While most of my sewing is for myself, I do enjoy occasionally branching out and sewing for others (the golden rule: don’t ask/badger me to do it!). Here are some of my faves – excluding Christmas makes which get their own showcase.
First up, two garments for my little brother Tom: Thread Theory‘s Strathcona Henley and Jebediah Shorts. I love Thread Theory: their patterns are modern, well fitting and appropriately masculine. I made the henley from Robert Kaufmann laguna jersey which was gorgeous to work with, and the shorts from cotton twill. Boys clothes are so fun to make – no pesky curves to deal with!
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| Thread Theory Strathcona Henley |
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| Thread Theory Jebediah shorts |
For my summer-housemate Andrea, the freebie StyleArc Rosie top to add to her black ponte peplum wardrobe (trust me, she’s got a lot). I keep on meaning to make one for myself but haven’t quite got around to it yet… hopefully soon.
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| StyleArc Rosie top |
This summer, I whipped up a quick Moneta maxi for my pregnant friend Anna as the perfect casual everyday just-throw-it-on dress and it got lots of wear, including at her baby shower.
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| Maternity Moneta Maxi |
And finally, my canine friends! Emily’s dogs got a new tweed dog bed courtesy of Zimman’s fabrics and a night on my serger.
Do you sew for friends and family, or do you have a strict no-sewing-for-others policy? I love doing the occasional project, especially if it becomes a loved garment, but too much definitely wears you out. Keep a watchout for more updates on this year’s Christmas presents though!
All beautiful! I am fairly relentlessly selfish (I’ve never sewn anything for my dog!) but will on the rare occasion buckle under pressure.
There’s definitely nothing wrong with sewing for yourself – one thing I will say is that almost no-one appreciates the true extent of the time and effort that goes into sewn garments! I’m trying to train everyone to realize that pressure doesn’t work with me though 😀
I’m sort of like you. I don’t like to be pushed into making for other people. But still, I love making shirts and such like for my husband. Among other things I made him a pinstripe vest last month that I was really happy with. If you want to see it you can find it at my blog, http://www.topstitched.net.
Wow that vest is beautiful! Your husband is a lucky man
How nice you are to undertake these projects for other people!! I am not so kind; I struggle with sewing for other people because I usually find it dull and tedious and tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to make it perfect, which can take all the fun out of the sewing. My husband has gotten 2 things, and I’ve got 2 other vaguely queued projects for others, but I aim not to make a habit of it! =)
When I sew for others I usually either do something super easy (like the Moneta – only took about 2 hours!) or I try something new for the first time – for instance, I did my first fly on the Jebediah pants, and I recently made duffle coats in miniature for a friend’s kids! But it makes all the difference if it isn’t “to order” with a particular timeline – that makes things miserable…
When I sew for others I usually either do something super easy (like the Moneta – only took about 2 hours!) or I try something new for the first time – for instance, I did my first fly on the Jebediah pants, and I recently made duffle coats in miniature for a friend’s kids! But it makes all the difference if it isn’t “to order” with a particular timeline – that makes things miserable…
Wonderful! These all look lovely! I actually enjoy sewing for other people… it gives me a chance to try new things that I couldn’t/wouldn’t wear. I particularly enjoy sewing for my mom and sister because their taste is easy for me to predict and the small town that they moved to has crummy shopping options, so they don’t find it easy to buy new clothes.
What a good friend you are! I’m a shocker at sewing for others. I’ve made a few things for my daughter and my mum but that’s it. I really should try and do more. I want to knit my mum a cardigan for Mother’s Day. Fingers crossed I can make that happen!