History

So, let me preface all this by explaining why I'm here. I've been sewing for 18 years. Good grief, saying I've been doing anything for 18 years is weird. Anyway. When I was younger I was very much an "Eh, that'll be fine" sewist. Not very detail oriented would be putting it politely. I still managed to make some wearable clothing, though none of it was ever a staple of my wardrobe. My lackadaisical attitude towards patterns, directions, and caring kind of undermined my confidence in my clothing sewing abilities. Go figure.

Fast forward to this last January, and I started my own business making things. Sewing wise, I started small with makeup bags, and moved on to purses. I became obsessed with quality control. I am downright anal about making sure the things I sell are of the absolute best quality I can make them. So, total sewing attitude 180, though I hadn't even tried to make clothing in a while.

Then for Halloween, Boyfriend hired me to make him a costume. He wanted to be Dr. Horrible. (If you don't know who that is, go google it right now, I'll wait.) Now, I love boyfriend with all my heart, but he is the pickiest person alive. I mean, really, trying even to order takeout with this man is a trying experience, so I knew that his lab coat would have to be perfect. I worked my ass off on that coat, and I have to say, it turned out amazing. The only thing about it that bugs me is that I should have used stabilizer on the button holes. That's it.

Then, being completely insane, and having less than a week till our Halloween party, I decided to make myself a costume, so I would not be outshone by Boyfriend wearing my work. Sigh. This is the pattern I chose. I used the clown as inspiration to make a scary clown costume. The jacket is fully lined, as is the top of the dress. I didn't make the vest, I thought it detracted from my overall costume, but I did make the top hat. I must say, it also turned out amazing. So, all the sudden, I feel like I can sew clothing again!

I spent this last weekend recovering from the party by sitting on the couch watching Netflix and reading about sewing clothing. I have had some body issues that made store bought and handmade from pattern clothing fit oddly in the past, so I read about how to adjust for these things, what kind of clothing is best for my body shape, and all that jazz. I learned so much!

This morning, as I was walking the dog, I had an idea. I'd already been thinking about making clothing for myself on a regular basis from now on, but what if I took it a bit further? What if for one year, I made all my own clothing? Then I thought perhaps that was a bit unrealistic, but how about 75%? That seems much more reasonable, right? I figured there are some things that shouldn't be included in that. I'm not going to make my own bras, that doesn't sound fun. And socks I could knit myself, but that takes some time, so those should just be bought. Other than those two things, at least 75% of all new clothing this year, I will make myself.

I already have a pile of patterns I want to make, and have checked them all out on sewing.patternreview.com to see how people liked them, and what problems to expect. I'm not at all thinking I'll get a perfect garment every time, but since I can't just go out and buy more clothes, I'll do everthing I can to make sure these clothes are going to fit. I'll make muslins, I"ll do fba's on pretty much everything, and I'll adjust for my short waist. It's going to be interesting!