My mother always enjoyed making clothing for herself and her family. To get me started, she taught me how to make pot holders with a loop loom. At eight or nine years old, I was making them for my mom’s kitchen and then asked the neighbors if they wanted some. I let them pick the colors to match their decor and allowed them to set the price. It was a great deal for my customers and my mom let me keep all the profits.
Making Clothing by Sewing
She also knew how to use a sewing machine and made beautiful clothing as well as costumes when we needed them. I learned how to use her Singer, an electric model in a wooden cabinet with a knee lever to control the speed. It didn’t do zigzag or fancy stitches but was perfect for me. I made my first dress when I was ten: a simple jumper with pockets in the front.
Using More Skills
By junior high, I was making clothing and costumes, crocheting vests from granny squares, and tying nylon string into macramé belts. Again, mom taught me how to crochet and I picked up macramé from a school art class.
Wedding Dress
After looking unsuccessfully for a pre-made wedding dress, I ended up making one for myself. The end result was a beautiful dress with lace sleeves and a satin skirt. Not only that, but sewing it myself was much cheaper!
What about Knitting?
My mother did not knit. When we lived overseas, my father bought her a fancy knitting machine made in Germany. He knitted several articles, but she never caught on and the machine rusted in a closet for decades. Needless to say, I did not learn how to knit in my parents’ house.
The idea of making my own sweaters has always been intriguing since I love wearing them. In my 50’s, I finally learned how to knit by hand, but it really tried my patience. Eventually, I did find a knitting machine that was easy to use and it speeded up the process so that I was able to make something in my spare time.
Knitting Machine
This easier way to knit was with the “Ultimate Sweater Machine.”
Learning to use any new gadget has a learning curve, and this was certainly true with the knitting machine. Some of my first pieces included a sweater that was more like a dress, an afghan that my husband shrunk in the wash, and several half-dones. It really does help to follow the directions!
My first sweater is on the left.
Fixing Mistakes
Knitting is very forgiving if you make mistakes—you can take it apart and do it again correctly. I took my monster sweater and unraveled it. Then I adjusted the rows and number of needles to get a sweater that fit me. Check out the pictures to see what I’m talking about.
Making clothing by sewing, knitting, or crocheting is definitely a useful skill and gives anyone that has it a greater degree of self-sufficiency.
I’m sure that will get some do-it-yourselfers inspited to make some clothing of their own. Good to know you can pull a do-over when you need to.