When did you start sewing in general????

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

This is a thread not just for the "seasoned " sewers, but for those as well who enjoy the art of sewing, JUST BECAUSE!!!

There are many areas of sewing such as Doll Making, Quilting, Hat Making, Beading, Embroidery.

I began sewing at 9 first learning embroidering. My Mother's neighbor lady friends were all sewers by machine as well as by hand. I learned to do various forms of hand stitching. That led to making Doll Clothes, which led to sewing with a macine. My family had moved from Ohio to California in 1962. I was not quite 10.

The very first piece of clothing I made was a  plaid A-Line Skirt. Noone told me about the notches in the pattern, placing the fold piece(front) on the Fold, or what the Straight was. I read the intructiopns on the pattern and went from there. Lo and behold, the skirt came out correct. The front and back pieces came as they were supposed to. Not having a serger, I got to zig zagging the seams so they did not ravel when washed. These were the days in the early 1960"s when fabrics were 36" wide.

By the time I was in Junior High, I enrolled in sewing classes(Home Ec) to learn more skills. By then, I was hooked as a sewer and making my clothes. I baby sat, did odd jobs for people so I could earn money for materials to make my clothes.

In my Senior year of High School, I was fortunate to take a Class in Tailoring and Pattern Drafting. My teacher had retired from working in the Film Industry during the 40's, 50's, and 60's. She knew all the ticks of the trade from having worked with Oscar Winning Costume designers who dressed the stars of that era. That class and what I learned that year remains with me still.

As I went on to go to College, got married, transfer to different states with my husband's job, have children, I continued to sew. I made all my Maternity clothes, clothes for my children when they were little.

It was 1984 when I got bitten by the "Costuming Bug" when I went to my first midnight showing of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. I was hooked by that movie and made the Frank N'Furter costume. I had the body then and was in my early 30's.

I have not looked back. I turned mundane sewing to making costumes, learning to do Alterations, then doing Period Clothing. What I have learned over the last 26 years has been immeasurable. I do still make mistakes! No one is perfect!!!

There are still many things I am learning. Making the first Historically Accurate Gabled Hood by hand took twice as long as it should have. But I know now WHAT NOT to do. That is what learing is all about. Failure is a part of learning!!!

So in essence, I have been sewing close to 50 years and I DO NOT know everything.!!! I may never know everything there is to know. Which makes this adventure with Period Clothing such a joy.

What has been your experience???

[flidais]

My mother was a fantastic seamstress.  Always making prom dresses and fancy drapes for people.  As well as most of the clothes I had until I was "too cool" to wear them anymore.  She taught me the basics.  I made some stuffed animals for 4H (like a really cute stuffed ballerina bunny) and did a little sewing in Home Ec.  Then I didn't sew for a long time.  When I got into Ren Faire, I started sewing like a mad man.  I read every article I can find, have all the MA patterns, and Tudor Tailor.  Just absorbing it all.  I've taught myself how to draft patterns (with the help of all the great info out there).  Creating garb has definitely been what got me really interested in improving my sewing skills.   I still have so much to learn!

[ArielCallista]

I started sewing by hand at 6, thanks to girl scouts. By machine when I was 9, again thanks to girl scouts. Its started off as cute little projects, situpons, doll clothes, bibs, pillow cases and other simple things. I spent most of my free time from age 10 thru 15 making clothes for my American Girl doll. In high school IO started sewing more for myself. decorating jeans and purses with patches and such. My first big project was my band banquet dress my sophomore year. Lots of similar work thru the rest of high school. I my own sewing machine as a graduation gift. I've been making basically anything I want that I can't just buy since then. Dane tops, faire garb, Steampunk, halloween costumes, etc.

[LadyShadow]

I started hand sewing when I was little, 4 or 5.  It started with a little bear project that you sewed together and I learned different stitches to sew by hand.  Then it moved to making clothes for my Barbie dolls from my old torn up clothes.  But that all ended around 9.  I would patch something here and there, but no more actual sewing.  And then my MIL gave me her old 19tens Singer sewing machine, 5 yrs ago.  At this point I had no clue how to use the machine, patterns, fabric, threads, needles, nothing.  My MIL showed me how to thread the machine and said "This is how I learned, I'm sure you can do the same."  And that was it.  I went to Wal-Mart that night and bought about 20yds of the $1 fabric and started my first project from there. From there through help of books, internet and this forum (which has been the biggest help) I have been improving my sewing ability.  I have made Garb, clothing and PJ's for my kids, made quilted stuff, and custom items for friends and family.  Still cant tell you all the differences between fabric and what thread is the best to use.  But I am able to sew fabric together and make it last through several wears.

