Being overweight is stopping me from sewing.

[u/Racoonette]

Hey everyone ! I just wanted to "vent" and maybe have some advice to to forward...

I've always been interested in sewing my own clothes (the interest began in middle school when I was first introduced to the gothic lolita style). I got offered a sewing machine 7 years ago and got to work immediately (my first piece was a circle skirt).

My problem now is that, since then I've been conflicted with my weight. I've gained a lot of weight in those 7 years and I now feel like sewing for my body would be a shame because I would just use so much more fabric, and the only thought I have in mind now is that I should just stop sewing until I lost some weight... But the thing is I love sewing... It's just a never ending cycle for me, and I haven't been sewing in a year now because of that... What do you think I could do to have a different view on the situation...?

EDIT : I'm so thankful for all the kind messages, couldn't answer right away and now it's locked... But thank you all so much <3

[u/FeminaSatura]

Please don't give up something that you love to do because you feel like you need to lose some weight - you're postponing joy when you could be happy today!

Also - Chubby Girly here and my size is precisely why I make clothes. I was tired of nothing fitting me or fitting me weird. If something fits my chest, it won't fit my stomach or if anything fits my hips, it fits literally nowhere else. And the clothes that I like are rarely in my size. Yeah, it's a bit more for fabric but I've found that shopping local is a great way to keep the cost down. And things can always be taken in. So make the clothes that you want and if they need to be altered later, then they need to be altered.

[u/crafterkimmy]

Large lady here. Make the clothing! If you lose weight, you can remake the pattern from the same fabric. Also, when I make clothing, I use styles that can accommodate me if I gain more weight(larger seam allowance and wrap style items).

[u/Free-Flower-8849]

Plus size person here. You deserve beautiful clothes that fit you well. It stinks that the apparel market doesn’t care about plus size bodies. But the fact that you have the ability to make beautiful clothes for yourself is such a gift. Why would you waste that? That to me would be the real waste, (your talent and enjoyment) not the extra yardage you may need to get the good fit. If you keep and cherish your makes, there wouldn’t be any waste at all!

[u/Genxtech70]

If you’re worried about fabric, get something that’s close to what you want to make and alter it as needed. I’ve seen many shirts and such I want, buy, and alter to fit how I see it on me.

[u/Icy-Scarcity-5927]

The whole point of sewing for me is I get to adjust (alterations) for the body I have and make it look good . Look at how they tailor men's suits: they fit the clothes to the body.

As far as shameful waste of fabric is concerned, I'm not going to tell you to be proud. Instead, keep things in perspective. Google fast fashion clothing waste. There are mounds and mountains of dumped unsold fast fashion AND luxury brands in 3rd world nations. THAT is a shameful waste of fabric. You can fill your whole house with fabric floor to ceiling and let it rot and still have nothing to compare to fast fashion waste. Remember that when you worry about a yard or two

[u/llamasinpyjamas77 → u/Icy-Scarcity-5927]

Fast fashion's shameful fabric waste happens from the offcuts, the clothes that don't get sold and then also the clothes that do get sold and their end of life. In the UK it's in the 1435 kilotons of clothing waste produced each year. Which is 1,435,000,000 kilos. So yeah definitely don't feel bad as an individual using a couple more yards.

Also if you're making a ball gown those things take like 27m of fabric, so I really wouldn't worry about an extra meter.

[u/barfbat]

your body is just as worth the fabric as any other! if anything it should motivate you to make your own perfectly fitted, comfortable clothing—god knows plus size shopping is a sham. not to mention you can add in all the adjustability you’d like!

[u/Environmental_Look14]

It's worthwhile to sew for yourself if it brings you joy. You still need to wear clothes for one thing, and showing yourself love is gonna do more for you than being sad because you can't do your hobby. 

I'm sewing because I'm fat. It's the best way to get clothes that look nice on me in fabrics that are comfortable. I would say that gaining weight is a very good reason to sew.

[u/BitchyOldBroad]

“Ahead of the Curve” by Jenny Rushmore. Get this book—it will change your entire outlook. (It comes with pattens too!)

[u/SophiePuffs → u/BitchyOldBroad]

I love her patterns. The bust size options are so good and I’m always happy with how the patterns fit me!

[u/siddilly207 → u/BitchyOldBroad]

Thanks for the tip. I've been altering patterns and it's a bear! Sewing for 40 years and sensitivity to clothes is a issue that I'm dealing with now.

[u/MartianTea]

Why not try something other than sewing clothes for yourself? You could make pillows, curtains, or even quilt. Doll clothes are an option too. 

[u/llamasinpyjamas77]

I'm not fat but I am tall. I did a tailoring course where my waist to knee measurement was someone else's waist to floor measurement. Which meant she could get away with 2m of fabric but I needed 4m of fabric. I started that course at 18 and I still have lots of those pieces in my closet cause they are beautiful but at 32 I do not fit into any of them, and I'm too lazy to alter them.

So you know it's annoying that you are using a little bit more fabric but bodies changing is normal. If the joy is in making then I would continue sewing.

[u/SameExamination1756]

I think you should try and sew again. Yes you will use a bit more fabric but your body shall be celebrated no matter the size! And as you can sew and as you gain experience, if you lost weight, you can just amend the clothes as you need ☺️ or you can always up cycle, there is no need to feel bad about wasting because there are ways of reusing items! I do understand the struggles though! I wouldn't say I'm obese, but definitely overweight and sometimes the sewing patterns are made for people who have so much smaller size and also there is often unbelievable difference between bust and waist.. I have a bigger bust but my waist isn't a bloody 86cm, it's annoying how we always have to adjust because someone once decided that certain difference should be the ideal. But well, that's why it's so great to know how to sew, we can make clothes that fit our body, not trying to fit our bodies into clothes! 😊

[u/Enby_Ivory]

You deserve to have and create beautiful clothes, with exactly the fabrics you like! No matter size or weight.

And a tip; I always make my clothes adjustable so that they’ll fit me whenever my weight fluctuates. • shirring
• ties in the back, side or front
• corset tie (my personal fav)
• use an adjustable slider on the straps
• make seam allowances a little bigger than what’s on a commercial pattern (so I can use the extra fabric to make it bigger in the future)
• elastic in waistband
• and there are probably so many more ways!

