I would like to make a few dresses for myself to wear this summer. I think this would be nice addition to my wardrobe off the clearance rack. lol Anyone have any idea's of the best place to buy Fabric material? Do you shop at a specific store or have a favorite online shop with a clearance? Also, what about patterns? It would great to find a site that offers deep discount on discontinued patterns.
Joann's is the best place for both fabric and patterns. Joann's is great, because they have tons of coupons that you can use and the have an entire section for patterns. And if you're nice, the girls who work there will be happy to help you out with any sewing project. Though, have you sewn before? Or are you just starting out?
I have minimal skills in the sewing department, from when I was a child! I just think that it would be a fun project, save money, and give me a sense of accomplishment. Oh, I forgot about Joanne's! You know what, my husband loves that store and the deals he can get! He is working on the interior of a car and he finds all kinds of stuff, he simply must have from this store! lol And they are always, so nice to him. probably one of the few men in the section. lol Can not believe I did not think of this first. One time, he called me in excitement, his vinyl was on sale, then there was a store coupon, and then he said the lady gave him a number to text to get an even bigger discount!
I get fabric from Joanne's also. Another thing I do to get something different, I go to the thrigt store and find a large size item with material I like, take it apart and use that material to make the item I want to make a skirt or dress.
Oh, I absolutely love this idea. This is so what I am going to do! I give you a gold star for this idea. lol Well, if I had one. The beauty of thrift stores is they are not only thrifty to begin with, but, if you go on the right day of the week, you can get an extra discount! What do you think is easier a skirt or a dress? The obvious would be a skirt, but I think it might be possible to make a dress relatively easy, too!
I forgot to mention Spoonflower! It's a site where you can get unique fabric, and even design your own! I've found some really cool fabrics on there.
Many Walmart stores have an entire rack of discount fabrics for a dollar or two per yard. Also, always check out the remnant bins. You can get some good deals that way. Sheets are an affordable source of fabric and would be a good weight for summer dresses. Also, old dresses and shirts you no longer wear can be upcycled into new styles. Check out sites like Pinterest for lots of cute ideas for repurposed or upcycled clothes to make.
Oh, I love to browse on Spoonflower, even thought of doing a few of my own designs. Alas, it is a bit pricey. Being the budget conscious person, I am, (lol) I will keep to dreaming with this site! But thank you for thinking of this option! Have you ever created your own material? If so, lucky you! I would be interested in hearing about your experience! @Zyni Great idea options or where to find material. Especially like the idea of sheets and up-cycled clothes! Gathering ideas from other peoples project is an excellent idea! That is why I enjoying browsing on this forum, too! lol Have you ever up-cycled?
I'm glad you found the ideas useful, @junemoon. Yes, I do upcycle, all the time. I've done more other stuff than clothing, but I have done a few things with clothes and plan to do more (I actually have a blog about upcycling. Just started it recently but haven't had time to devote to it. Hoping to get it off the ground soon though). Sheets are great, because you get a lot of fabric for just a few bucks. I've used them for tons of things from little sundresses for my girls when they were kids to making curtains for their rooms. They are great for making slip covers too. Even if you don't make any of the really 'out there' styles from the upcycled ideas, you can still do the simple stuff. I often find a clothing item that might be the wrong size or an ugly style, but it's made out of great fabric, so I just use the fabric and cut another pattern from it.
