-
I buy fabric off season. The day after Halloween, there I am buying
up 75% off Halloween fabric for next year's vests and costumes. In the
fall, I buy breezy summer cottons and light blends, and in the spring
I buy corduroys, denims and other winter fabrics. I also *live* for sale
tables. There's something very satisfying in digging around to find a
great fabric for a buck a yard! Another way to save money is to look
into buying printed sheets. Outlets like Plej's offer flat sheets of
all sizes for as little as $4 sometimes, and the prints are great! I
covered my couch with funky multi-colored cowboy boot sheets and made
2 pillows for under $10.
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