What About Crafting With Clothes?

Over the last year, we’ve heard a handful of requests for clothing classes.  I wonder who out there wants to learn and what types of it. 

Twenty years ago, teaching in Pitt County, my teammates and I witnessed a student throwing away a dress shirt.  Was it full of holes? No. Was it stained beyond redemption?  No.  It was missing a button!  When we used advisor-advisee time to teach threading needles and sewing buttons, the team found a common skill missing among our seventh graders.  Naturally, learning to repair clothing is a possibility—hems, patches, even embellishments. 

Tied to this mending but separate is remaking/resizing or tailoring.  I have enjoyed learning to make pants, skirts, and shorts for my children and now my granddaughter too.  As friends and acquaintances learned I could sew, they soon asked me to modify garments.  One mother shopped sales, buying pants for an amazing $5.  However, they were three sizes larger than her son currently wore.  A coworker needed a lined jacket resized to fit. I loved the challenge.  Shopping on a budget or taking advantage of hand-me-downs, you can find a mix of fabrics and styles but make them over if you know how they are constructed.  Taking them apart can also teach you how they’re made and provide a pattern for making more. 

Now, my husband has been active in some cosplay events for Stargate, but I’ve never sewn anything except Velcro for his group patches.  Why? It’s too easy to pick up military clothing at better prices than I can buy fabric.  However, medieval replicas faced stiff competitions on his Vancouver trip.  Local and state ComiCon conventions generate interest in sewing, serging, embroidery, quilting, and digitizing for a wide range of age groups, so Quilt Lizzy is looking at classes for costumes in this cosplay genre. 

That’s not the only venue for garments construction.  Here on the east coast, the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival has an annual Wearable Art Competition. If you’re interested in either the Full Ensemble or the Vest/Jacket/Coat division, your deadline for entering is January 21, 2025.  Prizes range from $800 for Best of Show, $400 for Best Full Ensemble, $250 for Best Vest/Jacket/Coat and $100 for Viewers’ Choice.  Honorable Mentions and Judge’s Choice earn ribbons. There are rules for construction and fees for entering, but the show is amazing.  If you can, drop by the new show February 27 - March 2, 2025, at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, VA. and search online for previous winners. 

Let us know what you’re really wanting for clothing classes.  Whether skill or product driven, we’ll commit to learning if there’s a demand.