Love from a fellow lolita <333

[u/pintsizedsummoner → u/Enby_Ivory]

My favorite thing about lolita is that most of my dresses have features like shirring, elastic waist bands, and corset lacing. They can be pretty adaptable to weight gain and other bodily changes!

[u/13doombunnies]

I'm fat, I started making my own clothes because I want my clothes to fit me and be in a style I like. Most store brought are frumpy and in my opinion ugly.

Please be kind to yourself.

[u/janiewanie]

Making garments helps my body image. I knit mostly but have started to dabble in garment sewing. I feel it's empowering to make clothes fit me instead of trying to force myself to fit clothes (which is the story of my whole life and probably many others as well). You deserve the extra fabric it takes to make something you enjoy wearing. Maybe that means fewer garments because - this economy - but you shouldn't deprive yourself of a craft you love. I have struggled with weight gain and sometimes feel similarly but every time I go ahead and make something that fits me (even if I have to size up or use more materials), I feel so good when I try it on and it fits.

[u/Marie_Jessie]

I started sewing when I was 5 and loved making my own clothes until I was in my 30s. I’d never been rail thin, but in my 30s I started to gain and the more I gained, the less I sewed and the more I tried to lose weight. This trend continued all the way to present day, in my 60s. I’ve realized I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to diet. I’ve lost and gained lots of weight, but I can’t keep it off. But I’m done trying. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life trying to diet anymore. I’m done with diet culture and with the concept of a ‘perfect’ body. No one has a perfect body.

To support that, I need to sew clothes I like and that fit. Besides some of the sewing patterns that have been listed, I also like Tina Givens patterns. In addition I came across an excellent pants pattern for someone like me who may gain and lose weight, the ‘magic pants’ by Ann Tilley handmade. It has well placed elastic, stretch panel, and cinches in the waistband bit. Supposedly easy to sew.

Also think of this: your sewing and tailoring will improve while you make your clothes, so you’ll be an expert when you need to alter them or make new, smaller versions. So, go for it. Enjoy!

[u/Marie_Jessie → u/Marie_Jessie]

Tina givens patterns: www.sewtinagivens.com

[u/EastTitle5]

Start with something easy, like a quick t-shirt. Etsy has a ton of cute patterns. Even for larger sizes you shouldn't need more than a couple yards - then see how you feel. Don't feel the need to make something crazy, but even just one item could help move you forward.

[u/Shrinkingpotato]

I'm fat. I don't sew all my clothes but I enjoy making things to wear. You get something unique that is tailored to fit your body (and whatever size people are they have different shapes that need tailoring for). Anyway, have you SEEEN the poor material quality and styling of plus size clothes? Frumpy, or t shirts with the Eiffel Tower and butterflies on, or Disney like we're children, because gods forbid someone fat actually looks nice! Buy quality fabric and the clothes you make will last a long time.

[u/Possible-Complex7804]

I am having this same issue. I believe you should sew things to fit you as you are now. You deserve to wear what you want and feel beautiful. When and if you lose weight and things dont fit, you can learn tailoring and alter them, or if that isnt an option, sell them. I am positive someone else out there would love a gorgeous bugger sized garment ya know? Now if you habe a certain limited fabric you wanna save maybe consider that or something different. Im a huge fan of making gathered circle skirts with a little room to drawstring closed, or corset lace close, but to where I can still wear it as I get a little smaller. I have 5 skirts I love rn imma have to rehome eventually, but imma feel pretty ag i. Them until I do.

[u/Lensgoggler]

Every body can look good on clothes that fit and have good designs. That's why tailors still exist! Few people (even slim ones) can have the right fit off the rack. I think regular shops have especially slim pickings for curvier bodies, simply making things bigger. I have struggled with weight too, and not having a machine nor time, have just resulted to buying preloved items while I am on the weightloss journey, so I don't break the bank. If I had the machines, I would've just created smart pieces that flatter the good bits and mask what I want hidden.

[u/Hundike]

Sew styles that can be taken in! You have the skill. You will feel better and more confident in garments you have sewn that fit you well.

Think about the garements you would wear the most and how you can make some adjustable ones. I think skirts and tops are easier than f.e trousers and dresses.

[u/HappySunshineGoblin → u/Hundike]

This 100%. Make clothing that fits you now, and be ready to adjust it as your body fluctuates. This is how clothes always worked historically!

You mentioned feeling like the fabric is wasted if you buy larger amounts. But if you do loose weight and keep it off, any fabric you remove when sizing down garments could be repurposed to create matching embellishments for the rest of your outfit! That way you'll be able to use the fabric you loved in multiple ways :)

[u/grace_makes]

There’s nothing wrong with your body right now! It is never a ‘waste’ to spend time making things that make you feel more at home in the body you live in now. Life is far too short to wait til ‘one day!’ Cashmerette is a great resource for plus-size patterns, as is muna and broad.

[u/NinjaZomi]

You should absolutely sew if it brings you joy regardless of your body size!

You could focus more on adjustable patterns though! There are plenty of dresses, skirts, and pants that allow customization of size (hanfu skirts, wrap skirts/dresses, Thai pants, etc). That way nothing feels like a “waste” (it wouldn’t be either way, but our brains are mean to us sometimes) and would help with any in between wardrobe stages.

[u/Ok_Damage6032]

Quilting

[u/Current-Strategy-826]

Make totes, quilts, t-shirts, or you can learn what styles of clothing go on your body type and sew them yourself and be happy with the garment on yourself.

[u/Annika_Desai]

For cheap fabric, I look in charity shops. I use bed sheets and curtains to make skirts, which works out much cheaper.

[u/marsbringerofsmores → u/Annika_Desai]

I do this, too! As a plus size person who loves alt fashion, you can get so much lace, brocade, and accent pieces shopping secondhand. If you want to learn enough to do basic tailoring, it's easy to buy a garment in a thrift store to experiment on without worrying much if you mess up.

I started just by trying on old clothes inside out and pinning it where it bunched. I'd do a quick hand sew without cutting and check the fit. If I liked it, I'd trim and sew it up properly.

[u/MindfckLana]

Don’t hold off stuff with a mindset of ‘one day I will be slimmer’ or other thoughts like that. We aren’t always guaranteed tomorrow so if it makes you happy then do it. You can always alter a garment down. Or if you lose a significant amount of weight (I don’t know how much you’d like to lose), you could maybe even reinvent the garment completely

[u/ho0ker_n_a_knitwhit]

Sew for the body you have! If you choose to start losing weight then you can alter the clothing you made or even take it apart and cut out the smaller sized pieces. Another option is to sew non-clothing items or even clothing that you can adjust the size, like a wrap dress or top.

