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My Autumn Makes

JessLeave a comment

Happy Sunday everybody and in fact Happy September! This year has flown by, I have just past my six month probation at work, Adam has started a new job, we’ve changed over to the winter duvet and the weather has almost definitely turned which means its time for my favourite season, Autumn! I have to say that in fact i love all seasons for different reasons, I love the freezing cold sunny days in the winter with a clear blue sky that remind me of skiing, I love those first warm days of spring when the clocks go back and we start getting sunny mornings again, I even love the intense heat of summer, albeit preferably somewhere with aircon and stone floors, but autumn is special for me. Down here in the south they get a couple of days of proper autumn where the trees go brown and everything looks golden whereas in Perthshire, where I am originally from, the trees turn slowly and you get weeks of golden leaves falling and Autumn really does last a couple of months.

I love the colder weather, I love guy fawkes night, I love going for really long walks and needing to warm up when I get home and I love love love the fact that I can go back to wearing ankle boots(my spiritual shoe), jumpers and coats. Whilst I adore the heat of summer I hate dressing for it as its a nightmare trying to look professional but stay even vaguely cool, whereas in Autumn I can go back to wearing big scarves, cosy knitwear, tailored coats and I only have to worry about staying warm when I go out. It’s the dream!

This Autumn is particularly special for me in terms of sewing because I have never actually made autumn/winter clothing. Autumn and Winter clothes tend to involves more knits, stretch and wool. More sleeves, large silhouettes and more comp[lex techniques. I am generalising here as there are definitely some beginner friendly patterns out there but even if you find a beginner friendly pattern, chances are that once you go beyond medium weight stretch knits a beginner machine can’t handle the fabrics. My old John Lewis machine certainly struggled with anything remotely bulky. Now armed with my new machine, so beautiful patterns and some stunning fabric I am ready to take my first forays in Autumn clothes.

My September Makes

My September is going to be very busy with work starting to pick up speed a little and the fact that I am starting a part-time MA alongside my job I felt like it was a good idea to plan what I want to make this month so that I can work my way through project I actually want to do and not lose my sew-jo along the way.

Make 1: Amaya Shirt, Made My Wardrobe

As I publish this post I am actually tidying up the remnants of this project. I’m a little late writing this post and my first make of the Autumn is complete. It’s a gorgeous peasant style blouse with a keyhole neck and flared sleeves and I made it in a bright red spotted cotton from The Rag Shop. It’s a versatile statement piece that can go day to evening with ease. I love it and what’s more there’s some complex sewing in there that I’m really proud of. It also represents my shift in focus towards making high quality statement pieces that go with my existing wardrobe.

Make 2: Raglan Dress, Trend Patterns

I’m super excited to make this. I’m nervous because its not a style of dress I’ve made before and not one I wear often but its a stunning pattern and I have a gorgeous dark viscose covered in little red roses from Rainbow Fabrics Kilburn that will suit the pattern perfectly. The fabric has great drape which I think will work really well with the full sleeves on this pattern and I quite like the high neck with the tie. This dress will probably need a belt on it for me and I will probably make it a little shorter than the pattern suggests to accommodate my height.

Make 3: Cocoon Cardigan, GBSB

This make will be my first knit make! I have a lovely mid stretch pale grey knit from the Maker Merchant and I will be attempting a Cocoon cardigan from one of may GBSB books. It’s meant to be a three hour sew so I will do a vlog and see if I can make it in under that time. I’m excited to start working with knits as they form a big part of my wardrobe.

Make 4: Square Neck Dress, Unknown

This make is definitely the most free-form as I know roughly what I want to make, I’ve got a couple of patterns that would work and the fabric is stunning. I’m hoping this make allows me to exercise my creativity a little more and make something beautiful. It will definitely need a toile so I will keep you guys up to date with what I’m up to and fingers crossed I’ll end up with something great.

As I’ve been at home for the past five months and I’ve not had costs of commuting and general work life, I have almost definitely spent too much on sewing. Now I have set myself a monthly budget and costed up my September makes. With one exception I had already bought all of the fabrics, patterns and notions that I’m using at some point over the summer. I’ve definitely spent more than I meant to but writing all the costs down is a really important first step to controlling sewing spending. It’s definitely not a cheap hobby but as I’m not going back to gym anytime soon I’ve redistributed some of my budget so I can have fun sewing. For the sake of transparency, I give myself a £50 per month budget for sewing but I obviously don’t use all of it some months and I will use more other months depending on the fabric I’m using and patterns etc but it balances out to about this much over the year. I want to show you guys how I cost my monthly sewing, this month was more expensive that usual because I lost track slightly but now I’ve found a costing system that works for me so there we go.

