1. Analyze Your Colors and Style 2. Analyze Your Closet Pull dogs— put into doggie bags. Organize remains, including shoes, bags, jewelry and other accessories into monochromatic outfits. Isolate orphans who have no partner with the same color. (An outfit should always include at least two items of each color worn.) Good sources for needed accessory items to complete your outfits include yard sales, flea markets, discount stores, sidewalk vendors, store sales.

3. Make a Master List.

Using the four-piece go-anywhere outfit concept [jacket, skirt, pants, shirt/blouse], list what you need to complete your outfits and to provide families for your orphans.

Organize by color. Some items may just be used as accents— organize these into sets of twos.

4. Analyze Your Fabrics

Put fabrics with clothing you already have to see if they can be used to complete sets—. If so, check on linings, zippers, notions. Here again, get rid of dogs. Check patterns and buttons too.

5. Make a Shopping List for the Fabric Store.

Use separate headings such as fabric, linings, buttons, padding, notions, stiffening. As you determine sewing needs write them down with the needed yardage. Attach swatches.

6. If possible, WAIT FOR THE SALES.

Put yourself on mailing lists. Watch for ads in the papers. While you wait, sew what you already have.

7. Shopping in the Fabric Store

Pull your wits together— you are NOT in heaven— THINK!

8. Remember these tips:

a. The most expensive items in the store are those that are the best displayed and the easiest to get.

b. Price does not always determine quality. DIG— examine the whole store— go into the bargain basement and examine the bottom of piles. Take your time— an extra half-hour may yield a ten to twenty dollar savings.

c. Look through zippers, buttons, old patterns, junk. Make SURE the fabrics you are buying match your swatches and clothing you have brought with you. Take them to the window and check.

d. Pile up the fabric, interfacing, lining and check the result.

e. Talk to other customers— they are good for opinions and shopping tips.

f. If you are a student

REMEMBER TO ASK ABOUT YOUR STUDENT DISCOUNT

SEWING TIPS


NEATNESS COUNTS

Keep your supplies and workspace in reasonable order.

Organize by color - all red threads together, etc.

Throw as you go.

Finish as you go.

PLAN

Organize and shop for your future wardrobe by your color palette.

Analyze what you need and make that.

Make items that turn garments you already have into outfits.

Buy enough of most fabrics to make at LEAST two garments. (It’s OK to make one of the garments now, and the other two years from now.)

Work in units. Make several garments from the same pattern while you have your head into that pattern.

Check for shadowing BEFORE cutting your skirts. Stand outside in the bright sunlight. Hold the fabric around you. Have your neighbor check whether you will need to line the skirt.

Use clothing you have already made as the muslins for your next projects. Pin them differently, see how a sash might look, experiment with shorter sleeves, etc. to determine how you can change them slightly to have something new without doing too much work.

TAKE YOUR TIME AS YOU SEW

Set your patterns up so all problems are out of them before you cut and sew the garments. If possible, cut all pieces before starting to sew.

Concentrate on the garment you are making. Make it so beautiful you will want to wear it the rest of your life.

Use the sewing machine as though you were hand sewing.

Fix as you go.

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF

Take breaks. Drink water. Exercise. A good stretch can make the rest of the afternoon more pleasurable. Don’t sew when you are tired.

DON’T DRIVE YOURSELF NUTS
Although anything that can go wrong, will; there is almost nothing in sewing that can’t be fixed. When something goes wrong, take a break, think it over, come up with a solution. The solution may give you a better garment than you would have had if nothing had gone wrong.

IF IT WORKS, USE IT. IF IT WORKS, YOU’VE GOT IT RIGHT.