I enjoy sewing and have sewn nighties, pj's, housecoats and sweat pants. I would really like to get serious about sewing though and sew jackets, vests, shirts and blouses.

What do you sew for your family?

Occasionally I'll make a skirt for dd or myself, and I've made shorts for dd several times because the ones in the store are never long, and loose enough. I seem to do more curtains and cushions. I'm hoping to do a lot more sewing once we get the attic finished and I have an official sewing area. Maybe I'll even get brave enough to do zippers, lol.

I wish I could sew!!!!!

I'm currently teaching myself to sew. I'd really like to make tops and shorts for the girls this summer--it's slow going though because I really have no idea what I'm doing!

I was thinking about this the other day. There was a time when more people sewed their own clothing. That was back when it was economical and before such a thing as thrift stores. I think it has shifted from sewing to buying second hand for economical reasons. It wasn't even that long ago. My mom sewed a lot when we were growing up. I'd do it more if it was more frugal. For me now, its just a hobby.

I was thinking about this the other day. There was a time when more people sewed their own clothing. That was back when it was economical and before such a thing as thrift stores. I think it has shifted from sewing to buying second hand for economical reasons. It wasn't even that long ago. My mom sewed a lot when we were growing up. I'd do it more if it was more frugal. For me now, its just a hobby.

I think it CAN be more frugal, it just depends on where you buy your fabric. I know of a lot of co-ops where you can get fabric really cheap. Though I agree that sometimes it is cheaper (and less time consuming for sure) to buy second hand.

That may be true in the States. It's really hard to find fabric for a good deal here in Canada and patterns are outrageously expensive! Do you agree CJ? I haven't bought a new pattern in decades. I try to use or adapt the old patterns I already have.

I'm sorry, I should have said I was speaking from my experience in Canada. I'm always envious when I read how you all down there can buy fabric for $1 a yard. I remember when patterns were $1 or $2 in the 80's. Now they are regularly priced at $10 and up!

Just to give you an idea... nice flannel is regularly priced at $15 a metre. If I'm lucky I can find it on sale for $5 a metre but it's usually ugly (lol). If I were to buy 2 metres of flannel to make a pair of pajama pants for ds, it would cost me $10 (without buying a pattern) when I can buy brand new for that price. Or spend $2 for a pair at the thrift store.

Margret, I totally agree with you. It really isn't cost effective to sew clothing in Canada and I firmly believe thats why the stores that sell fabric in Winnipeg or Brandon, have branched out and gone into other things, along with selling material. Fanny's Fabric even now sells some furniture and assessories for the home and Fabricland has gone into more quilting material, which they hardly had before. There have also been a couple of stores that have gone out of business because the cost of material is so costly here.

Patterns are wicked here as you know Michelle from our chats. The lowest I've seen patterns is $9.99 and thats patterns that are so out of style that you wouldn't sew with them. The material at Walmart is second grade and when you purchase flannelette from them, it isn't very wide at all, which means you need to purchase way more. When I use to purchase flannelette from them, I needed to purchase at least 10 metres in order to make ds#1 pj's and 2 pair for ds#2. I wish I could do like Margret and adapt patterns as she can. I have a very hard time understanding patterns and have to figure it out myself w/o the instructions before I can sew anything, so to adapt them and resize them, I'd be going crazy.

Even the bargain bins at the fabric stores and Walmart are priced high.

For me, sewing is just a part of self-sufficiency. I enjoy sewing and when I'm in Winnipeg, I go to the warehouse store that Margret told me about a number of years ago and purchase material in large quantities there. It is still costly when I can pick up skirts, pj's, blouses for $1.00 - $2.00 at a thrift store. I remember not too long ago, many people sewed their own clothing. It certainly isn't like that anymore, at least not in Canada.

I have made Ryan's Halloween costumes and I have made her a simple dress, etc. but nothing really involved. On the Frugal Village site I have signed up for the Sewing Club and I really hope to learn how to do the more involved sewing - like the dreaded buttonholes and zippers.