September
COSTS		Amaya
Shirt		Raglan
Dress		Cocoon
Cardigan		Square
Neck Dress		Total
Patterns£12.50£14.20
(sale)		£0
(already own)		£0
(already own)		£26.70
Fabric£17.00£0
(Gifted)		£11.50£0
(Gifted)		£28.50
Notions£1.50£1.50£0 £1.50£4.50
Pattern Printing£4£0£0£0£4
Equipment£0£0£0£0£0
TOTAL£35.00£15.70£11.50£1.50£63.70

As you can see my biggest expense is fabric, this month I’ve actually bought a few patterns but normally I try to work through one’s that I already have. When I do buy patterns I try to take advantage of sales, offers and free patterns to reduce costs. I rarely have to buy notions because for some reason I have a lot of back stock that I bought years ago. When I do buy notions I try to buy a lot at once as a restock and because they are cheap and if I’m paying for delivery I might as well make it worth it. Anyway, I’ve included this as I’ve been having lots of conversations with other makers recently talking about budgeting for sewing so if this is a helpful table/split please do use it, its definitely helped me to gain awareness of what I spend.

October & November Thoughts

I’ll see how I get on with my September makes but below are a few things I want to have a go at for each month.

October

  • Anorak – Tilly And The Buttons Eden Coat
  • Cowl Neck Knitwear Dress – Sew Over It
  • Jersey Skirt
  • Wrap Dress

November

– I then have to make two more anoraks for my sisters this month!

– long sleeved top

– A line skirt

– sheer chiffon blouse

So there are my plans! If you found this pose useful then let me know in the comments below. I can do this monthly or seasonally if that would be helpful. It certainly helps me to plan my makes like this to ensure that I don’t spend too much and also that I have projects to work on when I’m stressed from work.

Does Luxury Have To Be Bought?

Jess1 Comment

Happy Sunday everyone, this weekend Adam and I have deep cleaned the house. We made five different lists, one for each space, and we’ve worked HARD. Honestly yesterday we were cleaning solidly for well over 10 hours! We have rearranged furniture, repotted plants, tidied, cleaned, polished, sorted, decluttered and it feels great. Throughout the cleaning process I’ve been considering about how I feel about my possessions and my wardrobe in particular. What things I value and why I value them.

Now I’m sat with a cup of tea and honestly, I’ve got a bone to pick with fast fashion. In my first month of giving up ready-to-wear clothes I have made a conscious effort to consider when I buy clothes and the reasoning behind these purchases. Often I like a shopping trip to cheer myself up or to celebrate a promotion, to purchase a few new items for the next season or just to catch up with friends. Shopping trips like these are normally social occasions or they result in the little emotional purchases that make you feel better. These aren’t too hard to cut out because I can just go do something else with my friends or I can partake in the ultimate endorphin high which is of course fabric shopping . Really the only time I go out or online with the very specific goal of “shopping” is for occasion wear.

In the past, whenever I have had a formal event and don’t know what to wear I hotfooted it on to Missguided or Asos to select something gorgeous, slinky and that could be with me in under three days. Purchasing evening wear like this is of course partly for convenience but also because it has never felt like something I could or should make for myself. When you go to a black tie event you don’t want to feel homemade, when you think of black tie events you think of chic women in Chanel, the idea of a homemade dress in those surroundings is jarring. Or at least this is what the fashion industry has taught us to think. This is how we have been conditioned to feel and it makes me angry because the reality is very different.

On the one hand you have an admittedly expensive designer gown bought in a shop made in one of the standard women’s sizes. Its not shaped to your body, its not designed with you in mind, its designed for their ideal consumer, to reflect their image. On the other hand you have a homemade gown tailored by you for you. You choose the fabric, you choose the pattern, you choose the fit, as garment a home-made evening gown is quintessentially you. If you were to go to a high end event and told people you were wearing a handmade tailored gown they would be impressed, as soon as you mention that the tailor in questions is in fact you that feeling turns to mirth or grudging respect or even worse, requests to make them something similar.

