Crafting a Life: September is National Sewing Month

I must have missed that one, I never knew september was sewing month, I tend to only sew SQUARES such as pillows, bags, bible cases, etc..

HI,

  I just had to comment I was surfing around trying to find a tutorial on how to make sports bras.  It seems I can't just find a good one, so I thought I'd try my hand at sewing one.

  I've just had so many ideas lately for new things to sew, but I just have to do it instead of surfing.  I think you know what I mean.

  This month I'm trying my hand at 'free motion' quilting, just to see if I can do it.  I don't particularly like quilting, but I love fabric and sewing, so I thought quilting may be a bit quicker than sewing my clothing. 

  I've also got an idea of starting a sewing business, but right now need to find a niche.  I love to sew I would just like to know if there really are sewing businesses out there that make money. 

  I do work full time right now as a computer anlayst.  I'm also in my 50's.  I don't feel like I'm old though.  I also hate my job.  I just don't understand management anymore.  Maybe it's the age thing.

  So do you think there is a way to make money sewing or am I just too old?  Well I just thought I'd chime in and give you some comments.

janel

Excellent point.

Which, unsurprising to me, is the same point my husband frequently makes when I'm stuck at where to start writing an article. :)

Okay, I'll do it. :) It might not be today - today is a not-feel-good day and my brain is already starting to melt.

And seriously, nagging/heckling/cajoling is perfectly fine by me. I tend to be forgetful. :)

And thanks for the compliment on my writing style. It's always nice to hear stuff like that. :)

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

Seriously, write whatever you'd like.  I  enjoy your writing style. What it's like being a DDD in the land of B.  How you decided to start.  What kind of fabrics do you consider? 

Do you start by disassembling your favorite bra?  Before it's totally worn out?  (gasp).  I can find links -like the bramageddon one.  But a great story is often the start, and I haven't that yet. Great writing and great stories make a good post great.

Debra

A Stitch In Time ( http://astitchintime.blogspot.com )
Weight for Deb ( http://weightfordeb.wordpress.com )

You want me to do, like, a tutorial? I suppose I could... I need to sew another bra after I do my shalwaar. And I can provide a LOT of links to other tutorials and such, including one huge huge huge thread on Craftster.org called Bramageddon, which is where I got most of my info from. :D

It could take me a few weeks - I'm chronically ill, so move at a snails pace a lot of the time, but please, feel free to remind/nag/heckle me. :)

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

I think I checked through your blog about a post on making your own bras and didn't find it.

WRITE IT!  Write it now!  And send me the link.  Heck, I'll try to do an entire post on people who blog about making their own undies.

Debra

A Stitch In Time ( http://astitchintime.blogspot.com )
Weight for Deb ( http://weightfordeb.wordpress.com )

Do it! Do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it! :D

If you can find great-fitting bras that give proper support in designs and colors and fabrics that you like, then sewing-your-own isn't that important. But for me, I've had a horrible time finding a properly fitting bra since I was 16, when I hit 32DD. Got worse as I became a 32DDD. Bra manufacturers tend to not make bras in those sizes, and when they do, you're forking over $135+. I've paid lots of money in bras over the years. Now, as a 38DDDD, it's even more difficult.

In this country, there are only two stores that sell bras in cup sizes other than B. Pardon me, three. One, which is the factory outlet for a lingerie-manufacturing company, has bras in underwire for cup sizes of C and lower because, and this is a direct quote, "larger breasts don't need underwire". Which was what prompted me to immediately leave the store since they were obviously idiots who didn't know a thing about bras for large breasts.

But still, bras in my size don't exist here. Women, in general, don't wear properly fitting bras here. Which really is no wonder since it's a B-cup or nothing.

Yeah, I make bras. And I'm dang proud of it! :D

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

Many times over the years, in desperate fits of wanting to wear fashion but not being built to do so, I've had to do some pretty creative sewing.  I never thought to make my own bras, but I love that Laurie in Sri Lanka makes it sound so easy.  Back in the 70's I tried to make a two-piece bathing suit (it turned out quite well, but let me tell you, no pattern was designed to accommodate my 38D bra size!) and had to make HUGE modifications to the pattern.  Another time I was determined to wear a halter top, and they are not designed to give my shape much support.  That project also required many modifications. But it never occured to me that I might make a bra.  Now I might try it!

If I were shopping for a shalwaar kameez outfit in Singapore, I'd head for Little India, so yep, that sounds like it. :) Actually, when we were in Mustapha's, we saw a LOT of shalwaar kameez kits and a lot of saris, too. Thing is, they're cheaper in Sri Lanka, so we didn't buy any.

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

While in Singapore, I think I bought an outfit at the Indian Market. A tunic type loose-fitting top, pants (mine were one size fits all with a tie at the waist) and a complimentary long scarf/shawl.  I never knew the name. 

Thank you.

