Spring Cleaning

via Etsy seller bellalulu

After emerging from a week-long cold, I did a little spring cleaning today and some of the clothes I got rid of included hand-sewn items. Some of them were never quite right in the first place, some of them have just outgrown their usefulness.

Looking through the clothes was like taking a mini history trip through my sewing experience. In the pile was the first dress I'd made on my Janome machine. This was before I'd really learned to finish any of my seams, so the raw edges are all exposed on the inside of the garment. Yuck! Next up was my phase of night-time party dresses, including my sequin party dress, the key ring dress, autumn sweetheart, banded dress, and rose shoulder dress. These were usually quickly-made pieces worn once or twice to special events, and they haven't been worn since. Of the clothes that were fairly well-made but not quite right, I got rid my spring embroidery dress, Pinkie and the Blue Boy, the Colette bloomers, my draped shirt, and the ruffled collar blouse. I also ditched the Pati Palmer Sweatshirt from my blazer-making phase, as it didn't quite lay right with the stretchy sweatshirt material.

What do you do with the clothes you've made but no longer want/wear? Over at the Sew Weekly last week, many readers refashioned their own handmade pieces into new garments. I have little patience for refashioning, and so I took mine down to the local thrift shop and tried to sell 'em. Not all of them sold, especially the poorer-made items, but I did make a profit off the Pati Palmer Sweatshirt and the banded dress, of all things. I've also previously sold my striped skirt, sweetheart dress, and printed drape drop, along with probably a few others. It's no way to make a profit off of sewing, but it does allow me to recoup some money and clean out my closet. I've also found that home-made things sell better than the store-bought items I bring in, mostly because they're a little different than what's out there on the market.

Have you ever sold your hand-made goods to thrift stores? What do you do with the stuff you out grow or that never really worked?