Right. I am petite which in the dressmaking world means short NOT skinny. So if I am spending just as money on clothes my size from the store I might as spend that same money and make the clothes myself. That way I get exactly what I want. Then I discovered vintage fashion and fell in love.
@@FloridasYesteryear right? It's so ridiculous, the fast fashion world, the larger sizes are longer and smaller sizes are shorter. Have a friend who is 5'11" and wears a 12. Most pants on her are Capri length, and another friend 5'3" and wears a size 12 that drags the floor, but a size zero is almost Capri on her and a size 20 on the tall woman is almost too long!
Came here to say exactly this! At least if I made it, I know that it wasn't made by a poor person making $2 an hour in a sweatshop somewhere. Also, I can make it with materials that will last and therefore the garment doesn't end up in a landfill after 3 washings.
5 Ways you can tell it’s home made: there’s no coverstitching coming undone; the hem is hemstitched instead of topstitched; you haven’t seen that same fabric five million times already this week; the buttons are all still on and placed in ways that minimise gaping; the garment fits and the person feels good in it.
Right?! All these things are features, not bugs. Maybe there are a few wonky bits on my stuff, but it's worth it to have something I like, out of fabric I like, that nobody else has.
And, patterns such as plaids and stripes actually match at the seams! I have a really hard time paying for a blouse where the pattern of the fabric doesn’t match up on the side seams or across the front.
@@glendamaikell4224 ohhh so correct! There was a little old lady at church who sat right in front of us and the skirt she always wore had Chevron stripes that didn't meet at the back seam. The fabric was cut off bias. It was so distracting, we had to move seats. 😁😅😂🤣
I was originally - no I don’t need pockets 🤦🏽♀️. A friend made me pants with pockets. Pockets big enough to put a book in. I have seen the light and cannot turn back and will not go back.
As a fat sewist, I want people to know I made my button up shirts. Because no rtw brand is making a hot pink fairy bread patterned shirt in my size. I did that work. And I DEFINITELY topstitched all the things!
Similar to me with pants. I spent so much time searching for pants that would go over my backside that I found an online pattern drafting website (put in your measurements and a computer drafts a pattern for you) and I had a pair of pants that don't fall down and also don't try to ride up my bum crack plus it has nice big pockets that fit my phone.
I made a prom dress for a friend of mine. I told her I hoped she didn’t mind that it was “home made”. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “It’s NOT home made. It’s HANDMADE.” Paradigm shift for me right then and there. I have never forgotten the way that girl made me feel when she said that. I felt like a real sewer (sewist???) from then on out. One of the best feelings I’ve ever had!
I actually make custom clothes for my adult sons because they are tall. I use custom tailored clothing as my preferred description of what I do. And my dear, that's what you did! Fitting and sewing a prom dress is a custom job.
Everyone says ladies really want this designer label purse or that beautiful pattern and fabric, but let’s face it - every woman really just wants giant ass pockets!!! 🎉
No, no, NO!!! 😂 No pockets! If there are pockets, I will put my hands in them, and even if the garment is the most delicate feminine item in the world, I go from 'elegant and ladylike' to 'geezer-bird' in a split second! 'South London thug in a ball gown' is not a good look! 😅😅😅
Totally agreed!! When my oldest was in preschool, as little boy looked sideways at my daughter's dress and then snidely said "you're mom made that dress". My daughter looked back and said " yes, my mom made this specially for me. No one else in the world has one like it. Your mom went to the store and bought something every one else has." The teacher who told me about this exchange said the boy was floored. I was and am very proud. This happened 30 years ago.
"Thanks, I made it!" really does never get old. Eventually, if you decide to improve your finishing skills, your friends will start asking if some of your well-fitting RTW pieces are handmade. I have a lot of fun keeping people guessing. Most of the time, they figure out it's handmade when it's a true vintage pattern.
Thank you, Stephanie! I work with mostly men as I'm a female welder. And I sew all my clothes. I even tell what I call " the boys." You can't buy this! I MADE IT. "The boys" range from 18 to 65ish. And every single one of them ask me " Did you make that too!!" They are sew impressed with my sewing everything I would be surprised if they don't try to take it up. And yes I'm guilty of making a mint off of them repairing their clothing. The first pair of overhauls I'm made for work (flame retarded) I found flower print! From that moment on I'm super excited to "show off" what I've made. So lady's seem like men are generally IMPRESSED by home sewing. I'm in my late 50s so I'm not chasing the men I work with but, If I were, guaranteed I would have been married by now. 😂 All joking aside, I do swell up with pride when one of them tells the other one 'she sewed it!' Never mind what some snooky says about your "me made" clothing, they are probably just jealous because they can't. ❤ I love your content. Thank you a million!
Just chuckling at the fact that your autocorrect corrected “so” to “sew”.🤣 You probably got so annoyed because you use the word “sew” a lot, that you manually entered that correction, am I right? 😃👍😍
When people I work with found out I have a sewing machine I've also altered clothes for them, love having a skill and can guarantee going to eg wedding knowing I'm wearing a dress no-one else will ❤😊
I think the idea of something looking “handmade” = bad is outdated in the world of abundant poorly made RTW. Sure I want to make my clothes to the best of my ability but we gotta also give ourselves (ehrm… myself) some grace when it’s not perfect.
When I think of all the time I used to put into garments to get them "perfect," ripping out seams and fixing things that nobody but me would notice or finishing every raw edge perfectly... Now a days, I go with the "Desi" approach. The outside and the front is what matters, only finish raw edges when/where absolutely necessary. They don't even use patterns, just formulas and chalk it right onto the fabric and it comes out beautiful. And, Indian salwar pants are the most comfortable things ever when the weather is hot and you can whip them up in no time with about two yards of fabric.
I am 69 years old, and only used a sewing machine when I was in the 7th grade......and it scared me so much then! LOL!!! I so want to sew some dresses for around the house....three quarter sleeves and to the ankles! Nope, probably not in style for anyone anywhere....but I am working up the courage to give it a shot! I enjoy you so much!!!
Please do it, you won't regret it and it's such a lovely way to pass the time. Plus you get gorgeous clothes you can enjoy wearing, in exactly the style you love! Personally, I like a 3/4 sleeve, with a 50's style full circle skirt in a mid calf length.... not particularly "in fashion", but I LOVE THEM! I only learnt to sew quite recently in the last few years, during the lockdowns and I've never looked back. I love searching out true vintage patterns, it's a joy. I hope you'll take the plunge and become a fellow stitchling. ❤
Do it I had a horrible experience in high school myself. I took the step awhile back to sew my first vintage style dress and I finished it. Now I've started it on dress number 2 a fifties style dress. Actually I made another in-between the 2 my own idea of a strawberry maxi dress. It was hard and I cussed my way through but I did it and you can two.
Go for it! I used old sheets when I started sewing. I wore those sheets until they fell apart!! 😂 At the time I figure all I had really lost was the .98 cost of the thread. I didn't even buy a pattern I folded a shirt that fit well in half traced around it cut it out and just free handed a "skirt" pattern. Best decision I've made. I'm in my late 50s and started really sewing only a couple of years ago.
My daughter crochets and makes herself tops, skirts, sweaters, boleros etc. And leaves all the loose yarn ends dangling She wants people to know she made it. (She's in high school and wants people to know she made it. Yay for her)
I darn my socks with contrasting colours. Not only is it easier to see what I'm doing but it also is quite evident that I fix my stuff instead of pitching it! I've also got bunny print flannel in the patch in the seat of my work pants and bright turquoise in one knee and purple on the other.
While thrift shopping recently I found a button down that someone handmade! I could only tell because i noticed the pinked seams when I was looking for a tag. I wore it on my trip to Italy! It made me happy to show off someone else's hard work.
When my oldest daughter was about 3, I had made her a super cute little dress for a special day at church. I was very proud of it! One of the ladies commented to her, "Amy your dress is so pretty! " Amy's reply..." My Mommy made it, 'Cause we're poor!"
My mom made me clothes when I was little but didn't appreciate it enough back then. She made a sweatshirt and sweatpants set for me out of sweatshirt fleece but the fabric was stiff and the seams were scratchy.
lol, not so true anymore with the way the price of fabric has gone up. You have to hunt really hard to source materials to make something for less these days.
One of the best moments as a home sewist I've ever had: I made a dress from a 50s pattern to wear to a cousin's wedding. I had my 3 month old daughter with me in the restroom at the event and was stopped by a 7 year old girl who wanted know where I got such a cool dress. The look of mind-blown awe on that kid's face when I said I made it myself was truly the best compliment. I like to hope that she might remember that dress someday and be empowered to try sewing herself.
