Why do I sew my own clothes and my advice to get started

This madmoiZelle tells about her passion for sewing, explains how she came to make her clothes and gives her advice for beginners who want to do the same!

Published September 11, 2020

Economical, ecological, purely creative… there are lots of relevant reasons to start sewing your own clothes!

Noémie is 17 years old and wears almost nothing but hand-sewn clothes. Most of them she sews herself.

She explains what motivated her in this direction and gives advice and resources for people who would like to get started.

Caroline: What motivated you to make your own clothes? A passion for sewing, a desire for a more eco-responsible wardrobe, to save money... or all of that at the same time?

Noémie: I would say that my main motivation for sewing my clothing is to be unique and original. I am creative at heart and I have always felt the call of sewing, if I may say so!

Sewing my own clothes gives me a freedom that I don't have with commercial pieces.

If I want turquoise velvet pants, a blouse with gold stars or a t-shirt with unicorns that you normally only find in size 4 years, I can do them to me.

But more than this freedom, it is indeed the desire to wear unique pieces that always push me to sew my wardrobe!

The economic argument also comes into play in my opinion. We're not going to lie to each other, sewing is expensive. Especially at the beginning, the time to equip yourself. But afterwards, the price of certain parts becomes really advantageous.

When I see a piece of trade that I like (which is relatively rare) I often think that for that price, I could as well sew myself two, and I quickly get cold!

Hand-made is therefore for me all these arguments at the same time, but it is above all a way of life.

How did you learn to sew?

Apart from a few sewing lessons that I took at the very beginning, I learned a lot on my own.

At the beginning, it's like everything, we make mistakes, we grope, we start over and over again the same step, we are disappointed with the result...

And as we get better, the clothes become wearable and people don't even realize they're handmade anymore.

The Internet has been a great help to me in my learning. I read blogs, articles that talked about this or that sewing technique, I watched videos, tutorials...

Sewing is a basic logic to acquire, then to decline and evolve ad infinitum.

When I was really stuck on a stage, I asked people around me for advice... and I started off again!

How long does it take you on average to make a garment?

Making a garment includes transferring the pattern onto special paper, cutting the fabric, sewing itself. same, the fitting, and the finishes.

For a simple T-shirt, all of these steps will take about two hours. The more complex the garment and has more parts, the more time it takes me.

The piece of clothing that took me the longest to make was overalls, which had many pockets and a lot of hems and topstitching (a topstitching is a visible seam on the right side of the garment).

What are your inspirations for your clothes? Any particular brands?

I rarely find store-bought clothes to my liking, hence my decision to sew them myself.

However, when it comes to my inspirations, I can definitely say that Instagram and its huge couture community plays a huge role.

Some are on the lookout for the latest fashion trends, or the latest collections from major fashion houses...

But personally, I'm watching for the release of the latest patterns from independent designers, the latest fabric collections on the market, new haberdashery and sewing equipment... And also the latest innovations offered by sewing machines. .

I also really like Japanese-inspired clothing, which I find in various magazines such as Coudre c'est facile and more generally the books published by Saxe.

Do you easily find your happiness in terms of materials and fabrics?

Sewing and DIY in general have experienced a boom in recent years. It is therefore really very simple to feed in terms of material.

There are many physical shops, in big cities and in small ones!

The Internet is also full of various fabric shops, for all tastes and all prices.

Currently, it is therefore easy to obtain material dedicated to sewing.

Where do you recommend getting your sewing supplies? When should you rather turn to online stores or physical stores?

The two options (store and Internet) are equal and complement each other.

The physical stores are going to be very good at realizing the exact colors of the fabrics, their weight, their textures and their fluidities. However, the collections remain very classic.

As for prices, there is something for all budgets depending on the brand.

On the Internet, it is much more difficult to realize what the fabric and its material really look like, and you have to rely only on the description of the product.

On the other hand, it is possible to find small wonders and unique rolls!

However, pay attention to shipping costs, which are added to the price of the order.

For someone new to sewing, I would really recommend going to a physical store, in order to be able to fully understand the product, then going online after having had a little experience in this field.

Here are some websites I recommend for buying fabric and patterns:

Is a sewing machine essential to make your own clothes?

To sew clothes, the sewing machine is really essential.

On the other hand, it is not necessary to ruin yourself, at least at first.

To start with a sewing machine, Lidl models do the trick!

And once you are sure you want to make your own clothes, it may be worth buying a more advanced model in a specialized store.

Do you reproduce models that you have spotted in stores or are you more inspired by vintage fashion?

Neither! To sew my clothes, I use sewing patterns.

These are large sheets of paper on which appear all the parts necessary to make the garment in all sizes.

Patterns can be bought either in magazines or on the Internet in independent designer shops.

Their price varies between €4.50 and €15 on average. There are also free patterns, but you have to be careful about their quality.

An amateur pattern will never look the same as a pattern created by a fashion designer!

How do you experience the gaze of others? Do you feel like there's a real difference between what you're wearing and what other people have bought in stores?

Until I started high school, I had very difficult to assume my clothing choices (which still mainly came from the trade at that time).

Then I entered high school in a class where everyone took responsibility. From then on, I didn't really ask myself any questions, I wear what I like without really worrying about the eyes of others.

Sometimes I feel a difference between what I'm wearing and other people's clothes, but it's not always.

In fact, people ask me from time to time where I bought such and such a piece, and that's the best compliment a seamstress can receive!

Where do you get the other hand-sewn clothes that you didn't make yourself?

Over the past year, I have in all and for all bought a t-shirt, two pants and a vest in the classic trade.

The other pieces I bought are second hand, but there are very few others.

I'm turning more and more to a 100% handmade wardrobe, because that's what suits me best personally.

What beginner's kit would you recommend for those who want to start making their own clothes?

The beginner's kit, in my opinion, includes a sewing machine (on which to practice on scraps of fabric for example), a good pair of scissors, and basic sewing equipment (threads, needle, scissors, etc.).

For a first garment, I would recommend using a pattern from an independent brand, such as Petit patron, Recycle ton armoire, or the Makerist site, which is a kind of giant library of independent patterns on which you can really find everything, and of good quality.

Even if the pattern will be more expensive with these brands than if you choose it from a magazine, the explanations will be much more detailed, and it will be possible to contact its creator in the event of a technical problem.

Finally, it is better to start with a garment in a warp and weft fabric (i.e. non-stretch) which will be much easier to work with than a knit (therefore stretch) or a very fluid fabric, which may slip under the machine.

Do you have any YouTube channels, books or magazines to recommend for beginners?

I have many sewing references. Here are a few :

Sewing blogs I recommend:

The Youtube channels I recommend:

The magazines I recommend:

There are also sewing atlases or dictionaries, which can be very comprehensive and interesting for beginners!

Thanks to Noémie for this very interesting testimony which may inspire some of you to try your hand at sewing, or even get into the habit of wearing your own clothes!

Second-hand fashion is increasingly popular and mass-market brands are becoming increasingly mistrustful.

The attraction for hand-sewn could be the next step in this global awareness of our fashion consumption.

Also read: 4 seamless fashion DIYs (except one) to give your clothes a fresh look!