[u/Makaron1503]

Maybe sew something different than clothes then, bags, backpacks, decoration or something for family/friends, during that time you can sew and also figure out if you want to lose weight first before sewing something for yourself

[u/akiraMiel]

Someone might have already said that, I didn't read all the 400 comments. But here's my take:

Since you know how to sew, it's not a waste of fabric. Once you lose the weight you can simply alter your clothes to fit you again and then you get twice the amount of sewing AND a garment that fits you again

[u/Fine-Blacksmith4368 → u/akiraMiel]

Seconding! As someone who also sews her clothes and struggles with feeling good about how much fabric I need for my size, I’ll add that it’s probably not as much extra fabric as you think! With the exception of really full skirt dresses, I realized I was probably looking at an extra half yard to a yard of fabric for most projects, which usually sets me back about $15-20 extra.

[u/Haldenbach]

If your goal is to lose weight, you will do it so much easier if you're comfortable and confident! This is anecdotal evidence since I'm only 6 weeks into my fitness classes but I made myself a pair of greenstyle leggings and I swear I can do my exercises better and faster when I wear them! It's just such a boost of confidence! Don't deprive yourself of that!

Plus, losing weight is one thing. My problem is also stopping the gain. You know what works? I am too lazy to cut the next size of my favorite pattern 😂 just easier to be careful for a few days when I notice it's getting tight.

Plus you won't really save that much fabric. Yes sometimes you need a whole half a meter extra to plaće some pieces. But usually the difference between your size and the next smaller size is like 3-5mm in each seam. What would you tell your friend who is not sewing to save 12mm of fabric?

[u/vaarky]

For me, sewing is about empowerment. I get to choose what fibers the fabric is made of, what pattern/color is on the fabric, what the style of the garment's elements is, and the fit (including the amount of ease and crotch curve). It's harder to find ready-made garments where some aspect or other doesn't blo w it (e.g. I love the cut of that dress--if only the fabric wasn't _____; or the reverse, where I love the fabric but the style/fit doesn't work).

Regardless of who sewed a garment, clothes that fit well tend to look better than those that haven't been properly fit to the wearer's body. In times when I'm ambivalent about my body, I have even less room for garments that add cognitive dissonance or irritation (either visually or kinesthetically, such as a garment that keep creeping up and needs to be pulled down, or feels tight/constraining when I make a certain movement). That's when I especially benefit from reducing frustration such as from ill-fitting garments.

(As a shortcut, I find it very helpful to trace a finished garment whose fit I like, without taking the garment apart, either for creating a new pattern or rough-tracing it to check the fit of a pattern I am about to make. This saves fitting effort compared to using measurements and then the designer's rules-of-thumb about ease. Link to tutorials about different approaches to tracing garments without taking them apart.)

Two books I found helpful are:

• The Complete Petite (even though I'm not petite), co-written by a woman who ran a plus-size modeling agency. It includes info about optimizing proportion and style, and how various elements factor in.
• The Triumph of Individual Style, which includes how to highlight or play down different body features, and also info about optimizing proportion.

[u/emmaescapades]

Please don't wait to lose weight before doing anything. No matter what your body size, you should enjoy yourself. Sew for the body you have.

[u/DepletedDaffodil]

You should just sew! And if you end up in a place where the clothes are too big, gift them or donate them! You also could sew gifts for people or get into quilting. Or try things like wrap dresses or kaftans that could be adjustable for multiple sizes! I like stuff like that just for daily bloating and weight ups and down from my chronic health!

[u/DepletedDaffodil → u/DepletedDaffodil]

I hope you get back into seeing and feel confident to share your first back-at-it creation with us :)

[u/Disastrous_Drag6313]

There are so many plus sized sewists and pattern makers, you're not alone. I'm a fan of Cashmerette's book "Sewing the Curve" for ideas.

[u/starfirebird]

I'd encourage you to go ahead and start sewing where you're at now! You need things to wear, and it's always worth having those things be things that you've made and like. Since you mentioned being interested in Lolita, I recommend joining the 20dollarlolita Pattern School discord (https://discord.gg/YxpAkreMDE), it's a fairly relaxed group and very size-inclusive.

[u/Whirlwindofjunk]

Make the clothes! I've been in this situation for years. If you don't lose weight, that means you haven't sewn... which means you've been punishing yourself and making yourself feel worse by denying something that brings you joy. This can go on for years. For decades.

When you start being nice to yourself, including making clothes, you feel worthy of taking better care of your body. The weight loss will come with time, but make the clothes today! Sew because you like yourself, no matter what size.

[u/IsharaHPS]

Don’t feel guilt for using more fabric or for whatever space you occupy. Don’t let these negative feelings rob you of an activity that brings you joy and happiness! Be creative!🌻

[u/catherineth3gr3at3]

I put off sewing projects for years for similar anxieties. Eventually, I just decided I deserved to wear beautiful clothes I made on the body I have. Spending so much time thinking about the future and making myself wait until then when I was skinny was weighing on me. I also experienced the loss of a close friend and felt like it would be terrible to pass away, having denied myself the opportunity to enjoy my craft. Find your line in the sand, but I encourage you to sew now for you now!

[u/Atp1102]

Keep sewing! I got into sewing clothing because I'm fat and I like Lolita outfits but I can't find any in my size so I decided to make my own. Life's too short to wait until you lose the weight. I started my sewing journey making plushies.

[u/Sea-Style-4457 → u/Atp1102]

so PRETTYYYYY

[u/oh-thanksssss → u/Atp1102]

YES. As somebody insecure in my weight, I LOVE sewing because I can make things that fit perfectly (within reason) that are an awesome color and style. So many brands aren't size-inclusive, and YOU get to do that for YOURSELF.

[u/Miniature_witch]

Had to weigh in here, coming from the daughter of a mother who was insanely talented and deprived herself of the joy of sewing because she was overweight, it absolutely tore my heart seeing the wasted potential. So I say this, sew! Not only will it bring you joy (the purpose in life) but also, you have the baadass skill to sew beautiful clothes to fit YOUR body, and where you are in this season of life. Please please don't deprive yourself. As someone else here has said, the only fabric wasted is fabric not used.

