Do you sew? It seems so expensive.

I sew a LOT for myself and my business. One thing I do is watch for estate sales and haunt thrift shops for fabrics. Especially with estate sales the person inheriting the estate will sell stuff off very cheaply to get it out of the way. Or else they donate it to the thrift shop. I can often find 10 to 30 dollar fabric for pennies on the dollar. I realize that with some things it seems cheaper to buy them ready made than to sew them yourself...except that I have found that the cheaper stuff doesn't last as long as the stuff I make myself. I do watch the quality of the fabric I use, and if I have to buy fabric from the fabric store I watch their sales, clip their coupons, and do a lot of comparison shopping. I found that the 100% cotton fabrics have gone from a dollar or two to $10 a yard because of the popularity of quilting. But I also check on Ebay for fabrics that I would like to use to make garments. My business is designing and making artist teddy bears. I work in acrylic fur, mohair and real furs so I have a lot of sewing experience. I also, on occasion, dress the bears. Usually I use recycled fabrics from wedding dresses etc. Thrift shops are a wonderful source of materials for sewing. Also Wal Mart has some really great buys, but you have to watch what you're getting as they do get fabrics that have a lot of filler in them. You can tell by holding them up to the light and if the weave is really lose and there is a bunch of "stuff" in between the warp and weft then don't buy the fabric because you'll be spending a lot of time making something that will not last through the first washing. You want a closer weave in your fabric with no filler or "stuff" clogging up the areas between the warp and weft. I recently stocked up on zippers that were originally between $1.25 and $3.00 for 25 to 75 cents each. You just have to watch for the bargains.

Yes I sew. I love sewing but it has gotten expensive. My granddaughter wants to dress up as her favorite book character for school this Friday. So last Sunday we went to Joann's and bought the pattern, she picked out her fabric, ribbons, zipper and thread and lace for the dress. I was in shock at what it rang up for.$41.40 and I had lots of coupons and my receipt says total savings $32.49! We couldn't have bought her dress cheaper because we are trying to copy a 1904 style! If you are going ot shop JOAnn's they have a mailer program and you can sign up for it and get coupons all the time. Her pattern was $15.95! We got lucky and it was on sale for $1.99 so you might want to watch sales and stock up on your patterns then.

I like to sew too, but the material is always more expensive than I expect. It's not really an economical way to make clothes, at least for me.

To be a seamstress, one has to be a seamstress every day of the year. I don't mean you have to sew every day, just live by the year instead of by the day. Get to know the fabric shops in your area and which days out of the year, they have their best sales. Living near a Hancock's is great because every year on New Years Day, they have a blow out sale. They flat clear the shelves. When I was still sewing for my kids, I only bought material on New Year's. I just saved up for the day and then stocked up on more material than I could use. At today's prices, it's the only way to go.

I understand you there. Sewing is a new hobby for me but always something that I have been wanting to do. I love doll making and came back to it recently. But after some reading and surfing the web I found these patterns for Victorian skirts and I just fell in love!! It didn't even occur to me that this was available and since then price is not even an issue Im determined to get the material I need, I mean its recreating a Victorian, yes! I have been searching for 'vintage fabric' and found that you can find some good deals on ebay but it does take some searching but do not do it where you just search 'fabric' you have to find it under titles that are not under the sewing category per se. I think its exciting searching around to find exactly THAT look for outfits that nobody wants and I can reuse the fabric or trims I can cut off and reuse, like laces. Right now I bought a gift card and put 50$ on it for a sewing machine for when I run into just the right price. Im trying so hard not to go out and buy a 50$ one because Im so excited to just get started but I discussed it with some fellow shoppers and they reassured me that if I invest in a singer then I can count on it being it around for the long run,

I just started sewing again and yes I have found it to be expensive. But I like be able to add a personal touch to something or if I can't find something in the store in a fabric I like I can make it. It may not be cheaper to make it but it is at least what I want.

yes i agree. it used to be much cheaper to sew your own clothes instead of buying them but now, because of cheap imports from china and other countries like that, its more expensive to sew clothes and its hard to find material stores too these days.

I have just recently began sewing again but it's because I have a ton of fabric just sitting in my studio.....and I want to use it up. I went to the fabric store last night to get some elastic and priced material....WOW some of it's so expensive. I used to sew all my clothes but don't anymore....and you are right it's much cheaper to buy them in the store unless you want something unique...then it would be worth the cost. I also used to quilt alot....that's why I have so much material.....today I sewed most of the day and enjoyed it so much! I hope you pick it up again....it's very relaxing!

Yes sewing has become not so inexpensive to do. Usually there at least from $2. a yard to over $10. Basically I try to stick with small items to make. Like making a slipcover for a pillow for my couch. this way I can take it off and wash it and also change it for different seasons if i wish. And it's a lot cheapier than buying a new pillow for decoration. Although I like making baby blankets usually you can spend about $5 to $10 to make one. And yes you can buy one in the store for almost that same amount. But think of it this way. It's something you have personally made and it has personal touches to it that you can't buy at the store. That's why I keep doing it and it's enjoyable to me. If your not enjoying it you shouldn't be doing it :) Happy sewing.

Fabric can get really expensive, especially if you go to places like Joann. Maybe you could try a thrift store. That's a good place to get fabric for really cheap.