When i was 16 back in the 1960s, in my French class we had a story in which the sisters were put down by the author for wearing homemade dresses. I did a whole speech in French defending the "handmade" clothing of the sisters and how it was probably better made and more flattering then store bought in the 1920s. Especially because i had made my school uniform skirt myself and i was proud of it.
ABSOLUTELY!! I've been sewing 60 years. I learned one "handmade" give-away matters: A garment put together without ironing as each seam is completed. Use your iron so everything looks beautifully made.
When I make a suit or a jacket or even a fancy dress when I am finished, I take it to the dry cleaner and get a press only. Everything comes back looking like I bought it off the rack.
I once had a knitting teacher say that all our stitches should be even and identical and should look like a machine made it. Well, I'm not a *&%*$ machine and I made this and I am loud and proud about that!
I tell people "the machines are trying to keep up with us". Having said that, you can be a hand knitter who makes even stitches automatically, and that's okay too. I can't knit unevenly even if I try on purpose -- just how I was taught. Either way, the machines can't keep up with us.
The highest fashion ‘Couture’ has to include a certain amount of hand finishing and particular technique in order to be labeled so, on top of other requirements likeshowing a certain number of collections in Paris. To Imply that handmade garments are unprofessional or lesser is spitting in the face of artisans. When you see a celebrity at the Oscars, they’re wearing garments handmade by dozens of talented artists.
However, some of those garments make the look like roosters, or cockatiels, or some type of bird, lol. But, yes, still handmade. That’s also why they’re expensive.
I have been sewing since I was six years old, and I have never lost that sense of, “will this look ‘homemade?’” Thank you, Stephanie, for the confidence boost!
Seconding! I buy thrift store clearance - items with pockets never make it to clearance. I've gotten decent at it, and can now assess if it's a garment I want to bother with, and how they'll need to be done... but explanations from one of the chaos youtubers who love pockets... would have helped me a lot. Top suggestion: Anchor your pockets into the waist band! Better weight distribution and drape. And since you're not making 10,000, using that little bit of extra fabric, is not going to cost anything or increase the work noticeably.
The tree trunks on the same level across the sleeves and bodice is actually a detail I really love. It's why I wish detailed small-scale striped patterns were easier to find, because intentional use of patterns is one of the things that really stands out to me as different between vintage and vintage reproduction.
One of the coolest vintage dresses I've seen online was from the 50s, it had a green and red stripe fabric that was pleated on the front bodice so it appeared solid red, and the rest of the dress let the green stripes show. I thought it was such a good idea for utilizing stripes. Mass produced clothing nowadays would never include such details.
@@randybobandy4000 Ooh, I've seen that kind of stripe manipulation on vintage dirndl skirts/aprons a few times, and it really is a cool detail. I tried to make a sample a while back, but the stripes were about 1/8" wide and I didn't think I'd have the patience to do a whole waistband's worth.
My Mom made a dress like that for me when I was in 5th grade but with a 1” black/white/grey gingham. So if I remember correctly the bodice became horizontal stripes and the skirt was the gingham.
A few weeks ago, I complimented one of my sisters on her blouse and she said, “i just realised, none of your clothes ever have a pattern.” I said, “Wait, not true, I’m wearing a striped shirt.” It was blue linen, a “quality” British high-street brand with tiny white stripes. She said, “Only thin white stripes that make it look paler at any distance. Do you even have something with black stripes?.” Nope. Believe it or not, I had never realised this. Once I got home I had a good look and found only a set of teeshirt-fabric pyjamas with little floral sprigs, one giant fleece lounge/robe top with a vague landscape over the whole front, and some socks with different color blocks in heels and toes: everything else is what she described. Even my sheets and towels are self-colored. Your comment just made me finally understand why. Why do I look at things with motifs and designs and put them back on the rack? Because I can’t stand that they mismatch wherever they join!
When I grew up in the '80s, before truly mass-produced cheap clothing was available everywhere, people (my mum included) sewed clothing because it was cheaper. So wearing home/hand made clothing implied you were poor. I don't remember if I got teased because of hand made clothing, but I remember being worried about it. When I recently re-learned to sew as an adult, it took me quite a while to get over that mindset. Now I love telling people I made my dress!
In the 50s & 60 s when I was growing up my mom made my clothes. She was an excellent seamstress & no one ever teased me - rather told me they wished their mom could sew (that’s if I told them where it came from). As a teen I made my own clothes & same deal. The clothes my mom made & the ones I made looked better than store-bought 🤗
The good thing about handmade is no one ever will wear the same as you have made. It's such a good feeling that what you are wearing is unique to you, there isn't another like it, anywhere.
Who cares if you can tell. The fact that you are not constantly in jeans and a T-shirt already puts you in a class above most women (and men). You look fantastic!!!!
I used to hang my new garment in the closet a few days. When I took it out I could not find the mistakes I had worked so much about. It ended up nicer than store bought. Better fabric! I could pick the pattern pieces that I wanted from different envelopes. I had designer clothes made just for me to fit. And enough money for shoes and accessories! Nowadays any homemade looks better than the big box stores. I am going to try thriftng for fabric!!
This was perfect timing. I spent a year knitting a cardigan where I experimented with fit and fading colors. After blocking, I wore it today and just felt deflated when all I could see were the flaws and tells that it was some new skills. Thank you for reminding me that that time wasn’t wasted, and I can still be proud of myself for finishing a tough project. It gave me motivation to keep going.❤❤❤
Should anyone be so rude as to point out a ‘flaw’ …there are two potential responses : yes, I planned that, you see, it’s perfectly imperfect, thank you very much ! ….and / or it’s only a ‘mistake ‘ if you can spot it on a galloping horse from 50 feet away ! My mother was a child of the Great Depression or Dirty Thirties. She loved making her own clothes and thrifted and remodelled and scoured fabric stores and sewed for her seven children too. Bravo for your beautiful sweater !
Keep knitting. I used to do the same thing ... and then I just got over it and wear my flawed knitting with a sense of accomplishment. I enjoy the knitting process and that's what it's all about.
I agree with this video SO HARD! Why folks think that store-bought clothing is the best should sometime turn a garment in the store inside out and take a look at the shoddy construction that is the norm. Practically ANY handmade garment produces a better constructed garment than many factory made ones.
When I started making the kids clothes it was because the cheap garments would fall apart in the wash. I would much rather make it properly than repair the shoddy work!
I'm 70. Started 2 sew my own clothes by age 14. Was teased then about homemade clothes, now I'm like whatever. Have developed a tough skin about clothes + my style, I like it just the way it is. Ciao
How times have changed. When my daughter had her high school prom, she and all her friends were amazed that one of their friends had made her prom dress !!!!! They were all blown away by how good it looked.
I think my mom (born in 1927) used to sew all her clothes until they had enough money that she could buy them. She had a sewing machine but I only remember her sewing one outfit. RTW was a newer option at the time, so maybe it was a status thing back then.
"Did you make that??!!"is the very best compliment I get. I don't sew. I crochet, weave and make sugar flowers. How do they know the item is handmade? Because they've never seen anything like it before. Because it is so labor-intensive that you simply cannot buy anything like it. Because it is not only "off-trend," it's totally beyond "the trend." Because, "This is art!" Because, "I wish I could do that!"
I have been sewing since I was 3...I have been altering clothes since 5 grade...but the game changer for me was that haute couture is handmade garments...so when I wear something I made it is haute couture that I did NOT have to pay $$$$$ for.
My favorite way to tell that my clothes are homemade is that the fabric is cut on-grain (or close enough). No t-Shirts with seams across my tummy! Also, no one is knocking me for my handmade clothes… maybe a more experienced sewist, but even then, the ones I know are usually proud of me for trying. But most of the people I interact with are just impressed that I CAN. I’m also starting to get into visible mending, because I love that handmade totally unique look on everything!
I love that green dress, I remember when you made it. It looks great on you too. I love it when people compliment something I'm wearing and I get to tell them I made it. 💜
Almost my entire circle knows that I sew my own clothes (actually building to sewing my own shoes sometime in the new year) so when I walk in with a different dress, that has a unique pattern on it- 80% of people ask me if I made it (most of my fabric is 2nd if not 3rd hand, and I love that!)
There really is nothing quite like that dopamine hit when someone compliments a garment you've made! I got that twice in one day last week; I took my mother to a doctor's appointment and stopped at a nearby JoAnn Fabrics to pick up some sewing notions. It was a little chilly, so both my mother and I were wearing sweaters that I'd knitted. The cashier at JoAnn's asked if I'd made my sweater and told me how nice it was (and even called to another employee to point it out), and then when I returned to pick up my Mom from her appointment, another patient exiting the building at the same time complimented her sweater, and she told them, "Thanks, my daughter made it!" I actually heard the exchange over the phone because I'd just called my mother to tell her I'd arrived. Those two little moments brought me such an unexpected surge of joy. It's absolutely a good and valid reason to handmake clothes, and for those clothes to be visibly handmade!
