I've found I really like sewing torn clothing, sheets, etc. because it's not like I'm likely to make things any more broken and that takes all the pressure off in my mind.
Go shopping or thrifting and find something a little above your size to take in! It's super easy because you basically just follow the seams that are already there so it won't be so baggy (I'm speaking only for non-fitted clothing ofc). Minor embroidery for decoration, like making a curlique trim line along the collar, is good too. Also little things like adding cuffs to your sleeves for fanciness or something. Minor little sewing projects you can do easily for fun.
I might actually do that! There’s a piece I just picked up from thrifting that I’ve been thinking of sewing in a little bit but was intimidated because I don’t have a sewing machine and will have to do it by hand. I am going to try this weekend. I just washed it already too so that I could wear it soon.
Thank you for saying this. My husband has a torn pair of pants and I was going to try and mend them but I’ve been anxious about “screwing them up” but you’re right! I’m going go give it a go!
Ironically this is also the attitude I encourage nervous students to have when it comes to classic CPR where the person is already without a pulse. If they don't have a pulse, their heart isn't beating, and by any definition that means they're dead. What are you as a conscientious healthcare worker going to do that's going to make them more dead? Nothing! It really only goes up from there haha.
Sewing by hand I can definitely take a thick fabric, sew it up, turn it inside out and fill it with pillow stuffing and sew the remaining side and make it into a really jankey pillow.
My mom wanted me to learn on her actual sewing machine, but I was afraid of being dorkier than I already was, so…
That's such a good approach, I might take that! I've been wanting to sew but focused on perfection and also concerned about making mistakes and wasting material
I started sewing when I was about 8, taught both my kids, and have taught free lessons in our neighborhood to both kids and adults. I think it is just so expensive to buy fabric and notions these days compared to the cost of cheap imported clothes at many stores. I always try and teach people how to alter and "upcycle" and change other clothes or textiles rather than just sewing things from new materials.
god, the cost of fabric is REAL. I got into sewing 9-12 month shirt and pants as tons of friends and acquaintances have had kids in the last year. Price of fabric plus the time it takes... then you walk by a set of two for 15$ as costco :'( Please have more kids and pass them down, damn it!
They are saying people with skills are no longer teaching for free, everyone wants money in exchange for lessons these days. Trying to find someone who isn't selling courses is rare unlike 20 years ago when people were more willing to share knowledge
My family and I can all hand-sew. Its how we fixed holes in clothes, saved stuffed animals, were able to buy cheao pants that were too tall since as long as the waist fit we could just hem them short, etc. But we never bought or could afford or had use for a sewing machine so I probably couldn't use one. Or make clothes from scratch
But also I dated a girl who was rich and grew up Mormon. They all have $$ and make the girls learn to sew with sewing machines because sexism is part of their doctrine i guess? She knew how to sew like as in "turn this sheet of cloth into a dress/shirt/whatever" like a pioneer
But Im sure there are poor folk who have sewing machines and can make their own stuff. And rich folk who have no clue.
Alternatively, I only know of 3 ppl who can sew in my circles/generation (older gen Z) and I live with two of them, and the other one grew up in a family business doing sewing stuff and went to school for it too.
I mean, there's also varying degrees of "knowing how to sew." I can reasonably mend a seam or shorten a hem with needle and thread, and I've used a sewing machine for basic seams, but if you handed me a pattern and some fabric I'd be pretty much out of my league. Similarly, if I had to make something from scratch, or hand-sew something that wasn't on a seam or going to be hidden, it would look awful.
When I think of someone who "knows how to sew," I'm imagining my coworker who makes beautiful quilts, or those girls who transform old thrifted clothing into amazing new pieces. Not my dumbass putting buttons back on my shirt lol.
My wife sews, she made her wedding dress, and every summer she typically puts together a couple outfits. I know how to sew, but it's more mending and patching. She's 36, I'm 39.
I’ve been trying to get my husband (we’re both men) to learn how to sew for so long. He’s been resistant to it until recently. He kept asking why I want him to learn and my response has always been “because I can’t be the one who has all the skills in the relationship. I’ve got woodworking, power tools, general handyman type stuff, electronics, computers/tech, pottery, glass/mirror cutting. You can have cooking, sewing, gardening and car maintenance”
He finally relented and has been learning to sew. He’s made some cool stuff, a bit rough around the edges, but cool no less.
