s/o: Cost effectiveness of making your own stuff?

[Mergath]

I've been reading the thread on various crafts the ladies around here practice, and while I do some sewing and knitting, one thing I've been wondering about is the cost effectiveness of making your own clothing/toys/what-have-you. I know that, when I'm making something, it usually ends up costing around the same or more than buying the same item from a store. It's nice to be able to customize everything, of course, but I can imagine that sewing more complicated pieces can get fairly expensive, especially if you factor in the time investment.

 

So, I was just wondering, do you find that making your own items, whether by sewing, crocheting, knitting, etc., is cost effective? Or do you do it just because it makes you happy, and don't worry so much about the money?

[Crimson Wife]

Crafting is expensive. Homemade may be cheaper when it comes to things like cooking from bulk ingredients, gardening & canning, making your own cleaning supplies, etc. But the advantage of sewing is the ability to make clothes that fit better than store-bought, and especially these days, are more modest & age-appropriate than what is sold in stores.

[joannqn]

Crafting is expensive. Homemade may be cheaper when it comes to things like cooking from bulk ingredients, gardening & canning, making your own cleaning supplies, etc. But the advantage of sewing is the ability to make clothes that fit better than store-bought, and especially these days, are more modest & age-appropriate than what is sold in stores.

 

:iagree:

 

The other advantage is that you can control the quality of homemade clothing. I've bought countless items where buttons have fallen off or seams have come undone. I don't sew, so I'm stuck with poor quality clothing.

[Onceuponatime]

The dress I made for my 25yo daughter cost me about $30 for the materials. A similar dress online is $125. It did take a significant amount of time, but it was worth it to me to give my daughter something unique that she loved and wouldn't have been able to make or buy herself. I've got the time.

 

For other items, especially baby things, the quality of homemade is usually much higher and things last longer. There is the added bonus of items being one of a kind, which can be a good thing most of the time. ;-)

[*Lulu*]

Crafting is expensive. Homemade may be cheaper when it comes to things like cooking from bulk ingredients, gardening & canning, making your own cleaning supplies, etc. But the advantage of sewing is the ability to make clothes that fit better than store-bought, and especially these days, are more modest & age-appropriate than what is sold in stores.

 

:iagree: I went through a season when DD was 3, but wearing size 5-6. All of the items in her size looked WAY too old for a 3yo, so I sewed church clothes, playclothes, the whole nine for several years until her body and her age caught up with each other a little more.

 

The only things homemade (sewing-wise) that I can do and save money are the boutique style outfits for the kids. I can make a dress for DD for less than $25 (using the good fabric) when I'd easily pay $60 in the store. I can make cutsy pjs for less than $5 when they are charging $45-$50 at the boutique.

[Jane in NC]

More on garments: At present I am stitching a skirt from cotton voile, lined with cotton batiste. Probably a $35 - $40 investment in the fabric. Sure, I could get a cheaper skirt at Walmart. But the voile that I am using is Androsian batik, hand made by a cottage industry on Andros Island in the Bahamas.

 

Actually, voile is one of my favorite fabrics, one that I rarely find in stores. And that is part of the reason I like to sew. It takes some doing but I can find good quality fabrics and then (hopefully) assemble a well constructed garment.

 

Patterns are expensive. Most people who sew regularly shop the sales at JoAnns for deals. I'll admit that I have started paying more for patterns from some small designers, companies like Collette and Sew Liberated. I enjoy giving a hand to small business. ;)

 

But you can be clever and make some great clothes at bargain prices. One way is to reconstruct garments from Goodwill. Another way is to look for fabric in this sort of charity shop. Or patterns for that matter. I have a wonderful collection of vintage buttons from yard sales.

 

I have found that it is not worth my time to use cheap yarn. So a pair of handmade socks is not cheap. But knitting socks is keeping me sane.

 

Ultimately though I have decided that I would rather have fewer well made clothing items than a closet full of junk. On that note, I should go clean out my closet.

 

Jane

[stripe]

Maybe also someone who sews toys finds herself giving her child one precious doll instead of making as many as she could buy cheaply?

 

My treasured doll as a child was made by an elderly relative. One really was enough, but I did have many other stuffed animals.

 

On the other hand I have a relative who crochets toys nonstop. She makes tons of them, and sells some of them, but it really only covers the cost of materials not her labor.

[Dory]

I find in the end the cost works out to about the same. The only thing I like to sew is quilts and part of that is just because I enjoy it. The quilts I make I can also make a little thicker and warmer for winter which makes it worthwhile to me. Otherwise, food stuffs are the only thing you will really save much money on by making yourself.

[Slartibartfast]

Crafting is a hobby and like all hobbies there are costs involved.

 

You *can* create things for yourself and your family and save money like altering thrift store finds, buying fabric from garage sales, recycling old sweaters, and things like that. If you wanted to.

 

My main craft is soap/bath and body products. I do that because my chemical allergies are bad and making the items allows me to control exactly what is going into them.

[frugalmama]

It really depends on how much you pay for things. I'm blessed to have a wonderful thrift shop a few blocks away where I can often find clothing for dd for $1 an item - sometimes less. At that price I would be stupid to sew her clothing. I find clothing for me for $5 an item or less - again at that price UNLESS I can't find what I need, it's just not cost effective to sew clothing. I do alter things I find quite a bit though as it doesn't cost anything but thread which I buy at said thrift shop {they get a lot of estates with crafting stuff}.

 

I do buy fabric at thrift shops for crafting things I can't find cheaper new. I sew my own hijabs because I can make then for $3 or less when they are $12+ online. I sew dd's doll clothing as it is far cheaper to do so than to buy, even buying used.