I am 61 and have been sewing since I was 13. I just made the walk-around dress. Out of sheets and a curtain. I'll post a picture for you on Sunday as I'm wearing it to church!😊.
When I see a garment made of unique fabric pattern , I always wonder if the wearer made it or someone who loves them made it for them. I’ve made so many garments for me and loved ones and no-one else will be wearing what they’re wearing. I can adjust fit for thin kids and full-sized adults. It’s amazing the skill set I have in knowing what I can use on-hand instead of buying the needed item(s). Yes, sewing is time consuming! I still love sewing!!! A good reminder and encouraging video Stephanie!!
My mom taught me to sew, and every time we shopped for clothes at any dept store, my mom would point out all the flaws that they were charging so much for (ie: plaids or stripes not matched, etc.) and then we'd hit the fabric store on the way home & get better quality fabric & a pattern for a fraction of the RTW price.
@@claudialupper I miss my mom. She had such a good eye for which fabric would look great with which pattern. She'd always point out a fabric that I never would have chosen & turn it into my favorite dress, the one that I picked for school photos, or anywhere that I wanted to look my best! I took a tailoring class, back in the old days of Home Ec in high school. I take forever to sew a project, but it's impeccable when I'm done!
I'm proud of my homemade homemade clothes. They are individually unique. I'm grateful for all the skills I am capable of doing. Anyone can buy something off the rack. I say be proud of homemade ❤
I used to make all my clothes but stopped when all the fabric stores closed. Back in the day there used to be so many places to buy quality fabric that you could touch and feel. I don’t like buying fabric online because I can’t tell if I’m going to actually like it. The only fabric I buy online is quilting fabric; it’s more predictable in quality. I’d really like to make some dresses because it’s so difficult to find flattering dresses especially for older women and women that are not size 4.
Well said! (I remember o.g.stores: Martin dry goods [independent], as well as So- Fro [the founding family sold this chain to JoAnn fabrics in the 90's] )......
@@MarisaFrasure I grew up in the city of NewBedford MA. There were so many textile factories back in the 60s/70s and some of them would sell folds of fabric, there would be tables full of fabric and it was inexpensive. There was a shop that just sold buttons called, Windsor Button. More people sewed back then especially the workers from the textile factories. My mother was a sample maker for Vanity Fair and I was a Utility worker in a men’s suits factory meaning I didn’t have to do the same job, I could move around to different stations in the assembly line. I liked working in factories.
@@MarisaFrasure I’ve moved away in 1978 but I would visit my mother who lived there until 2016 when she passed away, so I’m not sure but a lot of the factories have been torn down, made into shopping malls or apartments. I worked in a shoe factory sewing boots and the top floor is where they would put the seconds (shoes/boots that had a flaw) and you could buy a pair for $5/$10. That was in 1975.
As a bigger gal, I find it difficult to find store bought clothes maddening to buy. Even when I find a brand that fits me well, I can go back to that same brand and the sizes and proportions will all be off from previous times. I've been looking into making my own clothes for ages and there's no time like the present. I couldn't care less if someone thought my clothes were handmade. I'll be happy and comfortable in my one-of-a-kind outfit.
Thank you for this video! When I was an adolescent I remember having so much shame over making my own clothes. My family didn’t have a lot of money and I discovered I could make things that looked like what I saw in fashion magazines at a fraction of the cost. I was proud of myself for this but at the same time didn’t want anyone to know I made things myself for fear of their judgement. I eventually got over it and wore my pride like a badge of honor. Being able to make things is something one should absolutely be proud of! Just because something is store-bought doesn’t mean it’s better. There are plenty of mass-produced garments that are absolute garbage; making something yourself allows you to make it at a higher quality and will last longer.
I personally love hand making my garments, because I can be inspired by a design, and then take it to the next level! More details, tailored perfectly for me! I get compliments all the time, and I am proud to say I made it. Who is the designer? ME! This is a one of a kind piece, that NO other person has. All the stars can hire people to make something, that later is recreated… and then recreated by stores… and then fast fashion. Not my piece!
I also love to upcycle my old clothing or buy second hand and make it even better! Trash? No, undiscovered treasure! Watch me bling this garment up! New buttons, chains, trim, seams, lace, everything that makes a garment “designer “
My daughter and I made a dress for her that’s she’s worn to a wedding last year and a work conference dinner this year. Both times, people loved the dress and were surprised to learn that we made it. She wants to make more dresses for trips she wants to take next year. I told her we need to get tags made that say from The House of Dixon…..then people can wonder what design house it is while we smile because it was made by us.
I made my own wedding dress. Out of velvet, with an embroidered satin yoke & smocked top. Certainly could never have afforded such an elegant dress otherwise 🤗
My wardrobe is now 99% hand crafted. I receive complements all the time. When I was wearing shop bought cloths nobody noticed what I wore. My reasoning they probably tried it on, seen it on multiple people no reason to comment. Nobody will notice small mistakes in handmade clothes, take the compliment without diluting your skills. I simply say thank you and move on.
Another thing to add is that many of the mistakes present in homemade clothing are also in store-bought clothing and people still buy and wear those items all the time.
This is on my watch list for when I need a pick-up. Stuck on a project? Need motivation to continue working? Feeling a bit down? The message in this video always gives me a boost! Thank you!
I've had this conversation more than I care to. I generally tell people it is custom made Some people do get handmade and those that really know me-it's did you make this. Answer: yes and it has pockets.
Handmade is or is closer to couture than any mass-produced garment out there, regardless of label or price. It is inherently better because of the care and deliberate attention going into its creation. Skills can always improve with use and time.
Excellent topic. No one should care. We should be proud of our skill set as makers. Anything you buy these days falls apart in the laundry after the 1st wash and needs mending. On top of that, most store bought clothes need altering before I can wear them. I am short & plus size and the designers seem to think that not only am I “fluffy” I’m 7 foot tall with my knuckles dragging the ground. Pockets Rule!
For anyone new out there to sewing, keep going! You get better and more knowledgeable as you go, to make your clothes more you, and to make them fit the way you want them to! Stephanie, thank you for this awesome pep-talk video! I think you should do a series of these, for everyone who's a maker to get them geared up to do the thing! (says me as I struggle-bus with my sewing machine trying to make an 1890s sport blouse and my machine causes me trouble cause it hated the thread that I was using, which I have now switched and it's now behaving so I can too...do the thing and git 'er dun!)
Thanks for this video! I love sewing and used to sew for weddings when I was in college. When I was super thin, I made all my clothes. Now that I gained weight, I don't want to make myself anything. But since I have been dieting for nine months, maybe this summer I could make a few things. The idea of sewing again is my motivation for losing weight.
I haven’t worn a commercial sweater or vest in over 10 years and I haven’t worn commercial socks in 3years. This is the Summer to go back to making my own shirts! Thank you, Stephanie!
I'm terrible at sewing, don't even know what topstitching is, but I can say I'm so proud and in love with a linen jacket I made (even without a pattern) that I'll even wear it to Publix.
I love that I can make my favorite pieces again and again. I am always so sad when my favorite storebought garments wear out and I can't purchase them again because they were made 10 years ago
I've never been able to sew or knit. My mum used to despair of me. My sister on the other hand... she's great at all that stuff. I now make beaded jewellery. I think anyone that can sew or knit is an absolute hero.
Definitely one of the BEST things about sewing is getting to say "Thanks, I made it!" Like you said it never ever gets old. My favorite interaction was once with a woman who complimented my dress, I said "Thanks, I made it!" to which she replied "And I bet it has pockets!" YES YES LADY IT SURE DOES!! 👗🥳
If you line the pocket, or just sew in a strip of growgrain ribbon on the top inside of pocket, they will not gap.. Then iron all the seams you sew it will be hard to tell it is homemade..
Some of my best creations came when I made a mistake, and I had to be creative to fix it. And people commented on those particular creations, the most as being beautiful.
I became paraplegic 10 years ago. A car accident broke my back and took off one leg. With just a needle and thread, I re-make my old clothes so they are easy to put on and take off. I also insert a V-shape in the front of my heavy mid-calf socks, because my feet and legs often swell. Yeah! Sewing for myself! Have you SEEN the prices on clothes for the handicapped?