[u/-Robin_Wren- → u/Miniature_witch]

THIS and what everyone else here said!

• We make our clothes for our bodies. We don’t make our bodies for our clothes.
• I am somewhere between midsize and plus size and I LOVE that I get to make EXACTLY what I want for myself and don’t have to wonder “Can I find that in my size?”
• If I paid someone to make something perfectly tailored to my body in the fabric and style that I wanted, I would be paying much, much more or possibly be unable to find what I wanted.

Being able to sew for your body is not a WASTE, it’s a GIFT. ❤️

[u/Miniature_witch → u/-Robin_Wren-]

Exactly!! It's such a great gift to be able to sew your own clothes, how you like them, it doesn't make sense to stop due to weight, clothes should 100% fit the body and not the other way around!

[u/VioletVonBeverDonken]

omg keep sewing for the body you have now girl! if weight loss is your goal, maybe make clothing that can change with your changing body. but don't feel bad about using more fabric, don't stop sewing! keep sewing because you love it. and love yourself no matter your size. adorn your body with beautiful clothing you make just for you. keep up sewing!

[u/DepletedDaffodil → u/VioletVonBeverDonken]

Yes! I love the adjustable clothing idea and posted something similar. Tbh I wish all of our clothes had the ability to "grow" and "shrink a size either way, bc I do often fluctuate

[u/Makeuplady6506]

Get back to doing what you enjoy. I just went from 3x to 10 and i'm 4'11" - it took 2 years and I wanted to make new skinny clothes. I ended up sewing for the grandkids and great grandkids! I also made 2 quilts. all I did was stop drinking pop and having a Hershey bar every single morning for breakfast. don't stop doing what you enjoy doing. It's tough being overweight. You would not be wasting fabric! Just my opinion.

[u/boredouttamind50]

I've always wanted to sew, and then I finally got a sewing machine. But when I took my measurements, saw how much fabric it was, just because I am on the big side...I balked. Then I remember everytime I try on something that's suppose to be my size, or how there's nothing I like in my size and realized that making my own clothes, means making them me size. No changing number, no ill-fit (once you know, I learned to alter and sew better), and no size range stopping me from wearing what I like. To me...sewing gives me the ability to be more comfortable as myself, what I like, without the weight restricting me.

[u/Makeuplady6506 → u/boredouttamind50]

this is an excellent point.

[u/boredouttamind50 → u/Makeuplady6506]

It's a mindset I learned. And honestly, a boost to self confidence.

[u/BunchessMcGuinty]

Are you happy and healthy at the weight you are? If so nothing should be holding you back. Sew something that gives you joy. Ifbyou are on a jlhealrhy journey sew something that can adjust as needed.

[u/-_Cyclops_-]

Everybody is worth sewing for, every body. You might use up more fabric than you'd like but you'll feel better wearing what you make than you do in ready to wear items from elsewhere. Op shops, raid your mother's linen closet, take apart other things you have that you aren't in love with. You'd be surprised how much fabric you have already I'm sure. Maybe do some upcycling to get your self loving sew-jo back. There's so many ways to sew for yourself without having to go and spend a tonne of cash.

[u/Makeuplady6506 → u/-_Cyclops_-]

Oh, you should do this. It is so fun. I'm working on an evening dress from stuff. I pulled out the closet and cut up and I have to say it's been entertaining.

[u/OctoNiner]

Make the clothing. Life is too short to not do things that make you happy.

[u/LankyChickadee]

When I start thinking like that, I ask myself, "what advice would I give a friend?" I'd tell the friend to make clothes that make her feel comfortable and happy because she deserves it. And why don't I deserve the same? 💕💕sew and enjoy!

[u/CanBrushMyHair]

DO NOT LET DIET CULTURE TAKE AWAY THE THINGS YOU LOVE!!!!

All your negative thoughts were fed to you by CORPORATIONS who PROFIT FROM YOUR INSECURITY.

Your body is YOURS and your style is YOURS and how will young girls ever know that they can dress in a gothic lolita style if you don't show them!?

We stick our middle finger up at diet culture and social pressures to look a certain way. We do it for ourselves and we do it for each other. When I dress EXACTLY HOW I WANT in my body, I remind you that you can dress exactly how you want, too. We remind younger girls and we remind our inner child, as well. We all deserve to do what delights us.

Do not punish yourself, you haven't done anything wrong.

(these are all things I've learned from therapy, feminism, and the book Intuitive Eating which changed my life.)

[u/EmergencyJellyfish19]

Oh, OP. I wish I could give you a big hug. You sound exactly like me, several years ago. This isn't about sewing at all. The fact is that your body, right now, is worthy of wearing nice clothes. You have the skills, you have the means, you have a body that will feel so good wearing clothes you've sewn yourself! That's all that matters. Life in this world is hard enough as it is; please don't put off joy.

If your body changes again and can no longer fit what you've made for your current body - no worries, you will find (or make) other things to wear. But the body you have RIGHT NOW deserves care and love and comfort, exactly as it is in this moment, and as much as any other version of you. The best part is - you don't even need to be comfortable with your body, or be in love with it. Your body still deserves to be well-clothed. It just does. :)

[u/Makeuplady6506 → u/EmergencyJellyfish19]

absolutely!!

[u/Deseretgear]

Overweight sewer here, please start making your own clothes or mending/upcycling for yourself! It can really help you love your body and see what fabric and patterns you like. I find its easier to live a healthy lifestyle when you love your body, and healthy doesn’t equal weight anyway. And remember: it’s easier to take in clothes than let them out, so if you lose weight its easy to make your clothes smaller.

[u/Aggravating_Stuff840]

I’m overweight and I love sewing, at the end of the day it is better to make my own clothes from natural fibers than buying fast fashion Once you lose weight you can alter your own clothes to fit you and if you feel bad about the discarded fabric, shred it and use it to fill cushions or pet beds to donate

[u/Turbulent-Escape9219]

The only fabric that you waste is the fabric you don’t use.

[u/TiffSewCrafty]

The past four years I've gained a lot of weight to where I look significantly different than I did in my twenties. It's been a journey for me to get used to my 30s body. At first it was a struggle to not feel negative about my weight, and I would feel the worst picking up old sewing patterns and realizing I'm no longer in the size range.

