I need encouragement

[Ninjasquirrel]

I bit the bullet and bought the fabric. I cut out all my pieces and I'm ready to start. The muslin was actually more expensive than the fabric so I skipped it and just bought an extra yard in case I screw up. I think if its too small I can just use the scrap to let it out an inch or two. I can see why they dont make dresses this way anymore. That netting was awful to cut!!!

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Yay! Way to go! Ask questions if you run into trouble. There will probably be someone who can help.

 

[MountainGaurdian]

This is probably going to seem very strange, but I sew, as does my little (6ft1 250 pound) brother.

We grew up on ranches and farms and it was common to be assigned to helping the older women with their sewing projects, we would stand at the ready to fetch things for them thread needles etc. Watching all of the sewing seemed to rub off on us and as adults we both sew ourselves.

The OP mentioned concern with wasting fabric to make cloths, you could do what I do. I go to all these used clothes stores and pick up a lot of the stuff that they can't sell, especially jeans pants. They call me regularly and ask me if I can come in a pick up boxes of them. One can use old jeans and whatnot to practice with. I designed a series of jeans jackets utilizing old jeans and made all six of my kids jeans jackets one year. I went through and sewed patches and whatnot on them and made them kind of cool almost like a biker style jacket. Old Ted wore that jacket for years, it must have been 3 sizes too small but he still had to wear that thing everywhere..lol

Nice new fabric is expensive, but check out the used clothes stores and let them know that you are sewing and would be interested in some of the cloth and clothes that they cannot sell due to damage or stains etc. This stuff is a bit more difficult to work with but is a cheap source of cloth for learning with. Excess material can always be used for quilting, I have made a number of very nice jeans material quilts over the years.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Thanks for that post. That was a really good perspective.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

This is probably going to seem very strange, but I sew, as does my little (6ft1 250 pound) brother.

We grew up on ranches and farms and it was common to be assigned to helping the older women with their sewing projects, we would stand at the ready to fetch things for them thread needles etc. Watching all of the sewing seemed to rub off on us and as adults we both sew ourselves.

The OP mentioned concern with wasting fabric to make cloths, you could do what I do. I go to all these used clothes stores and pick up a lot of the stuff that they can't sell, especially jeans pants. They call me regularly and ask me if I can come in a pick up boxes of them. One can use old jeans and whatnot to practice with. I designed a series of jeans jackets utilizing old jeans and made all six of my kids jeans jackets one year. I went through and sewed patches and whatnot on them and made them kind of cool almost like a biker style jacket. Old Ted wore that jacket for years, it must have been 3 sizes too small but he still had to wear that thing everywhere..lol

Nice new fabric is expensive, but check out the used clothes stores and let them know that you are sewing and would be interested in some of the cloth and clothes that they cannot sell due to damage or stains etc. This stuff is a bit more difficult to work with but is a cheap source of cloth for learning with. Excess material can always be used for quilting, I have made a number of very nice jeans material quilts over the years.

For quilting i use sheets from goodwill. Its a lot of fabric and it's cheap. We save everything here so extra scraps arent hard to come by. We hope to eventually make our own stuff from yarn to fabric to clothes. I know how to knit and I'm decent at it. I'm better with the sewing machine and I get more joy out of it. I figure if I can make something for myself that I love and can wear I can give myself the confidence to make clothes for other people.

 

[MountainGaurdian]

Steve about a mile down the county road from us raises sheep and then makes yarn from the wool, then he weaves the yarn in a mechanical loom making various products as a side business. It is an interesting process that has always fascinated me to no end.

We have a Mennonite group from Waco Texas that has moved into the area over the last 15 years and they started up the Brush Creek school where they teach how to do old fashioned farming, animal husbandry, cheese making, spinning yarn, how to weave on a loom etc. I guess Steve goes to the Mennonite church and he took an interest there and got into this.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Steve about a mile down the county road from us raises sheep and then makes yarn from the wool, then he weaves the yarn in a mechanical loom making various products as a side business. It is an interesting process that has always fascinated me to no end.

We have a Mennonite group from Waco Texas that has moved into the area over the last 15 years and they started up the Brush Creek school where they teach how to do old fashioned farming, animal husbandry, cheese making, spinning yarn, how to weave on a loom etc. I guess Steve goes to the Mennonite church and he took an interest there and got into this.

That would be so cool! I know the amish near us do classes but it would be an hour and a half by car to go there. I just love the simplicity of their way of life.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

How's the project going?

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Not too well I'm afraid. Life has been in the way and I haven't had much opportunity to work on it. I got the top ready and the lining...but the realized I sewed the wrong side on the lining. Now I have to seam rip it and resew. I just cant find the motivation for it right now. I've been canning and working on the house so I've been to busy. Every now and again I glance at it but then I sigh and go work on something else

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Life goes that way sometimes. Just keep plugging along and you'll get there. Can you get by without ripping out the lining and redoing it? Will it show when you are wearing it?