I love the message here. ❤. My mother was an amazing seamstress. She could create works of art and I surely didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have. She was a seamstress in the 1940’s in Cincinnati, Ohio at a place called Fashion Frocks. After becoming the iconic 1950’s housewife,she made many of our clothes out of necessity. Then she made me some really cute clothes in Junior High and High School. I have a long torso and most shirts were way too short waisted for me and she made them the length I preferred,and of course I had to have my dresses so short there that,well, there was zero bending happening 😂 Now the sad part of my comment, book, dissertation😉 In my mom’s untimely death I was not prepared to think about keeping her patterns and fabric. She had totes and totes of fabric and patterns and notions. I wish I had her kenmore sewing machine. 🙁 My brother’s wife swooped in and asked my sister and I the day of her funeral if she could take it. At that point she could have taken whatever. I was grieving and only wanted my mom. She took things that should have stayed with my sister and I. 🤷♀️ Then my dad in his grief just gave almost everything away. 🫤 My sister was able to save a few things but so much, she was too late for. I had to return to work and as a single parent I couldn’t be there as much as I wanted. Anyway. I wish I had things to show you that she made. I have one beautiful piece though. In high school maybe around 1973-1974 I think, she made me 2 caftans out of some beautiful border prints. (So hippieish (not a word I know)One I wore thread bare but the other is hanging in my closet. If I knew how to share a picture I would. 💝 It’s beautiful and priceless. I know you would appreciate it. So long way around here, just wanted to say that I love your videos, and your style. I hope you continue to share them with us. ❤❤❤💝💝💝
I quit caring that people remarked about my handmade clothes in high school. I knitted/crocheted my own sweaters, made shirts for my sister and myself. I told them our shirts were custom made and fit just right for a fraction of the store bought. My sister saw a blouse that she drooled over. At $35, ( in the 70's) it was a no go. We studied how it looked, seams, trims and buttons. We went to the fabric store and no joke, the same fabric was there and on sale. For less than $7, we made the blouse for her over the weekend. Another girl couldn't believe how well hers fit until my sister said "my sister made it" then the cows started mooing (picking on her). I came over. The head cow said she bought the same blouse and it fit her funny. I asked her why she wasn't wearing it anyway since it cost $35. I said "why make fun of anyone's clothes that fit for $7 custom made when your expensive ones don't?" She had no answer. Since then, people's opinions are their own. If they're jealous that they can't sew there are classes.
Everybody asks me where I buy my clothes. I tell them the name if my local fabric shop. I have been making my own clothes since I was 8 years old. For a brief time I had no sewing machine and had to buy clothes and they were so badly made and fitted so badly that I thereafter used to borrow a friend’s sewing machine.
I get so many compliments on my skirt that made (one of the few that I have currently) and it gives me so much more confidence. I know it fits me, I love the fabric and I took the time to make it. Also, most clothing is handmade. We just forget who's hands are doing the making.
This one resonated sooooo so deeply for me. Being in "the business" I hold my sewing to this impossible standard that I definitely cannot live up to. And it has stopped me from sewing SO OFTEN. I feel like everything I make is under a microscope and will be judged harshly (it often will). I really need to practice not caring. Thanks for the encouragement! I really, really needed to hear this!
You get to make things from vintage patterns that they dont make anymore and if there's still one lying around it probably isn't in good shape. There was this Dior blazer pattern. I couldn't get it because of financial constraints but I wanted it and I would've had one in every color I could think of. Maybe I should save up before shopping for designer patterns? It wasn't that expensive but when you have a budget yeah.
Oh man sister! I LOVE this! And I’m so grateful that you made a video about it! When I was 15, I was really interested in learning how to sew. I made all sorts of different things. They *were* funny looking, but so many grown women made fun of what I made! It broke my little young heart. I persevered and now I can sew just about any damn thing I want to. Having someone to speak kind words into me when I was young would’ve been wonderful. But there’s always a lesson and everything. And the lesson I took away from that experience was to never, ever say anything, but encouraging things to a young woman who is trying something new..💕
There is a flipside to making things SO well that everyone assumes it's store bought. That part kinda sucks too because no one says anything to you. I made a custom robe for my partner and everyone assumed he got it from the dealer's room. I made a beautiful brocade vest and nope, everyone assumed it was an amazon find. Unless it's an outlandish print or super fancy dress everyone thinks I bought it from somewhere.
Hi, I’m in bed with flu, I don’t sew I’m a crochet fan. Your video popped up so I clicked on. Although I don’t understand much about sewing I loved it, so entertaining and a break from crime. I’ve watched a few now and love them ,so bright and cheerful. Still won’t sow but I’ll keep watching.❤😊
Handmade clothing is absolutely something to be proud of; like a home-cooked meal, vegetables from your own garden/allotment, or art you created for your own walls. We should celebrate making things. Our creativity is one of the distinguishing features of humankind.
I am with you! I used to sew all my own wardrobe, and bought the most stylish patterns and beautiful fabrics that made me “foam at the mouth!” (figuratively). This continued to be the MOTIVATION for me to go on to plan, prewash, press, layout, mark, adjust, etc. and to finish off with hems/buttons and actually wear the garment. Also that was the olden days, when the ready to wear for fat women that was available was one rack in the back of the store with ONLY navy polyester. No wonder more people learned to sew then. Blessings! from Canada
You can tell they are handmade because they actually fit and are lovely.
Right. I am petite which in the dressmaking world means short NOT skinny. So if I am spending just as money on clothes my size from the store I might as spend that same money and make the clothes myself. That way I get exactly what I want. Then I discovered vintage fashion and fell in love.
@@FloridasYesteryear right? It's so ridiculous, the fast fashion world, the larger sizes are longer and smaller sizes are shorter. Have a friend who is 5'11" and wears a 12. Most pants on her are Capri length, and another friend 5'3" and wears a size 12 that drags the floor, but a size zero is almost Capri on her and a size 20 on the tall woman is almost too long!
Originally mail order clothes asked for sex and age. So a 16 was for a 16 year old. You read that right, so a 7 is for a 7 year old.....
Exactly right. Plus the designs on the fabric are beautiful and unique.
Plus, you can choose natural fibers, instead of polyester that is hot as hell, or rayon that won't last the season!
EVERY SINGLE PEICE of clothing is handmade - its either us sewists or people laboring away in sweatshops. but EVERY THING IS HAND MADE
Came here to say exactly this! At least if I made it, I know that it wasn't made by a poor person making $2 an hour in a sweatshop somewhere. Also, I can make it with materials that will last and therefore the garment doesn't end up in a landfill after 3 washings.
Right? Even the most bougie couture in the world is handmade.
@@kittydogzall couture is handmade, in fact couture means hand-sewn to custom fit!
Would home made be a better word? I think you're missing the point of the video based on semantics.
@@karenfrances I'm assuming that she chose the word handmade for a reason.
5 Ways you can tell it’s home made: there’s no coverstitching coming undone; the hem is hemstitched instead of topstitched; you haven’t seen that same fabric five million times already this week; the buttons are all still on and placed in ways that minimise gaping; the garment fits and the person feels good in it.
Right?! All these things are features, not bugs. Maybe there are a few wonky bits on my stuff, but it's worth it to have something I like, out of fabric I like, that nobody else has.
Ya know, as home sewists, we wouldn't even let items out of the sewing room if they were as badly constructed as fast fashion! 😂
@@mrsducky3428 so true!
And, patterns such as plaids and stripes actually match at the seams! I have a really hard time paying for a blouse where the pattern of the fabric doesn’t match up on the side seams or across the front.
@@glendamaikell4224 ohhh so correct!
There was a little old lady at church who sat right in front of us and the skirt she always wore had Chevron stripes that didn't meet at the back seam. The fabric was cut off bias.
It was so distracting, we had to move seats. 😁😅😂🤣
POCKETS! F***ING POCKETS! One of the first things I learned how to sew was HOW TO ADD POCKETS TO ALL OF MY CLOTHES THAT WERE MISSING THE POCKETS!!
I have recently unlocked the second level of this: extending the pockets of clothes that have pockets, but they're too small.
You are awesome. I always love your enthusiasm ❤
I was originally - no I don’t need pockets 🤦🏽♀️. A friend made me pants with pockets. Pockets big enough to put a book in. I have seen the light and cannot turn back and will not go back.
Yes!!!Pockets all the time!!!
Yes! Actually useful pockets!!
As a fat sewist, I want people to know I made my button up shirts. Because no rtw brand is making a hot pink fairy bread patterned shirt in my size. I did that work. And I DEFINITELY topstitched all the things!
Oh yes! I have button-down shirts I wear to work. The neck FITS my neck, AND I can take a breath without shooting buttons at people.
I wish pictures could be posted in the comments! I would love to see your shirt!
That sounds delightful! I don't know what fairy bread is, but it sounds cute.
Similar to me with pants. I spent so much time searching for pants that would go over my backside that I found an online pattern drafting website (put in your measurements and a computer drafts a pattern for you) and I had a pair of pants that don't fall down and also don't try to ride up my bum crack plus it has nice big pockets that fit my phone.