That may be true in the States. It's really hard to find fabric for a good deal here in Canada and patterns are outrageously expensive! Do you agree CJ? I haven't bought a new pattern in decades. I try to use or adapt the old patterns I already have.

I should have been more specific. I know of Canadian fabric co-ops and co-ops in the US that ship to Canada. Same holds true for all sewing supplies, including patterns.

I'm sorry, I should have said I was speaking from my experience in Canada. I'm always envious when I read how you all down there can buy fabric for $1 a yard. I remember when patterns were $1 or $2 in the 80's. Now they are regularly priced at $10 and up!

Just to give you an idea... nice flannel is regularly priced at $15 a metre. If I'm lucky I can find it on sale for $5 a metre but it's usually ugly (lol). If I were to buy 2 metres of flannel to make a pair of pajama pants for ds, it would cost me $10 (without buying a pattern) when I can buy brand new for that price. Or spend $2 for a pair at the thrift store.

Actually, LOL it's not very commonplace to get fabric for $1/yd here--in fact it would have to be an AWESOME deal to get that or really poor quality fabric.

Chelle, can you give an addy to the co-ops for Canadians.

Not as much as I used to--- I generally get our clothes at the .25 rack at the Salvation Army.

I do sew: dance recital costumes, my scrubs, shorts, clothes for the great nieces/nephews, accessories such as- hats, mittens, scarves, soft jewelry, purses, scrunchies. . .

HI
I am a newbie here, and see references to co-ops in Winnipeg area selling cheap fabric. We have 3 kids and are soooo broke - please could someone tell me where?
Thanks
Susan

Hi! I'm new. I just wanted to suggest some little fact I came across. There is an online store that sells fabric by the pound. There are many home-sewing fashion afficionados of this store. The price is very reasonable for the quality but it's still at a price that might be considered high. Many people make whole summer wardrobes and even their own undergarments.
There is also a website that has patterns for free, all you do is print them out on your computer and make your own enlarged copy from whatever you want to use as pattern material (even newspaper will work).

I don't know the exact websites but google: Sewing Pattern Review and nose around on their forums. For me the great thing about this site as a novice sewer is that it helped me avoid many newbie mistakes, thus it was less expensive to start out.

Please don't think I'm a newbie troll trying to advertise for another site.

I'm very intrigued by this sort of lifestyle and have been wanting to try things out that are much more healthy for me and my family.

I can do these things, and I used to. I'm trying to get back into it but do not have any good sources of fabric for garments - lots of quilting fabric ships in the area, but that isn't really appropriate for most things. There used to be some REALLY good books on things like putting in zippers. I'll see if I can dig some up and share. Buttonholes are vastly more simple if you have a buttonhole attachment for your machine (or on more modern machines it might be programmed in). Basically, it puts lots of little stitches side by side for one length of the buttonhole (preset to the width of the button) and then does the samething going back again with just a smidgeon of distance between the two rows. When it is done, you just cut between the two rows, being careful not to cut the stitches.

My mom sew our familie's clothes.:heart:

Hi ladies (and gents if there are any here),

I sew a lot and I get my patterns on sale at Joann's ( a chain fabric store I go to ) for $1.99 each US. I browse the pattern books between sales and keep the numbers of those I'm interested in and then go back when they have the sale and get them. I usually go two of three times during the sale (they only allow you a certain number to buy at one visit) or take DH with me and make him buy as well ( he;s a very good sport). As far as fabric, I go to thrift shops and buy large clothes in very good condition and rip them up to cut new things out of. Works very will for kids clothes and sometimes I luck out and find things I can cut up for mine as well. I have to be very frugal because we're both on a fixed income and I was fortunate enough to have a Mother who sewd while I was growing up and she taught me. She also worked in a local sewing factory so she was very talented. Another possiblity is to find something you like in the thrift shop and tear it apart and use for a pattern (something simple preferrably).

I would be very interested in the fabric coop idea if anyone can direct me to the links!

Very interesting thread.