[LadySeasan]

I started actively sewing in 2005 right after my first ren fair! My husband took me to the Maryland Renaissance faire, and I showed up in jeans and a tunic. I immediately made him rent me a costume.  I had a blast! I mean, I've always loved fashion, I think that the rf was just the push I need.  About a week the fair, I borrowed a friends sewing machine, brought some fabric, and made my first pair of pirate pants! where they are now, i have no idea lol.  it's been a blur since then.  I have been making corsets, irish dresses, chemises, and garb in general for myself and other people. at first i only intended to sew for myself and my husband, but many of my friends told me that they love the things i make, and they commission me to make items for them also

as of right now, my dining room and 1/2 of the living room is my sewing area.  I have three sewing machines. 1 main, and 2 backup. and bins among bins of fabric lol

[Baroness de Vale]

My mom has a picture of me sewing by hand when I'm 2 1/2. All I was doing was taking the needle back and forth through the fabric but it was a start. Then when I was about 4 I used my mom's sewing machine to sew my pork chop. I knew I wasn't allowed to touch it to sew fabric so I thought I found a loophole. I managed to sew into my thumb and my brother had to back the needle out. My first real project was when I was 6 and my Grandma helped me embroider a handkerchief. I sewed little things off and on for years. My first clothing was in middle school when I went to work for my aunt at a craft show and we had to dress Colonial. Now I sew all of our faire garb and about half of my kids clothes. I love it! Although I really recommend not sewing pork chops

[Kate XXXXXX]

My adventures in sewing and costuming closely follow your path, Lady K!

My fist sewing experience was when I was about five and a half...  I'd gone to stay with my grandmother in Scotland for six weeks, along with Big Sis, while bro stayed at home with Ma, and she produced the new baby.  I had a doll, a black one with orange eyes, called, inevitably, Topsy! (Well, this WAS 1962!).  In my granny's rag bag I found a bit of pink silk velvet, and Granny made a frock for Topsy, and a little mob cap to match.  (Later when Ma saw the frock, she told me the velvet was some pink silk stuff left from having a bridesmaid frock when SHE was about my age, which would have been the mid 30's!)

While making the little frock, Granny noticed my fascination with the machine (her mother's old 'coffin top' Singer treadle), and the process, and I stood for a while between her feet, pumping the treadle pedal and steering some scraps through the machine, with her guiding my hands.

My first bit of real sewing was a few months later, when I embroidered a moon people scene I drew for Granny.  It was sewn in thick cotton thread on some coarse oatmeal coloured linen.  She kept that embroidery under a piece of glass on her bedside table until she died.  Mum then sent it back to me.  I still have it tucked away somewhere...

After that, it was no holds barred!  Every scrap of fabric I could beg, 'borrow', or just plain filch from the latest project got turned into dolls clothes for my Tressy and her sisters!  Bid Sis was slightly miffed that I got to use the dressmaking scissors but she didn't!  But, as Ma always said, I'd cut fabric with them, and goodnss knows what Big Sis might have cut, starting with her own hair!  Mum used to make us summer cotton frocks and such, and there were rather a number of them that had the arms and necks bound with bias binding rather than facings, because I'd gone off with the bit the facings were supposed to be made from and made yet another doll frock!

When I was about 7 we moved to Malta.  There we went to visit the Malta Weave factory (wich made cotton cloth: sort of home-spun type stuff in tweedy kinds of patterns), and I fell in love with a sort of terracotta coloured bit with a pattern woven into it.  There was just enough of this remnant for a child's gathered skirt.  Mum said I could have it if I made the skirt.  W did it together, with me doing all the sewing on her Singer 99K (the famous FrankenSinger!).  She forgot to tell me that zips were difficult, so it went in just fine.  I've never looked back.