I work at a fabric and craft store, and one of our regulars has his wife make his button up shirts. He picks out the fabric and she makes them
I made a prom dress for a friend of mine. I told her I hoped she didn’t mind that it was “home made”. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “It’s NOT home made. It’s HANDMADE.” Paradigm shift for me right then and there. I have never forgotten the way that girl made me feel when she said that. I felt like a real sewer (sewist???) from then on out. One of the best feelings I’ve ever had!
I actually make custom clothes for my adult sons because they are tall. I use custom tailored clothing as my preferred description of what I do. And my dear, that's what you did! Fitting and sewing a prom dress is a custom job.
That's called bespoke, and it usually costs a lot.🙂
Real haute couture is all handmade, and a lot of the garment is hand-stitched.
It was a custom made dress and that makes it super special.
Everyone says ladies really want this designer label purse or that beautiful pattern and fabric, but let’s face it - every woman really just wants giant ass pockets!!! 🎉
This is truth.
I’m actually making a giant pair for a skirt and I don’t know _how_ I’ll reinforce them enough into the seams but I will *MAKE IT HAPPEN*
Absolutely! If I can add pockets to what I am making, I will.
@@OfficialROZWBRAZELyou can stitche the top into the waist seam/band, or add a ribbon to the top corner and sew THAT into the waist seam/band.
No, no, NO!!! 😂 No pockets! If there are pockets, I will put my hands in them, and even if the garment is the most delicate feminine item in the world, I go from 'elegant and ladylike' to 'geezer-bird' in a split second! 'South London thug in a ball gown' is not a good look! 😅😅😅
Totally agreed!! When my oldest was in preschool, as little boy looked sideways at my daughter's dress and then snidely said "you're mom made that dress". My daughter looked back and said " yes, my mom made this specially for me. No one else in the world has one like it. Your mom went to the store and bought something every one else has." The teacher who told me about this exchange said the boy was floored. I was and am very proud. This happened 30 years ago.
"Thanks, I made it!" really does never get old. Eventually, if you decide to improve your finishing skills, your friends will start asking if some of your well-fitting RTW pieces are handmade. I have a lot of fun keeping people guessing. Most of the time, they figure out it's handmade when it's a true vintage pattern.
Thank you, Stephanie! I work with mostly men as I'm a female welder. And I sew all my clothes. I even tell what I call " the boys." You can't buy this! I MADE IT.
"The boys" range from 18 to 65ish. And every single one of them ask me " Did you make that too!!" They are sew impressed with my sewing everything I would be surprised if they don't try to take it up.
And yes I'm guilty of making a mint off of them repairing their clothing.
The first pair of overhauls I'm made for work (flame retarded) I found flower print! From that moment on I'm super excited to "show off" what I've made. So lady's seem like men are generally IMPRESSED by home sewing. I'm in my late 50s so I'm not chasing the men I work with but, If I were, guaranteed I would have been married by now. 😂
All joking aside, I do swell up with pride when one of them tells the other one 'she sewed it!' Never mind what some snooky says about your "me made" clothing, they are probably just jealous because they can't. ❤ I love your content. Thank you a million!
Where did you find flame retardant flower print fabric?!?!?!
Just chuckling at the fact that your autocorrect corrected “so” to “sew”.🤣 You probably got so annoyed because you use the word “sew” a lot, that you manually entered that correction, am I right? 😃👍😍
@robintheparttimesewer6798 At an outdoor thrift market!! I didn't believe it, but I purchased 6 yards for like $9.00! Very happily ever after. Lol.
@RVMM1 It was one of those sorry, not sorry moments. 😁
When people I work with found out I have a sewing machine I've also altered clothes for them, love having a skill and can guarantee going to eg wedding knowing I'm wearing a dress no-one else will ❤😊
I think the idea of something looking “handmade” = bad is outdated in the world of abundant poorly made RTW. Sure I want to make my clothes to the best of my ability but we gotta also give ourselves (ehrm… myself) some grace when it’s not perfect.
When I think of all the time I used to put into garments to get them "perfect," ripping out seams and fixing things that nobody but me would notice or finishing every raw edge perfectly...
Now a days, I go with the "Desi" approach. The outside and the front is what matters, only finish raw edges when/where absolutely necessary. They don't even use patterns, just formulas and chalk it right onto the fabric and it comes out beautiful. And, Indian salwar pants are the most comfortable things ever when the weather is hot and you can whip them up in no time with about two yards of fabric.
I am 69 years old, and only used a sewing machine when I was in the 7th grade......and it scared me so much then! LOL!!! I so want to sew some dresses for around the house....three quarter sleeves and to the ankles! Nope, probably not in style for anyone anywhere....but I am working up the courage to give it a shot! I enjoy you so much!!!
Please do it, you won't regret it and it's such a lovely way to pass the time. Plus you get gorgeous clothes you can enjoy wearing, in exactly the style you love! Personally, I like a 3/4 sleeve, with a 50's style full circle skirt in a mid calf length.... not particularly "in fashion", but I LOVE THEM! I only learnt to sew quite recently in the last few years, during the lockdowns and I've never looked back. I love searching out true vintage patterns, it's a joy. I hope you'll take the plunge and become a fellow stitchling. ❤
Do it I had a horrible experience in high school myself. I took the step awhile back to sew my first vintage style dress and I finished it. Now I've started it on dress number 2 a fifties style dress. Actually I made another in-between the 2 my own idea of a strawberry maxi dress. It was hard and I cussed my way through but I did it and you can two.
Go for it! I used old sheets when I started sewing. I wore those sheets until they fell apart!! 😂 At the time I figure all I had really lost was the .98 cost of the thread. I didn't even buy a pattern I folded a shirt that fit well in half traced around it cut it out and just free handed a "skirt" pattern. Best decision I've made. I'm in my late 50s and started really sewing only a couple of years ago.
I just started sewing again. And, I'm glad I did. I DO find it relaxing, and also to have something to wear is a bonus!
Go for it! Nothing ventured nothing gained!
My daughter crochets and makes herself tops, skirts, sweaters, boleros etc. And leaves all the loose yarn ends dangling
She wants people to know she made it.
(She's in high school and wants people to know she made it. Yay for her)
I darn my socks with contrasting colours. Not only is it easier to see what I'm doing but it also is quite evident that I fix my stuff instead of pitching it! I've also got bunny print flannel in the patch in the seat of my work pants and bright turquoise in one knee and purple on the other.
All the young people seem to be doing that lately and it's so cute! It looks homemade and a bit deconstructed and I love it tbh.
You have taught your child to be proud of her work, and that's amazing. I love that generation.
That's what I did with my sews .. in the 70s . Yeah know I made it but it fits ..
Plus it’s a record of progress, I love seeing how much neater the darning on my partner’s favorite sweater gets with each one ❤
While thrift shopping recently I found a button down that someone handmade! I could only tell because i noticed the pinked seams when I was looking for a tag. I wore it on my trip to Italy! It made me happy to show off someone else's hard work.
I love finding handmade at the thrift store
Good for your daughter I love hearing about young people in the craft community
When my oldest daughter was about 3, I had made her a super cute little dress for a special day at church. I was very proud of it! One of the ladies commented to her, "Amy your dress is so pretty! " Amy's reply..." My Mommy made it, 'Cause we're poor!"
Oof! Kids are so good at bringing in the truth bombs.
And because she was very loved.
My mom made me clothes when I was little but didn't appreciate it enough back then. She made a sweatshirt and sweatpants set for me out of sweatshirt fleece but the fabric was stiff and the seams were scratchy.
lol, not so true anymore with the way the price of fabric has gone up. You have to hunt really hard to source materials to make something for less these days.
Oh that’s sad
One of the best moments as a home sewist I've ever had: I made a dress from a 50s pattern to wear to a cousin's wedding. I had my 3 month old daughter with me in the restroom at the event and was stopped by a 7 year old girl who wanted know where I got such a cool dress. The look of mind-blown awe on that kid's face when I said I made it myself was truly the best compliment. I like to hope that she might remember that dress someday and be empowered to try sewing herself.
When i was 16 back in the 1960s, in my French class we had a story in which the sisters were put down by the author for wearing homemade dresses. I did a whole speech in French defending the "handmade" clothing of the sisters and how it was probably better made and more flattering then store bought in the 1920s. Especially because i had made my school uniform skirt myself and i was proud of it.
ABSOLUTELY!! I've been sewing 60 years. I learned one "handmade" give-away matters: A garment put together without ironing as each seam is completed. Use your iron so everything looks beautifully made.
Also, wash your fabric first, then iron it. This is so that if it shrinks it will not effect the final garment.