[FairProspects]

:iagree:

 

The other advantage is that you can control the quality of homemade clothing. I've bought countless items where buttons have fallen off or seams have come undone. I don't sew, so I'm stuck with poor quality clothing.

 

The dress I made for my 25yo daughter cost me about $30 for the materials. A similar dress online is $125. It did take a significant amount of time, but it was worth it to me to give my daughter something unique that she loved and wouldn't have been able to make or buy herself. I've got the time.

 

For other items, especially baby things, the quality of homemade is usually much higher and things last longer. There is the added bonus of items being one of a kind, which can be a good thing most of the time. ;-)

 

Patterns are expensive. Most people who sew regularly shop the sales at JoAnns for deals. I'll admit that I have started paying more for patterns from some small designers, companies like Collette and Sew Liberated. I enjoy giving a hand to small business. ;)

 

But you can be clever and make some great clothes at bargain prices. One way is to reconstruct garments from Goodwill. Another way is to look for fabric in this sort of charity shop. Or patterns for that matter. I have a wonderful collection of vintage buttons from yard sales.

 

Yup, all of the above. I can definitely save money on dresses (t-shirts and everyday clothes not so much), and get a better quality product that fits perfectly. When your plan is to sew regularly, you learn to shop pattern sales, sew expos, fabric sales, get on listservs with other sewers who sell off their stash, people know you sew and give you first crack at their machines and buttons from estate sales, etc. All this adds up to be much less expensive over the long term, with the exception perhaps of time, but I find time spent in creativity to be rejuvenating, so I actually need to take that time to myself anyway.

 

ETA: The other big money saver is jackets. I can quilt a wool jacket with solid wool batting and a silk liner for about $90 in materials and that kind of garment would run $300-400+ in a department store. Plus, mine will be much warmer since I'm using natural fibers.

Edited June 23, 2012 by FairProspects

[Parrothead]

When dd was little I could whip out a t-shirt dress for much less than an off the rack play dress. Little shorts too. But that was about it.

 

My time is valuable and I just don't have that much of it to make/craft all of our clothing needs. Factoring in my time and materials it is often less expensive to just buy mass produced products.

 

Nor did I find that making our laundry soap or household cleaners were cost effective. It was hard for me to find obscure ingredients in these tiny towns we end up in.

 

That said I am determined that we will grow most of our own food within the next two years. That will save us thousands a year.

[LaxMom]

Crafting is expensive. Homemade may be cheaper when it comes to things like cooking from bulk ingredients, gardening & canning, making your own cleaning supplies, etc. But the advantage of sewing is the ability to make clothes that fit better than store-bought, and especially these days, are more modest & age-appropriate than what is sold in stores.

 

I agree, and I can often make something very specific for much less than the going rate, simply because the materials aren't expensive. For instance, I am mentally working on a reversible, tie shoulder dress (for me) like one I saw at a vendor booth at a recent tournament. It's all quilting weight cotton, contrasting empire wasitband and lined bodice, but not reversible, and retails for $115. Even at nearly twice the fabric, at a high-end price, would not come close to half that.

[dangermom]

On the whole, sewing clothes is more expensive than buying them, unless you're spending a whole lot of time thrifting vintage fabrics and making nightgowns out of thrifted sheets and whatnot. I do it because I enjoy it and get a lot of satisfaction out of it. I do produce things that are higher quality too, so maybe I ought to compare my costs to really fancy stores rather than to Target! :001_smile:

[*Michelle*]

I sew very simple skirts and dresses, the kind you can make from measurements alone. I always do a cost analysis. I don't have a lot of time, so sometimes it's more practical to purchase ready-made, especially when the difference in quality is negligible.

 

For example, I considered making some gauze swaddling blankets for the new baby. By the time I priced out the fabric and considered the time I would need to sew, I was willing to spend the extra 5 bucks on the four-pack from Target.

 

On the other hand, I made the going-home outfits and blankets for this baby because they'll get tucked away in a keepsake box.

 

I think sewing and knitting will be more of a true hobby for me when the kids are older and not obsessed with trying to touch flashing needles!

[Tarreymere]

I knit, sew, and crochet, but only because I enjoy it and not because I'm saving money. I guess I could do it in a way that would be money-saving, but that would take a lot of the pleasure out of it for me. I just like making pretty things.

[bookfiend]

My creative outlet is papercrafting. I could easily buy cards much less expensively than I can make them. I'm purchasing sanity not product with my craft. :D

[elegantlion]

I can't sew a straight stitch and my wardrobe is basic, so sewing would be a futility for me. I do repurpose a lot of things for decorating, which saves a ton on decorating/storage costs. My mom sews and has custom made most of our curtains. She recently made some for the bedroom from tablecloths, that saved us a lot. She also makes blankets and pillows.

 

I don't really do crafts, but if you need storage, artwork, or something decorated I can do it for much less than retail.

[cottonmama]

My Kindle cover cost me around $5 to make (compared to $20-30?). I can make wool diaper covers for my son for $10-15 each (compared to $30+).

 

I spent $50 re-upholstering glider chair cushions... new cushions would have cost $100.

 

I may or may not be saving money on the curtains I'm making... I really don't know how much lined blackout curtains usually are. I spent maybe $70 on the fabric for two extra long panels. I think that's cheaper than I would pay in stores.

 

I don't sew clothes because I can get what I like cheaper. I would love to make my husband a tailored dress shirt, but I'm afraid it would turn out looking homemade...

[Jane in NC]

And as a spin-off to the spin-off...

 

Has anyone heard of the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline? Bloomberg Businessweek did a review of it here. There is also an interview with the author on the WSJ blog, here.

 

So maybe our handmade items are not more expensive in the long run.