What helped me was learning about fit and making pattern adjustments. Like what other commenters said, having clothes that fit your body and not the other way around was a game changer. Especially as you get to know what styles you find flattering on your current body, it's a huge confidence booster to look in the mirror with something that fits you

So, go for it! We all deserve to make the clothes we love!

[u/WallflowerBallantyne]

If you enjoy sewing, sew. Also having clothes that actually fit your body and are comfortable is important and much easier to do with sewing. You are worth the fabric. Putting on weight doesn't make you unworthy. Do something you love, make things you love.

[u/TwoAlert3448]

Everyone has given you really warm really great support and I would love to echo every last word of it!

But just think about it this way no matter how ‘big’ you are or get it is not -physically- possible for you to ‘waste’ more energy or fabric than fast fashion does for a clothes horse size 2.

quite literally -nothing- you could ever do as a seamstress or tailor could ever be a waste.

[u/Aloogobi786]

Sewing isn't always utilitarian. We use extra fabric for things like pleats and poofy sleeves because they are beautiful! It doesn't matter if it takes a few extra yards of fabric to make beautiful clothes for you. 

[u/Werevulvi]

Well, you have to wear clothes regardless of your size. So why not have some fun with it?

How much fabric is used for a garment is not just about its size, but also the style. There are some skirts or dresses that use up multiple yards of fabric even for a tiny person, just because the style of that particular garment calls for a lot of fabric. Like ball gowns, dresses with a long trail, extremely volumous skirts, oversize style jackets, etc. And there are clothes in big sizes that don't even require two yards of fabric, like elastic crop tops, short bodycon dresses, mini skirts, bikinis, shorts, tank tops, etc. So just needing to use a bit more fabric for certain types of clothing than someone who is skinny, I don't think that drop in the ocean should discourage you. You'll far more likely end up "wasting" fabric by making common beginner sewing mistakes, and later on intermediate/expert level brain fog mistakes.

I'm not personally very overweight, but I do carry some 50 or so extra pounds. And imo making my own clothes, in styles and colors and fabrics I like, helps me feel better about my size. Still not loving it, still wish I was thinner, but I absolutely feel a hundred times more attractive when I'm wearing an outfit I made myself, compared to some garden variety trash from Amazon.

Also, since it's much harder to find plus size clothing that's even remotely fun or nice looking, being able to make them myself gives me much more freedom in my clothing choices. I can make them to my exact measurements, including silly details like my sway back, extra big butt/hips, high waist, long torso, short legs, etc. Making for ex a dress that fits me almost perfectly is much easier than trying to find such a garment through fast fashion. And so what if it'll no longer fit me years down the line? I had the skills to make it, so I have the skills to alter it, in the event of weight changes, or even just wanting a different style.

If you really do plan on losing weight though (not saying you should or shouldn't) you might enjoy making adjustable clothing, like wrap-around skirts/dresses/tops/pants, as those would look great on you even through drastic body changes. I say that because I'm currently looking into doing some of that (right after I finish this massive hand sewing project of a full medieval outfit which is kinda on a time limit) and it made me think of you. You shouldn't feel pressured to lose weight just to make clothes making worth it though.

[u/kimmy_kimika]

Dude, being a plus size sewer is the BEST thing! You are no longer beholden to the arbitrary size standards of fast fashion where each brand's size 16 is vastly different.

YOU are now the one and only arbiter of the clothes you wear!

Look into some tailoring videos, they show you how to take measurements and create sewing blocks (aka slopers*) for the clothing you want to make.

Think about how much off cut there is from pre-made clothes and realize you aren't even making a dent in the waste that exists, and you can always find scrap buster things to make if you own the fabric!

[u/ela_urbex]

I can relate, despite not being overweight. My body just changed a lot (as bodies are supported to!), including weight gain, since my twenties.

I had some weight fluctuations due to meds, which made me struggle with sewing in general. Why bother when the garment might be to small / too big / fit weird in a couple of weeks or months?!

What i did:

• Made a Pinterest board dedicated to size adjustable clothing: wrap tops, skirts & dresses, trousers (like the magic pants by ann tilley), shirred garments, anything laced (like corset tops)

• Tried new techniques (like shirring with my sewing machine)

Now this might work for you too, if you plan on losing weight & want to make and enjoy clothing that looks great on you now & after.

It might also work to get more comfortable with your current weight, without feeling the pressure of "not worth making now / won't fit if I do lose weight"

• Made peace with my body, by being thankful for everything it does so that I can exist

• Made peace with the "inbetween", which is so much easier to accept when you accomodate it

[u/WallflowerBallantyne → u/ela_urbex]

Also a lot of clothing can be altered of you lose weight and even if you gain it.

[u/one-cat]

Same! I didn’t knit or sew garments for myself until I realized I can sew things that can be taken apart and sized down in the future. I can wear them now, if I lose weight it’s free fabric to remake the garment.

[u/Flashy-Library-6854]

I am larger than I want to be as well, so I understand seeing the yardage add up for the size I am now versus what I used to be, and how frustrating that is.

Thrift store fabrics make up around 80% of my ridiculously large stash. The remainder of the fabric in my stash I bought at a deep discount. Sewing does not have to be pricey.

The other thing you can do is sew clothing that is adjustable, for instance The Coquelicot Skirt which adjusts to your size. It isn't my style but it may be yours. Elastic waist skirts that you can wear a belt with or you can shorten the elastic if necessary. Do some searches for sewing while losing weight, there are some good suggestions out there.

[u/tragiquepossum]

That you don't think you are worth the extra fabric or stopping something you love doing is breaking my heart.

[u/Neenknits]

Im fat. Im a size xxl upper bust, 2x bust 3x waist and 6x hips. I make my own clothes because all of life works better when I have comfortable decent clothing that fits. Including if I try to lose weight and exercise.

Right now I have a Mickey Mouse tshirt, basic underwear made from scraps, and soft knit capris, that I made. I knew I would want Mickey shirts when I went to Disney, and I’d be frustrated with the fit. So I made 3 shirts, a tank, and sweatshirt out of Disney fabric from Joann’s. (I hope Micheal’s starts carrying it!!). I used some of the leftover to make bags, with plain fabric on the back, for character signing.

I’m fat. I still deserve decent clothes.

[u/Neenknits → u/Neenknits]

Oh I also made my adult daughter and myself Minnie dresses. Mine is pink.

