Does Anyone Tailor their own Clothes?

People here DIY all sorts of things. What about clothing?

I mentioned in the Bodybuilding/Powerlifting thread about my struggle finding clothes that fit properly. The big advice in another group was "Learn to tailor your own clothes. No one is built like the shapeless blocks clothes come off the rack in."

So, who does tailoring jobs on their own clothes? How much of an investment is it to start? How much time/work is it?

I used to and am needing to start up again. Minimal investment. Spend $100 or so at Walmart and buy a machine. Practice acceleration, braking, turn, and maintaining a consistent line on junk clothes from the thrift store.

Buy clothes that fit in some areas and are too big in others, and bring the big parts in.

I've done it occasionally when needed, since I don't do it often it takes me more time but not too long. To taper and hem a pair of pants is maybe an hour or so. In my opinion it's like bodywork where the prep and setup takes most of the time then the actual sewing goes quick. 

Estate sales are a good place to get a full setup. You can find a sewing machine and boxes of thread/pins/tools etc for cheap. Thrift stores often have older working machines for $20 or under also. 

In reply to Beer Baron :

Sewing Machines have been a topic here before.  I remember writing about them...

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/learn-me-somesewing-machines/182534/page1/

The TLDR is: buy an old one.

I used to staple my pants cuffs in my office when they dragged and wore out.  

I used to V notch out my 32" waistband jeans when I started putting in weight in the mid-1980's.

Just remembered my neighbor has been trying to give me a sewing machine but I don't need two. If you want I can see if she still wants to get rid of it and make sure it's working.

No experience actually tailoring clothes, but a fair amount sewing all sorts of other things. Usually apparently wrong, at least according to my mother and grandmother, but nothing ever fell apart or couldn't be redone if I made a mistake. 
Reminds me I need to buy a machine. Doing anything by hand takes forever. 

EvanB said:

Just remembered my neighbor has been trying to give me a sewing machine but I don't need two. If you want I can see if she still wants to get rid of it and make sure it's working.

Sure. That would be great. I figure it wouldn't be too hard to find a used Singer or Brother for ~$40. That would be worth it for dress shirts that actually fit properly - with room to move my shoulders to hold a steering wheel, and not a giant tent around my middle.

A sewing machine is a camshaft-driven device. If it has been sitting a long time, it may need some care. My oldest one sat in a box too long. I got it running smoothly, but the tensioner was shot. Ran when parked.

If it runs well when you look at it, you are golden.

It's also not super expensive to have done at your local drycleaners. Most also do alterations in my experience. 

Beer Baron said:

EvanB said:

Just remembered my neighbor has been trying to give me a sewing machine but I don't need two. If you want I can see if she still wants to get rid of it and make sure it's working.

Sure. That would be great. I figure it wouldn't be too hard to find a used Singer or Brother for ~$40. That would be worth it for dress shirts that actually fit properly - with room to move my shoulders to hold a steering wheel, and not a giant tent around my middle.

False alarm, she already got rid of it. 

I sorta do.  I'm an avid seamster and do a lot of stuff like drapes, pants, and stuff, but I'm not very good at tailoring.  I can make something by following directions and a pattern, but I'm not the best at modifying.

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

It's also not super expensive to have done at your local drycleaners. Most also do alterations in my experience. 

Same experience here. I would love to learn, but never sit down to do it. $20 at the drycleaner gets my suit pants let out/taken in and hemmed, and my suit coat taken in a little so it doesn't look like a tent. 

Never had them do shirts though. 

Another vote for paying someone. I was never happy with my results, paying someone else is worth the money generally. 

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

It's also not super expensive to have done at your local drycleaners. Most also do alterations in my experience. 

I hem clothes and do basic alterations quite often. My mom is a quilter and made sure I knew how to run a sewing machine before I was out of grade school. Since my wife and daughter are quite petite, I get lots of practice. The basics are easy to get right: hemming, some darts to give a little shape, etc. Finer garments or more complicated jobs I'll outsource for sure. Like adjusting sleeve length on dress shirts or anything with a liner. Alterations are usually pretty inexpensive but do call a few places to check their rates. 

Any basic sewing machine will suit fine. Some of the more advanced machines have features you might use once in a blue moon but mostly it's stuff you don't need. If you're trying to hem denim and thicker stuff, you should stick to the bigger name machines. 

In reply to Mezzanine :

Agreed.  Buttonholer, zig-zag, and adjustable stitch width.  If you're doing heavy stuff like denim and heavier, you might need a Bernina or Janome because they're known for their power.

Elna, White, Singer, Brother, and other entry-level hobbyist machines are fine.  Brother got into the game a little late and they make pretty wimpy stuff, but it works great on most apparel fabrics.

I have a Riccar (defunct manufacturer), a Brother, an Elna, and an industrial Singer at work.  The industrial will sew darn near anything.  It was originally set up for leather, so it would probably sew through a rock.  1/3hp clutch drive.  It unfortunately lacks features like zig zag.  The only adjustment is stitch feed.  It doesn't even have a reverse.

FBM for a $50 machine with attachments, and you're in business.  I have three good machines here and I would part with one, but shipping will likely kill any bargain.

Pretty much all of the machines you'll encounter are bulletproof and any parts it might need will be either available or universal.  I sent my Riccar to the shop afraid that they wouldn't be able to find parts because they company sold out in 1985, but the one bearing they found was bad was a universal 20mm x 10mm and it was super simple.

The nice thing is that you'll encounter one of two bobbin styles, one of two needle styles, and the rest is gravy.  You can buy a random machine on FBM and know that you can buy parts for it.

Tailoring your own clothes can be a game-changer. I started doing it after a hiking trip where my pants just wouldn't cooperate. It's surprisingly not as daunting as it seems! I remember spending a weekend learning the basics, and now it's a breeze. Plus, it's saved me loads on alterations.

nothing to add to the topic but it's fun when I come home and my wife asks me to fix her sewing machine.  Rethread it or run a new bobbin...it's never anything complicated.

I managed a small industrial sewing shop before my transfer to the office.  I've picked up enough to almost be dangerous on any machine downstairs.  

I have an old Singer sewing machine made for schools so medium duty ,  good enough for shortening my pants and making covers for my EZ-Up canopies etc , 

It is pretty simple once you figure out how to thread the bobbin and needle  , 

But like everything it takes  a lot of cubic hours to get  do it like a Pro.

I don't but I once worked with a deck hand on a river boat that would get a box of T-shirt rags out of the engine room and sort of re-constitute a shirt. Some people sit around a tie knots. He sewed scraps of T-shirts together.

In reply to AutumnLover :

Welcome to the party!!!  

My mother can sew anything, and I still ask her to hem pants and tailor certain things. Its a great resource to have.