Some days I look at my fabric stash and I feel a little guilty. All the time and effort and the investment I made in it. It makes you start to wonder, can sewing really be as affordable as buying ready to wear clothing?
The first place I always start with is my fabric choices. Fabrics are going to vary on prices, custom prints are always going to cost a little more because of the time and resources that goes into them, but on average our fabrics cost $8.99 per yard. I decided it was time for a challenge. For one yard of fabric, I can get a shirt for myself, a shirt for my 3 year old, and use the scraps to make at least one pair of underwear. That's about $2.99 each item when you break it down. That sounds pretty great. I decided to go to one of my favorite stores and see what I could get for $8.99. Searching around and wandering for far too long, I discovered the most I could get was one item of clothing, but just one.
So now I wanted to take it one step further. What if I could recreate an outfit from one of my favorite stores? How would it measure up price wise? So I set off in search of an outfit. I found this very cute twist top and some cute denim shorts. In total the outfit was $37.98. Then I figured out what I could use to make it. I would love to use some our Viscose bamboo and some of our indigo stretch denim. To make the exact same outfit, it's a total of $17.99, AND I would have some leftover to make other items with the scraps!
*Pictures are from Target*
Alright, let's take it one step further. Just how much can I maximize my fabric? I grabbed one of our bundle deals, 3 yards rayon spandex/1 yard dbp for $31. I had to be really thoughtful on what I wanted to make. Really be purposeful in how I cut out everything. When I was all said and done, I used every single scrap of fabric I had. Nothing went to the bin. I ended up getting twelve items from it, TWELVE! That averages out to around $2.58 an item. I made: 1 tee, 1 pair of shorts, 2 pairs of joggers for my daughters, 3 pairs of underwear, 1 tank top for my son, and 4 scrunchies. I could have gotten even more for me out of it if i wouldn't have decided to share with my kids!
I think it speaks for itself. Sewing can be completely affordable, if not BETTER than buying ready to wear. Not to mention all the advantages that sewing has in general. Of course there can always be projects that are done solely for the thrill of "I made this". So next time you look at your fabric stash, think about how many projects you can get out of those yards, how much joy it gives you, and how much more you can get!
2 comments
Danni Armstrong
I loved this breakdown, but you forgot to add shipping to your calculations.
Karen Maurage-Knudslien
This is a great blog because I’ve truly wondered about the thousands of dollars of fabric stash I own. I’m in Canada so purchases from the U.S. will cost more due to the exchange rate, shipping and customs. However I’ve also priced out the Canadian prices and found that if I buy in bulk from your shop (which I have) the cost per yard including additional costs STILL come out cheaper than per metre here. I love your fabric so much and now I know how much I can get out of it. What a win-win.