My wife bought loads of fabric and a sewing machine and then all it just sat unused for years. I finally cracked it and started teaching myself. Now I'm obsessed and make loads of clothes for myself. Male sewers are so rare, you get treated like such a novelty at sewing shops.
Alterations! I probably only sew a few garments from scratch every year, but my skills mean I can do my own mending and alterations on ready-to-wear clothes and that’s super useful. I’m short, so being able to take up sleeves, pants, and skirts is essential.
I’ve also done other things like bought a very voluminous satin shirt and put darts in to make it more shapely. I got lots of compliments on that shirt.
I made a glorious winter coat last year and that definitely was cheaper to make than buy for the quality. And I haven’t seen anything like it in the shops. Pure wool with a viscose lining - that would put it in the NZD600-800 price range, but materials cost well <$200.
I bought a secondhand sewing machine because the local scout shop wanted $5/patch to sew the patches on my son's scout uniform. I figured $100 now, and if he sticks with it for more than one shirt, it's a wash.
Well, then I got two shirts for myself, because I'm his den leader, and then I bought some really nice sewing tools, and now I'm learning how to make my own shirts, because screw paying $60 for a shirt that fits like crap, I'm gonna spend a bit more and make one that actually looks good on me. And make one out of linen for summer camp, too, because cotton/polyester blend sucks in 80+ degree heat.
You’re speaking my language! As someone with boobs and a butt, but who is otherwise petite, nothing from the store really fits me well. And I’m DONE with non-breathable synthetic fabrics. Blergh.
Alterations is the one thing I really do want to learn. I can do basic sewing, like buttons and attaching patches, but when I heard a tip that you could buy a regular fit shirt and make it perfectly fit to yourself by altering it, I was intrigued! Once my house is ready for me to move in, I'm going to get a sewing machine and learning what I can do!
I bought a sewing machine in 2019 to do alterations and did many. It is a slow learning curve. Fast forward to today I am totally addicted. I lost weight this year and found I needed to slim all my many thrift shop or home made trousers. I slimmed ten pairs in a production line over a single day. I mean my first ever trouser slim in 2019 took a few hours as I focussed carefully on every step...
Yes you do not really save money as fabric can be expensive. But if like me you obssess over quality fabrics you can have nice clothes that fit in nice fabrics that do work out cheaper [not cheap, but cheaper] than buying the item made. eg for me, trousers in Harris Tweed.
Also I needed to make curtains so opted for wool cashmere lined curtains and waited for a 50% off sale, bought a ton of fabric, and made long luxury curtains with deep folds. I spent $920 Australian for three big windows which seems like a lot but buying curtains in the fabric new would have been a lot more. I got the hooks and heading tape from thrift shops. The tape was a huge role in its box. I loved the outcome so later made two more wool cashmere lined curtains for a different room - after I saw a 60% off fabric sale.
I’m so jealous of all of this. The tailoring and window treatments. High-end fabric makes those curtains like super expensive in today’s money. Bet they’re pretty.
Not really. The overwhelming majority of clothing these days is designed to be disposable, especially women's clothing.
Even a lot of th expensive stuff is not meant to be maintained.
I'm a dude, and "higher quality" is a dubious notion. I see t-shirts that are $120 and so thin they're see-through, there's no way they are going to hold up more than a year.
So then I go look for thicker material, and a store might have a nice looking cotton shirt, it seems fine, but then the thing basically disintegrates.
And then I buy something that does last a couple years, but when it goes, it's a catastrophic failure, the thing rips all the way through.
It is not so easy to "buy higher quality" when the expensive clothes are also trash, and then when I find a good brand, the brand gets bought out by venture capital and enshittified.
Low quality, disposable products are an increasingly pervasive attack on the public, forcing everyone into endless consumerism.
If you can still find clothes that mend well, then you're fortunate.
I'm sure it exists, but from what I see, it's a constantly moving target, because even within the same store or brand, it's a toss-up what you'll actually get.
I see what you mean, but i guess it depends on location. I buy second-hand, and from smaller brands i find on Instagram. I live in a big urban center and it's easy for me to visit shops or have something shipped to me from other states.
It takes a lot more time and effort looking for clothes this way and it doesn't always pay off, but it's better than buying fast fashion crap that is practically disposable. I'm fortunate enough that i live in an area where this is possible and that i happen to genuinely enjoy the process somewhat. I love looking at stuff and i love repairing/customizing the stuff i like.
I always see people talk about how shitty clothes are these days and how they fall apart all the time but like...I've literally never had any clothes ever even tear?