Why should we be made to feel as we aren’t good enough in our me made wardrobes? After all every single piece of clothing is made by somebody, clothes don’t just appear. Honestly, I’m done with it. Of course other people’s opinions don’t really matter if they haven’t got anything nice to say then quite frankly they should shut it but its the fact that this isn’t an isolated one or two people this is an example of social conditioning that is prevalent in books, films, magazines and television, from Cinderella’s homemade dress being torn to shreds to the shopping montage in Pretty Woman. Expensive clothes don’t make a woman and if they do I don’t want to be the kind of woman they make. I will admit there is a joyous sense of giddy luxury in buying yourself something gloriously expensive and decadent but honestly I got the same feeling buying my first proper sewing machine! I get that same feeling when I spend a lot on a dinner for my partner and me, I get that feeling when I book a luxury hotel for a holiday and on those occasions I don’t also receive body-image issues and self-doubt alongside the purchase.

So what am I going to do? You’ve heard the rant, now here is my personal solution. There are two prongs. Firstly, I have reviewed my current evening wear wardrobe and got rid of anything that I don’t absolutely love myself in so if I need a dress super urgently I’ve definitely got something to hand. Secondly, I am aware that occasion wear is a weak area for me because I honestly adore it. So! Last week I bought 2-3m of second hand pale blue satin from a lovely instagram destash account. That fabric has now been stored carefully in my fabric box and I am currently marking appropriate patterns that I own and PDF one’s online that would work with this gorgeous structured mid-weight satin so that if I need a really stunning dress and want something new, I can satisfy those cravings at home and make myself something beautiful tailored and 100% me.

All clothing is made by somebody so my next evening garment might as well be made by me. I will learn a lot by making one and I won’t be contributing to a global system of oppression. Sounds like a win to me!

6 Tips To Start Sewing: Advice for Beginners

Jess1 Comment

Happy Sunday everyone, bit of a life update, this weekend I am writing to you from Essex! We have come to visit Adam’s family for a few days to get out of the house. For the first time in 5 months I’m somewhere other than our house, but we are still being very careful as I’m asthmatic and have been shielding. I was meant to be flying home on Thursday to see family however due to some moronic Aberdeonian footballers and my mum’s extremely vulnerability to covid, my trip has been cancelled. Adam’s parents invited us here instead and they even picked up us in the car to keep us safe! So Adam and I will be going for lots of walks in the Essex countryside, relaxing and getting some much fresh air.

Recently I’ve engaged with some fantastic makers on Instagram, both complete beginner sewists and very experienced dressmakers. I’ve given and received advice online and found so much inspiration for my sewing and it got me thinking. What would I have wanted to know when I started sewing? I was extremely lucky to have my very talented mum on hand teaching me the basics when I first started and I am still lucky that I can call her whenever I encounter a technique that I find vastly confusing. A lot of people don’t have that resource and there are so many different paths towards sewing, there is no right way as long as you are enjoying yourself thats all the matters. I was really interested to find out what advice others had for beginners and where better to ask than Instagram! I posted a question on my stories and I got loads of wonderful responses from a diverse range of sewists. I have collated their feedback along with thoughts of my own into the 6 tips below. Remember the best way to start sewing is just to go for it. Have fun and don’t feel bound

“Don’t be scared of your machine” – We have seam rippers for a reason

This is a major one because if you’re too scared of making a mistake you won’t enjoy yourself and you won’t progress. Just go for it! One of the wonderful things about sewing is that there are very few mistakes that can’t be fixed especially when you’re a beginner. If you’re worried start your sewing journey with stable fabrics like cotton and then when are happier with your skills you can move on to sloppier fabrics or fabrics that fray easily. Make friends with your seam ripper, you’re going to need it and remember that Even people who have sewed for decades still have t9 unpick things. It’s normal,it’s part of sewing so embrace the mistakes and learn from them. What I’ve learnt even in the last three months is that I need a roatarycutter for slippy fabrics, that you really really should prewash jersey/stretch fabrics and that I need a more ergonomic seam ripper!

