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I am in the middle of redoing my oldest dd's room. I have spent the last week preping and painting her walls and today she is moving back in. She will only have her new dresser and bed until we find the other pieces to coordinate. There is so much I am wanting to do to create the best room for her personality that if I had to make the curtains and bedding it would drag this project out way too long. Anyways, we already found the bedding and curtains that are perfect for her. No way could I make them for the price I am paying. They have way too much detail and the fabric would be expensive per yard.
I totally agree time is money and most of the time it just is cheaper to buy.
Lea
[img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img]
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Go for the PB sheers! Even if they only match the room theme for a couple years, re-use them to make a fairy tent outside or a dressing screen. I'm crazy here; we move the furniture etc. all the time and I repaint/ makeover every year. It gives me something to do. The hooping, rehooping, and thread changes do get tedious on the machine and the extras cost far too much. Buy your basics and make your accents. PB is such quality and we've never had any materials wear poorly. Who knows...the pink ticking bed skirt for the crib can be cut and used as lamp shade covers for the bigger girl room. Add a little elastic and trim and the shades transform into skirts for the build-a-bears. You have an on going, coordinated, theme room with a twist! [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img] ~Bugs
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I agree . . . sewing is not economical. Add onto that that the fabric is not always the best quality. I wanted to make my own pajamas to learn how to use a real pattern. I went to the expensive store in town (as opposed to Jo-Ann), assuming they would have nicer fabric. Despite using an oversized pattern and double-stitching everything, the material ripped . . . not even on a seam, the material just ripped on its own. I would never sew an outfit for myself again! Then I've been working on a quilt . . . for years. I can't afford to buy the amount of materials and fabric that go into this thing. When you see a quilt selling for $150 -- that's a good deal!
I would think sheers would be very difficult to sew. I have a difficult time sewing with any fancy fabrics, such as sheers, thin material, and shiny fabrics. Maybe that's another reason to go for the pre-made ones. [img]wink.gif[/img]
The only thing I feel is economical when sewing is doll clothing. I can make something for as little as $1, or even for free (for smaller dolls, using leftover scraps). As long as you always have 1/4" elastic on hand, and some spare buttons in a button box, that's all you need! [img]smile.gif[/img]
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(Sorry Laurie for going OT)
Melissa, I love quilting but have decided to only do baby quilts. I made a queen size quilt for my bed. Invested about 6 months into piecing and sewing, and about $100 into fabric and thread. I don't have a long arm machine norm the space or abilities to quilt it by hand. The cheapest I can get it quilted for is about $200.
So it's going to just stay a top for awhile.
With the baby quilts, I can squeeze them through my machine for quilting...
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I agree, do the sheers. I just bought myself a sewing machine to make AG clothes, thinking, "Well, in the long run it will be cheaper than buying them..." Oh, run. First, there's the economic cost of your labor. Then the patterns, materials, thread. To buy high quality fabric today is more expensive than buying the finished product in the store. That's why I've actually started buying sheets, baby clothes, etc. from GW for my doll projects. The fabric prints are cute and they don't cost as much as at the store.
I'm the opposite of you, Dianasmama--I love sewing, hate hate hate cutting! It seems so tedious to me. Maybe you could mail me your quilts and I could mail you my patterns and fabric that need to be cut [img]wink.gif[/img] .
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Buy the curtains. Some things just aren't worth the time and effort.
I have an embroidery machine too and you are soooo right about re-hooping. Yuk.
I do make heirloom dresses for my granddaughters because I love to smock etc, but nothing for anyone else. Occasionally doll clothes. I have tons of fabric for the dolls, but only three outfits so far.
Now to a christning dress and a portriat dress, then back to the dollies.
<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ March 02, 2006 05:56 PM: Message edited by: Geneobug ]</font>
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I have to jump in on the quilt topic.
My mother has made many, many, many quilts. She always pieced and quilted them by hand. She has a large quilting frame that rolls the quilts up as she goes. She had it made by the amish. She has made so many amazing quilts.
She has macular degeneration, now, and can't see to do the hand stitching....
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I sew because I love doing it, not really to save money. I also do it to make original things. I like dressing in things I can't find elsewhere. Also, I plan on making myself costumes--a Renfaire one and a Victorian Tea one, and people sell those for upwards of 300-400 dollars! Yowch! I have a full lenght duck and poly cloak I wear a lot of places, and I know it would have cost at least 100-200 to buy else where. So, it might be more work to make it myself, but I get the satisfaction of saying I made something when I do. I also make unique stuffed animals. For me, it's a relaxing thing to do. And when it brings in money... [img]smile.gif[/img]
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Why am I not at all surprised that there are a fair number of us who are sewers? And, I, like most of you, am serious about rationalizing the time that I spend on sewing projects. Meaning, I make it a point to know the cost of making an item vs. buying it ready-made. I LOVE to sew - clothing, AG doll clothing, home dec projects, quilts and mixed-media art projects. But, since spare time for sewing is at a premium, I make sure that I spend it on special items.
With that said, I say buy. If making them was a serious option...then you probably would not be debating the issue and posing the question. $60/panel seems like a lot - but you can certainly justify the purchase if you think that the panels will be around for a while. And how much will you REALLY save by making them??? You might be able to create something similar - but you may still regret not just splurging!
PS - I also know how hard it is to rationalize buying something (especially costly) when you have the talent to make it yourself. This is why I rarely by clothes...because I always think that I can make it cheaper...and it never gets made! Good luck!
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I am not a sewer but I say buy the sheers. We have a similar version to those PBK sheers. We have ones from last year that have a ric rac trim running through it like the ribbon on the sheer you showed.
Kailey's room is a girlie blue & lavendar. I was so excited to finally find thr right shade of lavendar valance. Her room has been a labor or love. I had to find just the right everything. But after 3 years it all came together very nicely. I hope she never grows out if it!
Lara (who is in denial about her daughter)
Edited to say that I can not beleive that the ric rac sheers that I bought 7 months ago for $60 are now only $15!!!! Argh
Lara
<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ March 02, 2006 09:44 PM: Message edited by: Kitzka ]</font>