[kathkath]

You can save money if you compare to etsy prices of the same item. You can save on big ticket things like custom slipcovers, prom and wedding gowns. Sewing cloth diapers *can* save you money. The rest...no

[catz]

I don't think of it as cheaper at all. Although, when I sew my daughter something unique, it does usually look like something that came out of a high end boutique. So it is cheaper than a high end boutique, but certainly costs as much or more than what I'd usually buy for her.

 

I do crafts because I enjoy them. Especially knitting and crocheting when I'm sitting around chatting or waiting for the kids at an activity. Keeps my hands busy. I definitely do not think of it as a cost saving measure at all. I have a small fortune in yarn in my basement. :tongue_smilie:

[tex-mex]

Whomever said fiber arts are cost-effective are out of their ever lovin' mind! :lol::lol: It is an expensive hobby. Look at all of the mom & pop fabric and yarn stores who charge for TOP quality supplies over the Joann or Michael's cheap-o supplies. It is a racket. And let's not even go into retreats, conferences, or classes... $$$ expensive!! And I speak with a log in my own eye as I have a 10 year stash fabric collection of Reproduction 1800s fabric that I have not used, but cost me a pretty penny. Instead of a craft room -- my hubby calls it a "c_ap" room filled with gadgets and supplies. I do not even want to think how much $$ I have spent on it. LOL ;)

Edited June 23, 2012 by tex-mex

[amy g.]

Fiber arts are expensive. We have two spinning wheels, and I bought a $250 Shetland ewe lamb.

 

Crazy.

[FaithManor]

Crafting is expensive. Homemade may be cheaper when it comes to things like cooking from bulk ingredients, gardening & canning, making your own cleaning supplies, etc. But the advantage of sewing is the ability to make clothes that fit better than store-bought, and especially these days, are more modest & age-appropriate than what is sold in stores.

 

 

Exactly this. With the cost of supplies for crafts, making your own floral arrangements, and clothing, you are not saving a cent. However, I use quilter's cotton to make my summer skirts. I can make beautiful, fit me just exactly the way I want, skirts for around $30.00 (three yards at $9.00 a yard sometimes less depending on the style), lining and a zipper or elastic...I have several patterns that I bought for 99 cents each at JoAnn's and use them over and over again. The quilter's cotton is so soft and drapes nicely and I get the smaller waist that I need with the room for my hips. When I buy commercially made skirts, because I have these blasted hips, the waist is always way too big because the manufacturers assume a specific waist/hip ratio that I, alas, do not possess. I can also make them longer and since I play the piano on Sunday mornings and do not exactly sit like a lady at that baby grand and one half of the church has a pretty good view of my legs because of the angle of the piano, well...I just like them well below my knee. Plus, I get to choose from a HUGE array of fabrics.

 

I've made evening gowns for dd. She's a size 2 on top and a 5 on the bottom. So to buy a commercial one means buying the larger size and trying to take it in and have it lay right. That isn't easy with elaborate gowns, ruched tops, stays in the bodices, etc. Plus, she loves the classy, elegant look without being revealing and hates trendiness. Those kinds of dresses are hard to find. I actually do save money, most of the time, making hers since the average price for the ones she likes seems to be in the $250.00 range at the few stores that carry them around here and I can use a 40% off coupon on fabric at JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby or find a sale at Haberman's in Royal Oak and make them for around $75.00 - $90.00.

 

I gave up a lot of crafting type things. There were a few things I could break even on and I liked the end result, but in many cases, I was going in the hole over buying a comparable item and that didn't include all of my time to make it.

 

Canning and gardening on the other hand, once the initial investment in canning supplies and tools was made, the food became very, very cheap.

 

Faith

[WishboneDawn]

Wait a minute...The mittens I made for my sister for Xmas last year cost me maybe a dollar because I used a couple of thrift store sweaters, one I felted, cut and sewed for the mittens and one I unraveled to knit the cuff. The hat I knit for my BIL cost maybe 50 cents because I got the yarn at a yarn at a yard sale. My autumn table runner was $2 - made from a piece of fabric a relative gave me and a table cloth from a thrift store. Any quilts I've made have been ridiculously cheap because I reuse old clothes. Most of my knitting supplies, needles, counter and such, I've bought used and for quilting I don't use most of the "required" tools, just a good pair of scissors and cereal box cardboard patterns pieces. Even my sewing machine was a $10 purchase off Kijiji.

 

Crafting as a modern hobby can be expensive. Crafting done in the spirit it often was 100 years ago where the point was to use and reuse what was at hand is ridiculously cheap.

[Onceuponatime]

Wait a minute...The mittens I made for my sister for Xmas last year cost me maybe a dollar because I used a couple of thrift store sweaters, one I felted, cut and sewed for the mittens and one I unraveled to knit the cuff. The hat I knit for my BIL cost maybe 50 cents because I got the yarn at a yarn at a yard sale. My autumn table runner was $2 - made from a piece of fabric a relative gave me and a table cloth from a thrift store. Any quilts I've made have been ridiculously cheap because I reuse old clothes. Most of my knitting supplies, needles, counter and such, I've bought used and for quilting I don't use most of the "required" tools, just a good pair of scissors and cereal box cardboard patterns pieces. Even my sewing machine was a $10 purchase off Kijiji.

 

Crafting as a modern hobby can be expensive. Crafting done in the spirit it often was 100 years ago where the point was to use and reuse what was at hand is ridiculously cheap.

 

:iagree::iagree:

[Closeacademy]

I knit so I don't kill people. :tongue_smilie:

 

I knit because it is a hobby that keeps me calm and my fingers busy. It also allows me to be creative and learn new things. I love making socks, sweaters and all sorts of things. I like learning new techniques and stitches. I don't really knit for the finished project but for the process.

 

I enjoy exploring different natural fibers, dyeing and have even learned to spin my own yarn. It is a fun hobby.