If in doubt make a toile and use cheap fabric – “Don’t restrict yourself to pattern difficulty but use cheap fabric first“

This was a great reminder that came through on Instagram, don’t just do the things that beginner plastered all over them. Sure it’s definitely a good place to start but don’t limit yourself. If you want to try an advanced pattern but you’re worried take it slow and make a toile. I make all,y toilets from calico because the stability of the fabric allows me to really practice techniques and see what they look like. Embrace your toile, I always use contrasting thread on my toilet so I can see what I’m doing wrong or how a finish looks. It helps to check how neat your stitches are and . As my mum once reminded me, if you’re making a calicotoile you can just write on it if you need to. Whether that’s writing front and back or in my case, right side/ring side when I was struggl with inserting sleeves. Your toile is your canvas to make as many mistakes on as you want. You don’t have to make one every time but if you’re worried it definitely helps.

“Youtube is your friend!” “Don’t be afraid to ask for help”

I chose to include both of these o the same line because they are the same. There is a massive sewing community out there full of experts, talented amateurs and literal dressmaking teachers. I promise someone else will have had the problem you’re having or is asking the same question as you. On my Instagram I always make a point of asking for advice and then reposting any advice I receive to help anyone else who is struggling. There are some wonderful youtube channels and blogs about techniques out there as well as workshops you can book onto in sewing studios across the UK. Videos are great if you want to clarify a technique, workshops are better if you want to learn to make a specific garment, e.g. the bra making workshop I went on in January, or to do a masterclass in garment fitting for example. Studios like The NewCraftHouse do loads of great workshops throughout the year and are well worth a look.

Get an iron – you think you don’t need one much BUT YOU DO

A few people mentioned this one in passing but I really wanted to focus on it. Most people think you only need a sewing machine to start sewing but thats not true, you must have an iron as well. You will use it just as much as your machine if not more sometimes. At the moment I am sewing with a lot of viscose and I honestly couldn’t manage without a hot iron on constant standby. Buy an iron on amazon and if you don’t have space for an ironing board, like me, get a table top ironing board or a reversible cutting mat that you can iron on.

“Pick a project you love and make it something you will actually wear”

This is super important. Don’t just make things because you need something to make, that way demotivation lies. When you having an inspired moment take a second to right a list of garments you’d like to make one day, they don’t have to be specific patterns, they can be things like; maxi dress, wrap skirt, blouse etc… so that when you aren’t sure what to make next you have a point of reference. Also save patterns or garments that you see on instagram to act as inspiration. Make things you are genuinely excited to wear, things you’ve always wanted but could never afford or could never find a version that fit you perfectly. You don’t just have to sew the exact pattern either, you can stick patterns together, remove sleeves, change hems, alter necklines, whatever you feel you need to do to make your perfect garment!

“Just go for it and remember to have fun!”

This piece of advice came from so many people but its also my number one tip. Unless this is your business, relax and have fun. Its a hobby! Don’t beat yourself up about every single mistake, have a laugh, unpick your seams and learn from it. Pick patterns you really want to make and fabric that makes your heart sing the same. Take your time choosing buttons, zips and threads, enjoy haberdashery, want that fabric? buy it. Have a dream garment you want to make? Go for it! Whenever you are feeling down or your sew-jo is lacking try to remember why you sew and crucially why you enjoy sewing. When I’m lacking motivation I like to pick a project I can do in one day, put my hair in a messy bun, get a massive cup of tea and spend the whole day sewing. Whatever you’re sewing remember to have fun and enjoy yourself.

I will keep consolidating information on my instagram so do give me a follow @sowhatifisew and check out my highlights where I always post any technical information. Above all sewing should be fun and relaxing so don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve only just started. Next week when I get back from holiday I’m going to do a thread on Instagram asking for the stupidest sewing mistakes everyone has ever made so we can all have a laugh and learn from each other. Have a great week everyone and remember to have fun!

Living Without Fast Fashion: Why Do Brands Send You So Many Emails?

Jess1 Comment

It’s a grey, rainy morning in Surrey and I am sat at my desk deleting emails. I know, what a riveting start to a blog post. Since I gave up fast fashion I’ve got to find something to do with my time! The emails I’m deleting are the endless missives from desperate brands with eternal sales trying to make me buy their clothes. I hate to say it but in my weaker moments these emails work on me. I have to delete them without reading them because otherwise I will be knee deep in the French Connection sale before you can say ‘fast fashion’. The emails are a problem, particulary the frequency, but they are not the root, they are entirely symptomatic of the way we consume fashion.

