make clothes

I’ve been doing a bit of shopping lately – mostly to update my warddrobe. Which to be honest needs a lot of updating. The last couple of years I’ve gotten stuck wearing pretty much the same thing. Different variations of the same black outfitt … yes, it gets kind of redundant after a while.

So of course with looking at all these different clothes I started thinking about my long lost goal of actually making my own clothes. So yesterday, I pulled out my sewing machine, figured out how to use it and then started reading this book on sewing I bought a while back. While reading, I realized that there are a lot more tools I need and a lot more I have to learn before I can seriously consider making a decent garment. So – that’s where I’m at now. That and learning to sew a straight line.

On my trip to LA I decided to pick up some fabric for my new endeavor into sewing my own clothes. I stopped by at Mood Fabric, very well known for having a good selection, but I only managed to come out with some plain cotton material. ? I don’t know what happened. I think I decided to chose something plain because I know that my first attempts are probably going to come out looking pretty unwearable – so I didn’t want to waste the fabric or the money.

At least its a start :)

Ok, its not exactly Project Runway material – but I altered a shirt I wore out this last Friday. Once upon a time it was an ugly, over sized, baby doll, mumu, shirt and I made it into this tight fitted, cute, little thing. I’m very proud of myself. I’ll post pics just as soon as I can squeeze myself back into it.

I love the style and creativity that goes into making clothes, but I’m having a moral crisis about the whole sweat shop issue (well not crisis, but I think the fact that our clothes are made by underpaid workers in 3rd world countries really sucks). So I figure making my own clothes will somewhat distance myself from the process, although I’m well aware that the fabric i use is manufactured in the same way.
I like to make things complicated. I could have just as well said I want to be unique and make my own clothes but that would be simple.
Anyway, I’ll post pictures on my clothes making adventure and we’ll see how it goes.