All the time I spend sewing, making errors, using fabric is time not spent shopping. I have learned skills and made friends through sewing. It is a passion and now I have only 2 or 3 store bought items in my wardrobe apart from shoes. Waste fabric can sometimes be reused by making napkins, bread bags or sent to a friend who stuffs scrap fabric into dog beds for the SPCA. I buy bolts of muslin from a seller in Montreal who remembers my name when I call him every two years to replace it. Connections, time spent improving my practice and learning what fabrics I like is well worth my time and money and I don’t think my footprint of leftover fabric is overly consumptive.
I wish all the teachers will say "Make a tests"! It allows me to think that my idea was wrong, not me. I think it release me from the need to prove, that I'm a good. I just need to check if my idea was good :)
"Make mistakes. Make big, glorios mistakes."- Don Dickie, my Aikido Sensei since 2001. Every skill I've learned has included failures. And I'm pretty sure we learn far more from doing a thing wrong and correcting it (or developing workarounds to avoid it in the future) than getting it right the first time. I like making wearable mockups out of less valuable fabrics when I'm working up to a specific project, and if there's a new technique (say, welted pockets or buttonholes, or a collar) I'll install one on one of my wearable mockups for something else to get some practice in. And there's totally nothign wrong with making something you only wear around the house and don't want anyone else to see. That's the garment to practice things on! And as my father in-law always says, nobody will know how long a task took you unless you didn't spend enough time to get it right.
I do this all the time. My family makes fun of me when I visit because no one's pillowcases or bed clothes are safe;) When I'm done with my practicing and am ready to cut into my 'special' fabric, I reuse the bed clothes. I rip them apart and make rag rugs out of them. Ripping the cloth is satisfying and sewing the rug is therapeutic!
LOVE THIS! Thank you!! I'm getting better at picking fabric I can feel I care less about so I can make something and learn without regretting te fabric choice, an reminding myself that I'm learning something in the process! I loved hearing this THANK YOU
When I was learning to tailor ready to wear, I bought many jackets, skirts, and trousers from thrift shops in order to perfect that craft. This is why I love your approach, Liza! Your experience and knowledge is invaluable. Much appreciation for this TH-cam adventure and your willingness to share!! You have the best analogies. I love that! My goal is a functional and durable capsule wardrobe that reflects my sense of style. You are absolutely spot on when you speak of the right timing and right project for a particular cut of fabric. I have yardage of two summer-weight rayons from which I intend to make bias-cut skirts. Just don't have the styling yet. Thank you for all of the hard work involved in providing this content!!
Really liked your approach: practicing details, getting used to new sorts of fabric, allowing to waste fabtic, developping sewing expertise step by step. And last: cutting only, if itruly can imagine what to sew and if i really would wear this
For me, it's not so much the fear of wasting fabric, rather what to DO with the wasted fabric, particularly unusable, small remnants. Would love to hear some suggestions on that topic!
Unusable remnants make good stuffing for some projects. Draft-snakes for dry locations, giant dice, rag dolls.... & is it really unusable, or is it perfect for an eventual small-patch quilt?
Good point. I have a lot of scrap fabrics from projects. It becomes challenging to figure out how to use them. But watching your video, I see I can use them for making tests :)
I'm wanting to get into historical fashion. It was common to do something called piecing, which used every piece of fabric possible, even if it meant having seams in weird places.
I have a great problem with cutting up old garments to use for my handicrafts and sewing. I feel like destroying it is disrespectful towards the former maker. 🙈
If the garment or item is no longer useful or wearable,You are not destroying it. I am a quilter and have been given pieces of old quilts. At first, I was devastated that someone had cut up a quilt . But a lot of old quilts were not taken care of and are no longer useful as a blanket, which they were originally intended😢. I am sure, the quilter who made this lovely utilitarian piece of art, would be much happier to see it made into a purse or tote bag. their work lives on and doesn’t just sit in a corner being worshiped.
I understand how you feel, I feel frustrated when people are buying gorgeous vintage kimono, obi and saris just to cut them up to remake as bags to sell on etsy. But I agree with the previous commenter - if the garment or textile is no longer useable in its current form, you're extending its life by refashioning it. I think it's the same rule for reusing garments as it is for using fabric fresh from the bolt, if you feel you're not ready, don't do it - yet!
OK, so I get that you need to practice on a particular fabric in order to get used to working with that fabric, but how do you practice on something like silk without actually working on silk, and silk is expensive. I could try using a bed sheet but it doesn't have the same drape that silk does and the toile will be different. Thanks!
All the time I spend sewing, making errors, using fabric is time not spent shopping. I have learned skills and made friends through sewing. It is a passion and now I have only 2 or 3 store bought items in my wardrobe apart from shoes. Waste fabric can sometimes be reused by making napkins, bread bags or sent to a friend who stuffs scrap fabric into dog beds for the SPCA. I buy bolts of muslin from a seller in Montreal who remembers my name when I call him every two years to replace it. Connections, time spent improving my practice and learning what fabrics I like is well worth my time and money and I don’t think my footprint of leftover fabric is overly consumptive.
I wish all the teachers will say "Make a tests"! It allows me to think that my idea was wrong, not me. I think it release me from the need to prove, that I'm a good. I just need to check if my idea was good :)
"Make mistakes. Make big, glorios mistakes."- Don Dickie, my Aikido Sensei since 2001.