I caught the habit of Frankenpatterns from Ma too: my best friend in Malta had a lovely frock: straight to the hips and with a pleated skirt.  Mum used the bodice of a pattern she had in my size, extending it to the hips and adding the skirt cut free-hand.

I sewed dolls clothing for the most part, and when the dolls finally left home, they had a wardrobe of over 400 items (it filled a suitcase!) modeled on the covers of the Georgette Hayer novels!  By that time I was into sewing for me.

In my first three years at secondary school I had a fantastic teacher.  Most of my clothing allowance was spent on fabric, and I filled the wardrobe.  By the time I got into my third yar at the school, we knew I wasn't going to stay, I was headed for boarding school.  With that in mind, my last few garment made that year were Victorian style nightgowns, a dressing gown, and a couple of skirts and blouses.  I had blown the budget for the year by Easter, and faced a final long summer term with sewing classes and a moratorium on more fabric!  EEEK!

Not a problem!  My teacher set me to work with her, making curtains for the staff room and recovering the chairs!  So in addition to dressmaking, I got taught the basics of upholstery.

I continued to sew a bit over the next four years at boarding school: even the dreadful sewing teacher we had at the convent couldn't put me off!  But I lost the chance to do the City & Guilds Fashion exams.  The convent didn't do them, and the teacher wasn't good enough at sewing herself to get anyone through the O level.  In the sixth form, after a move of schools, I sewed stuff for myself and volunteered to make things for the school Gilbert & Sulivan production.  The needlework teacher there told me off for not having chosen to do A Level needlework!  Sh said that she's have taken me on the course even without the O level if she'd known how well I could sew.  Another missed opportunity!

All through college I sewed rather than buying things, once I'd got my hands on my trusty hand cranked Singer 66K.  I earned beer money, meals, and vast amounts of kudos sewing all sorts of things: spray deck for kayaks, bits for camping, frocks, costumes for productions, a tilt for a Land Rover, mending tents, all sorts!  After leaving college, I still sewed, though production slowed down somewhat due to having to work.  I'd been given a Singer sewing machine for my 21st birthday (Big Sis got a gold watch, Little Sis got a pearl necklace!), but, sadly, it was of that era when Singer was going downhill, and it was never brilliant.  I traded it and another old Jones my future hubby had for a nice new Frister & Rossman Cub 8.  I bought a sewing machine and the fabric for me and the bridesmaids rather than a wedding dress!  The wedding dress got worn twice: for the wedding and for a party five years later when we moved here and redecorated!  I kept on sewing for myself, and made Himself the odd shirt here and there.  I t got to the point where I would rather make a new dress than iron one I already had!

Later, after I stopped teaching regularly, I did a course in advanced dress making and tailoring.  My teacher there encouraged me to turn professional, and I've been sewing for paying clients for about 13 years now.  My love of costumes from all ages and historical research has lead me in the direction of more historical stuff than mundane sewing, and my love of the quirky and the odd has lead to strange projects like the miniature hot air balloons and the spandex pod things!

My acquisitive nature, my love of anything even faintly educational, and my love of teaching has lead me to teach kids to sew on my herd of old sewing machine.  And to dispensing my pearls of wisdom acquired over the years to anyone here and elsewhere that will read.  I hope to continue to learn and to teach for many more years.

Sewing for 49 years and counting...

[gem]

My story is pretty different from all of yours. I've been doing needlework since my first piece of embroidery at age 5, but I didn't start sewing until much, much later.

Both of my grandmothers sewed all their own clothes. For my mom's mom, it was her passion. She traveled with her sewing machine, making clothes and toys (and the very occasional Hallowe'en costume) for her 10 grandkids. We always knew Grandma loved to sew.  I did NOT know that my dad's mom also made all her own clothes until about ten years after she died. I'm guessing that for her, sewing must have been another household chore, like the laundry or the ironing--not something you chatter on about excitedly!

The needlework gene skipped my mom entirely. She's a woodworker and handywoman--much more comfortable with a belt sander than a needle! But I had the bug, and have been stitching on and off since I was 5. When I was in seventh grade, a friend taught me needlepoint on plastic canvas, and I quickly moved on to cross stitch, still my biggest love in needlework.

