Apart from two years of sewing class in high school where I made some ill-advised palazzo pants, a skirt that unravelled on its first outing and an asymmetrical pair of flannel cat pyjamas, my foray into fashion design has been rather unsuccessful.
The itch to make stuff continued and slowly filtered into making my own headbands, changing buttons and detailing on vintage finds (particularly coats and cardigans) and plain t-shirts and general glue-gun abuse.
For the crafty among us, or those who just want to try their hand at making their own clothing and accessories without investing in the requisite sewing machine, Vancouver
Both a retail store and a studio space to make your own clothing – there will be sewing machines that you can pay-by-the-hour to rent during store hours along with large cutting tables, irons, dress forms and other sewing accessories. There will also be sewing workshops and classes with instruction from expert sewers and crafters.
The idea is a similar one to a very popular concept that I go to in London
I know all this DIY self can sometimes go awry and no one wants to look like they're wearing something they fished out of the bin and glue-gunned some lace onto. You don't have to be an expert, I can attest to the fact that all you need is an idea and some guidance and before you know it you may even be tempted to open up your own Etsy.com online shop to peddle your wares. It's a lot easier than it sounds and reminds me of those glorious DIY projects I used to do when I read Teen Vogue and I once made a t-shirt out of a pillowcase and went on a date in it (true story) much like in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypqNfk__qc8
Teen Vogue actually have some really easy ideas on how to embellish and add things onto plain clothing yourself, like this article on how designer Brian Reyes embellished a plain white t-shirt with some simple gold washers (you can buy at any hardware store) and a glue gun.
I know all this DIY self can sometimes go awry and no one wants to look like they're wearing something they fished out of the bin and glue-gunned some lace onto. You don't have to be an expert, I can attest to the fact that all you need is an idea and some guidance and before you know it you may even be tempted to open up your own Etsy.com online shop to peddle your wares. It's a lot easier than it sounds and reminds me of those glorious DIY projects I used to do when I read Teen Vogue and I once made a t-shirt out of a pillowcase and went on a date in it (true story) much like in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypqNfk__qc8
Teen Vogue actually have some really easy ideas on how to embellish and add things onto plain clothing yourself, like this article on how designer Brian Reyes embellished a plain white t-shirt with some simple gold washers (you can buy at any hardware store) and a glue gun.
A few good shops to purchase DIY fashion and sewing supplies:
Button Button ( a little shop in Gastown at 318 Homer St.
Got Craft? Is also holding a spring indie craft fair with over 55 local and handmade vendors. It's on Sunday May 10th from 10am-5pm at the Royal Canadian Legion 2205 Commercial Drive
You'll be sporting your own handmade lace bolero in no time. However, I would advise not wearing pillowcase shirts on dates.
Opening Spring 2010:
Spool of Thread
V5T 2R6
http://www.spoolofthread.com
another great place to purchase buttons is buttonpie.com
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