Why You Should Sew Clothes For Yourself (And Not Just For Kids!) with Tessa of Tessa Does

February 11, 2021 8 Comments

Hi, my name is Tessa from @Tessadoes and I love to sew for my kids. You too? 

I think we both know that when it comes to adorable fabrics for kiddos, Raspberry Creek Fabrics is beyond compare. It’s totally easy to make coordinating pieces or capsule wardrobes, their prints are AH-dorable, and the CLUB cotton jersey and French terry are great bases for kiddos. 

But I’ve noticed that there is a significant group of people who sew exclusively (and beautifully!) for kiddos and I wonder if that’s you?

I think sewing for the kids in your life is absolutely lovely — I try to do it as often as I can. But here are a few reasons why you might consider sewing for yourself and with RCF fabrics, too. I’m also including one of my favorite “grown-up” makes that shows that RCF really does have fabric options for everyone, kids and adults alike. 

By the way, I’ll share more about my fabric and pattern choices below, but if  you are mostly interested in the fabric I’m featuring here it is Blush French Terry and modal stripe and they are dreamy together. ;)

4 Reasons You Should Consider Sewing for Yourself (and with Raspberry Creek Fabrics)

Fit Matters

First of all, I think that you should consider sewing for yourself because you can make clothing that fits your unique body. I’ll be honest, sewing for my kids is appealing because they are straight sized and don’t require many pattern adjustments. It’s pretty simple to sew for them and I know that the end result will be worth the effort -- though they might grow out of it in about 6 months depending on when the growth spurts hit.

However, now that I understand my body more and the personal adjustments I require, sewing for myself results in clothing that actually FITS. As a fairly short and very curvy person, RTW (store bought) clothing that actually fits me as the designer intended is a rare occurrence. It has been more than worth the time and energy to understand my body measurements and create garments that fit correctly -- and it’s easier than ever to learn. Blending between sizes has been an absolute game-changer for me and the fact that I can get a correct fit at both my shoulders AND my hips -- life-changing. This level of personalization is really only accessible when you have custom-made clothing, and is one of the biggest reasons to sew for yourself and not just your kiddos.

Availability of “Grown Up” Fabrics 

Secondly, making clothing for adults has never been easier because there are so many gorgeous “grown-up” fabric options to select from. RCF has those adorable CLUB prints and coordinates -- and those make lovely statement pieces for adults and full wardrobes for kids. But RCF has loads of fabrics that are perfect for more sophisticated, grown-up looks. Lately, I have preferred using solids, but I definitely have fallen in love with some florals and prints, too. Here are a few of my favorite grown-up friendly fabrics available on the Raspberry Creek Fabrics website right now:

• DBP I love using DBP for slightly dressier tops and cute wrap dresses. 
• Modal This makes the coziest PJs and loveliest simple tees. 
• Medium Weight Rayon Linen I’m loving the tiered and gathered dress styles I’ve been seeing lately and I know we are going to see this all over this spring. 
• Solid French Terry I’m all about the cozy athleisure wear this winter -- joggers and hoodies are everything!

 Pattern Options Galore

Another reason that you might consider breaking away from sewing exclusively for kids and also sew for yourself is because there are SO MANY PATTERN options. We all know that it takes more than just fabric to make a garment you’ll love to wear. In the last few years, indie pattern designers have continued to design garments that are comfortable, lovely to wear, and complimentary to the body. These are people who design for REAL wearers -- not just for one sample size model. The other HUGE benefit of indie patterns is that the designers typically get lots of feedback from real people with a great variety of body types. Their feedback and testing help to create patterns that are responsive and thoughtful. Additionally, pattern designers have been listening to their customers over the last few years and are continuing to expand sizing offerings and offer built-in FBAs (full bust adjustments), fitting workbooks, and tons of support and community for sewing adult clothing. I mean, when’s the last time Ann Taylor LOFT actually listened and responded to your feedback on the fit of their dress pants? 

Self-care is Important

Lastly, I have found that sewing for myself (and not just my kids) has given me opportunities for self-care. In this past year, I have felt pulled to prioritize almost everything and everyone else before my own needs. I am sure I am not alone in this. Willingly (and sometimes not-so-willingly!), I have had to sacrifice my time, my job, my energy, my personal care, and my mental space in order to deal with the effects of the pandemic. While all of these sacrifices were and continue to be necessary, they unfortunately resulted in my own self-care being put on the farthest back-burner of the stove. However, one thing that I was able to continue to do was to sew for myself. The time and energy poured into creating clothing that made me feel great -- completely worth it. Sewing for yourself affirms that you are worthy of feeling good and that it’s ok to spend time and resources on caring for yourself. 

Now for my “grown up” make. Today I’m showing off my Whistler from Love Notions PDF Sewing Patterns.  It’s a hoodie, pullover, and dress (!) pattern which just recently got an update with lots of new features.

I wanted something super comfortable and soft (as well as durable) so I used the Blush French Terry for the main and slightly hacked the hood to have a contrast fabric with the RCF modal black and white stripe. You can learn how I did the modified hood here. Here are the fabric links:  Blush French Terry and modal stripe ;)

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