But sewing always eluded me. I took Home Ec in 8th grade (it was required), and for the sewing unit, I made a long gathered skirt with an elastic waist and a lace-edged hem (instead of a turned hem). By that time, my mom's mom had passed away, and we'd inherited her sewing machine.  Which my mom knew nothing about, and we couldn't get it to run. So she and I went to Sears and picked up a Kenmore that gave me nothing but trouble for all the years I tried to use it.

Off and on throughout junior high and high school, I'd make the odd thing: a couple of skirts, a dress, some costume pieces (including my first garb projects for me and a D&D buddy to wear to MNRF together in 11th grade).  But it was always an exercise in frustration: machine problems, pattern-reading frustrations, etc. I muddled through: I made things with darts, pockets, zippers, etc, not realizing any of them was any "harder" than anything else (it was all hard).

After I got married, I picked up a Brother machine at Walmart's After Thanksgiving sale for $80. I had that machine for about 5 years, and had OFFICIALLY decided that I hated sewing.  But when you're a needlewoman, you can't help but be around gorgeous textiles all the time, and I had accumulated a ridiculous stash of fabrics for someone who didn't sew! Oh, I did the occasional project, finishing needlework pieces mostly, but nothing serious.

And then we moved to a town with a local Renaissance Fair, and I finally convinced Milord to go in garb with me. And then we needed MORE garb--which meant it was finally time for me to learn to sew.  Knowing my frustrating history with the machine, I signed up for expensive private lessons.

...And learned NOTHING in the 10 weeks I went there. The teacher's teaching style and my learning style were so different. She wanted me to perfect each tiny little step before moving on to the next step, which meant spending 8 classes just working on DARTS, which are oh, so useful for a person making Renaissance clothing!

I went home from the last class in tears, convinced I would never learn how to sew. By the time I got home, I had made up my mind: I would do it myself. I hid my expensive velvet in the guest room closet and lit out for Hobby Lobby to find something easier for a beginner to work with. A friendly fellow customer talked me into getting velveteen instead of chenille, and I set about making the old Simplicity Irish gown. I went slowly, carefully, step-by-step. I stopped for the day whenever I got tired or confused.

...And two weeks later, I had my peacock blue velveteen Irish gown. That was in 2003 or 2004, and I have been sewing garb ever since--and complaining and fretting and crying over every piece, CONVINCED I will never "really" learn to sew! LOL

About 18 months ago, I upgraded that wonderful Brother workhorse to a fancy new Viking. At the time, I was spending a lot of time online at Pattern Review, and somehow I started feeling completely inadequate about not making my own mundane clothing. I bought patterns and stash for mundane stuff (knits!)... which I never got around to making. I came to my senses when we had a computer crash that wiped out my bookmarks: never went back to the PR boards, and I don't miss them! I only truly want to sew historical costuming and Fair garb! I don't have nearly enough sewing time to feel bad about not making things it's 100 times easier for me to go and buy.

[Welsh Wench]

I started sewing at the age of 13. I too babysat to get money for patterns and fabric. Every Monday I had a new dress for school.

My mother had a cottage-industry seamstress business out of the basement. And she taught me the basics on sewing. The poor woman had to put up with constant broken sewing machine needles and having to share the machine with me.

And I also made my own maternity clothes and the kids' clothes.

[Lady Lil]

WOW, you guys have some real years of experience, under your belts, so to speak. I started hand sewing when I was 11 or 12 but not much more than treading a needle for grandma or sewing on a button. But my mom was a great seamstress however she had a stroke at a young age and never taught me how to use a machine, until about 4 months ago. On a 1951 Necchi, she showed me how to use it, my mom only has one arm because of the stroke, so she talked me through the whole process. Since then I have made 2 scrub tops for work and we have started on my first ren dress. I may never be great with the machine, but it was sure a mother-daughter moment I'll never forget. Thanks for letting me share.

[Lady Anna]

A little over 3 years ago..... before that I has sewn on buttons but that is it. I only started because the seamstress that had been sewing my costumes for me had grown so busy I couldn't wait. So, For c'mas 2007 I got a sewing machine and a sewing for dummies book. After several lame attempts, I started my first gown. I haven't looked back since. I have made SEVERAL mistakes and learned from every one of them. I have volunteered at The university of Alabama @ Birmingham's theater dept to pick up some knowledge. I will get to work with them again this fall as well as the Alabama Shakespeare festival as a volunteer to suck up any and all additional info I can get my hands on.   I also recently won a contest for best historic costume at the Imagicon convention here in B'ham. 
Thanks to all those who have answered my questions or others that may be posted you all are great!!!! Thank you for all your help and expertise.