When I make a suit or a jacket or even a fancy dress when I am finished, I take it to the dry cleaner and get a press only. Everything comes back looking like I bought it off the rack.
@@kathyschulteis8547 What a great idea!
I got custom tags made that read "cried but sewed it anyway" and honestly those are the vibes
I once had a knitting teacher say that all our stitches should be even and identical and should look like a machine made it. Well, I'm not a *&%*$ machine and I made this and I am loud and proud about that!
I tell people "the machines are trying to keep up with us".
Having said that, you can be a hand knitter who makes even stitches automatically, and that's okay too. I can't knit unevenly even if I try on purpose -- just how I was taught.
Either way, the machines can't keep up with us.
Unless it's really wonky, after you've worn it and washed it several times, it evens out.
When your clothes look handmade that means you have a greater skill set than just swiping a charge card.
What I love most is how I sew in all my favorite colors in my favorite styles in MY size.
No pride in a sweatshop in a foreign country.
That is the truth!
I just started sewing so that I can make clothing in QUALITY fabrics, VINTAGE styles, and that actually FIT my body. Impossible to find otherwise.
The highest fashion ‘Couture’ has to include a certain amount of hand finishing and particular technique in order to be labeled so, on top of other requirements likeshowing a certain number of collections in Paris. To Imply that handmade garments are unprofessional or lesser is spitting in the face of artisans. When you see a celebrity at the Oscars, they’re wearing garments handmade by dozens of talented artists.
However, some of those garments make the look like roosters, or cockatiels, or some type of bird, lol. But, yes, still handmade. That’s also why they’re expensive.
I have been sewing since I was six years old, and I have never lost that sense of, “will this look ‘homemade?’” Thank you, Stephanie, for the confidence boost!
Pockets have become such a meme. I think you need to do a whole show on adding pockets to factory-made clothes.
Seconding! I buy thrift store clearance - items with pockets never make it to clearance.
I've gotten decent at it, and can now assess if it's a garment I want to bother with, and how they'll need to be done... but explanations from one of the chaos youtubers who love pockets... would have helped me a lot.
Top suggestion:
Anchor your pockets into the waist band! Better weight distribution and drape. And since you're not making 10,000, using that little bit of extra fabric, is not going to cost anything or increase the work noticeably.
Thirding!!!!
fourthing!🎉
Fifthing!!
Morgan Donner did an episode like that, showing all kinds of pockets you could choose.
The tree trunks on the same level across the sleeves and bodice is actually a detail I really love. It's why I wish detailed small-scale striped patterns were easier to find, because intentional use of patterns is one of the things that really stands out to me as different between vintage and vintage reproduction.
One of the coolest vintage dresses I've seen online was from the 50s, it had a green and red stripe fabric that was pleated on the front bodice so it appeared solid red, and the rest of the dress let the green stripes show. I thought it was such a good idea for utilizing stripes. Mass produced clothing nowadays would never include such details.
@@randybobandy4000 Ooh, I've seen that kind of stripe manipulation on vintage dirndl skirts/aprons a few times, and it really is a cool detail. I tried to make a sample a while back, but the stripes were about 1/8" wide and I didn't think I'd have the patience to do a whole waistband's worth.
@@Eloraurora I wouldn't have the patience for it that's for sure, I do admire the finished product though.
My Mom made a dress like that for me when I was in 5th grade but with a 1” black/white/grey gingham. So if I remember correctly the bodice became horizontal stripes and the skirt was the gingham.
A few weeks ago, I complimented one of my sisters on her blouse and she said, “i just realised, none of your clothes ever have a pattern.”
I said, “Wait, not true, I’m wearing a striped shirt.” It was blue linen, a “quality” British high-street brand with tiny white stripes. She said, “Only thin white stripes that make it look paler at any distance. Do you even have something with black stripes?.”
Nope. Believe it or not, I had never realised this.
Once I got home I had a good look and found only a set of teeshirt-fabric pyjamas with little floral sprigs, one giant fleece lounge/robe top with a vague landscape over the whole front, and some socks with different color blocks in heels and toes: everything else is what she described. Even my sheets and towels are self-colored.
Your comment just made me finally understand why. Why do I look at things with motifs and designs and put them back on the rack? Because I can’t stand that they mismatch wherever they join!
When I grew up in the '80s, before truly mass-produced cheap clothing was available everywhere, people (my mum included) sewed clothing because it was cheaper. So wearing home/hand made clothing implied you were poor. I don't remember if I got teased because of hand made clothing, but I remember being worried about it. When I recently re-learned to sew as an adult, it took me quite a while to get over that mindset. Now I love telling people I made my dress!
In the 50s & 60 s when I was growing up my mom made my clothes. She was an excellent seamstress & no one ever teased me - rather told me they wished their mom could sew (that’s if I told them where it came from). As a teen I made my own clothes & same deal. The clothes my mom made & the ones I made looked better than store-bought 🤗
The good thing about handmade is no one ever will wear the same as you have made. It's such a good feeling that what you are wearing is unique to you, there isn't another like it, anywhere.
Old lady here. It used be called
“homemade” as a pejorative. My mother worked to avoid that look.
Now it's "Bespoke", or Custom-fit. Language matters.
Who cares if you can tell. The fact that you are not constantly in jeans and a T-shirt already puts you in a class above most women (and men). You look fantastic!!!!
I used to hang my new garment in the closet a few days. When I took it out I could not find the mistakes I had worked so much about. It ended up nicer than store bought. Better fabric! I could pick the pattern pieces that I wanted from different envelopes. I had designer clothes made just for me to fit. And enough money for shoes and accessories! Nowadays any homemade looks better than the big box stores. I am going to try thriftng for fabric!!
This was perfect timing. I spent a year knitting a cardigan where I experimented with fit and fading colors. After blocking, I wore it today and just felt deflated when all I could see were the flaws and tells that it was some new skills.
Thank you for reminding me that that time wasn’t wasted, and I can still be proud of myself for finishing a tough project. It gave me motivation to keep going.❤❤❤
That’s right. We learn as we go!
You can probably see all the flaws but I guarantee you NOBODY else can. They're
just impressed you made it yourself!
Should anyone be so rude as to point out a ‘flaw’ …there are two potential responses : yes, I planned that, you see, it’s perfectly imperfect, thank you very much ! ….and / or it’s only a ‘mistake ‘ if you can spot it on a galloping horse from 50 feet away !
My mother was a child of the Great Depression or Dirty Thirties. She loved making her own clothes and thrifted and remodelled and scoured fabric stores and sewed for her seven children too. Bravo for your beautiful sweater !
Keep on knitting and in no time people will say “ It’s beautiful! Did you REALLY make that?”
Keep knitting. I used to do the same thing ... and then I just got over it and wear my flawed knitting with a sense of accomplishment. I enjoy the knitting process and that's what it's all about.
I agree with this video SO HARD! Why folks think that store-bought clothing is the best should sometime turn a garment in the store inside out and take a look at the shoddy construction that is the norm. Practically ANY handmade garment produces a better constructed garment than many factory made ones.
When I started making the kids clothes it was because the cheap garments would fall apart in the wash. I would much rather make it properly than repair the shoddy work!
I got sick of buying things that didn't quite fit and had such skimpy seam allowances - no chance to improve them!
Exactly! I can't stand the crooked grainlines in fast fashion T-shirts.
I always say those Chinese and Indonesian factory workers can't sew worth a crap!
Half the time the store bought items need to be reinforced with a sewing machine anyway.
I am definitely team "Thanks! I made it and it has pockets!"
I sew for my family all the time. I am 73 years old, and my 6 year old great grand daughter told her teacher I could make her anything ❤
Aaaw so sweet 😍 its really a super power, isnt it?!
I'm 70. Started 2 sew my own clothes by age 14. Was teased then about homemade clothes, now I'm like whatever. Have developed a tough skin about clothes + my style, I like it just the way it is. Ciao
wish I could like this 10 times. Love the attitude- agree 💯 %
How times have changed. When my daughter had her high school prom, she and all her friends were amazed that one of their friends had made her prom dress !!!!! They were all blown away by how good it looked.
I think my mom (born in 1927) used to sew all her clothes until they had enough money that she could buy them. She had a sewing machine but I only remember her sewing one outfit. RTW was a newer option at the time, so maybe it was a status thing back then.
I sewed my own skirt sewing by hand because I’m not good at using a sewing machine and I like hand sewing.
"Did you make that??!!"is the very best compliment I get. I don't sew. I crochet, weave and make sugar flowers. How do they know the item is handmade? Because they've never seen anything like it before. Because it is so labor-intensive that you simply cannot buy anything like it. Because it is not only "off-trend," it's totally beyond "the trend." Because, "This is art!" Because, "I wish I could do that!"
