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High Fashion, Low Cost
Saving Money by Sewing
By Tenna Perry
There are a variety of ways in which young people (as well as adults) can learn to sew. A family member who sews often turns into a sewing instructor, but what happens if they don't have the time, patience and/or skill to teach children?
The old standby of a school's home economics program may be a possibility, but funding cutbacks have affected a large number of school districts. Fabric stores as well as community colleges usually offer classes, but learning on your own is possible. Simplicity and McCall's both offer simple clothing patterns for beginners with instructions that are easy to understand. Bookstores and libraries may also have copies of Sewing for Dummies.
RolletMcWilliams recommends shorts or PJ bottoms as a child's first garment, or even doll clothes. "Personally, I learned more about garment sewing from making tons of doll clothes where a mistake only wasted a little bitty bit of fabric," she says. "When you are working in miniature, you really begin to understand how to make clothes fit."
Once you learn the basics, there is no limit to what you can sew.
Cavanaugh recommends watching ads and signing up for the fabric store mailings. "Watch for sales at your local fabric store," she says. "Frequently patterns will be on sale for about $1, and most stores now have them for half price. If you want a particular fabric for your project, watch forit to go on sale or for coupons. Oftentimes the stores will have a coupon for like 40 percent off one item. Buy patterns with more than one type of clothing in it so you get the most pattern for your money, especially with stuff for kids."
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