 

My kids do fight over who gets the next pair of socks that I make. Which are always unique. I let the pick the yarn and pattern. Hats are fun to make and wear. And people having new babies love it when I make them something just for their baby.

 

It's not about savings. It's about enjoyment.:001_smile:

[FO4UR]

I have been able to save quite a bit of $ sewing in the past. (I don't take the time to sew much anymore.)

 

 

If you find remnant fabrics, use the 40% coupons at JoAnnes, etc...you can make kids clothes, cloth diapers, curtains, etc, all incredibly cheap.

 

I think it's perfectly fine to spend the $ and craft things that are truly valuable to you even when you can buy something similar for the same price. (I just haven't had the time and $ at the same time to make that dream happen.:lol:)

[LaxMom]

Both of these are good points:

When dd was little I could whip out a t-shirt dress for much less than an off the rack play dress. Little shorts too. But that was about it.

 

My time is valuable and I just don't have that much of it to make/craft all of our clothing needs. Factoring in my time and materials it is often less expensive to just buy mass produced products.

 

Nor did I find that making our laundry soap or household cleaners were cost effective. It was hard for me to find obscure ingredients in these tiny towns we end up in.

 

That said I am determined that we will grow most of our own food within the next two years. That will save us thousands a year.

My time is also valuable. However, I hate shopping. I hate everything about it. Flipside: I enjoy the process of creating. So, if I can make 2 mittens and a hat out of a $6 skein of Bartlett wool, that $6 has not only provided a hat and mittens for one of my children, but several hours of enjoyment for me.

 

Wait a minute...The mittens I made for my sister for Xmas last year cost me maybe a dollar because I used a couple of thrift store sweaters, one I felted, cut and sewed for the mittens and one I unraveled to knit the cuff. The hat I knit for my BIL cost maybe 50 cents because I got the yarn at a yarn at a yard sale. My autumn table runner was $2 - made from a piece of fabric a relative gave me and a table cloth from a thrift store. Any quilts I've made have been ridiculously cheap because I reuse old clothes. Most of my knitting supplies, needles, counter and such, I've bought used and for quilting I don't use most of the "required" tools, just a good pair of scissors and cereal box cardboard patterns pieces. Even my sewing machine was a $10 purchase off Kijiji.

 

Crafting as a modern hobby can be expensive. Crafting done in the spirit it often was 100 years ago where the point was to use and reuse what was at hand is ridiculously cheap.

Totally. I take up crafts to make reuse of things. I don't buy things to take up crafts. Well, mostly. There is that wool stash.

 

Eta:

 

And as a spin-off to the spin-off...

 

Has anyone heard of the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline? Bloomberg Businessweek did a review of it here. There is also an interview with the author on the WSJ blog, here.

 

So maybe our handmade items are not more expensive in the long run.

And this is another value-added argument. Is my time worth more than the life/health of another person? Obviously, that is sort of hyperbolic but, in reality, just "sort of".

 

If we re-purpose items already on hand or used by someone else, doesn't that frugality reach from our own purses and into positive environmental and social realms as well? I mean, from Dawn's post I'm seeing lots of virtuous fallout:

Gifts made with love

Low cost

Cheap entertainment (I assume)

Materials kept from landfills

Not funding sweatshops

 

Hm. Sounds right up my alley.

Edited June 23, 2012 by MyCrazyHouse

[Jane in NC]

 

If we re-purpose items already on hand or used by someone else, doesn't that frugality reach from our own purses and into positive environmental and social realms as well? I mean, from Dawn's post I'm seeing lots of virtuous fallout:

Gifts made with love

Low cost

Cheap entertainment (I assume)

Materials kept from landfills

Not funding sweatshops

 

Hm. Sounds right up my alley.

 

I'll drink to that!

[WeeBeaks]

That is a huge question that comes up often on sewing boards I frequent. The answer is probably it depends on where you are shopping now. If you are buying Hanna stuff, Bodin, Tea collection or other children's clothing, yeah, you can probably make it cheaper. Target? Probably not though sometimes.

 

My husband is a bike commuter. That stuff is expensive, wowsers. I can make cycling shorts, tees and such cheaper. Way cheaper. Like $5/pr for cycling shorts cheaper (black lycra with the padding and leg gripper elastics). Other niche markets too I can make cheaper. Think maternity or nursing clothing ($$$ for cheap fabric and construction).

 

It is also cheaper if you sew enough that you buy what you need when it is on sale, which might mean you are buying fleece in July and swimsuit fabrics in November or whatever. Fabric regularly goes 60% off or more versus retail price if you are willing to coupon it or way. And one yard will go far for little ones if everyone is willing to wear the same print, with scraps then made into matching undies. :D

 

If you find loads of cute stuff at thrift, can I just say I'm envious? :) I can't here. The goodwill is expensive for so-so stuff, and most children's stuff above size 3 toddler is ripped, stained and nasty. Sort of like the stuff I'm trying to replace. LOL

 

I sew even underwear and someone asked me if it was cheaper. Well, yes, sometimes. If I'm knocking off those VS lacy undies, yeah, it's much much cheaper. If I'm wearing Wal-Mart cotton, I'm not going to save much.

 

A related note is that you can read sewing (and probably other fiber boards) and find things much cheaper than Joanns often. I get zipper bundles that work out to less than 50 cents a zipper and so forth. I just stockpile them and use as needed rather than fainting in the aisle at the regular price of a zipper that I need that day.

 

I also have clothing that fits (rarity in ready to wear for my shape), clothing that fits my beanpole of a son and I don't have to brave those dressing room lighting and mirrors to do it.

 

But too at the end of the day sewing for me is cheaper than psychiatric treatment or spa days for relaxation.