I have been sewing since I was 3...I have been altering clothes since 5 grade...but the game changer for me was that haute couture is handmade garments...so when I wear something I made it is haute couture that I did NOT have to pay $$$$$ for.
My favorite way to tell that my clothes are homemade is that the fabric is cut on-grain (or close enough). No t-Shirts with seams across my tummy!
Also, no one is knocking me for my handmade clothes… maybe a more experienced sewist, but even then, the ones I know are usually proud of me for trying. But most of the people I interact with are just impressed that I CAN. I’m also starting to get into visible mending, because I love that handmade totally unique look on everything!
I love that green dress, I remember when you made it. It looks great on you too. I love it when people compliment something I'm wearing and I get to tell them I made it. 💜
Hi, do you have a link for the green dress video?
My favorite skirt is navy blue and white striped with huge lemon wedges and an exposed pink zip. Definitely NOT finding that at the local store 😂
Almost my entire circle knows that I sew my own clothes (actually building to sewing my own shoes sometime in the new year) so when I walk in with a different dress, that has a unique pattern on it- 80% of people ask me if I made it (most of my fabric is 2nd if not 3rd hand, and I love that!)
There really is nothing quite like that dopamine hit when someone compliments a garment you've made! I got that twice in one day last week; I took my mother to a doctor's appointment and stopped at a nearby JoAnn Fabrics to pick up some sewing notions. It was a little chilly, so both my mother and I were wearing sweaters that I'd knitted. The cashier at JoAnn's asked if I'd made my sweater and told me how nice it was (and even called to another employee to point it out), and then when I returned to pick up my Mom from her appointment, another patient exiting the building at the same time complimented her sweater, and she told them, "Thanks, my daughter made it!" I actually heard the exchange over the phone because I'd just called my mother to tell her I'd arrived. Those two little moments brought me such an unexpected surge of joy. It's absolutely a good and valid reason to handmake clothes, and for those clothes to be visibly handmade!
I am 61 and have been sewing since I was 13. I just made the walk-around dress. Out of sheets and a curtain. I'll post a picture for you on Sunday as I'm wearing it to church!😊.
I am proud of the clothes I make.
When even my most jenky made pieces still look better than some of the over prices fast fashion out there...yeah I gave up giving AF.
When I see a garment made of unique fabric pattern , I always wonder if the wearer made it or someone who loves them made it for them. I’ve made so many garments for me and loved ones and no-one else will be wearing what they’re wearing. I can adjust fit for thin kids and full-sized adults. It’s amazing the skill set I have in knowing what I can use on-hand instead of buying the needed item(s). Yes, sewing is time consuming! I still love sewing!!! A good reminder and encouraging video Stephanie!!
My mom taught me to sew, and every time we shopped for clothes at any dept store, my mom would point out all the flaws that they were charging so much for (ie: plaids or stripes not matched, etc.) and then we'd hit the fabric store on the way home & get better quality fabric & a pattern for a fraction of the RTW price.
We had the same Mom! She used to turn clothes inside out and explain the cheesy shortcuts manufacturers take.
@@claudialupper I miss my mom. She had such a good eye for which fabric would look great with which pattern. She'd always point out a fabric that I never would have chosen & turn it into my favorite dress, the one that I picked for school photos, or anywhere that I wanted to look my best! I took a tailoring class, back in the old days of Home Ec in high school. I take forever to sew a project, but it's impeccable when I'm done!
I'm proud of my homemade homemade clothes. They are individually unique. I'm grateful for all the skills I am capable of doing. Anyone can buy something off the rack. I say be proud of homemade ❤
I have gotten clothes from the store and found horribly sewn seams that I had to fix. I think handmade clothes are just as good.
Showing people that everything I've made has pockets is one of the joys of my life.
I used to make all my clothes but stopped when all the fabric stores closed. Back in the day there used to be so many places to buy quality fabric that you could touch and feel. I don’t like buying fabric online because I can’t tell if I’m going to actually like it. The only fabric I buy online is quilting fabric; it’s more predictable in quality. I’d really like to make some dresses because it’s so difficult to find flattering dresses especially for older women and women that are not size 4.
Well said! (I remember o.g.stores: Martin dry goods [independent], as well as So- Fro [the founding family sold this chain to JoAnn fabrics in the 90's] )......
@@MarisaFrasure I grew up in the city of NewBedford MA. There were so many textile factories back in the 60s/70s and some of them would sell folds of fabric, there would be tables full of fabric and it was inexpensive. There was a shop that just sold buttons called, Windsor Button. More people sewed back then especially the workers from the textile factories. My mother was a sample maker for Vanity Fair and I was a Utility worker in a men’s suits factory meaning I didn’t have to do the same job, I could move around to different stations in the assembly line. I liked working in factories.
@@jojorey6886 : wow!
Are there any mills left, or are they gone now?
@@MarisaFrasure I’ve moved away in 1978 but I would visit my mother who lived there until 2016 when she passed away, so I’m not sure but a lot of the factories have been torn down, made into shopping malls or apartments. I worked in a shoe factory sewing boots and the top floor is where they would put the seconds (shoes/boots that had a flaw) and you could buy a pair for $5/$10. That was in 1975.
As a bigger gal, I find it difficult to find store bought clothes maddening to buy. Even when I find a brand that fits me well, I can go back to that same brand and the sizes and proportions will all be off from previous times. I've been looking into making my own clothes for ages and there's no time like the present. I couldn't care less if someone thought my clothes were handmade. I'll be happy and comfortable in my one-of-a-kind outfit.
Thank you for this video! When I was an adolescent I remember having so much shame over making my own clothes. My family didn’t have a lot of money and I discovered I could make things that looked like what I saw in fashion magazines at a fraction of the cost. I was proud of myself for this but at the same time didn’t want anyone to know I made things myself for fear of their judgement. I eventually got over it and wore my pride like a badge of honor. Being able to make things is something one should absolutely be proud of! Just because something is store-bought doesn’t mean it’s better. There are plenty of mass-produced garments that are absolute garbage; making something yourself allows you to make it at a higher quality and will last longer.
I personally love hand making my garments, because I can be inspired by a design, and then take it to the next level! More details, tailored perfectly for me! I get compliments all the time, and I am proud to say I made it. Who is the designer? ME! This is a one of a kind piece, that NO other person has. All the stars can hire people to make something, that later is recreated… and then recreated by stores… and then fast fashion. Not my piece!
I also love to upcycle my old clothing or buy second hand and make it even better! Trash? No, undiscovered treasure! Watch me bling this garment up! New buttons, chains, trim, seams, lace, everything that makes a garment “designer “
My daughter and I made a dress for her that’s she’s worn to a wedding last year and a work conference dinner this year. Both times, people loved the dress and were surprised to learn that we made it. She wants to make more dresses for trips she wants to take next year. I told her we need to get tags made that say from The House of Dixon…..then people can wonder what design house it is while we smile because it was made by us.
I made my own wedding dress. Out of velvet, with an embroidered satin yoke & smocked top. Certainly could never have afforded such an elegant dress otherwise 🤗
My wardrobe is now 99% hand crafted. I receive complements all the time. When I was wearing shop bought cloths nobody noticed what I wore. My reasoning they probably tried it on, seen it on multiple people no reason to comment. Nobody will notice small mistakes in handmade clothes, take the compliment without diluting your skills. I simply say thank you and move on.
Another thing to add is that many of the mistakes present in homemade clothing are also in store-bought clothing and people still buy and wear those items all the time.
I like the terms tailor, tailored, tailormade.
Bespoke, custom, custom-fit, too.
This is on my watch list for when I need a pick-up. Stuck on a project? Need motivation to continue working? Feeling a bit down? The message in this video always gives me a boost! Thank you!
Quality is easy to spot. Full seams. Well made. Fits well. Does not look like everything else. Not third world garbage.
I've had this conversation more than I care to. I generally tell people it is custom made
Some people do get handmade and those that really know me-it's did you make this.
Answer: yes and it has pockets.
Yes POCKETS I get compliments all the time, readywear never fits me right. Another plus is picking fabulous fabrics .
Handmade is or is closer to couture than any mass-produced garment out there, regardless of label or price. It is inherently better because of the care and deliberate attention going into its creation. Skills can always improve with use and time.
Why would anyone knock handmade clothes? I used to make some of my clothes when I was younger and received many compliments on those clothes.
Excellent topic. No one should care. We should be proud of our skill set as makers.
Anything you buy these days falls apart in the laundry after the 1st wash and needs mending.
On top of that, most store bought clothes need altering before I can wear them.
I am short & plus size and the designers seem to think that not only am I “fluffy” I’m 7 foot tall with my knuckles dragging the ground. Pockets Rule!
