Friday, November 27, 2009

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Sewing has taken a turn for the economical worst in the last 20 years. It is now more expensive to sew than to buy. Sad. I think I may have found a loop-hole, however.
I beg, borrow and steal.
My sisters give me all of their DI clothes, which becomes the bulk of my fabric stash. Then, an old Young Women Camp sweatshirt of Tori's (adult size M) finds new life as a quirky little sweater for my 3 year old's preschool photo shoot. Total cost: $1 for fancy button

My BFF gives a flat of cutesy squirrel fabric which I save and save and save until the perfect occasion. Total cost to me: $0. I am not counting cost of thread or needles since I stole most of my mother's supply.

More RRR projects to come.

3 comments:

Angi said...

You always amaze me. I'll never understand how you can look at an adult-sized sweat shirt and make a cute sweater out of it...it's a talent. I think it looks so cute. I love the whole set-up.

Anonymous said...

You're awesome Meg!! Lily looks beautiful as always.

DangAndBlast! said...

Heh -- I have a hard time buying things I could make myself, except when I couldn't even buy the materials for less than the cost of the thing. (Whether or not I *will* make the thing I don't buy is another question.) So, right now I'm wearing a $10 cotton cable sweater (that I've been wearing regularly for 10 years! A dollar a year ain't bad...), and my in-laws bought me (for Xmas) a $90 fair isle sweater (that I'll also wear constantly) that I *could* make, it would take me a year, and the wool would cost about $200, as there's a rainbow of colors and it uses probably 20 yards out of each one -- so it's affordable when many sweaters are made, but not when you're making just one. (I wouldn't buy it myself, as $10 is more my price range, but it's gorgeous and they wanted to get it for me.) But yes, just rambling to say I agree, it's often cheaper to buy than make, at least when you're not buying "brand name." (I see those sundresses or summer tops made out of that $6/yd pre-elastic-gathered sew-one-seam-and-you're-done fabric selling for $40, though, so there are some exceptions!)

And, congratulations :)