[KungFuPanda]

I've been reading the thread on various crafts the ladies around here practice, and while I do some sewing and knitting, one thing I've been wondering about is the cost effectiveness of making your own clothing/toys/what-have-you. I know that, when I'm making something, it usually ends up costing around the same or more than buying the same item from a store. It's nice to be able to customize everything, of course, but I can imagine that sewing more complicated pieces can get fairly expensive, especially if you factor in the time investment.

 

So, I was just wondering, do you find that making your own items, whether by sewing, crocheting, knitting, etc., is cost effective? Or do you do it just because it makes you happy, and don't worry so much about the money?

 

 

I only sew to save money, so it's more of a chore than a hobby. I can buy drapes for less, but I cannot buy custom drapes in the nicer fabric for antything close to the homemade price.

 

This month I made 15 dresses for my dance troupe. They were simple; only 4 pieces of fabric, but we saved a ton of money because they were so expensive online. These were a specific style of dance dress, that IS cheap and easy to make, but just not so in-demand that you can get your hands on 15 matching dresses for less than $80 apiece. With fabric sales, I probably spent $15 to make each dress (LOVE JoAnne's phone app!)

[Mommyof4ks]

Cooking and baking is cheaper (I am gluten free), but I am used to paying $3-$4 a shirt and $6-9 for shorts at Gymobree (cheaper than Walmart and better quality), so making clothing is not cost effective for me. My boys do not care about custom clothing, so I do not spend money on it. My dd likes custom dresses, and she has a couple, but I can get them on sale with coupons for $25, so it is more expensive to make them. She is not a fan of fancy $100 dresses yet, so that might change at some point lol. I bought tuxes online for my boys for $30 shipped recently, so that would have been more expensive too. Honestly, crafty things are generally higher, but making things is fun when I have the time.

[Colleen in NS]

So, I was just wondering, do you find that making your own items, whether by sewing, crocheting, knitting, etc., is cost effective?

 

YES!! It all depends on how you go about it. I'm with the few on here so far who mentioned buying fabric and yarn (and needles and sewing machines - my 1960s indestructible Singer sewing machine cost me $6 at a thrift store) at thrift stores or garage sales. Or, if word gets out that you like to sew and use yarn, you might find people giving you their stashes they'll never use. It's like a game. See where you can find inexpensive but STEALS of deals for fabric and yarn. Personally, I like to buy cotton sheets (the more unusual, the more colourful or patterned, the tighter the weave, the better) from a local thrift store that usually has brand new stuff bought in bulk from overstocks in the States. So, new sheets (or duvet covers - I love finding IKEA ones, because I like their fabric patterns) for $3-5 = lots and lots of yardage. I've made good quality dresses (out of patterns bought cheaply and that can be adapted in different ways) for my daughter and me out of these sheets, and get lots of leftover fabric.

 

Or do you do it just because it makes you happy, and don't worry so much about the money?

 

I do it because saving money, challenging my creativity, and being creative makes me happy. :D

 

Has anyone heard of the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline?

 

Ah, nope, but I'm now 7th in line for the holds at the library! Thanks again for another great book recommendation!

 

Wait a minute...The mittens I made for my sister for Xmas last year cost me maybe a dollar because I used a couple of thrift store sweaters, one I felted, cut and sewed for the mittens and one I unraveled to knit the cuff. The hat I knit for my BIL cost maybe 50 cents because I got the yarn at a yarn at a yard sale. My autumn table runner was $2 - made from a piece of fabric a relative gave me and a table cloth from a thrift store. Any quilts I've made have been ridiculously cheap because I reuse old clothes. Most of my knitting supplies, needles, counter and such, I've bought used and for quilting I don't use most of the "required" tools, just a good pair of scissors and cereal box cardboard patterns pieces. Even my sewing machine was a $10 purchase off Kijiji.

 

Crafting as a modern hobby can be expensive. Crafting done in the spirit it often was 100 years ago where the point was to use and reuse what was at hand is ridiculously cheap.

 

Hello, have I ever told you how much I love you?!?!?!

 

(Says Colleen as she takes a break from cutting up old file folders into patterns to make a flag/banner for her in-laws' 50th anniversary party next weekend - idea inspired by a link that Jane sent.)

 

Amy Dacyzyn's The Complete Tightwad Gazette was my inspiration to think this way.

[KungFuPanda]

Fiber arts are expensive. We have two spinning wheels, and I bought a $250 Shetland ewe lamb.

 

Crazy.

 

I can't tell you how happy this makes me just knowing how All In you are. :001_smile:

 

 

Like a PP mentioned, you can save a TON making slipcovers and reupholstering furniture.

[Juniper]

Fiber arts are expensive. We have two spinning wheels, and I bought a $250 Shetland ewe lamb.

 

Crazy.

Hows she handling the heat? I almost picked up a couple Cashmere goats, but I just was really worried about the heat and humidity.

[amy g.]

I bought her, but I haven't brought her home yet. She won't be weaned for a couple more weeks, so I don't know about the heat factor.

 

I want some angoras, but we can not find any that come from tested, disease free homes.

 

I may actually board the lamb where she is, and send Dd to shear them when it is time.

 

I'm an all in kind of girl. We don't make things to save money here, we make things because we like the creative process, and strive for a higher quality finished product.

[Crimson Wife]

Where do you all live where you can find fabric at thrift shops (and not just sheets/clothes that you cut up for the fabric)? I can't remember EVER seeing fabric for sale at a thrift shop.

