Comments on: Sewing: Worth it…more or less http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/2009/04/15/sewing-worth-itmore-or-less/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:58:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: htwollin http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/2009/04/15/sewing-worth-itmore-or-less/#comment-66 htwollin Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:34:24 +0000 http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/?p=413#comment-66 Sewist - I've been sewing for over 40 years and I still find working with silk charmeuse to be really challenging - it's very slippery. Wool crepe is a good 'workhorse' fabric that with a lot of steam pressing will give you great results. Stretch cotton sateen and stretch cotton twills are great to work with. Cotton knits with a little stretch fiber in them are great also. Sewist – I’ve been sewing for over 40 years and I still find working with silk charmeuse to be really challenging – it’s very slippery. Wool crepe is a good ‘workhorse’ fabric that with a lot of steam pressing will give you great results. Stretch cotton sateen and stretch cotton twills are great to work with. Cotton knits with a little stretch fiber in them are great also.

]]> By: Sewist http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/2009/04/15/sewing-worth-itmore-or-less/#comment-64 Sewist Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:19:45 +0000 http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/?p=413#comment-64 I agree with you that cheap clothing is often very expensive in the sense that it doesn't always look that great up close, doesn't last, is cut for 14-year-olds. I often look at cheap clothing for inspiration and have been taking classes at FIT. I have little sewing experience and it's really not designed for people who primarily want to be superb home sewers, so it's challenging. I will say, though, that sewing, especially since I don't have a workplace at home, takes a looooooong time to master. I also will be spending more on fabric unless I find a great sale. I have some Liberty of London fabric that I've been saving from my last attempt to learn how to sew. In time, I want to work with wool crepe and silk charmeuse and make fitted and tailored clothes. Once I get the sewing down and some great patterns, I will save a lot of money, but I'm a long way from that. I agree with you that cheap clothing is often very expensive in the sense that it doesn’t always look that great up close, doesn’t last, is cut for 14-year-olds. I often look at cheap clothing for inspiration and have been taking classes at FIT. I have little sewing experience and it’s really not designed for people who primarily want to be superb home sewers, so it’s challenging.

I will say, though, that sewing, especially since I don’t have a workplace at home, takes a looooooong time to master. I also will be spending more on fabric unless I find a great sale. I have some Liberty of London fabric that I’ve been saving from my last attempt to learn how to sew. In time, I want to work with wool crepe and silk charmeuse and make fitted and tailored clothes.

Once I get the sewing down and some great patterns, I will save a lot of money, but I’m a long way from that.

]]> By: htwollin http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/2009/04/15/sewing-worth-itmore-or-less/#comment-60 htwollin Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:03:50 +0000 http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/?p=413#comment-60 It's interesting - I find shopping for finished clothing just really frustrating. Fabric on the other hand..totally different deal. Of course, part of this is a certain amount of practice in terms of buying quality fabrics - natural fibers mixed with a little bit of man-made are great and wear well. Totally manmade is very frustrating because you put in as much effort no matter what you do and I invariably have rotten luck with 100% petroleum based fabrics. Certain qualities of rayon are very good esp. if mixed with a little manmade but totally petroeum based stuff just lets me down every...single...time. It’s interesting – I find shopping for finished clothing just really frustrating. Fabric on the other hand..totally different deal. Of course, part of this is a certain amount of practice in terms of buying quality fabrics – natural fibers mixed with a little bit of man-made are great and wear well. Totally manmade is very frustrating because you put in as much effort no matter what you do and I invariably have rotten luck with 100% petroleum based fabrics. Certain qualities of rayon are very good esp. if mixed with a little manmade but totally petroeum based stuff just lets me down every…single…time.

]]> By: fuzzarelly http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/2009/04/15/sewing-worth-itmore-or-less/#comment-59 fuzzarelly Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:30:08 +0000 http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/?p=413#comment-59 Thank you, thank you, thank you! Cheap is not always so great. Actually, never is. Quality, on the other hand, is worth a lot. It is worth one's money and one's time because, as you say, it lasts. I lapsed after the holidays and purchased a long sleeved, cotton, t shirt from MalWart (your place for cheap, plastic crap,) for $3. What a bargain! After one laundering, it shriveled into some other garment, a lifeless piece of fabric that is not a pleasure to wear. Or look at. You'd think I'd have learned by now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Cheap is not always so great. Actually, never is. Quality, on the other hand, is worth a lot. It is worth one’s money and one’s time because, as you say, it lasts.

I lapsed after the holidays and purchased a long sleeved, cotton, t shirt from MalWart (your place for cheap, plastic crap,) for $3. What a bargain! After one laundering, it shriveled into some other garment, a lifeless piece of fabric that is not a pleasure to wear. Or look at.

You’d think I’d have learned by now.

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