KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Hi,
Is it really possible to save a few pennines by sewing and mending one's own clothes? My mother used to stitch all clothes at home, but what is the situation today - with double jobs, CCA for kids, schools, etc?
Any kiasu mummy with personal experience...

Nowsaday, if you make your own clothes, it's called a HOBBY.

karenmok wrote:Hi,
Is it really possible to save a few pennines by sewing and mending one's own clothes? My mother used to stitch all clothes at home, but what is the situation today - with double jobs, CCA for kids, schools, etc?
Any kiasu mummy with personal experience...

Mending, definitely. I prolong the life of many things, not just clothes, by doing mending and simple DIY. However, I am a SAHM with more time to spare now my kids are older, and a strong incentive to save money because we have a single income. One tip about mending though - try to do it as soon as you know it's needed and don't let it pile up. That way, each job will just take a few minutes. Once there is a huge pile, you won't feel like starting.

Sewing from scratch is a different issue. I do sew skirts for myself and my daughters, but they are simple gathered skirts, some with tiers, and the only variation is the material. That's the limit of my skills! We are not fussy about keeping up with trends, and we all like these skirts because they are comfortable, not too short (many skirts in shops are now ridiculously short), and I always sew in a big pocket. The other downside is that nice material can be expensive, and I'm not sure whether you save money if you compare an item made in bulk in China/Bangladesh etc with exactly the same item you make yourself, especially if you factor in the time spent sourcing material and sewing. That said, I am seriously considering making more of my own clothes as I can't find things I like in shops these days. I dislike many of the modern trends, and tailoring is really too expensive. That's my experience.

I alter my clothes myself as I hate going back and forth to a seamstress over a pair of pants. Not only wastes money but also petrol and time to take it there and collect it.

With basic sewing skills, I can also buy clothes from online stores without worrying whether they will fit properly or not. I like to sew pyjama pants for my kids but I haven't progressed to sewing dresses yet.

I get my sewing items from a craft shop in AMK and also from Daiso. My Brother sewing machine is a great investment. So easy and fun to use.

I don't (know how to) sew clothes.. But I sew pencil-cases for my kids, and coin purses for my nieces.. Not to cut costs lah.. But more to pass time, like a hobby..

I love to sew. I sew my own dresses, dd's dresses, and do my own alterations. So dd's uniforms have been altered and used for 5 yrs. Now when I go to the mall to look at clothes its more to look at how they are constructed. There's lot of videos on how to sew on the internet. Start with simple projects that only need straight stitches, and take it from there.