[allymom]

It just really depends on what your making. Sometimes it comes out to about the same. Rarely, does it cost more. I usually make things that save me big by doing myself. For example,

 

-knit playdresses for my girls, cost $5-10 for me to make, $25 from Hanna Andersson or Gymboree

 

-AIO cloth diapers, cost $5-7 for me to make, $25 to buy new

 

-training pants, cost $3-5 for me to make, $15-20 new

 

-Waldorf dolls, customized, $40-50 made by me, $150 bought new

 

I do make things that don't pay as well, sometimes just because I want to make it, or I already have the material for it, or I want it more customized than I can buy in the store. And after many years of sewing, I have also bought some nicer machines that may mean I haven't saved as much as I'd like to think in the end. However, it's fun for me and is my way of relaxing, so I suppose that doesn't matter so much. :001_smile:

[justamouse]

Crafting is expensive. Homemade may be cheaper when it comes to things like cooking from bulk ingredients, gardening & canning, making your own cleaning supplies, etc. But the advantage of sewing is the ability to make clothes that fit better than store-bought, and especially these days, are more modest & age-appropriate than what is sold in stores.

:iagree:

More on garments: At present I am stitching a skirt from cotton voile, lined with cotton batiste. Probably a $35 - $40 investment in the fabric. Sure, I could get a cheaper skirt at Walmart. But the voile that I am using is Androsian batik, hand made by a cottage industry on Andros Island in the Bahamas.

 

Actually, voile is one of my favorite fabrics, one that I rarely find in stores. And that is part of the reason I like to sew. It takes some doing but I can find good quality fabrics and then (hopefully) assemble a well constructed garment.

 

Patterns are expensive. Most people who sew regularly shop the sales at JoAnns for deals. I'll admit that I have started paying more for patterns from some small designers, companies like Collette and Sew Liberated. I enjoy giving a hand to small business. ;)

 

But you can be clever and make some great clothes at bargain prices. One way is to reconstruct garments from Goodwill. Another way is to look for fabric in this sort of charity shop. Or patterns for that matter. I have a wonderful collection of vintage buttons from yard sales.

 

I have found that it is not worth my time to use cheap yarn. So a pair of handmade socks is not cheap. But knitting socks is keeping me sane.

 

Ultimately though I have decided that I would rather have fewer well made clothing items than a closet full of junk. On that note, I should go clean out my closet.

 

Jane

:iagree:

 

Yarn that is going to make your finished item gorgeous is not cheap. Not Cheap. I made my mom a knit lace scarf and the yarn alone cost me about 100. But I know i would have paid twice that from a store, and it's an heirloom.

 

That said, making kid scarves and hats with yarn from AC Moore and using their 50% off coupon? Score. I make lots for them like that--but they are brutal on their hats and scarves. For winter presents, I went to the yarn store and bout nice wool skeins.

 

Exactly this. With the cost of supplies for crafts, making your own floral arrangements, and clothing, you are not saving a cent. However, I use quilter's cotton to make my summer skirts. I can make beautiful, fit me just exactly the way I want, skirts for around $30.00 (three yards at $9.00 a yard sometimes less depending on the style), lining and a zipper or elastic...I have several patterns that I bought for 99 cents each at JoAnn's and use them over and over again. The quilter's cotton is so soft and drapes nicely and I get the smaller waist that I need with the room for my hips. When I buy commercially made skirts, because I have these blasted hips, the waist is always way too big because the manufacturers assume a specific waist/hip ratio that I, alas, do not possess. I can also make them longer and since I play the piano on Sunday mornings and do not exactly sit like a lady at that baby grand and one half of the church has a pretty good view of my legs because of the angle of the piano, well...I just like them well below my knee. Plus, I get to choose from a HUGE array of fabrics.

 

 

I've made evening gowns for dd. She's a size 2 on top and a 5 on the bottom. So to buy a commercial one means buying the larger size and trying to take it in and have it lay right. That isn't easy with elaborate gowns, ruched tops, stays in the bodices, etc. Plus, she loves the classy, elegant look without being revealing and hates trendiness. Those kinds of dresses are hard to find. I actually do save money, most of the time, making hers since the average price for the ones she likes seems to be in the $250.00 range at the few stores that carry them around here and I can use a 40% off coupon on fabric at JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby or find a sale at Haberman's in Royal Oak and make them for around $75.00 - $90.00.

 

I gave up a lot of crafting type things. There were a few things I could break even on and I liked the end result, but in many cases, I was going in the hole over buying a comparable item and that didn't include all of my time to make it.

 

Canning and gardening on the other hand, once the initial investment in canning supplies and tools was made, the food became very, very cheap.

 

Faith

 

:iagree:

 

Both of these are good points:

 

My time is also valuable. However, I hate shopping. I hate everything about it. Flipside: I enjoy the process of creating. So, if I can make 2 mittens and a hat out of a $6 skein of Bartlett wool, that $6 has not only provided a hat and mittens for one of my children, but several hours of enjoyment for me.

 

 

Totally. I take up crafts to make reuse of things. I don't buy things to take up crafts. Well, mostly. There is that wool stash.

 

Eta:

 

 

And this is another value-added argument. Is my time worth more than the life/health of another person? Obviously, that is sort of hyperbolic but, in reality, just "sort of".

 

If we re-purpose items already on hand or used by someone else, doesn't that frugality reach from our own purses and into positive environmental and social realms as well? I mean, from Dawn's post I'm seeing lots of virtuous fallout:

Gifts made with love

Low cost

Cheap entertainment (I assume)

Materials kept from landfills

Not funding sweatshops

 

Hm. Sounds right up my alley.

 

:iagree:

 

Where do you all live where you can find fabric at thrift shops (and not just sheets/clothes that you cut up for the fabric)? I can't remember EVER seeing fabric for sale at a thrift shop.

 

There's actually a bunch at mine--BUT it's hit or miss. Granny's 70's stash :D , sometimes gorgeous needlepoint and crewel kits, and yes, sometimes good fabrics for about a buck a yard.

