| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| janamarieje |
Posted - Aug 13 2016 : 09:25:37 AM
I would love to see this "Farmgirl Fashion" section develop into a lively forum. So I will start...
My grandmother taught me how to sew the summer before sixth grade and I have been sewing ever since. From shirts, jeans, skirts, dresses, wool coat, prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, Halloween costumes, home decoration, to stuff animals and most recently I have been venturing into quilt making. To date I have finished three quilts and I am currently working on my fourth. As much as I love quilts, I find other sewing projects a much faster process. The only thing I don't know how to do is sewing on knits, but I hope to conquer my fear this fall as I have signed up for three serger sewing classes at a local sewing art center.
Is there anyone else on Farmgirl Connection sewing their own clothes or clothes for their family?
Jana
#7110
http://www.emhardt.com
Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown
All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt! ~Charles Schulz
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| janamarieje |
Posted - May 26 2020 : 5:50:41 PM
Congratulations Grace on the block manager, but I am sorry to say that I have not heard that term before, what does it mean. I for one am in total support or anything that keeps us out of mischief!
Jana
MJF #7110
https://www.etsy.com/shop/cjhandcraftedstudio
Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown
All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt! ~Charles Schulz
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| katmom |
Posted - May 07 2020 : 8:19:29 PM
speaking of sewing,,, I have been back at trying my skills (trying to improve).. on quilt blocks..
Working on the blocks manages to keep me out of mischief... hahaha!
>^..^<
Happiness is being a katmom and Glamping Diva!
www.katmom4.blogspot.com & http://graciesvictorianrose.blogspot.com
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| Tchr66 |
Posted - May 06 2020 : 10:26:23 AM
Congratulations. Have fun.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord
Joshua 24:15 |
| janamarieje |
Posted - May 06 2020 : 08:59:11 AM
It has been a while since I last did some sewing, I did make five quilts last fall which I gave to family members for Christmas 2019, and my daughters best friend is pregnant with her first child next month. I am known for my baby blanket, burp cloth and bibs that I have sewn for every baby born (family and friends) and so the tradition continues. I am sewing a cute peach background with colorful butterflies flannel set for my daughter to give and I am sewing some tiny baby clothes. Andrea is the first to have the next generation of children, so I figure it will be great to get back into practice.
Jana
MJF #7110
https://www.etsy.com/shop/cjhandcraftedstudio
Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown
All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt! ~Charles Schulz
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| StitchinWitch |
Posted - Oct 19 2019 : 02:37:46 AM
Rose -- I know what you mean. I hate sewing clothes because I can never get them to fit right. Now I just make shapeless clothes. And lots of quilts.
Judith
7932
Happiness is Homemade |
| horsecrazy60 |
Posted - Oct 18 2019 : 10:30:10 PM
I loved home ec. I remember making an apron and a skirt. I started teaching myself to quilt 3 years ago, got very frustrated with not being able to get patterns to fit for clothes. Tried so many classes online for pattern fitting but nothing worked. Sewed aprons for the county fair for years but tired of that. I sew pretty much everyday. |
| katmom |
Posted - Oct 10 2019 : 3:17:04 PM
Ok, funny sewing story..
I was in 11th grade,, I had bought this wonderful double knit, light blue fabric,, and made a Tunic outfit.. one day at school I am walking down the hall,, another gal was walking toward me,, in a Tunic outfit... made out of the same fabric!!
What are the odds!! we just laughed .. after all,,, Great minds think alike! lol!
>^..^<
Happiness is being a katmom and Glamping Diva!
www.katmom4.blogspot.com & http://graciesvictorianrose.blogspot.com
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| katmom |
Posted - Oct 10 2019 : 3:14:00 PM
Glad this topic is up and running again...
Long story short... I started sewing at home when I was 15,, using my mothers Elna machine..
Self taught...and from the time I was married until my daughter entered High School, I can honestly say, 75% of mine and her wardrobe was home made.. from bathing suits (what was I thinking?) to 3 brides maid dresses, a wedding dress for my sister, a coat and even a matching Line dancing dress for me and western shirt for my DH.
By the early 2000's I stopped sewing except an occasional summer top,, lots of aprons, deco pillows, rag dolls, trailer curtains, quilts table runners and pillow cases..
These days I prefer easy peasy crafty sewing projects,, mostly because now that I am retired, I don't have to worry about a wardrobe...
But I 'sew' wish they still taught sewing in school... a sign of the times I guess...
>^..^<
Happiness is being a katmom and Glamping Diva!
www.katmom4.blogspot.com & http://graciesvictorianrose.blogspot.com
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| willowpatches |
Posted - Oct 01 2019 : 12:21:10 PM
 
An apron and some dresses for my grand girls.
