It's lots of fun to oggle
muy muy expensivo clothes. But when it comes to parting with my cold hard, I'm a frugal filly.
I've been sewing my own clothes since Nana taught me how, and I have an eagle eye for a bargain at a "your trash, my treasure" market. By listening to Nan, following the pattern and experimenting with cheap fabrics from markets and op shops, I mastered a few simple numbers.
In uni I made around 30 A-line skirts in different lengths and different fabrics. They were the easiest possible thing to make, and took around an hour, to if you add pockets. Nana's fabric chest was a great source of material, as were random home furnishings and in one case a baby's mattress cover. The baby was not harmed in the glorious experiment. It gave me loads of satisfaction to make what would otherwise retail for around 70 bucks, and those skirts worked well with everything from turtle-neck knits and tights to little singlets and thongs. You only need around a metre of fabric and one 25cm zip if you're around a size ten, which translates to one affordable skirt.
When I got my first job I was rocking a bit of an Audrey Hepburn look. I also had the figure of a 17 year old boy, with the dangly bits. Loads of cigarette pants, loafers and a short haircut. I found a great Vogue pattern for a funnel-neck sweater, which was also dead easy to make. I whipped one up in red polar, one in white polar (polar fleece really worked for this, trust me) and when I found a bit more cash, I made a fancy fur-look one that was fully lined and looked just like the one AH wore in
Paris When It Sizzles.
Other impressive sewing projects (if I do say so myself) have included taking in a massive black swing coat into a more proportionate shape for my own figure, re-dying loads of old jeans into solid black, and sewing a black lace cocktail shift out of old curtains. That one still gets compliments.
When you're short of funds and full of ideas, there's now people all over the world to share your glee with. Check out
Burda style, it's a whole community of talented peeps sharing their ideas on sewing.
To get your own projects off the ground all you need is
a basic machine, a few basic patterns and the ability to resist the bedazzler. My next project will be a bit of clever spot-tie-dying with a sprinkling of salt. I'll let you know how it goes.