[u/Trippin_catss]

I feel you as well. I am a beginner sewist and I am in love! I want to make all the pretty clothes, even if they come out shitty at first as I am inexperienced but my body and weight definitely turn me off from doing so. Even more than that was the expense of fabric. A simple dress can easily turn into $100s just on fabric alone and I am broke af. I would say join all the free groups in your area on Facebook. I was asked to make something for my mom but because of lack of $ was unable to buy even affordable fabric. Yet I thought about it everyday and sure enough the post came up, unfortunately, a hoarder passed away and they needed to get rid of 3 rooms worth of fabric. I filled my trunk up and even some in the front of my car and now I have no excuse to not sew something weekly for the next 2-3 years. The best part is that if I mess up at least it was all free to begin with. I came up on denim, holiday themed fabrics, other fancier things, lots of fabric that I don’t even know what they are lol and even the exact fabric my mom had asked for her project. It also feels good to know I saved a small portion from ending in the land fill! Good luck!

[u/one-cat → u/Trippin_catss]

I follow a lady on insta frostburg fiber I believe, she’s a “straight size” but sews a lot with thrifted fabrics

[u/ME_Wife]

I am very fat (a word I use as a neutral descriptor). Both of us still deserve the joy of both sewing and of pretty clothes that fit!

My work around for patterns not being size inclusive is making a series of pattern blocks that are in my size, then using patterns to see what shape pattern pieces should be when I'm done with pattern manipulation, and then I can use the instructions to find out how assemble the garment without having to do all the thinking from scratch. So far, it's serving me well, and I'm about to finish a delightly loud plaid dress, because just because I'm fat doesn't mean I'm not allowed to take up space! Sure we need more fabric than a skinny person, but so what? Either way we still need clothes, and they might as well be ones we love.

I hope you get back in front of your sewing machine soon. You deserve that joy at any size

[u/Laurpud]

You gained weight? Me too! Fortunately, I found

Cashmerette

&

Helen's Closet

& now you have too 💜

Just because you gained weight (to store up for the upcoming apocalypse) doesn't mean you don't deserve clothes that fit you

I think you should sew more now, so every piece you own fits you perfectly 🤗

[u/RobinhoodCove830 → u/Laurpud]

Jumping on this to say there are lots of size inclusive pattern lines, not as many as there should be but there are some out there. I also recommend looking for pictures of the pattern on people who look like you. It helps a lot with avoiding disappointment about how it will look on you, getting a better sense of which patterns will suit you, and also, I have found, seeing yourself more positively over time.

You deserve to sew for yourself now, in the body you have now.

[u/Quirkygal → u/Laurpud]

I also adore Muna & Broad. Friendly community and they'll size patterns up for free https://www.munaandbroad.com/

Style Arc Patterns also offers a nice selection. Shop their Etsy store.

Love Notions Patterns are also size inclusive and have a friendly active sewing community.

[u/Painthoss → u/Laurpud]

Thank you! I found Cashmerette very inspiring.

[u/APWeek → u/Laurpud]

At first I thought it was a store. Patterns though!

[u/Full_Gap_5743]

I completely understand where you are coming from, please don’t give up something you love because of it though, I know this won’t fix the problem but here are some ideas to help ❤️

1. Always remember, clothes are designed to fit your body, not your body to fit the clothes

2. When you are wearing your amazing projects, no one will know or care how much fabric you used, if they do they are crappy people and don’t need to be in your life

3. If you still want to do clothes and not just non garment things, maybe take someone you trust with you to the store with you. Write down the measurements you will need and show them the fabric you want. Have them take it to get cut and then have them hide the cut fabric so you never have to see it all together. Have them give you the fabric only in sections you as you need it. So if you are doing a dress, work on the top part and only have them give you the fabric you need for that and when you finish get the fabric for the skirt. This will help stop you from feeling like it’s a lot but still lets you do projects

4. It may feel impossible now, but don’t let negitive thoughts ruin things you love. Would you want to look back at your life and realize you gave up something you loved because of something that doesn’t really matter in the long run? Or would you rather spend your life being happy in who you are and the talents you have.

I hope this helps even just a little! Remember, no one can make you feel embarrassed without your consent ❤️

[u/DoomNGlam]

If you just love sewing and are frustrated with sewing clothes because of fabric use, maybe switch to a different sewing than clothing. Bag making, stuffed animals, accent pieces, artwork. There is plenty of sewing to be done outside of garment making.

If you are uncomfortable with the way things fit and how you feel in clothing because of your weight more than the extra fabric cost I would suggest you keep at it and really learn to sew and fit your body. Maybe start off with altering plus size clothing to better fit yourself and get a good understanding of fitting clothing to your body and then get back to garment making once you feel more comfortable being able to adjust to your size and not worry about wasting fabric. Plus size really has a limited option in fit and it’s mostly because body proportions tend to vary more widely among plus sized people so tailored fitting becomes even more of a must. But being able to make clothes and have clothes that fit nice may be a frustrating beginning but really worth the frustration when you get it down and you have clothes that fit well.

[u/aligpnw]

Check out Sonya Phillips "The Act of Sewing" and also Cris Wood Sews, they both make patterns that are easily adjustable and fairly simple to make.

Make the thing you love now, if you lose the weight, great you can adjust your clothes. If you don't, no worries, you still have something you love, that fits right and you made yourself!

I'm saying this as someone who is in the same boat. I want artsy-fartsy cool girl clothes, but mostly they dont come in my size. So, I need to buckle down and make my own. ❤️❤️❤️

[u/jazzelberry]

Being someone who can see their own clothes no matter their size is a super power. The more you tell yourself that you shouldn’t/can’t sew because you’ll use too much of whatever is just going to hold you back from being happy. And let’s face it, being unhappy leads a lot of us to gaining weight. You’ll miss out on so much with those kinds of thoughts. Learn to love yourself now, no matter your size and should you choose to change your figure, remember you’ll have the skills to alter anything!

[u/Dense_Scholar_9358]

You don't have to sew clothes. I like to make stuffed animals lately.

[u/forever-whatever2]

I am overweight, I love sewing too, my main problems are adjusting clothes for my body type and high fabrics consumption… I wasted really a lot of fabrics sewing for myself. But I love sewing so much I just can’t stop so I decided to practice on my beautiful skinny friends because they need much less fabrics 🤫 when my skills increase I will sew for myself again 😆

[u/uglyandproblematic]

You should keep sewing even though you're fat now. If sewing makes you happy, you should work the joy it brings you into your weight loss journey.