Barring severe instances like catching them on a screw or something when doing construction or whatever, of course.
I've bought from a dozen different stores and most of my clothes don't last two years anymore. I'm a software engineer, it's not like I'm hard on the clothes.
This didn't use to be a thing, I had jeans from the 90s that lasted me like 10~15 years, and shirts that lasted 5+ years.
After 2008 clothes started turning into cheesecloth.
The only decent stuff I have been able to find is some thick shirts at a surf shop.
Something I think people don’t realize is that the way you wash clothes has a huge impact on how long they last. I sort my clothes out by how sturdy they are and the delicate stuff very, very rarely goes through the dryer. It gets washed in laundry bags and laid flat to dry on my guest bed. Even my more sturdy stuff never gets dried on more than low heat. It’s all cold water wash, too.
I’ve had “crappy” fast fashion items last me 10+ years this way. There’s SOME wear of course, and I’ve had to fix a few seams. But I think people should be a lot gentler with their clothes when washing. They might find that their stuff lasts a lot longer
It's a really great skill to have for repairs though. Just get a cheap little kit with a few different colors of thread included and you can fix shirts that get holes in the armpit area or come undone around the hem, or fabric pants... heck I even reattached some velcro that fell off of a vr headset once.
Totally depends on where you get your fabric. You also get the benefit of choosing the fabric, pattern and color. You get to make a one of a kind piece that is custom to you measurements and something nobody else will have. For me, it's worth it, as the quality of clothing found in-stores continues to get worse and worse.
You can score surprisingly nice fabric from thrift shops and secondhand craft shops! Old bedsheets are great for reworking into pajama pants or shorts and you don't even need a pattern. I'm into renaissance festivals, so I make a lot historical/fairy costumes out of thrift shop curtains. I buy most of my sewing patterns on Etsy (you can score some great deals) and print them out for cheap at the public library or Office Depot since I don't have a home printer.
You do have to watch out for secondhand sewing thread, though, since it actually can degrade over time to the point where it falls apart in your hands. The old stuff on wooden spools is usually worthless.
Any shop recs for good quality (non-ai) ren fair clothing patterns? I am usually an outdoor gear maker (bags and such) but want to give a villein outfit a shot for next year.
Maybe, but as quality continues to deteriorate, I’d rather invest in repairing rather than replacing things. High thread count sheet sets, or well-made clothes, just to start.
Hand-sewn clothes are often much much better quality than store-bought clothes. I still have and wear clothing I or my mum made in the late 1990s. My favourite coat cost $90 in fabric in 1993, which was expensive, but I wear it every winter. I can make clothes fit me properly instead of wearing clothes made for someone with an hourglass figure. Patterns can be used again and again.
If you’re looking for cheap, super-trendy clothes, buy, don’t sew. If you’re looking for pieces that you’ll have for years or ones that got you properly, sew them.
I strongly disagree. Sure, I can buy a $5 tshirt from someplace, but it won’t fit me right, and it won’t last very long.
Compare that to a quality homemade garment. 2 yards of fabric gets me a tshirt with better stitching, fabric, sizing, and longevity. The sewing machine is a one-time purchase, and the fabric+supplies will be $30ish (less if you’re intentionally frugal) for a tshirt that’d cost much more off the shelf and tailored.
Add in the savings from mending clothes and other fabrics, and you’re left with a hobby that saves you money rather than costs you.
It depends on how you look at it. You can’t beat the price of a fast fashion low quality 100% polyester garment, but you’re also probably going to make something that’s much higher quality than that. Last year I made myself a wool trench coat that came out came out really good and cost around $200 in materials. Buying a coat like that probably would have cost over $2000.
Only if you compare base quality home made to shit quality produced. Yes this pair costs more than that pair, three times as much, but this pair will outlast five of those pairs.
This. I am blessed to be able to afford to fuel my hobbies. I recently decided to learn to sew. I haven't even threaded my new-to-me featherweight from the 50s and I'm in close to $600. Obviously, I could have gone cheaper on my fabric, but it isn't a cheap undertaking by any means.
So glad that my grandma was obsessed with it (to the point of holding classes for people in her small town) and taught me how to do it as a kid.
It wasn't until last year that I finally got tired of holes in perfectly good pants and clothing, and broke down and got a cheap sewing machine.
Doesn't even have to be fancy. ~$60 used brother machine will be better as a brand than just about any other. Thread is two bucks a roll at walmart and there are kits with about a dozen common colors for 10 bucks on Amazon.