I would argue that in a lot of ways purchasing has been reduced down to pure impulse. Very rarely do we consider what we already own or if we will even wear it, we just get tempting offers with bright ‘girl power’ slogans fired straight into our inbox telling us to treat ourselves. Due to advances in online shopping technology, its entirely possible to go from receiving an email to buying a garment within 5 minutes all on your phone. Of course you can unsubcribe, but often its not about not wanting to receive the emails, its more than most of us don’t even think about them.

What I’ve realised since making a concrete effort to renounce fast fashion is that, the email isn’t just an email. The email gives you permission to browse, it gives you the justification, ‘but there’s a sale on’ or ‘I’ll just look at the new collection’ and then before you know it you’re buying an entire winter wardrobe. It’s often not even about resisting the emails, its about becoming conscious of them and their purpose. It’s absolutely fine if you want to receive the emails and actually use them as a purchasing tool, you do you! But if you are trying not to consume then unsubscribing is the first step and as I do want to give up fast fashion and absolutely refused to be beset by fast fashion brands in my own home, unsubscribing is what I shall be doing.

As I’ve told people about my commitment to give up fast fashion, I’ve had some supportive reactions and some of genuine confusion. Let me get one thing straight, I love shopping and my friends know that. I actually find it relaxing although occasionally irritating when you can’t find jeans that would fit an average human female under 5’4″ with hip bones. Crucially though I like shopping in person, I don’t often buy clothes online and if I do I often regret it. My number one reason for online shopping pre-lockdown was for occasion wear. I’m definitely not an ASOS haul person. It feels dedicant and wasteful to buy that much online without even trying it on and to be honest it feels desperate. Shopping for me is an experience. It’s going out with my mum or my friends, it’s physically going into shops, touching clothes for quality, trying on new things and going out for lunch. Its an occasion. That’s most likely why I find these emails so jarring, they don’t fit with my experience of shopping. For me its not about convenience, if I go for a shopping trip the trip itself is an integral part of the experience. In a lot of ways it makes it easier, if I don’t go into shops, I wont shop, simple.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am approaching giving up fast fashion as I would with a major life change, holistically. From figuring out my what my own style looks like to literally not budgeting in shopping money, I’m trying to find the ways that fast fashion has permeated my life and how I can make the shift. Removing myself from as many subscription lists are possible is my first prong of attack. As these emails do work on me, its vital that trigger to consume is removed. So here’s my first piece of advice if you’re trying to give up fashion as well, if you’re looking to start giving up fast fashion, start by unsubscribing from your favourite brands. It doesn’t matter if you love them, you can always visit the website of your own volition but remove the email trigger. It’s the same premise as stopping a snack habit by just not buying snacks.

Instead I am directing that urge towards buying fabric and then imposing a fabric limit. I bought a lot at once and now I have a couple of months worth of projects to work on. I am going to celebrate every make and ensure that come September I start making things appropriate to the season so I don’t have to go out and buy a winter wardrobe, another weak point of mine in the shopping calendar.

So after my marathon session of unsubscribing I’m going to make a cup of tea and start some sewing. I’ve got a massive project coming up and I can’t wait to get started. Build that excitement over every make the same way you do for a big purchase. The release is the same you’ve just got to train your brain and remember that no one, no one else will have what you’re wearing if its me-made. See I think that giving up buying fast fashion clothes is the easy part, disengaging with fast fashion culture? Now thats the hard bit.

Box Pleat Skirts – What I’ve Learnt In A Year

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Back in April 2019, after four years of living in the south, I found my self missing my sewing machine more than I can explain. With a stressful job and a long commute I felt I was lacking my own mental space. I needed a calming outlet for my stress and something constructive I could do at home. After long discussions with my partner about my stress levels and how we could manage them, we decided it was time to get my sewing machine sent down from Scotland. I had previously thought that this would be impractical and expensive but my mum, presumably glad to get some more space in the new house, happily complied and sent me not only my machine but the rest of my equipment and my sewing books as well.