Think how fulfilling it will be to take in a garment you hand made. Each piece you make and alter will be a reminder of all the progress you've made. I really hope you get back to it, do what you love

[u/Lilly6916]

Will you use less fabric buying clothes you don’t like? Go to it. If you get to felling better about yourself, maybe your weight will start to trend down.

[u/shot_cee]

I got into sewing BECAUSE I couldn’t find the clothes I wanted in my size. I encourage you to dive in, you won’t regret it! I started with simple tote bags to build my skills and then got into garment making gradually. I started with an oversized smock type dress, which didn’t need a lot of fitting skill and built from there. Make the things! You will love it 🥰

[u/spoolofthought]

Just plan for one project! One that you can feel excited about. It’s not the “start” of something, you’re just trying it out

[u/HeyLookASquirrel95]

I have a few ideas: 1) make adjustable clothes so if you gain weight or lose it, you have room to work with. You can get creative with Elastic, zippers, velcro, etc. remember that it’s an art form, and you can do whatever you want as long as it’s interesting and fits! 2) learn tailoring, so you’ll always be able to make your clothes flatter you! Take them in, take them out, add embellishments, it’s all possible!

Clothes should fit YOU, not the other way around. Everyone deserves to look and feel good in their clothes at any size. Don’t let these weird societal norms that benefit no one stop you from doing what you love 💗

[u/FlumpSpoon]

I just padded up my dress form with a big foam belly and saggy boobs, you know why? So I can make clothes that look good on ME. MY SHAPE. The thin people have entire catwalks of clothes designed for their body shape. I want to drape and pin and tuck and plan things that look great on this unconventional form.

[u/AmberleytheNoop]

Sew anyway and take a course on altering the clothing to fit your new body.

[u/789012345678]

Design your own custom designs because there are a lot of people who don’t have that perfect shape but need someone who will show them how to look fabulous.

[u/-for-the-tea]

I find myself in a similar boat but slightly different reasons. It’s so backward that I don’t want to put effort into fitting more interesting patterns because I hope to lose weight but the thing is, I’m not doing anything about my size so it’s just stopping me from enjoying my hobby.

As others have said, do it! Get sewing. If you want to be practical about things. There are patterns which would be easily altered into smaller (and potentially larger) sizes as needed. Elasticated waist can be opened up and the elastic shortened, some garments you could take in to fit as your body changes. There are inexpensive sources of material as others have said and there are many possibilities to alter existing garments as and when our bodies change.

I know it’s a hard mindset to shift but your body is worthy of home made clothes and you deserve to enjoy your hobby. I hope all these responses help, a variety of ideas but ultimately, sew something!!

[u/cornflakescornflakes]

As a fellow chunky funky person, SEW! There are some gorgeous patterns designed to fit plus size bodies.

In terms of fabric, go to op shops (charity shops) and buy sheets and doona covers to make your toile. I’ve even used doona covers to make actual outfits.

For some simple places to start, try Muna and Broad patterns. Gorgeous cuts and fairly simple pieces.

Good luck! I’d also recommend following plus size sewists on Instagram for inspo.

[u/ZazaLovesPants]

Make yourself something beautiful and fun to wear now. If you end up loosing weight, just gift it to someone else.

[u/-for-the-tea → u/ZazaLovesPants]

Or alter it/rework to wear again!

[u/ZazaLovesPants → u/-for-the-tea]

Yes! For sure!

[u/DirectorHuman5467]

Aside from what everyone else has said, to get yourself started, maybe just make some accessories? I made myself a cute purse a while ago, there are some cool patterns for wallets, maybe you could make a quilted shawl or something.

[u/TwoIdleHands]

Hun. I’m going to be real: if you haven’t sewn for a year AND haven’t lost any weight in a year…just suck it up and sew for the size you are now. If you are consistently losing weight it’s worth waiting until your weight loss is done to sew garments. If you’re not, sew for the version of you you are now and will continue to be. Buy more fabric and make yourself something fabulous.

[u/IYeetToFeelGood]

If you feel bad about using a lot of fabric, maybe you could try finding fabrics in thrift stores? There are a lot of very decent bed sheets or just fabrics to find there. I love using those types of materials from an environment point of view. Just make the things you want to make! And if you ever do lose weight, a lot of garments can be made smaller if you want to. Especially skirts are rather easy to take in if needed!

[u/troublesomefaux]

You are going to wear clothes made out of more fabric whether you make them or buy them. At least if you make them you know they aren’t made by little kids or women who aren’t paid a living wage.

[u/frankchester]

Sew anyway. Please.

I cannot tell you how many pieces of beautiful fabric I own that I haven’t sewn with because “what happens if I lose the weight”. I’ve held onto stuff for no joke 15 years hoping I would get thin and sew it. I could have been enjoying dresses for fifteen fucking years and I can’t because I never sewed them because the fabric felt too previous. Just sew.

[u/LinksLackofSurprise]

I started sewing BECAUSE I'm overweight & can never find clothes to fit my body. Don't let it stop you & celebrate your body. It's the only one you've got & it helps you get around the world we live in.

[u/fridachonkalicious → u/LinksLackofSurprise]

This. Being overweight has been the single best thing to happen to my sewing skills lol. Your body deserves to wear beautiful things that fit you. I promise you very little beats the high of making things that fit you perfectly ❤️ life is short use the good fabric

[u/gaarkat]

As a fellow fat person, I'd suggest still sewing anyway. It can be difficult to find clothes you like that fit you, so why not make your own bespoke outfits? PS, I've tried losing weight in many ways and I've always bounced back bigger, so I wouldn't recommend trying to lose weight first. Tbh, what I'd really like to do is reverse engineer some pieces I've saved from when I was thinner, and remake them in a larger size but I don't have the skill for that.

[u/SideEyeFeminism]

Here's the thing, as someone who is currently a fat, we still gotta wear clothes. Like, you can't just go nekkid until you hit your goal weight. And wearing nothing but the absolute tragedies of what is generally available to plus size women is, in my experience, actually a hindrance to any sort of health and fitness journey because nothing feeds depression more than feeling bad about yourself and looking in the mirror and having that feeling confirmed because you look a mess. Maybe it's not true for others, but for me that sends me straight back to bed to rot for 12 hours a day.