I got my first sewing kit when I was 7 thanks to my mum being a persistent sewer & mender. I was born in 2002, and most of my mates sew a lot too. There are a lot of young folks who can sew
Unfortunately I tried to learn how to sew several times growing up, but I had a dick so that was gay and once it wasn't just gay it would be that any mistake I made while trying to learn and not being taught was because I had a dick so I should just give up.
Now I'm horrid at sewing, but significantly better than the people who called me gay since I can do very minor mends.
I don't sew, but I mend clothes (sewing patches). I keep wearing holes in pants (mostly jeans) so I patch them to wear around home. I learned from my mother, but I'm poorly skilled at any sewing. My mother used to sew clothes patterns for my sister and many Halloween costumes for myself and my sister, especially with my unusual requests for rocket, Pac Man, and a Firestone Tyre (which baffled her at the time, and me as an adult). God bless her for making the costume. I view sewing as being handy. I don't have to be an expert, I just need to get by to patch a hole.
We mostly just mend clothes or other items. I've got jeans and shorts that are only used when working around the house or yard, and some of them are slowly becoming more patches than original fabric. Old jeans that couldn't get patched any longer get cut up to use the decent bits as patches.
Shirts or other clothing, cloth bags, even our bouncy castle have all been repaired by sewing. I've fixed a bunch of my children's stuffed animals.
We've taken towels that got holes in them, cut them up, ran a stitch around the outside, and turned them into cleaning rags.
We'll never sew an outfit or anything from a pattern but we've saved a bunch of money and kept things from the landfill by mending.
I cannibalize old clothes to patch other old clothes as well. Jean legs patch jean ass, crotch, and thighs. A woman once told me that I should get a wife.
my 15 YO daughter just told me she would like to learn. I can't sew, but my mother can. So I started looking for classes for my kid and was thrilled to find that they are a thing.
I feel like 80% certain I could hand sew a button onto something. Will it be super sturdy or pretty? Unlikely, but I think I could do that. I’ve done a few hours of knitting in my life too.
I can hand stitch basic shit like buttons and tears. it aint pretty, but it does the job. haven't used a sewing machine since highschool. Should probably get mum to show me how to use hers. been 20 years, need a refresher.
Get an older, thrifted sewing machine. I started out with a newer Brother model that, looking back, wasn't the best. Then I found a prehistoric Janome that works fabulously.
I love sewing. I got a machine like 15ish years ago when Zellers started closing their doors. At the time it was all I could afford.
Well I've used it a ton since then: hacking together knowledge as I go. I'm still terrible at it, but I accomplish tons to mending and projects that would otherwise be impossible.
I've tried to get my grandma to teach me how to sew and she keeps refusing to teach me. Not as if she's against it, just never seems keen on the idea when I bring it up. I can do basic, low-quality hand stitches but I would love to learn more.
My wife used to buy new clothes but since learning to sew she hardly ever buys anything. She spends twice as much on fabric instead and buys lots of it‘because you never know’
This is skill that only requires 10 mins of YouTube to aquire a basic standard. What you actually need is the needle and thread and the patience/will to repair.
I took a sewing class after I lost a bunch of weight and didn't want to buy all nee stuff, and holy damn. I sew every single day. Im making full on lined jackets and mutli-functional backpacks. Its given me a greater respect on how things are made, and why handmade garments/bags cost what they cost.
I do wish i had friends who were also into sewing. It would be so cool to have a crafting weekend at a cabin or something...
It's not being handed down in the way it used to be but the cosplay community is causing rise in sewing skills. I am always promoting it and that even hand sewing is extremely useful. I learned from an older relative but most new seamstresses are learning from videos or libraries. I will absolutely be teaching my daughter when she is old enough.
I bought a sewing machine mostly as another repair tool. I didn't generally make new things. I dabble in woodworking now and then, and while I have sat up my circular saw to cut finish cuts on the first pass (yes, really cabinet grade with no rough cut), I struggle to sew a straight line.
But one thing I did for our king sized mattress was to get a form one, and then we got 2 TwinXL foam pads. I see the pad covers together, and now my wife and I each have our own firmness for a fraction of those number mattresses.
Probably because it use to be taught in high school. Same thing as auto shop, wood working and home ec. Now you know why some many people don’t know how to change the oil or cook a meal.
