Is Home Sewing for You?

"HOMEMADE." We use this term approvingly to refer to baked cakes or bread. But applied to domestic sewing, it has not always had the same effect.

Thus, a few years ago, a girl tended to hide the fact that her clothes were made at home for fear that her friends would find her too poor to buy ready-made clothes. But times have changed. Today, homemade clothes are happy to wear, and the dryer is proud of its work. It was similar before the development of the modern garment industry.

The sewing machine was introduced in the middle of the last century; Before that, all clothing was sewn by hand. Most of the clothes were made at home by the women of the family. Relatively few people were able to buy clothes sewn by hand by professional tailors.

But with the advent of the sewing machine, the demand for ready-to-wear clothing has increased. However, for a time, homemade clothing continued to be considered the best clothing. The term "clothing store" had the connotation of being cheap and without style. Very old citizens can still remember that. But as the quality of custom-made clothing improved, virtually everyone started wearing it, and home sewing lost its appeal.

Investments and considerations

Sewing at home will require an investment on your part. Any sewing project takes time and time is often at a premium in our busy lives. Also, you may find that producing quality clothing takes more effort than you expect, especially as you learn. Are you ready to go through all the details involved in building an outfit until it is successfully completed?

Next, you have to consider an investment in equipment. Most of the necessary equipments such as needles, thread, pins, scissors, pins, thimble, tape measure, etc., are inexpensive. But if you don't have a sewing machine, buying a slim, modern machine can be a big expense. However, a simpler car, maybe even a pedal car, can work just fine, and one of these can be had for much less.

If you plan to make clothes without a sewing machine, it will take much longer. The machine is invaluable to tailors, as evidenced by what happened in the 1830s when French inventor Barthélemy Thimonnier put the first sewing machines into operation. A crowd of angry tailors destroyed everyone and threatened his life for fear of losing his livelihood.

The earliest sewing machines were operated by turning a crank, and in some places these early types are still in use. The pedal board was a breakthrough as it allows the culvert to use both hands to guide the part to work. Almost all machines sold in the United States today are powered by electricity. To get an idea of ​​the value of modern sewing equipment: trousers that took 18 hours to hand-sew in 1857 can be transformed into a modern factory in just twenty minutes. A sewing machine really helps.

Another consideration for a married woman is the way her husband thinks about sewing at home. He may be elated, rejoicing at the savings this could add to the family's clothing budget. However, some husbands may think that their wives' time may be better spent on other matters. Or he may just be against his wife getting involved in tailoring when he is home at night. It is something that should be discussed together.

You can learn

You may be wondering: how difficult is it to sew? How much time and effort does it take to learn?

It really is not very difficult. It is a skill that any available student can learn. This is especially true if sewing is considered a hobby, something to enjoy.

Many sewing equipment manufacturers offer sewing lessons, but while they may be helpful, they are not necessary. There are many beautiful sewing books, full of illustrations and detailed instructions for beginners. They can usually be obtained by visiting a library. Also, there may be close family or friends who would be happy to share their knowledge.

Patience is a prerequisite for learning to sew. Be prepared to follow the instructions carefully. Take it one step at a time and do it right. Each success will increase your confidence. Sometimes the first time around, the sewage does an even better job than an experienced sewer just because it is able to follow the given instructions better. The fact that even someone with no previous experience can sew is illustrated by a New York father who is a carpenter by profession.

One evening, he decided to work on a dressing gown that his wife had left unfinished before retiring. Following the boss's instructions, he completed the dressing gown and handed it to his surprised wife in the morning. He pointed out that sewing is similar to carpentry: a gutter follows a pattern, while a carpenter follows a plane. Certainly, sewing is all about following instructions carefully. The operation of the sewing machine itself is quite easy to learn.

Suppose you decide to try sewing at home, where do you start?

Tips for beginners

If your sewing kit is ready, the first step will probably be choosing a pattern. A good rule of thumb is: Avoid anything that is extreme in the design. Pick a style based on something you like in your current wardrobe. No model has to be perfect for you, so choose the size that best fits your shoulders and upper chest. Other parts of the pattern can be adjusted more easily.

Only after selecting the pattern you need to select the fabric. The wide variety of fabrics available today allows domestic wastewater to choose a material that is easy to process and maintain when the garment is ready. Since the time you spend creating a dress will be more or less the same, regardless of the quality of the material, why not make the most of your effort by using a good quality material?

You might be reluctant to try making your home items yourself, but given the simplicity of such embroidery and the cost savings, it will encourage you to try it. Curtains and drapes can be constructed with simple straight seams that the home gutter will find they can handle relatively easily.

Additionally, sheet materials can often be purchased for much less than finished sheets. They can be cut to fit your beds, folded at both ends and put to work. But be sure to allow 10% shrinkage if the material is cotton. You can also buy pillowcase tubes. Cut to fit your pillows; sew at one end and hem at the other.

Remember, the key to success is to confidently approach any sewing project you undertake.

Repair and modifications

When your bedding is damaged or needs to be changed, you can save a lot of money when doing home repairs. A good tip is, when ironing or folding clothes, to put aside those that need to be repaired. Also, if you see an item, like a jacket or coat, that needs to be repaired or modified, write it down in a notebook that you keep with your other repairs.

Manual repair can be done when the family is together, perhaps watching TV. In darning socks, a lamp can be slipped into the sock to keep it in shape while you mend it. Invite a girl to help you. Show him how to sew on buttons and hold the thread so that it does not come off.

Some of the newer sewing machines have built-in patching functions that allow you to freely move the material under the needle when darning, preventing rips and tears. Even without this function, the machine can be repaired by lifting the presser foot lever slightly with one hand and moving the material back and forth under the needle with the other hand.

Some items tend to wear out in the same spot. For example, the sheets usually wear out in the center. When you notice this, tear the sheet in the center lengthwise. Next, sew the sturdy outer edges so that the less worn part of the sheet is now in the center. Next, hem the outer edges, which were previously in the worn center of the sheet.

If your husband's favorite costume pants get thin on the seat, you can take a similar piece of fabric and put it inside the pants and close the zipper over the thin area. The jacket is likely to cover the repaired area, so it will not be noticeable.