I was watching Good Morning America while I was drinking my coffee and working on a Sudoku puzzle recently. They had a story about how Sarah Jessica Parker has come out with a new line of clothing, all the pieces of which are under $10. Now, I understand the economy these days, I really do. But this story seriously bugged me. The report was all about how dressing "cheaply" is now "chic"... don't kid yourselves, someone is making money on these garments and at the expense of the consumer. How long do you think an $8.98 dress will hold together in the wash? The reporter did mention that the T-shirts in the cheap price category are on par with their pricier counterparts, but that as the clothing gets more complex (i.e., more pieces involved) you can really tell the difference in quality.

Unfortunately, this kind of story kind of takes the wind out of the sails of the argument for sewing clothes to save money, doesn’t it? Except for the fact that, when you sew, the clothing that you make FITS you – unlike most of the stuff that comes off the rack. I purchase jeans – because it’s not cost effective to sew them, and I’ve found a brand/style that fits my shape (for around $20, by the way). But I make all of the rest of my clothing – T shirts, skirts, blouses, jackets, pants. Why? Because I can. Because they fit me. Because most of the time my taste is NOT what is on the racks at the stores. And, because I love to sew. And, when you make your own clothes, they tend to last longer than off-the-rack clothes.

I don’t spend a fortune on fabric, trust me. I have a great fabric store (about 35 minutes from me) that prices most of its fabric under $15/yard – and the majority is in the $5-10/yard range. This is first quality stuff, the people who own the store go on buying trips to New York, and know how to purchase. The other place I buy my fabric – don’t gasp here – is from WalMart. Yes, I know all the arguments about WalMart pro and con. But the fact of the matter is that while a portion of their fabrics fall in the “eewww I wouldn’t ever sew with that” category, I’ve found many pieces on their clearance table ($1/yard stuff, I kid you not) that is decent fabric. No, I’m not buying silk or linen or wool from them. But I rarely sew with wool, I can’t stand linen (too wrinkly) and silk is wonderful, but I don’t need to wear it all the time. I’m happiest sewing with cotton, rayon and polyester blends.

Okay, to combat the argument that you can’t save money by sewing – I can purchase 3 yards of 60” wide fabric – which is enough to make a skirt or a pair of pants and a matching jacket or vest - for $3. I spend a few hours of pleasant, relaxing time at my sewing machine and VOILA, I, too, have a great piece of clothing or two for under $10! (In addition to the fabric, add thread for $2, zipper for about $1.29, interfacing less than $1 and a couple of yards of lining for a few bucks more) for a total price of about $9.29 plus your time to sew.

Update on the Diane Ericson project – my fabrics might not be big enough to use for the pattern I’ve chosen – the silk print is already cut into small pieces and if I can’t piece them to fit the larger pattern pieces I may have to move on to plan “B” – using a different combination of fabrics.

Feel free to Email me with suggestions for classes, things you'd like to learn about, or to tell me about projects you're working on. Until next time.

Magnifique by Susan Andriks
A stunning line of vintage-inspired, timeless wedding gowns. Each gown is made to a bride's personal measurements - virtually eliminating the need for alterations.