Sew seeds of kindness, reap a harvest of joy. |
| willowpatches |
Posted - Sep 28 2019 : 09:42:33 AM
I love to sew, I was taught by my grandmother and she made lovely quilts and she also sewed cloths for me and
my cousin. I love to sew especially for my grandchildren. They enjoy watching me and learning too.
Sew seeds of kindness, reap a harvest of joy. |
| Eliz~ |
Posted - Sep 04 2018 : 10:13:28 PM
Marie they thought I was a lesbian because I had only 1 ear pierced in 1973!! LOL!! It must have been the thing to think back then? I wanted to join the Rifle club and they said boys only. :o( I did get to join FFA. But I wanted to win the pig and they said no you live in the city!! ugh!! Lotsa "no's" back then!
Janice Pinterest makes me dizzy with ideas! LOL! I was raised it Robbinsdale and the East side of St Paul!! I was born in Seattle WA when Dad served in the Army! Dad moved us to St Cloud when I was 16. I married my boy friend from Robbinsdale, and we tried moving back- but too late! I was a small town girl!! Of course now its a big city. :o(
Joyfully, Eliz~ |
| churunga |
Posted - Sep 04 2018 : 9:45:17 PM
I actually took shop in junior high school. I reasoned that I got enough Home Ec at home. The school had me take all these psychological tests. I believe they thought I was lesbian. Frankly, I didn't like any of the Home Ec teachers. They tended to have favorites. My classmates were girls I just didn't want to be in class with.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
| Janice |
Posted - Sep 04 2018 : 7:29:05 PM
Hi Eliz,
I too took a sewing class in Jr high during the 1970's. Though I did not learn much because my Mother taught me a lot about sewing at home. It was the thing to do back in the 70's girls took sewing & home ec class, while the boys took wood shop and auto shop class. My husband had a Grandmother who live to be 100 that was born and raise in St Cloud, MN.
Have you seen some of the refashioned clothes ideas on Pinterest? I cut up and sewed three t - shirt and made one, funkie t- shirt with an angle hem.
Hope to here more from you.
Janice Vintage Artist |
| Eliz~ |
Posted - Sep 03 2018 : 12:09:43 PM
Janice that pillow case re-fashion is brilliant! I have several pillow cases from my Grandma that I am going to try that with!
I learned to sew from Jr High Home Ec class. My maternal Grandma had sewn all of my Mom and her Sisters clothes- even their bras. My mom hated sewing. My Grandma wouldn't give advice, so I learned on my own. And I was taught- never to deviate from the pattern. It wasn't until 5 years ago that I learned that patterns can be completely altered to what ever you like!!!?? LOL!!
My kids wore a lot of hand-me-downs. I never realized years ago that I could re-fashion them!!?? So in the last 5 years I've made the 4 oldest teens at home very happy by updating their hand-me-downs!!
I sewed a lot for my oldest kids, but by the time my 20 somethings came along, Walmart was cheaper. And I quit.
I finally started sewing again because the ready to wear clothing quality is so poor. And I don't like the clothes I have to choose from, I finally realized I don't want to wear what's considered fashionable now! And the clothes have never fit my body nice!! All those years of dieting to make the clothes fit me. :o( Now i make clothes that fit!
My sewing blog http://whtachamakin.blogspot.com/
Joyfully, Eliz~ |
| churunga |
Posted - May 14 2018 : 09:14:02 AM
My advice is, if you like it, buy at least 3 yards. That's enough to make a shirt, skirt or an apron with some left over for smaller projects. Keep all the scraps for quilts.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
| FortifiedByBooks |
Posted - May 14 2018 : 06:59:04 AM
Thank you for that information, Marie! I've found so many different fabrics I like that I'm already starting to think about future projects :)
Rachelle
Sister #7640
FortifiedByBooks.com |
| churunga |
Posted - May 14 2018 : 05:26:19 AM
Fabric comes off bolts in either 45" or 60" wide lengths. An inch either way does not mean you won't have enough to work with. Most patterns have suggested lengths for both widths. Just be very careful how the pattern pieces are laid on the fabric. It is not necessary to follow the pattern layout in the instructions.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
| FortifiedByBooks |
Posted - May 13 2018 : 7:19:58 PM
I learned how to sew in 8th grade Home Ec, but haven't sewn anything beyond reattaching buttons since then. I would love to relearn, so I'm saving up some money to get a sewing machine, hopefully by the beginning of June. In the meantime, I've been looking at fabric for my first apron, but I have a question. The instructions say I need 1 yard of 45"-wide cotton fabric, but just about every fabric I'm seeing is 44"-wide. Is it OK to simply get 2 yards and cut the fabric down to the size I need or do I need to find 45"-wide fabric specifically?