As to why I didn’t do this much earlier, up to the summer of 2018 my partner and I had lived in shared houses and as we all know, sewing machines are not exactly quiet and I didn’t think it would be fair on my housemates. Fast forward then to April 2019, I had 10 days of leave booked, my sewing machine was ready to go, all I had to do was pick a pattern. And I picked this! A box-pleat skirt from one of the Sewing Bee pattern books. It took me a few weeks because I really wanted to take my time and get it right but on the 19th May 2019 I finally finished my first entirely me-made garment. There are definitely a few things I could have done better but it’s precious to me and despite its flaws I wear it all the time. It’s a work-appropriate length and incredibly light plus the shape given by the box-pleats means the skirt doesn’t flip up in the wind – what’s not to love?

I feel like my sewing has improved a lot since that first make, well I hope it has, but I wanted to do an experiment to measure the difference. To see just how much I have learnt in the last year and a bit. Initially I wondered about aiming for a really complex make to show how far I’ve come but I wanted a direct comparison and I didn’t think just making a more advanced garment would provide that. Instead I decided the best way would be to make the same skirt again and observe the differences. I dug out the pattern again and I chose to make the skirt out of a lightweight navy blue gingham from Rainbow Fabrics Kilburn. The fabric has a good amount of structure to it and it’s opaque while still letting some light through. The big thing I’ve learnt about gingham is that it frays incredibly easily so I used my pinking shears quite a bit and tried to use lots of enclosed seams.

Today’s blog is not going to be a ‘how-to’, instead I want to reflect on the changes in the garment and how I felt making it. I’m going to start with material changes in the garment and move on to the overal changes in how I felt making it.

Material / Physical Changes

I’m so much quicker at cutting and stitching.

This is a big one for me. I remember just pinning the pattern took me about half an hour the first time and cutting it out took even longer. That was because I was so scared to make a single wrong incision, terrfiyed it would ruin the garment from the outset. This time I had this ironed, pinned, cut out and ready to go within 30 minutes. It has to be said I also have much better scissors than I did a year ago but also I’m used to cutting fabric now and in particular I’m used to cutting on carpet which was a challenge for me when I started sewing in this house. The next big step for me will be a cutting mat and a rotary cutter to help me use my slippier fabrics to better effect as I refuse to use my scissors on chiffon.

My pleats are so much neater now.

I mean come on look at those, those box pleats are beautiful if I do say so myself! My first ones are fine, there’s nothing particularly wrong with them but these are gorgeously sharp. Honestly after I had stitched them I just sat and stared at them for a bit because I was so proud.

The lapped zip is actually a lapped zip this time!

Right so it’s still not perfect but its a sight better than last time. The zip is actually covered this time. I wanted to use a shorter zip because I felt the last one was too long but sadly I went too short this time and it requires a bit of a wiggle to put it on. Maybe I’ll make another one in a years time and I’ll finally get the zip completely perfect.

General Changes

I care much less about pattern instructions.

This sounds awful but its true. I promise I do read the pattern instructions but I definitely read them less or perhaps a better way to say this is that I am less worried by the instructions. If it’s a new pattern then of course I will sit down and properly read the instructions before I start just to get the shape of pattern journey in my head. However when I first started I was almost terrified of making micro mistakes or missing anything in the pattern but its because I really didn’t know what I was doing when I started. Now I have a better understanding of sewing techniques and of garment construction, I don’t worry as much about the instructions. Making this skirt is incredibly simple anyway and I didn’t look at the book until it got to the lapped zip stage and then I gave the book a very close reading! Otherwise the next steps of the pattern just seem clear and make sense now and you know what? It feels good. I feel like I have matured into someone who osn’t just following instructions but actually understands what I am doing and that feels like an achievement.

The whole process is much more fun.

The first time I made this skirt, it was pretty much dead silence in my living room, I was really scared that I would make a mistake and wanted my full concentration. Honestly, it was tense! Now I’ve loosened up and that comes down to experience. I know what I’m doing, I can trust my judgement and relax into the rhythm of sewing. I put netflix on or a good radio crime drama and I’ll happily sit and sew for the rest of the day. Making this skirt a second time I was able to revel in the process a lot more. To congratulate myself for little successes like my zip or my frankly knife sharp box pleats. I was able to identify, celebrate and own my successes as micro sewing achievements while recognising that of course I still have a long way to go. I was also able to trust my judgement which enables me to relax and go with the process. Observing what I do, correcting errors before they become mistakes and laughing at any mistakes I make.

What the second make of this skirt taught me is that not only am I technically a better dressmaker than I was 15 months ago but that I am more mature as a person. I am able to laugh at myself, trust my judgement and grow through every garment I make measuring against no one’s standards but my own.

