The Urge to Sew it All

just kidding, it's buffalo dung


I feel like I vacillate on the topic:

As a new sewist, making anything was just plain exciting. I sewed dresses and pretty(ish) things because they were exciting. But a couple of years ago, as my mound of me-mades grew, I vowed to make more everyday garments that I could wear all the time. On this front I've actually been successful. Looking down at my outfit today I'm wearing a top, jeans, and a bra that I have made myself.

Yet recently I have felt the pressure to sew everything I wear. Never mind that pretty (and practical) new coat pattern, those fun overalls that everyone is wearing, or that creative not-sure-if-it-will-really-work pattern company - there are jeans to mend, basics that need replacing, and a work wardrobe to furnish! Lately I feel like the pressure is mounting to spend all my free time producing the things I need.

While it's a fun experiment, I don't want to feel like a pioneer woman forced to survive by my own two hands alone. I love that I haven't bought new clothes in over a year, but I wonder if I shouldn't just head to J. Crew or wherever and buy those trousers so I can get on with the fun stuff. On the other hand, learning pants fitting, bra making, and how to sew a t-shirt hem has been incredibly educational.

So I am revisiting the question: as a hobby sewist, is it better to make the pretty, artsy things that give you joy, or enjoy making the clothes that you will cherish and wear every day? The answer, of course, is usually in between, but definitely has me second-guessing my recent approach to sewing.

15 comments:

  1. You should make whatever you feel like at the time! Sewing your own basics, and party dresses for that matter, can be totally fun and gratifying, but sometimes you just need to go buy something. If you take a swing to wanting to sew more fun things you'll probably swing back the other way eventually, and in the meantime if buying something would make your life a little easier just go do it!

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  2. I agree - do whatever floats your boat. A lot of bloggers out there are trying their take on completely making their own wardrobe, but it doesn't mean it's for everyone. I think until I can nail the perfect pants/jeans pattern, I'll be buying pants for a while! And bras aren't an option for me, this gal needs some padding! I love the challenge of trying to make everything in my closet, and even when I see things in stores I think to myself, pssh I can make that. But really, there's only so much time in a day, so if I see something that I can't easily make or it fits me really well, I'll buy it - no guilt.

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  3. recently I told someone that "I could sew anything and I don't sew everything"
    I reserve sewing for the things I enjoy, in my case it is coats, jackets, dresses, skirts, tops. As for pants, underwear, workout wear - I find it way more satisfying to buy those. And sometimes I see something in a store that is so appealing that I buy it even if I could sew it. So let yourself make what you enjoy making and buy the rest!

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    1. Hear hear! I feel the same as Beth. I could sew anything, but I don't want to! I want to sew those things that I am excited about. Otherwise, it's a chore.

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  4. Fantastic post, Meg! This is something I also periodically struggle with. Every time I read a post about someone doing a "ready-to-wear fast," I start doubting my own approach to sewing. Should I be sewing more basics? Am I being irresponsible by making pretty dresses, in lieu of pants? When it comes down to it, though, basics aren't what motivate me to sew. I come to my sewing room for pretty fabrics and a mental break from my real job. As Lucinda said, there's only so much time in each day and I'd rather spend my sewing time with things that make me smile! So, I keep buying RTW jeans and sweaters, because I just can't bring myself to sew them...

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  5. What brings me joy as a sewist actually is making everyday-wearable clothes such as jeans, tees and day dresses. I don't think anything would make me sadder than a wardrobe full of party dresses that were maybe fun to sew but rarely see the light of day! So for me the joy is in wearing what I make as well as the process of making it.

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  6. I really like this question Meg! In Karen's year end video (Did You Make That?), I really liked her attitude about sewing. She didn't come out with an ambitious plan for 2015, but a relaxed attitude to spend the next 12 months having fun. So as the year progresses, I say to just follow however your please. If you want to make a fancy dress, make one. If you want to make a simple tee, go ahead! Having this attitude, you'll surely have a well rounded wardrobe by December.

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  7. t's a really good question. I tend to make everything myself, but this mainly came about because it was so difficult to find clothes that actually fit me in NZ stores - either they don't go to my size in the hips/bottom, or they're plus size and don't fit in the top, PLUS they're often not very nice materials and massively over priced.

    I have gone 20 months without buying anything except for some undies, and for two pairs of pants because I couldn't make them at the time (and the jeans have gone missing! :( ). I do rather enjoy making basic things, because I can learn with them, but really it's more about "not being able to find things that fit my body and my style, and are affordable".

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  8. I went through a phase where I was making pretty, fancy things then not wearing them because I never had the appropriate occasion to go to. Also, I do have trouble finding things in the stores that fit. So it makes sense to me to make a fair proportion of my everyday clothes. However, if I find something in RTW that fits and suits me, I don't let knowing I can sew stop me from purchasing it.

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  9. Well I think it's a matter of horses for courses - you need to choose what works for you, but don't let yourself feel guilty if you choose to buy some clothes - I imagine you're an ethical shopper anyway! Personally I choose to treat sewing as my fun time :), so I sew things I want to sew! I do try to sew things I'll want to wear, but I buy things I need that I don't want to sew or that I don't have time to sew - OR that I just plain fall in love with :).

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  10. Good question! I think this balance has changed for me as I've become a little more experienced... dresses are super fun to sew, but they're also so much more achievable when you're a beginner than, say, a buttondown shirt. Now my focus is on making wearable pieces that have my personal style injected into them (rather than the generic stuff I'd be getting at the store). But if something is joyless to sew, I skip it! It probably means I won't enjoy wearing it. Sewing is a more ethical option, to be sure, but I also support ethical business for things I don't want to make (like bags, for example) and when I can't find an alternative product, I buy things that I know I will at least use and use and use (regular old RTW bras... I wear them til they're DEAD). I don't have a desire to sew everything in my wardrobe, but I do want to be able to wear what I sew, if that makes any sense.

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  11. Great questions! I do struggle with this as well, but mostly I try to sew the things that are troublesome to fit in RTW. My arms are long, so every single long-sleeved shirt I could buy suffers from awkwardly short sleeves, my small bust and pear shape makes dresses impossible, pants are always the wrong length or rise. I do enjoy making basics, but I also try to interject something fun or special about it, either a beautiful print or a great silk. I think it's an achievable balance, as long as we quit making ourselves feel guilty about buying pieces we just don't have the time or inclination to make.

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  12. Sewing is a fun hobby, so it would be sad if it became a chore! I make things that I am inspired and excited to make at a given time (at least the projects that are made for me). Sometimes it is practical and sometimes it isn't -- but it is usually about a beautiful fabric, a new technique or a new pattern. There's so much pressure and so many challenges in other areas of our lives -- sewing beautiful clothes is a great diversion from that, at least for me.

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  13. It would be nice to have an all me-made wardrobe but there's only so much time in the day - especially if you have a full-time job, right? Sewing should be fun. So sew what you want and buy the rest. Last summer I tried on a dress that fit really well and I thought, I could make it but then reality set in: I'd need to figure out what pattern(s) to use, do an SBA, etc. The dress was on sale so I bought it. I like the idea of making stuff you will wear multiple times, not just on special occasions. Lately I've been on a skirt kick (as you know) and I have fun wearing them to work.

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