Rachelle
Sister #7640
FortifiedByBooks.com |
| Beverley |
Posted - Sep 10 2017 : 1:40:57 PM
Jana I reread these comments just now and I saw that you said you had problems with your tension, what kind of sewing machine do you have. Maybe some of us can help you out with some suggestions? Just a thought.
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett
Beverley with an extra E...
https://sites.google.com/site/bevsdoggies/
http://bevsdoggies.blogspot.com/ |
| Janice |
Posted - Sep 04 2017 : 12:07:25 PM
I now have a new appreciate the true meaning of the 'Crazy Quilt'. It is crazy how much time goes in to creating & finishing one. This past few month I was looking at a lot of crazy quilts on pinterest. Then I spent some time looking at old picture of Great Grandmother, Great Aunt, Mother and Aunts in a hope chest that has been past down to me from my Grandma. I also came across some very old brown & black plaid collar piece that came for a very old wedding dress from the late 1800? The cream colored hankie belong to my Great Aunt, and next to it is a very old primitive curlying iron which also belong to her. Next to that is some velvet floral fabric I found at a estate/yard sale. It reminds me the the garden my Grandma had growing in the side front yard. The scrabble litter is "N" for her name Nellie and I uses to be here scrabble partner when playing with Grandpa, Dad, and Mom. The lace use to belong to my Grandma, it use to be sew on top of a small sand bag and used as a pin cushion. In the top left corner is a clothe ribbon "The Golden Rule" that I found in a Bible that belonded to my Grandmother on my Father side. The light aqua/blue fabric, came from a dress my Mother and Aunt wore when they where about 2 or 3 years old. Next to that the brown floral fabric came from my Mother fabric stash. She used to sew aprons that she wore to work at the school cafeteria. There is some fabric that belong to me, the green fabric behind the old curlying iron was from a shirt I use to wore. I did some embroidery stiches in the aqua fabric and used old buttons as flowers. I also did some lattice and vine leaves stitchin between the black foral and wine velvet fabric. I also sewed some old vintage key on the bottom who know where they came from or what they were use to lock up. There is also some mystery fabric on this and my 87 year old mothers memory is fading. It took me the whole month of August and just a little Septmeber to finish but I'm very  happy with this piece of family history hanging on my wall. |
| AuntJamelle |
Posted - Aug 11 2017 : 06:23:46 AM
Love this thread! I am more confident in my hand sewing skills than I am on a machine and I hate that. DH is way better than I - his grandfather taught him upholstery work (among many other useful skills!) and he helps me struggle by on my machine each time I work up the nerve to tackle a project again.
The sewing machine is out on the dining room table right now because DH has been working on sewing cushion covers for our deck furniture. So while it is out I'm going to jump in there and do SOMETHING! I just need to gain confidence!
There is so much I'd like to do when it comes to sewing projects! I really admire folks with that skill! |
| Janice |
Posted - Aug 11 2017 : 12:00:31 AM
I too (like you Catherine) have been gathering old sewing patterns at yard and estate sales, but when will I find the time to sew a shirt or blouse? And tonight while watching, the new fall fashion on a home shopping television show I saw a cute brown, elastic waist, 8 gourge shirt. I waisted no time and I called and placed my order. Oh well, I still have a blouse pattern. Maybe I can sew a cute blouse to go with the new shirt!?! After all it is too hot to work on my decoupage art.
Thanks you ladies for all the nice coments on my pantaloom.
Janice Weber Ferguson
Vintage Artist |
| Catherine L |
Posted - Jul 13 2017 : 1:39:40 PM
Janice, what a creative idea for repurposing pillowcases. I love to sew also, and used to make nearly everything my daughter and I wore, but life got busy and I haven't sewn much in years. I have begun gathering a few patterns I like though. It is hard to find clothes for a middle aged person. Everything seems to be for teenagers or my grandmother (of course, nothing against my grandmother).
~Cathy~
Farmgirl 2428 http://www.my-fairhaven.blogspot.com/
http://adaywithnonnaandboompa.blogspot.com/ |
| janamarieje |
Posted - Jul 06 2017 : 5:21:59 PM
Thank you Beverley for the suggestions, I will check out Elenor Burns version and appreciate the reminder of not rushing.
Jana
#7110
http://www.emhardt.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/cjcraftsstudio
Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown
All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt! ~Charles Schulz
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| Beverley |
Posted - Jul 06 2017 : 4:12:12 PM
There are easier ways to make a wedding quilt. I would suggest Elenor burns book. She always makes things way easier than anyone else. But those curves are nice open ones so they should not give you much of a problem. Just take it slow and do not hurry. I always find that if I leave lots of time to get something done, that way if for some reason it is not going my way on a certain day, I get up and try later or the next day and things go much better!!
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett
Beverley with an extra E...
https://sites.google.com/site/bevsdoggies/
http://bevsdoggies.blogspot.com/ |