Why I’m Giving Up Fast Fashion

Jess2 Comments

After an incredibly nervous start and a desperate brainstorming session for a name, the So What If I Sew blog came into being on 28th June 2020. After one month of blogging and instagram-ing I can safely say that I’ve never made a better decision. I had no idea how big and friendly the sewing community is online, everyday I’ve been met with nothing but kindness and enthusiasm. Whats more this community is inspiring, I have seen so many new pattern companies and fabric shops, I have connected with so many makers who, just like me, are sat stitching away in a corner of their living room. I have found a world of perfectly imperfect sewing and I love it. I no longer feel stupid for not getting a technique right or understanding a pattern step because I know there are hundreds of people like me out there who are doing the same. All I need to do is post a story asking how to do something and I will get a hundred replies with advice or expressing similar frsutrations. I truly feel like I have found my online tribe and for that I am truly grateful.

There is something else about the online community that has really inspired me and thats how many eco-conscious makers there are out there aiming for an entirely self-made wardrobe. I love watching tutorials on how to make basic things from comfy t-shirts, to upcycling, all the way up to making technical clothing like raincoats. Furthermore its inspired me to make a decision, a pretty significant decision for, I’m going to give up fast fashion completely.

When I first told my family I expected some disbelief as I am a champion shopper. I love shopping and find it really relaxing however I am serious about this. Its the single biggest contribution I can make to the climate. The fashion industry produces 92 million tonnes of waste a year* and makes up for 10% of humanities carbon emissions**. Equally I want to make my contribution to saving the planet. Due to various medical conditions and allergies I am unable to become vegetarian or vegan (plus I really don’t want to be) so the best contribution I can make is to give up fast fashion.

What’s more the fashion industry is literally complicit in modern slavery. The rates of pay are lower than any human being could reasonably live on and the working conditions are appalling with no regard for staff safety or welfare. Famously, back in 2013 the Dhaka garment factory collapsed exposing just how bad conditions were for staff. The structural failure left 1,134 dead and is regarded as the deadliest garment disaster in history. Despite the protestations of major brands, recent scandals such as Boohoo’s garment workers in Leiceister being forced to go to work even with Covid-19 and working for less than half of minimum wage illustrate that this is still going on in the industry. Although I adore shopping, I can no longer standby and be complicit in a system that I find so abhorrent.

So, how am I going to do it? I want to make this change in the same way as one would approach a successful diet, it needs to be a lasting lifestyle shift rather than just forbidding shopping. It needs to be a manageable change. I’m aiming first of all for a six month trial period, so I will buy no clothing whatsoever for the rest of this year. (If anyone has any good underwear patterns, let me know!) The only things I am allowed to buy if necessary as socks, shoes, things I can’t physically make. Then in the new year I am going to make the shift to finding more sustainable fabrics and using more deadstock, currently I cant afford to make this shift but hopefully with lots of savings from working at home and not commuting I will be able to make the change in the new year to truly move to sustainable fashion.

I’m excited to see what I will make over the next six months and I can’t wait to sew with winter fabrics. I have never made anything winter appropriate or cosy so this will be a great test of my skills. To celebrate the blog, the instagram and this fairly momentous decision I though I might need a little something extra to help me on my way. After six months of saving and waiting and doing my research I finally bought a new sewing machine. Its the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought and I saved for it myself. I was so proud that I even got slightly teary when entering my payment details on the website. I have pre-ordered my machine for August and I will do a proper post about it when it arrives. For the moment I can reveal that I will shortly own the brand new 2020 model of the Singer Starlet 6680! I can’t wait to go on this journey towards sustainable fashion with my new machine.

All that remains to say is thank you. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on my sewing journey, who has followed the blog, who has liked a post or followed me on Instagram. Thank you to everyone who comments, who passes on their knowledge and who makes the online sewing community such a joyful place. You have all been wonderful and I can’t wait to see where this blog, my sewing and my me made wardrobe are in a year’s time.

*2018 Pulse of Fashion Report, Global Fashion Agenda

** https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10?r=US&IR=T#a-lot-of-this-clothing-ends-up-in-the-dump-the-equivalent-of-one-garbage-truck-full-of-clothes-is-burned-or-dumped-in-a-landfill-every-second-5