 

 

Like anything, you have to know how to be a savvy shopper. Go to JoAnn and stock up on patterns when they're 99 cents. My husband freaks when he sees that I saved 270 and we just bough 20 patterns, for 20 bucks.

 

Buy classic patterns. This goes for kid clothes, too. A sweet a line skirt will always be a sweet a line skirt.

 

Trace the other sizes so you can use them (or, if you're a pro at it, enlarge them yourself) that makes your 99 cents scream.

 

When you get good at those patterns, and you start to be able to look at a portion of it and know exactly how it all fits together, you may want to invest in better patterns. Those McCalls, Simplicity and Butterick are good, but they're not excellent patterns, but when you're starting out, that's the way to go. As you get better, you can alter things yourself or buy better.

 

Buy Japanese patterns. You get about 30 patterns for about 30 bucks, and as far as I'm concerned, the quality is better, and the technique is superior. The clothes are classic (of course there is the fashionable stuff), and the patterns come in one, large sheet so you trace them only and get many uses out of them. Their books are also wardrobes, so if you chose the right book, you'll get patterns for everything from pants to jackets. This is an exceptional investment when it comes to kid's clothes.

 

Shop fabric sales.

 

I've said before that we have no AC, so summer jammies are a premium at my house. Lisette Lawn went on sale at JoAnns for 50% off, and I was able to make about 9 nightgowns for about 50 bucks, and with the extra made three shirts for them. The nightgowns are long, so they'll be able to get another year out of them, so that 50 bucks went very far. Then, they'll get passed down to Dd4. That 50 just screamed.

 

With leftover scraps from other projects, I made them 4 pairs of shorts and with a larger piece of chambray made them pedal pushers.

 

From the snippets of all of that, I'll make quilts, yo-yos, or jelly jar lids for presents. I'll use a bit to appliqué a flower on a pillowcase.

 

I really started sewing when my oldest Dd, now 17, was small. That girl was bedecked in sundresses. None of them got thrown out, they have ALL been passed down to my younger girls, and then they'll get packed away and given to my granddaughters. If you buy classic fabric, and classic patterns, they will never go out of style. My girls must have inherited 10 sundresses from their sister.

 

So, if you're smart, it does pay off.

 

Findings (zippers, buttons, ric rack) you get at thrust stores and estate sales. I paid ten dollars last weekend for a shoe box full of gorgeous buttons, and a larger box of trimmings and zippers. I may not use them all, but I'll use most of them. The trick is to buy it when you see it.

 

Good luck!

 

ETA, but a machine you'll use. I paid a bit more for my machine but I have a computerized buttonholer that I wear the heck out.

Edited June 24, 2012 by justamouse

[Farrar]

Where do you all live where you can find fabric at thrift shops (and not just sheets/clothes that you cut up for the fabric)? I can't remember EVER seeing fabric for sale at a thrift shop.

 

I've never lived anywhere with as wonderful thrift stores as we have here around the DC area. They're the size of Targets with absolutely everything. It was not like that in any of the places where I grew up or where I went to college.

 

I don't see that much bulk fabric at the thrift store (though there's definitely some). However, I've gotten great stuff at creative reuse centers. There's one in NC near my mom's called The Scrap Exchange that has a mad fabric selection. It's amazing. And there's one here called Scrap DC where I got the fabric for the costumes I made for the kids' Shakespeare production.

 

Crimson Wife, you're in SF, right? The reuse center there is supposed to be out of the this world awesome.

 

This is a list of reuse facilities around the world if anyone is interested in seeing if you have one nearby. They're all a little different, but most of them have fabric, among other things.

[justamouse]

 

This is a list of reuse facilities around the world if anyone is interested in seeing if you have one nearby. They're all a little different, but most of them have fabric, among other things.

 

I had NO idea these existed! I love you so much right now.

[Jane in NC]

 

Buy Japanese patterns. You get about 30 patterns for about 30 bucks, and as far as I'm concerned, the quality is better, and the technique is superior. The clothes are classic (of course there is the fashionable stuff), and the patterns come in one, large sheet so you trace them only and get many uses out of them. Their books are also wardrobes, so if you chose the right book, you'll get patterns for everything from pants to jackets. This is an exceptional investment when it comes to kid's clothes.

 

 

A similar pattern book is produced in Finland by a company called Ottobre. I thought they just did kids clothes but learned recently that they also make women's pattern books. The spring/summer edition is now in my hand. Nineteen patterns for $17 plus postage. Link. There is some work in using these patterns. As Justamouse mentioned, they are traced from a single sheet of overlapping designs. Ottobre patterns do not include seam allowances, so you need to add them.

 

But since I usually trace my patterns anyway and make a "muslin" or mock up out of an old sheet (or sometimes I just use sewable tracing pattern), having to trace the pattern is not an extra step for me. No, this is not quick but I want a good fit.

 

I snipped her post, but I had to comment on the lawn she found at JoAnn's. Really?? I need to take a closer look at their fabrics. I love soft cottons like voile and lawn...(And wouldn't we love to have sufficient cash to buy Liberty lawn and challis for our entire wardrobe!)

 

And yes to looking at second hand stores for zippers and notions. Often the vintage items are far better quality than ones in stores!

[Tarreymere]

Where do you all live where you can find fabric at thrift shops (and not just sheets/clothes that you cut up for the fabric)? I can't remember EVER seeing fabric for sale at a thrift shop.

 

I'm in PA, and we get fabric at the thrift shops all the time. It usually isn't anything I'd want to use but it IS there. Sometimes TONS of it.