[Lady L]

Thanks for starting this thread! Such interesting sewing journeys all of you have had!

My story is somewhat similar. My Mom taught me to sew when I was about 8. She said I had to learn to read before I could move on to sewing, playing piano and other things. So, 8 was a magical year for me. She started me out with hand sewing and embroidery. I still love hand sewing.

One day, I had some scraps of fabric and I was trying to understand how a flat piece of fabric can become a sleeve. That's when my Mom decided I was ready to sew.

Next, learning to run her old Singer sewing machine. It's a machine from the late 40's, I think. Then, we moved on to cutting patterns, measuring, sewing straight seams, trimming a seam, making darts, sewing on buttons,etc. Some of the first projects I made were an apron, pillowcases and pajamas.  

I didn't have older sisters, I had older cousins. One of my cousins is a guy and 10 years older than me. My grandma gave us some of his jeans. His waist fit my hips. I took apart lots of jeans and made them fit myself. The other cousins were girls, but they were much larger, as well as 3 years older, so their clothes never fit me. I remade some of them. I found other clothes that didnt' fit and took them apart and made things from them. My Mom wasn't too happy about my cutting up some of her old dresses.   I was about 11/12 then.

I didn't play with dolls, didn't make dollclothes.
My Dad's Mom did some sewing, she made her own dresses. My Mom's Dad sewed quilts and did lots of patching. He also sewed up injured cows and his own fingers with carpet thread, but that's another story. (My Grandpa was an amazing guy!)

My Mom helped me sew my confirmation dress. It was white lace, with tiny hand stitches to sew the lace sleeves and bias bindings.

Now, after all that, I started 7th grade Home Economics class. What a disappointment that was!
The teacher had different rules and said we could not sew anything white. I explained I had already made my confirmation dress. The other girls gasped in disbelief! "You made that?" they asked. I made a green print shirt and lime green skirt in that class. Finished faster than anyone else and got an A+.

I spent my summers at home, while my parents both worked. I sewed, painted and read a lot.

I designed/sewed my own wedding dress. Then, I made my maternity clothes.

I had two sons, sewed all kinds of baby things for them, then toddler sizes, of course. I also made stuffed animal toys for them. Then, I sold some of my stuffed toys at craft shows.

Next, I worked at a newspaper, as layout and composition artist and did the darkroom work. I needed clothes for work, so I made them.

I made some pioneer type garb when I was involved with selling my art at those shows.
In 1998, I was accepted into MNRF to sell my art. That's when I started making Renaissance garb.

So, I have been sewing almost 50 years.

[ladybootlegger]

I've been sewing for as long as I can remember. My grandmother taught me to cross-stitch as soon as I was old enough to differentiate the shapes on the pattern. From there it expanded to needle point, quilting, sewing clothing, and my latest is sewing mug hats. I must admit designing my own patterns is causing me some difficulties, but all in all... I love to sew!

[Hoowil]

I don't really remember when I started. My mother used to make the whole family clothes and halloween costumes, and other such. My grandmother, who would watch me over summers was the head of her church's crafts group, and would take me to their weekly meetings. I don't think anyone ever actually sat me down and showed me how to do anything, and I don't think I used a sewing machine till I was over 20, but I was always doing something, be it cross-stitch, or plastic canvas, or hand stitch, or whatever for about as long as I can remember.
It wasn't until after my wife and I got married that I really started sewing on any kind of regular basis. It was mainly to help show her how at first, but then we got (re)involved in doing faires, and I started making garb for us, and then clothes & garb for the kiddos.

[auntiegiggles]

I truly am the newbie to sewing.  I started sewing in January of this year.  My first project was my sister's bodice for her new garb complete with boning.  Yup - I start small (LOL).  Since than I have made many a pouch, sewed trim onto different garb (my own and my sister's) and made new cushions for my patio furniture. So not a lot yet.  I am in the planning stages for two different complete sets of garb.