General Chat

Hi Linda, I hate mending as well. I adopt my sister in law's approach. Everything that needs a button or a stitch or two in a seam, or a new zip is put in the mending basket. When the basket is full she tranfers the contents to the wheelie bin on the grounds that, if they haven't needed the clothes for the past six months, they're never going to need them. As she says, 'If I really want it I mend it straight away, and if he wants buttons sewn on he can do it himself.' Gwynne

My daughter bought a sewing machine just a few months ago. As yet it is unused but it was making costumes by hand that prompted this purchase. We were taught basic needlework in school and had to make our own shoe bag, art overall and cookery apron with cap, to get us used to the sewing machines before we made garments of our own choice. I made baby clothes before my son was born, as I couldn't find what I wanted in the limited shops near us overseas but haven't made anything for years now. Perhaps I will now that there's a new machine in the house.

Sadly I am rubbish. When mine were little and a button fell of a school shirt it was a standing joke. 'Oh, well might as well throw that in the bin!!!. I can remember my Mum with her sewing box by the ironing board and as she went along she did little repairs etc. and I can remember her darning socks with all her coloured wools lined up and her little wooden mushroom. I used to have a go but mine always looked awful whereas you could hardly see her repair.Can't knit either. My apron we had to make for cookery at school was a disaster, my friend had to help me. It's think people who can do dressmaking etc are sooo clever. But at 58 I think I've missed the boat. Mind you, my baking is brilliant (so they say) lol Linda

Ever since I was scathingly advised by my Sewing Teacher that I handled a needle like a plow woman, I just do emergency rips and split seams! BC

I got my sewing machine after my Mum died to give me something to do. Had been useless when at school but messed about and taught myself I surprised everyone when my niece got married she was having a friend make the dresses and then her sister said to me will you make mine so I did it was lovely, nicer than the others even though I say it myself. Made one or two since then including my daughters but wouldn't go for a wedding dress. She is having another baby soon so if it is a girl I think I iwll have a go at little frilly dresses. I usually use it for curtains etc and then people do often say can you alter this. Think I surprised everyone when I started though no expert. Germaine x

Hi Gwynne, I used to make my own clothes, I did go to night school for tailoring. When my daughter was smaller I made all her clothes, we also went to a lot of Ladies evenings etc, so we used to go down to London for a weekend and I used to go in the expensive stores, make notes of what was fashionable, go home and copy them. My sewing machine is 51 years old, I have thought of getting a new one but dont think I would use it very much, I too have trouble with my hands and haven't the patience these days. I admire you making all those costumes, I also used to be involved in amateur productions and helped with costumes. June xx

I’m making costumes for a Youth Theatre production, which is taking ages. Several of the girls would like to help but don’t have sewing machines at home. Which set me wondering…………… My Mum taught me the basics and I did dressmaking at school and I’ve always made or altered clothes for myself, especially when I was in my late teens and twenties. I made all my maternity clothes because the ones in the shops were grim. Problems with my hands mean that I haven’t made anything for myself for a few years but I do get the machine out to make costumes for the theatre group. How many of us on GR still make our own clothes? And if you used to but don’t any more why is that? Is it because shop-bought clothes are so cheap? How many of us have sewing machines? My son’s girlfriend makes and sells “alternative” clothes on ebay and at festivals. She also makes made to measure corsets. She had to learn all these skills from scratch because her school didn’t teach dressmaking. Is dressmaking going to become a lost art? Gwynne

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