What to Do With Unsuccessful Garments
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- čas přidán 24. 08. 2024
- Every garment sewer I know at least occasionally makes a piece of clothing that doesn't quite work, or doesn't work at all. What do you do with these unsuccessful garments? Over the years, I've discovered that I can learn a lot from these "misses," and sometimes I learn way more from garments that don't work than from garments that do work.
In this video, I first discuss how diverse our taste in clothing is. Many of us draw inspiration from clothing we find interesting. But looking at clothing we are not drawn to (i.e., what someone might call an unsuccessful garment) can still spark inspiration and critical thinking that helps us understand what we do like and why.
I also explore how I critique and assess garments, especially ones that don't work. I provide a list of questions to ask oneself so that you don't keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Then using 5 different garments I made that I was not happy with, I discuss how I assessed them, how I determined whether or not to re-work them, and how I honed my understanding of what I like and do not like in my garments.
I hope that sharing this video will help you see that your unsuccessful garments are wonderful teaching tools. And rather than being dismayed, frustrated, or completely discouraged by our unsuccessful efforts, we can use them to re-energize our desire to sew garments and further explore our creativity.
I really appreciate your video! Thank you for showing your assessment method, along with the garments you made that didn't work for you, and also your calculations for how long it would take to alter them. Sewing is a hobby for me, and I am often critical of myself for how long my alterations take, so it's reassuring to know that they can in fact take considerable time even for pros. It is also good to know that you sometimes decide that some alterations are just not worth either the time, or that the type of fabric won't yield the desired results. I so appreciate the reality check! :)
I agree with you about looking at garments for their details. The garment may not be me but I can see how I could use one or two of the details and adapt them to a garment I want to make. Thank you for going through the assessment of your finished garments. I like your idea of keeping swatches of the fabric you used with the pattern and noting the type of fabric, interfacings, facings, zipper placement, etc. and what you liked or didn't like about it and what you would change next time.
Thank you for all the great information! I try to make notes about all the fitting adjustments I make for my garments. Doing this assessment on the finished garment is a wonderful idea. Seeing the examples you showed and hearing your assessments was very helpful.
I'm so glad this was helpful to you!
So much to learn about how much the fabric itself can make in the final garment! I really appreciate that you used examples of your own garment misses. It will help me to be more forgiving of my own blunders to know that even professionals can and do have struggles in the area of anticipating exactly how these characteristics will affect the final wear experience. I sewed the same pattern in a flannel and in a quilting cotton and just that difference in the give of the fabric was enough to make one enjoyable to wear and one feel constrictive. What a light bulb moment.
It really is amazing how much difference the fabric makes. How I learned a lot was when I created custom clothing for women and I kept records of each and every garment with a swatch of fabric. Then I realized that doing that for myself was an excellent idea! And even though I have fewer flops, I sure do have occasional ones. So glad my video was helpful.
Awh. That was a good video❤❤❤..i have lost my sewing confidence because i have the same fitting errors that show up every shirt i make! I don't know how to fix it..watching your video gives me new hopw❤..thankyou ❤
I really got alot of good information from your video. Your checklist will help me "zero in" on why I don't care for a certain garment. Saying "I don't like it" isn't enough. I need to know why I don't like it. I am finding that it is easy to get swayed into a certain style or a certain garment that I see on Instagram, etc. but when I make a similar garment, I don't like it all. I have to make a conscious effort to stay with what works for me. Thank you for a great video.
I'm very glad to hear that my video has some helpful information. I think figuring out our likes and dislikes is so useful so we concentrate more on what will work. Certainly some experimentation is a good thing. But for example, if I see a photo of a super fitted garment with a cool neckline, I now know I want to concentrate on the neckline itself, because I don't like super fitted garments.
Sarah I found this video very informative. I consider myself a confident beginner sewist (beginner at fitting) and have had many fails. The steps you have laid out will be very useful going forward.
I'm very glad this was helpful to you!
Wow. Such great information and another opportunity to learn from making garments. I noticed that sometimes you said I " love " this about the garment and I "like" this. That resonat
Resonates with. I mean some aspects I love making them more important that the things I “only” like.
Yay -- I'm glad this was helpful!
I am always amazed at the amount of tailoring and sewing technical skill that goes into a fantastical runway project. I find sewing enough of an enjoyable challenge that I want all my makes to be wearable. Lots of food for thought when looking at other designers and artists. Thanks for this! ❤
I appreciate your analysis of the knit fabrics. I am working on creating blocks with different stretch ratios fitted to me. Now my challenge is to try different fabrics and find what I like. I also need to experiment with different types of necklines and sleeve lengths, and a big challenge is to add flare. I e already discovered that I don’t care for the stretch being over my tummy so disguised it by adding ruching at the lower hem on the sides. It will be good for yoga. I will use that fabric again but with more ease added. This video is so helpful!
Good thought to add ruching over the tummy. Sounds like you're well on your way to figuring out what knit fabrics work for you / work they way you want them to. I hope you have fun with your experimentation!
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