Getting an international lesson in sewing, fashion and religion because of a national commercial holiday.  I like it!

Debra
A Stitch In Time ( http://astitchintime.blogspot.com )
Weight for Deb ( http://weightfordeb.wordpress.com )

Thank you, Debra, for the extended invitation. I tweeted about this, and others from around the world have joined in, and with knitting projects where that's the craft of choice. :D I vote for declaring it an international crafting or DIY month.

I refuse to order things internationally unless I have no choice. But, luckily, fabric and notions here are very cheap relative to Canada/USA - I can get decent cotton for $1.65 a meter, silk for $1.85 a meter. And since I have the skillz, it's no big deal except when my back starts hurting - that's my real barrier to getting things done. Not that I'm an expert, but I manage.

Bras are surprisingly easy. Really. I took apart one that was near-death anyway, but fit well, and used it to make a pattern. First bra took 4 or 5 hours, which included taking the bra apart and creating the patterns pieces. Subsequent bras came in at 1-2 hours. It's basic sewing at its finest. The complicated part is wrapping your head around how easy it is.

No, no dress form. But I have a couple of patterns and makeshift things from there.

A shalwaar kameez is worn by a lot of women in this region. It's basically a long tunic, side slits from around the hips, that goes to the knees or longer (there are, of course, fashion variations on this theme) worn over pants and accompanied with a shawl. They're commonly worn in Sri Lanka by Muslim women since they provide the modesty that Muslims require, but it's also worn by women of other religions.

I like them since they're dressy (and boy, can they get really dressy and elaborate with embroidery, sequins, beading, and so on) while functional and practical (pants). It suits me since I have my own personal minimal modesty standards which these fit, plus I don't have to pretend to be way more girlie than I actually am. ;)

I'm fairly certain I have pictures of shalwaar kameezes I've sewn - I'll hunt down links tomorrow. For further information, shalwaar means pants, kameez means top, but here, pretty much everyone calls the outfit a shalwaar and everyone knows they mean the whole thing. Plus they're usually sold as a kit containing the pants, the tunic, and the shawl together, either ready made or sew-your-own. I get the sew-your-own. :)

This is also Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, and at the end of Ramadan, it's Festival (Eid ul-Fitr), the day celebrating that the fast is over. It's tradition here in Muslim families to give each other gifts of new clothes and to wear new clothes that day. Since I live in a Muslim household wth Muslim in-laws, I need to have a new shalwaar for Festival.

So there ya go. I've tied in sewing to religion and culture and customs. :D

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

Laurie,

Thank you for joining in.  I (unofficially) extend this month to include sewers everywhere around the world. 

I ran into similar size issues when I was visiting Singapore.  Tried shopping their department stores until I was told -rather bluntly- that their XLs were a size 8 and nothing in the stores would fit me. 

Had we stayed longer, sewing my own or finding a good dressmaker would have been my only options. Or ordering from the states and paying international rates. 

I've converted flat sheets to fitted before-awkward only because of the bulk.  The other items would be a challenge.  Fitting my own bra?  I hope you have a great dress form.

and what exactly is a shalwar kameez?  When you finish one, would you plese link to a picture?

deb

Debra
A Stitch In Time ( http://astitchintime.blogspot.com )
Weight for Deb ( http://weightfordeb.wordpress.com )

I'm neither an American nor in the USA, so this technically doesn't apply to me... And yet, here I am, commenting anyway. :p

I need to:

convert a couple of sheets into fitted (they're presently flat). 
sew a bra
sew at least one shalwaar kameez, although two would be better
And if my back is up for it - which is doubtful - I'd also love to sew an at-home dress or two.

---

For me, sewing is self-preservation. I live in the land of the skinny and petite and I am neither. I cannot get clothes to fit me here to save my life. I'd probably have to fly to North American or Europe to find something that fit - and yes, that applies to bras, too. Oh, bras here - that's just a really long and annoying story that involves me yelling at a stupid male salesperson who insisted that they had no change rooms and I'd have to try on the bra in the middle of the store.

In this country, Sri Lanka, while most women don't know how to sew (despite the prolific number of garment factories), many still get clothes sewn for them. Seamstresses are easy to find, but sadly, the quality of the finished product are not up to my standards. Good thing I learned how to sew a long, long, long, time ago. :)

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

Glad you're so in synch with the hoiday. 

INow, where are the pictures of these projects?

Debra
A Stitch In Time ( http://astitchintime.blogspot.com )
Weight for Deb ( http://weightfordeb.wordpress.com )

I have been on a sewing tear lately. I have a bunch of old T-shirts I'm re-crafting into baby pants. And I just made a picnic roll-up placemat / napkin / cutlery holder out of an old tea towel. I didn't realize it was National Sewing Month, but now I feel very together and current. :)

~ Amber

www.strocel.com ( http://www.strocel.com )