Yes! Pockets in everything! I’ve been thinking about how to cut open the fake pockets on my clothing and add real pockets in their place.
Also every garment is handmade. Thank you.
For anyone new out there to sewing, keep going! You get better and more knowledgeable as you go, to make your clothes more you, and to make them fit the way you want them to!
Stephanie, thank you for this awesome pep-talk video! I think you should do a series of these, for everyone who's a maker to get them geared up to do the thing!
(says me as I struggle-bus with my sewing machine trying to make an 1890s sport blouse and my machine causes me trouble cause it hated the thread that I was using, which I have now switched and it's now behaving so I can too...do the thing and git 'er dun!)
Thanks for this video! I love sewing and used to sew for weddings when I was in college. When I was super thin, I made all my clothes. Now that I gained weight, I don't want to make myself anything. But since I have been dieting for nine months, maybe this summer I could make a few things. The idea of sewing again is my motivation for losing weight.
I haven’t worn a commercial sweater or vest in over 10 years and I haven’t worn commercial socks in 3years. This is the Summer to go back to making my own shirts! Thank you, Stephanie!
Also, given the "quality" of some of the ready-to-wear things I've seen, handmade garments are of superior quality!
I'm terrible at sewing, don't even know what topstitching is, but I can say I'm so proud and in love with a linen jacket I made (even without a pattern) that I'll even wear it to Publix.
I love the fact that making my own clothes means I’m not stuck with whatever is currently ‘in style’. Also: pockets!
I love that I can make my favorite pieces again and again. I am always so sad when my favorite storebought garments wear out and I can't purchase them again because they were made 10 years ago
"is this handmade?"
"Yes! Thank you for noticing! I'm very proud of it!"
I've never been able to sew or knit. My mum used to despair of me. My sister on the other hand... she's great at all that stuff. I now make beaded jewellery. I think anyone that can sew or knit is an absolute hero.
Back in my college days, girlfriend made most of her cloths. I was so impressed that I had her start making mine. I miss those days.
Maybe you should start making your own.
Definitely one of the BEST things about sewing is getting to say "Thanks, I made it!" Like you said it never ever gets old. My favorite interaction was once with a woman who complimented my dress, I said "Thanks, I made it!" to which she replied "And I bet it has pockets!" YES YES LADY IT SURE DOES!! 👗🥳
People can tell I make my own clothes because I tell everybody who shows even the slightest positivity to what I'm wearing.
I agree 100 percent. Handmade fits me better.
If you line the pocket, or just sew in a strip of growgrain ribbon on the top inside of pocket, they will not gap.. Then iron all the seams you sew it will be hard to tell it is homemade..
Some of my best creations came when I made a mistake, and I had to be creative to fix it. And people commented on those particular creations, the most as being beautiful.
I became paraplegic 10 years ago. A car accident broke my back and took off one leg. With just a needle and thread, I re-make my old clothes so they are easy to put on and take off. I also insert a V-shape in the front of my heavy mid-calf socks, because my feet and legs often swell. Yeah! Sewing for myself! Have you SEEN the prices on clothes for the handicapped?
You, go girl! Go! Go! Go! As a child of the 70s, I’m glad you younger generations are sewing!
I love the message here. ❤.
My mother was an amazing seamstress. She could create works of art and I surely didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have. She was a seamstress in the 1940’s in Cincinnati, Ohio at a place called Fashion Frocks. After becoming the iconic 1950’s housewife,she made many of our clothes out of necessity.
Then she made me some really cute clothes in Junior High and High School. I have a long torso and most shirts were way too short waisted for me and she made them the length I preferred,and of course I had to have my dresses so short there that,well, there was zero bending happening 😂
Now the sad part of my comment, book, dissertation😉
In my mom’s untimely death I was not prepared to think about keeping her patterns and fabric. She had totes and totes of fabric and patterns and notions.
I wish I had her kenmore sewing machine. 🙁
My brother’s wife swooped in and asked my sister and I the day of her funeral if she could take it. At that point she could have taken whatever. I was grieving and only wanted my mom. She took things that should have stayed with my sister and I. 🤷♀️
Then my dad in his grief just gave almost everything away. 🫤
My sister was able to save a few things but so much, she was too late for. I had to return to work and as a single parent I couldn’t be there as much as I wanted. Anyway. I wish I had things to show you that she made. I have one beautiful piece though. In high school maybe around 1973-1974 I think, she made me 2 caftans out of some beautiful border prints. (So hippieish (not a word I know)One I wore thread bare but the other is hanging in my closet. If I knew how to share a picture I would. 💝
It’s beautiful and priceless. I know you would appreciate it.
So long way around here, just wanted to say that I love your videos, and your style. I hope you continue to share them with us. ❤❤❤💝💝💝
I quit caring that people remarked about my handmade clothes in high school. I knitted/crocheted my own sweaters, made shirts for my sister and myself. I told them our shirts were custom made and fit just right for a fraction of the store bought. My sister saw a blouse that she drooled over. At $35, ( in the 70's) it was a no go. We studied how it looked, seams, trims and buttons. We went to the fabric store and no joke, the same fabric was there and on sale. For less than $7, we made the blouse for her over the weekend. Another girl couldn't believe how well hers fit until my sister said "my sister made it" then the cows started mooing (picking on her). I came over. The head cow said she bought the same blouse and it fit her funny. I asked her why she wasn't wearing it anyway since it cost $35. I said "why make fun of anyone's clothes that fit for $7 custom made when your expensive ones don't?" She had no answer. Since then, people's opinions are their own. If they're jealous that they can't sew there are classes.
Everybody asks me where I buy my clothes. I tell them the name if my local fabric shop. I have been making my own clothes since I was 8 years old. For a brief time I had no sewing machine and had to buy clothes and they were so badly made and fitted so badly that I thereafter used to borrow a friend’s sewing machine.
I get so many compliments on my skirt that made (one of the few that I have currently) and it gives me so much more confidence. I know it fits me, I love the fabric and I took the time to make it.
Also, most clothing is handmade. We just forget who's hands are doing the making.
The dress has a good green for you to Stephanie, it pops with your red hair instead of fading into the background or looking boring. 😊
Love this! Sewing is an incredible skill and people are always impressed when you say “thanks! I made it!”
This one resonated sooooo so deeply for me. Being in "the business" I hold my sewing to this impossible standard that I definitely cannot live up to. And it has stopped me from sewing SO OFTEN. I feel like everything I make is under a microscope and will be judged harshly (it often will). I really need to practice not caring. Thanks for the encouragement! I really, really needed to hear this!
You had me at pocketses, Precious!
You get to make things from vintage patterns that they dont make anymore and if there's still one lying around it probably isn't in good shape. There was this Dior blazer pattern. I couldn't get it because of financial constraints but I wanted it and I would've had one in every color I could think of. Maybe I should save up before shopping for designer patterns? It wasn't that expensive but when you have a budget yeah.
Pockets in literally EVERYTHING cuz we’ve got stuff to carry! 😂🎉❤
Oh man sister! I LOVE this!
And I’m so grateful that you made a video about it!
When I was 15, I was really interested in learning how to sew. I made all sorts of different things. They *were* funny looking, but so many grown women made fun of what I made!
It broke my little young heart.
I persevered and now I can sew just about any damn thing I want to.
Having someone to speak kind words into me when I was young would’ve been wonderful. But there’s always a lesson and everything.
And the lesson I took away from that experience was to never, ever say anything, but encouraging things to a young woman who is trying something new..💕
There is a flipside to making things SO well that everyone assumes it's store bought. That part kinda sucks too because no one says anything to you.
I made a custom robe for my partner and everyone assumed he got it from the dealer's room. I made a beautiful brocade vest and nope, everyone assumed it was an amazon find. Unless it's an outlandish print or super fancy dress everyone thinks I bought it from somewhere.
Hi, I’m in bed with flu, I don’t sew I’m a crochet fan. Your video popped up so I clicked on. Although I don’t understand much about sewing I loved it, so entertaining and a break from crime. I’ve watched a few now and love them ,so bright and cheerful. Still won’t sow but I’ll keep watching.❤😊
Handmade clothing is absolutely something to be proud of; like a home-cooked meal, vegetables from your own garden/allotment, or art you created for your own walls. We should celebrate making things. Our creativity is one of the distinguishing features of humankind.
I am with you! I used to sew all my own wardrobe, and bought the most stylish patterns and beautiful fabrics that made me “foam at the mouth!” (figuratively). This continued to be the MOTIVATION for me to go on to plan, prewash, press, layout, mark, adjust, etc. and to finish off with hems/buttons and actually wear the garment. Also that was the olden days, when the ready to wear for fat women that was available was one rack in the back of the store with ONLY navy polyester. No wonder more people learned to sew then. Blessings! from Canada