[justamouse]

A similar pattern book is produced in Finland by a company called Ottobre. I thought they just did kids clothes but learned recently that they also make women's pattern books. The spring/summer edition is now in my hand. Nineteen patterns for $17 plus postage. Link. There is some work in using these patterns. As Justamouse mentioned, they are traced from a single sheet of overlapping designs. Ottobre patterns do not include seam allowances, so you need to add them.

 

But since I usually trace my patterns anyway and make a "muslin" or mock up out of an old sheet (or sometimes I just use sewable tracing pattern), having to trace the pattern is not an extra step for me. No, this is not quick but I want a good fit.

 

I snipped her post, but I had to comment on the lawn she found at JoAnn's. Really?? I need to take a closer look at their fabrics. I love soft cottons like voile and lawn...(And wouldn't we love to have sufficient cash to buy Liberty lawn and challis for our entire wardrobe!)

 

And yes to looking at second hand stores for zippers and notions. Often the vintage items are far better quality than ones in stores!

 

Thank you for the link, I thought Ottobre only did kid's clothes, too.

 

Yep, Lawn at Joanns, it's their Lisette line, which is brand new. The cutter didn't even know there was a fabric called lawn. :glare: How sad is that? It's one of my favorites, too, along with voile. And yeah, I feel the same way about Liberty! *swoon*.

[Susan of Croton]

Crafting is expensive. Homemade may be cheaper when it comes to things like cooking from bulk ingredients, gardening & canning, making your own cleaning supplies, etc. But the advantage of sewing is the ability to make clothes that fit better than store-bought, and especially these days, are more modest & age-appropriate than what is sold in stores.

 

You're so right, about the high cost of crafting. Better fit/design is a big plus, but you know, it's getting hard to find patterns! Patternmaking does take time/expertise. Home dec sewing is a place to save big, though. I went to Calico Corners to look at dec fabric, and the lady there insisted on quoting a price for remaking a single chair cushion up for me: $188 in desiger corduroy. I went to Jo-Anns and did it for 10 bucks plus two hours of time. Looks great

 

Knitting: I spend my birthday money on yarn every year; can't help it. I love Schoolhouse Press collection of yarns and have gotten addicted to Fair-Isle knitting! I do keep "idiot knitting" in the car for swim meets, though.

 

Sewing is so relaxing!

[Susan of Croton]

More on garments: At present I am stitching a skirt from cotton voile, lined with cotton batiste. Probably a $35 - $40 investment in the fabric. Sure, I could get a cheaper skirt at Walmart. But the voile that I am using is Androsian batik, hand made by a cottage industry on Andros Island in the Bahamas.

 

Actually, voile is one of my favorite fabrics, one that I rarely find in stores. And that is part of the reason I like to sew. It takes some doing but I can find good quality fabrics and then (hopefully) assemble a well constructed garment.

 

Patterns are expensive. Most people who sew regularly shop the sales at JoAnns for deals. I'll admit that I have started paying more for patterns from some small designers, companies like Collette and Sew Liberated. I enjoy giving a hand to small business. ;)

 

But you can be clever and make some great clothes at bargain prices. One way is to reconstruct garments from Goodwill. Another way is to look for fabric in this sort of charity shop. Or patterns for that matter. I have a wonderful collection of vintage buttons from yard sales.

 

I have found that it is not worth my time to use cheap yarn. So a pair of handmade socks is not cheap. But knitting socks is keeping me sane.

 

Ultimately though I have decided that I would rather have fewer well made clothing items than a closet full of junk. On that note, I should go clean out my closet.

 

Jane

 

Where do you get your fabric? On-line? Even up in NY the fabric meccas are few and far between.

[Firefly]

Mostly it's just the enjoyment I get out of it. Obviously I could go to Target and get socks for a lot cheaper than the ones I knit (I like nice yarn :D), especially when you factor in the time/labor. But, I love quality and hand made items I have found tend to be a better quality and last longer. I could buy a hand knit item in a beautiful yarn and that would be more expensive than me buying the same yarn and knitting myself, so I guess in that sense it's cheaper. But no, I'm definitely not doing it to save money.

[Jenny in Florida]

I think it depends on what you are making.

 

For example, I always made my kids' special occasion clothes, which I know cost less than buying them.

 

We used to get the catalogue from The Wooden Soldier a couple of times a year. We'd go through it and pick out a general look for the kids' Christmas and Easter outfits (color, style, particular decorative features, etc.). Then, I'd go though my fabric stash and/or hit the remnant and discount racks at the store and see how close I could get. The dresses we liked for my daughter were usually over $100 each, and I don't think I ever spent more than $25 on materials.

 

I have kind of a knack for using what I have at hand or can find inexpensively and turning it into something. And that ability served me well in those years. I'd buy fabric remants I thought were pretty whenever I saw them, then use them as needed to make things when the need arose.

 

My daughter went through a stage that lasted about two years when the only thing she found comfortable to wear was a certain style of dress. It was the kind that has half a t-shirt as a bodice and then a gathered fabric skirt. I found I could make them for about $5 or $6. Each season, we'd go out and buy a few t-shirts or long-sleeved knit tops in colors and designs she liked. Then, we'd hit the fabric store and buy a yard of material to match each top. It took me less than an hour to make a dress, and she wore all of them for a long time.

 

I never did find anything similar to sew for my son. Boy clothing is both more complicated (beyond my minimal sewing capabilities) and less expensive to purchase. So, I determined that wasn't worth the time and effort for casual, daily stuff.

 

I think this is very much like cooking (or planning curriculum). If you start with someone else's specific list of ingredients and simply go out and buy all of the listed supplies at full price, then no. It's not cost effective. However, if you use your imagination, think ahead and buy supplies on sale or substitute less expensive materials, then absolutely, it's worth the time and effort.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Jenny in Florida