Feb 20
Howdy Dieters,
I wanted to get the community’s input on making your own clothes. I’m thinking of making myself a summer dress. Is this cheating? I was thinking I would buy some quality organic and fair trade fabric.
Let me know what you think.
Amy
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I’m only a lurker on this blog but I think making your own clothes is different than buying clothes. For one thing, there won’t be that instant gratification you get from going to a store and coming out with something you can immediately out on your back. In addition, you are creating something: there’s a process involved. So I say it’s NOT cheating.
Sewing is fine. Go crazy!
Thanks!
Thank you, I wasn’t certain of the rules.
I think it’s a fabulous idea!
I have wondered about this too. I am a sew-ist and knitter. I would think that if I use yarn and fabric that I already own to make a garment, then it is within the rules of TGAAD. If you have to buy it special, not so much.
What does Sally have to say about this?
oops! Sorry, I just saw that Sally did respond. So that is okay to buy fabric, thread, zippers, buttons, etc to construct a garment, but not to purchase those same items already done up in a garment? Hmmmm, that seems a little inconsistent to me.
Does it make a difference if the member sews it her or himself? If he or she hires a tailor to construct the garment is that allowed?
If the idea is to not buy any new clothes for a year, then I think the rules have to be that one does not purchase materials for new clothes either. Like I said previously, if you already have the fabric or yarn in your stash, then you are not adding to your collection, then that seems to fit in the rules. To buy new with the purpose of constructing your own garment, seems to be really stretching the intent of this exercise.
Of course, this is all my humble opinion and interpretation of the rules.
Well, I think sewing is or is not cheating based on your goal in the Diet. I don’t know if simply not buying is the directive as much as trying to get us to contemplate why we buy and to get us to consider the ramifications of our purchases. I mean eventually you will have to buy clothes again.
Sewing does circumvent most of the problems with off-the-rack items: exploitation of others, exploitation of resources and the instant gratification Carol mentions (these are my concerns with consumerism). Sewing does prevent the wastefulness inherent in Wal-Mart and H&M’s buy-and-toss culture. Sewing something you would want to wear does take time. However, the notions are somewhat problematic; try to find buttons not made in China. I can find quality notions not made in China or with exploited workers in the Fashion district in NYC–but it is not easy and NOT cheap.
And this too, of course, is my humble opinion.
I wonder if you can recycle some buttons from a no longer used garment? or find a sewing friend who has a large button stash who would love the chance to share some of it with you.
I know that I have been sewing for most of my life, as did my mother and grandmothers. I have buttons from all of them and my own in my stash. I try to use from those I already have before buying new.
You know, I forgot that my mother and grandmother use to do that before they would toss out clothing. I have not removed buttons from a garment I tossed out in ages. Mostly, this is because pretty buttons are the sort of minutia manufacturers ignore.
This suggestions reminded me of something from the past: looking through the button box for the shiny ones.
Thanks