Every skill I've learned has included failures. And I'm pretty sure we learn far more from doing a thing wrong and correcting it (or developing workarounds to avoid it in the future) than getting it right the first time.
I like making wearable mockups out of less valuable fabrics when I'm working up to a specific project, and if there's a new technique (say, welted pockets or buttonholes, or a collar) I'll install one on one of my wearable mockups for something else to get some practice in. And there's totally nothign wrong with making something you only wear around the house and don't want anyone else to see. That's the garment to practice things on!
And as my father in-law always says, nobody will know how long a task took you unless you didn't spend enough time to get it right.
I do this all the time. My family makes fun of me when I visit because no one's pillowcases or bed clothes are safe;) When I'm done with my practicing and am ready to cut into my 'special' fabric, I reuse the bed clothes. I rip them apart and make rag rugs out of them. Ripping the cloth is satisfying and sewing the rug is therapeutic!
I've been making rag rugs out of scraps too!
Just started trying to learn to sew this year so I don't have to buy fast fashion and very often I do feel wasteful so it was nice to hear this!
I want to learn to sew, but more so because I want to wear historical dress as my everyday clothing.
Thank you for this! Deep down I knew this, but needed to hear someone to say it out loud to relieve the guilt!
LOVE THIS! Thank you!! I'm getting better at picking fabric I can feel I care less about so I can make something and learn without regretting te fabric choice, an reminding myself that I'm learning something in the process! I loved hearing this THANK YOU
This was an AWESOME video, not just for clothes-making!
When I was learning to tailor ready to wear, I bought many jackets, skirts, and trousers from thrift shops in order to perfect that craft.
This is why I love your approach, Liza! Your experience and knowledge is invaluable. Much appreciation for this TH-cam adventure and your willingness to share!! You have the best analogies. I love that!
My goal is a functional and durable capsule wardrobe that reflects my sense of style.
You are absolutely spot on when you speak of the right timing and right project for a particular cut of fabric. I have yardage of two summer-weight rayons from which I intend to make bias-cut skirts. Just don't have the styling yet.
Thank you for all of the hard work involved in providing this content!!
Really liked your approach: practicing details, getting used to new sorts of fabric, allowing to waste fabtic, developping sewing expertise step by step. And last: cutting only, if itruly can imagine what to sew and if i really would wear this
I buy nearly all my fabric second hand, remnants or upcycle garments. It’s very freeing!
I never buy new fabric that is out of my budget. I have been sewing a long time. I moved on to altered couture to use recyclable materials.
For me, it's not so much the fear of wasting fabric, rather what to DO with the wasted fabric, particularly unusable, small remnants. Would love to hear some suggestions on that topic!
Unusable remnants make good stuffing for some projects. Draft-snakes for dry locations, giant dice, rag dolls.... & is it really unusable, or is it perfect for an eventual small-patch quilt?
In my opinion unless you have an actual realistic plan for those small remnants chuck them out to save yourself energy. Because items add up.
@@pneumarianGood ideas, but not things I want to spend my valuable sewing time on.
Closet core floor pouf uses your sewing scraps as filling
I started a Kawandi Quilt with my quilt and apparel scraps. It is a great take along project.
This is such a helpful message!
I needed to hear this!
Very wise advice! I'm glad you popped up on my feed. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
I agree!!!
Good point. I have a lot of scrap fabrics from projects. It becomes challenging to figure out how to use them. But watching your video, I see I can use them for making tests :)
I'm wanting to get into historical fashion. It was common to do something called piecing, which used every piece of fabric possible, even if it meant having seams in weird places.
I love that we can beginners
Gosh I like your style ♥️
You know my fears and doubts about sewing better than me! 😅
Well said!!!
It's all the pain in my back afterwards that gets me.
Word up!
I have a great problem with cutting up old garments to use for my handicrafts and sewing. I feel like destroying it is disrespectful towards the former maker. 🙈
If the garment or item is no longer useful or wearable,You are not destroying it. I am a quilter and have been given pieces of old quilts. At first, I was devastated that someone had cut up a quilt . But a lot of old quilts were not taken care of and are no longer useful as a blanket, which they were originally intended😢. I am sure, the quilter who made this lovely utilitarian piece of art, would be much happier to see it made into a purse or tote bag. their work lives on and doesn’t just sit in a corner being worshiped.
I understand how you feel, I feel frustrated when people are buying gorgeous vintage kimono, obi and saris just to cut them up to remake as bags to sell on etsy. But I agree with the previous commenter - if the garment or textile is no longer useable in its current form, you're extending its life by refashioning it. I think it's the same rule for reusing garments as it is for using fabric fresh from the bolt, if you feel you're not ready, don't do it - yet!
😀😀😀THANK YOU ll
I've messed up projects and then years later go back and rework them to make them right or turn into something else to use the fabric.
OK, so I get that you need to practice on a particular fabric in order to get used to working with that fabric, but how do you practice on something like silk without actually working on silk, and silk is expensive. I could try using a bed sheet but it doesn't have the same drape that silk does and the toile will be different. Thanks!
Where do we find the classes?
@@evasilvalayton758 you can check out our courses at arkdefo.com
Are you, by any chance, Hungarian?
I have no guilt. I buy the fabric, I cut the fabric, I throw away the rest.
It's all the pain in my back afterwards that gets me.