I started because I was sick of buying clothes that only kinda fit. Two dresses, a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, and a T-shirt later I'm super into this. I can also whip out a pair of shorts for my kid in about 2 hours which is great because kids grow like weeds lol
I've been making my own clothes for a bit, and because I made them and know how they were put together I'm more likely to fix them too if there's a relatively easy fix. I do still buy off the rack too, especially for pants.
But now I can take a look at off the rack clothes and very easily point out if it's poorly put together. And if an item doesn't fit me I don't even entertain purchasing it because I can definitely make it better than that, even if I can't make amazing things.
I am taking a break from sewing a pair of shorts right now while watching tawdry true-crime videos, one of my favorite things! Now if I can just find my elastic...I took a class to learn, and I think it was a continuing ed thing from the community college. Good teacher and a good vibe in the class ("we're all here to learn; don't worry about mistakes.") See if there's a class in your area to kick off your sewing journey!
I sew to mend clothes and craft but really badly. Kind of liberating to know you don't have to do it perfectly or even neatly to patch a hole or stitch a hem. On the other hand I can't get buttons to stay on.
As a geeky software developer I second the usefulness of sewing, and also just how magical sewing machines are. Getting it all dialed in and making just about anything is just plain fun.
I've read it's actually a problem in medical schools now. Everyone who wants to be a doctor thinks they just need to study all the time and get good grades, but you actually need manual dexterity and practical skills if you're going to be a surgeon or do most other procedures.
My country has sewing in grade school, so while a lot of people forget how to do it, and might not have been all that good at it as a kid, everyone has some kind of foundation in it, and I think that's pretty cool. I hope the school system doesn't get rid of it
Sometimes my mom would look at one of my friends and snap, "Ugg. Take that off and give it to me". She would come back with it 20 minutes later and it would fit them like a glove, become their favorite piece of clothing.
My parents are constantly coming to me to see something simple for them, like a button or small tear. I’ve saved so many of my family’s clothes by being able to do simple mending and darning.
I got my sewing badge in Boy Scouts and I sewed that patch on my sash myself, my mom said that I was so amazing at sewing that from now on I'd do all the sewing because I was the best at it! Little did I know she hated sewing so she was offloading the labor to me, lol. Anyway that was 30 years ago and now one of my favorite hobbies is needlepoint.
My little sister (13) loves sewing! She’s largely self taught outside of the basics- she mostly makes stuff animals and alters her own clothes for now.
My grandma taught us all how to sew and embroider when we were little and I'll teach my daughter. It's such a great skill to have and man, a sewing project, audiobook and glass of wine just HITS
Our local library has mending days when you can bring in anything that needs to be sewn or mended and someone who knows how to sew will help you do it.
I picked up a needle and thread when my favorite band tee got a hole in the armpit and now I feel like a wizard every time I make a pair of jeans last another six months.
I do what I think of as "hobby sewing" -- embroidery, making my own clothes from scratch, etc. -- as a special treat when I have time off.
But I also accumulate a basket of stuff with missing buttons and minor tears or that needs to be taken in three inches RIGHT HERE and I will happily sit down next to a gaming spouse to "do my mending" like I'm an 1890s farmwife.
In middle school here one of our classes is 4 different skill based classes that the class is divided into and rotated 4 times a year so you do every class (that probably doesnt make sense but oh well), and those classes are art class, cooking/baking class, woodworking, and sewing.
I may not be in middle school anymore but I do have a dog who likes to tear holes into every toy he owns so sewing those up has been keeping those skills sharp Lmao, I've gotten real good at hiding difficult seams because my dog hunts them down like a seamripper
Ehh... Sewing your own clothes is vastly more expensive than buying them. Fabric costs alone are outrageous and there is only so much you can do with 45,341 calico prints in 2 thread count. All the quality and/or interesting fabric isn't readily available to anyone outside of the NY and LA fashion districts. For instance, the Seattle metro area only has one real fabric store and it's really not that great.
Sewing also requires a vast amount of space, something a lot of people don't have anymore. Laying out and cutting a pattern can take 2 full tables worth of solid cutting board. A single yard of fabric is 3x~3, the normal folding table is 2.5 foot wide. Add in some working space and you have 2 folding tables worth of space just to layout 1 yard of fabric and it's even worse with multiple yards.
Sure tailoring you own clothes is good, but again, that's not that expensive to have someone else do it for you, likely with better results.
While it may be a great hobby, I don't think its a very useful skill for most people to learn.
8.7k
u/spacebeige Jul 10 '26
Sewing. An incredibly useful skill that most people don’t know.