Thursday's Thrifty Thimble and Thread

(Is that enough alliteration?)

What is the number one reason given for not sewing ones own clothes?

It's too expensive.

Well, it can be if you buy everything new. Just like other areas of our lives, sewing can be affordable if you know how to get the best deals.

Do you go to thrift stores for other things? Expand your search among the shelves and bins and you can find some dandy treasures.

Here's one story from last fall:

Lt. Lehi asked me to make his wife, our daughter-in-law, Miss Pasta, a warm skirt for Christmas, so I looked in my vast collection for something suitable. I found this pattern:

Which I had purchased for this much:

Then I looked in my stash of wool fabrics for something to make it with and found these pieces:

That I had paid this much for:

Wool

Lining

With a zipper pulled from my stash that I paid probably a quarter for, the total for all materials was $8.75, plus thread which I already had.

So for less than $10 I made a fully lined, 100% wool skirt for a Christmas present. (I'm still waiting for her to send me a photo of her in it!)

Someone either died, or was downsizing, because I purchased several large pieces of 100% wool fabric on that visit to the thrift store for way less than one yard of the same fabric costs at a place like JoAnn's.

The trick is to look for fabric every time you shop at the thrift store and buy it when you see it, as it probably won't be there the next time. Besides looking at the cut pieces of fabric, I look at the linens, such as sheets, tablecloths, shower curtains, window curtains, etc. and have found wonderful fabric that I can reuse as something else for very little money.

The other place I've gotten fabric is from "little old ladies" at church who are either moving, or have quit sewing and want to get rid of their stash of fabric and sewing notions. Never refuse anything! Even if you personally can't use all of it, take it, sort through it, keep what you want, and either sell or share the rest. If you say no, you might not get another chance. Ask around and you'll be surprised who's willing to share with you.

Want to learn to sew? Ask those same little old ladies to help you learn. Lots of YouTube videos and online classes are out there, but it's nice to have someone to ask and demonstrate also.

The thing I like most about making my own clothes is that I can get what I want, when I want it. I'm not at the mercy of retailers and their immodest junk in all the wrong colors for me.