Beat the Credit Crunch: Make Your Own Clothes and Accessories

Article Added: 17/03/2009 17:30:28
With fashion figures such as Gok Wan encouraging everyone to customise their clothes and make the most of their fashion buys, coupled with the credit crunch limiting the amount of money most people have to spend, the nation has become much more aware of fashion and how to achieve an individual look without having to break the bank.

So has this led to more people wanting to turn their hand to making clothes themselves Alison Smith of the Alison Victoria School of Sewing thinks so. She runs the largest sewing school in the country and has “put on an extra ten days worth of beginner sewing classes from September to December to cope with demand.” She has also seen an upturn in sales of sewing machines, trims and accessories as the popularity of making and altering clothes at home continues to grow.

Pam Neave, Husqvarna Viking Education Manager, has also had a similar experience with sewing machine sales increasing. “Many years ago the sales of sewing machines was directly affected by the state of the economy with practically every home having a sewing machine in the post war years,” She explains.

“Nowadays sewing is not necessarily a cheaper option to buying inexpensive clothing in the supermarkets but it is a fun, social, greener way of spending leisure time. Twenty years ago teenagers probably didn’t want to wear something that Mum had made, now it’s a trendy hobby.”

Pam’s comments are also echoed by jewellery designer Carol Coleman who believes that, “the surge in fashionable knitting has helped make designing your own clothes and jewellery more appealing to younger people. People are thinking about waste and looking at things they can use again. Old clothes are particularly useful as they may no longer be wearable or in fashion but can be cut up and made into something new.”

So, having been inspired by shows such as Gok Wan’s Fashion Fix to design and customise their own clothes, where should novice sewers start There is a wealth of aladdin’s cave-esque fabric and haberdashery shops out there, with stashes of tempting offerings to make even the least creative among us reach for a needle and thread. These are great places to go for ideas and inspiration to making and customising your own clothes – and also get some advice on how to begin.

Cath Bloomfield from dressmaking shop Fabric Magic offers some suggestions: “There are a whole range of patterns for people who want to start making their own clothes. I would recommend novices start with a bag or scarf. People can also drop into the shop and we will give them advice – we have had material and patterns out on the counter before now!”

One treasure trove that is well worth a visit is Duttons for Buttons, where manager Michelle Horton was happy to offer advice for the novice stitcher. “By changing the buttons you can really change the look of a jacket or blouse. Some people don’t have the skills to make things from scratch but they do like to customise.” She also has some very useful advice for those wanting to make sure they are buying the right buttons to keep up to date with the current styles: “Diamanté sales are definitely on the up – people obviously want to add a bit of sparkle to their lives!”

Fabric and haberdashery suppliers MacCulloch and Wallis recommend buying on-trend fabrics for those creations. “Right now we are selling a lot of printed polka-dot cotton poplin in bright colours and also a very useful frill trim which comes in plain colours and is a relatively cheap way of getting an outfit on trend. Popular with Gok on his show.”

Choosing the right sewing machine is also an important decision and Pam Neave offers some guidance to those people looking to make their first purchase. “Most manufacturers have a range of machines to suit all pockets, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the cheapest. If possible potential sewers should buy a better quality model, stretching their budget as much as possible, as they will grow into the machine and be able to produce more in an easier way.” Pam also recommends taking classes in sewing. “After all we weren’t born knowing how to sew!”

HotHive Textiles has three fantastic patterns to get you all started with your customised wardrobe, all courtesy of members of our website. The first pattern we have for you is a fantastic polka-dot skirt just to keep you on trend! which was supplied to us by Lark Books and taken from their book Stylish Skirts. Simply click on the link below to download your instructions.

Polka Dot Skirt instructions

The next pattern we have for you is a purple watch, designed by Carol Coleman. This is a great pattern for those of you who are very keen on recycling and reusing as Carol’s example uses a damaged silk tie and old dressing gown. She explains: “The tie belonged to my daughter’s partner and he spilt food down it and ruined it – so I inherited it! She loved the watch I made out of it so much she asked for it back, which was a shame as I had my eye on it for myself!”

The beauty of Carol’s pattern is that it can be made using any piece of material you have lying around. Carol’s only advice is to “be sure it is a material that doesn’t fray – knitted or brushed fabrics are good.” To download the instructions to make your own watch please click on the link below.

Watch instructions

Our final pattern for you is a gusseted bag provided by Linda Tudor from her book Embroidered Purses. This is a great book for all of us who love our bags and purses! It includes a history of embroidered purses from around the world, some great tips on embellishment and step-by-step instructions for a wide range of bags to make.

The pattern we have chosen here is for those of you with some experience of sewing who are looking for some new inspiration:

Gusseted Bag instructions

So, now you are ready for your Christmas party with an individual outfit that is guaranteed to attract admiring comments from your fellow guests. Remember customising your clothes and creating that signature look is easy to do as long as you use a little imagination and HotHive Textiles!

Contact details

Everybody mentioned in the article is a member of HotHive Textiles.

Alison Victoria School of Sewing
The School of Sewing, Alison Smith, 71 Market Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, LE65 1AH
Tel: 01530 416300
Email: bookings@schoolofsewing.co.uk
www.schoolofsewing.co.uk

Husqvarna Viking
Ravensbank House
Ravensbank Drive
North Moons Moat
Redditch
Worcs
B98 9NA
Tel: 01527 519480
www.pfaff.com
www.husqvarnaviking.com

Carol Coleman
4 Thurlestone Court
East Morton
Keighley
West Yorkshire
BD20 5RG
Tel: 01535 603132
www.fibredance.com

Fabric Magic
 7 Wicker Hill
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JS
Tel: 01225 768833
www.fabricmagic.co.uk

Duttons for Buttons
Oxford Street
Harrogate
Yorkshire
HG1 1QE
Tel: 01423 502092
www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk

MacCulloch & Wallis Ltd
25-26 Dering Street, London, W1S 1AT
Tel: 020 7629 0311
Email: macculloch@psilink.co.uk
www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk

All the books featured in the article can also be purchased from our bookstore: www.thetextiledirectorybookstore.com