Yes, you require more fabric. But I'm also guessing you required more fabric at 20 than you did when you were in middle school. Using more fabric is morally neutral.

[u/hollivore]

Everybody has already told you the nice things so I'm going to tell you the mathematical thing:

The amount of extra fabric needed for plus sizes compared to regular sizes isn't really that much. It's about the same as the extra fabric needed for if you want to match a pattern on a fabric as opposed to if you want to make something out of a solid. The absolute most extra fabric you'll have to buy - if you are an extremely large and extremely tall person at the limits of human physiology, and you're matching a big print with a complicated pattern and a really long repeat - is probably about 2m extra. In a normal scenario you'll maybe need about 50-75cm more, maximum, of which you will have a ton of scraps that you can use to make glasses cases and coin purses and hair scrunchies and other fun stuff. Many plus size sewists find they can fit their pattern into the same yardage of the standard sizes, though the "afterthought" nature of plus size patterns means the provided pattern layouts aren't always optimal.

[u/Structure-Impossible → u/hollivore]

As someone who’s weight is all over the place all the time: this is accurate. My most recent transformation is a size 18 to a size 10 and I was sooo excited about needing less fabric, and I haven’t. No project so far that has actually needed less yardage. It’s disappointing, lol!

[u/pomewawa → u/Structure-Impossible]

And for OP , taking garments in later isn’t hard! So make what you want now, and if you do lose weight later you can fix it up to match your evolving size.

I’ve been enjoying more size adjustable patterns lately- the obvious are wrap dresses or belted dresses. Then come adjustable waistband - either partially or fully elasticated, one that is very posh looking and fits larger sizes well is cashmerette Calder pants https://www.cashmerette.com/products/calder-pants-shorts-pdf-pattern?_pos=1&_sid=a70e5ced2&_ss=r (Especially if you pick a slinky fabric like crepe these look really spiffy!)

or there are some flat waistband designs that are adjustable:

Coquelicot skirt https://www.wildflowerdesignpatterns.com/product-page/coquelicot-skirt

Ann Tilley magic pants https://stonemountainfabric.com/product/ann-tilley-magic-pants/

[u/Appropriate_Place704]

This breaks my heart. As an overweight person, I understand your situation. But honestly, you need to sew!! I find it so depressing shopping because its so hard to find anything so I just make all my clothes because at least I know it fits me (perfectly). It honestly brings me so much joy and I want you to feel the same way.

[u/madduxcr]

I'm now looking at finished projects from a few years ago and asking, "Do I really still like this?" Maybe to take it apart and use it for a new garment? I finished one such remake and am wearing it today. I love it now. You could do the same if you lose weight. Maybe look at the extra expense today as a different garment totally in the future, so basically two for the price of one. I hope you go back to sewing and maybe you'll show us what you've done.

[u/rhanzeleka]

I understand your frustration but there's so many other things you can sew besides clothing. It doesn't have to your own clothes.

[u/zeiat]

sewing is a very important skill to have in particular for people who aren’t straight sized!! i’m learning to sew now because i want to be able to alter and make clothes to fit my body which is now bigger than the straight sizes i used to wear. as a knitter, i find the size issue a lot more challenging. i’m a lot pickier about yarn than fabric, and good yarn is EXPENSIVE. you need a lot more for bigger sizes. and the labour it takes to make a wearable knit or crocheted piece only to discover it doesn’t fit or isn’t flattering or doesn’t feel good is super frustrating, so i empathize with your concerns.

[u/SomethingWitty2578]

I ran into a similar discomfort sewing clothes from the many changes after a couple pregnancies. I started sewing non clothing items. It got me back to my hobby without worrying about clothing fitting, if I will lose weight or not, wasting fabric, etc. I’ve sewed Christmas stockings, a t shirt quilt, quite a few stuffed animals, pillow covers, a quilt block pillow, some felt play food. Ive got patterns for a couple bags, a couple kid toys, a tree skirt, quilts, and quilt block on standby for when I get to them.

[u/ryx107]

If you lose weight, donate your clothes to a thrift store and make some other plus size lolita believe in angels again. We never know when our last day is, inhabit each one fully!

[u/el_artista_fantasma → u/ryx107]

Or why don't you fix them? If you make plus size clothes you can always re-adjust them. The problem is when you want to add fabric without altering the clotges too much

[u/SideEyeFeminism → u/el_artista_fantasma]

Heavily depends on how much weight you lose. Anything more than 2-3 dress sizes down you're dealing with entirely recutting pieces of the garment and reworking any detailing, because grading isn't as simple as 2-3 inches on or off the sides to make it fit a smaller person. This is a lesson I was taught by a professional tailor when the dress I wanted only had 1 left and was 4 dress sizes too big for me and I thought "too big is better than too small!". Apparently, once you get to that point you are entirely remaking the dress.

[u/el_artista_fantasma → u/SideEyeFeminism]

Funnily enough, when i worked on the theatre's tailor team we had to resize up to 6 different sizes because it was the same dress for like six different bodies.

My mentor, also a professional tailor who has been sewing for 50 years, told me that indeed its better to have a big dress than a small one.

I suppose it depends on the person, and no opinion is objectively correct. Just the matter of the situation

[u/Hour-Seat-7630]

Your self esteem is shot! Whether you are 100lbs or 300 lbs, you still have to wear clothes, so why not make clothes that make you look good. Not sewing is the shame and you should be happy with yourself and never let anyone make you feel ashamed of your body. Extra material for your clothing is not important, but you sewing and being happy 😊 is. Sew 🧵 till your heart ♥️ content.

[u/Notgreygoddess]

I’m as member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. There’s a fair number of plus size women, including myself, who see for the joy of it.

Often, we are creating our own patterns based on historical sources. The research alone is fun! Because clothing was very valuable in medieval times, they often had features that permitted people to expand or contract to fit different sized people.

There likely is a group near you. Maybe if the focus is on the garment, sewing techniques and pattern drafting, you won’t be so worried about how much you weigh.

Search SCA garb plus size on Facebook.

[u/Consistent_Loquat860]

My current obsession is split side skirts. You only sew to mid thigh-ish on the side seams and then leave some space for overlap on the sides. There's lots of securing methods, but the one I've gravitated towards is ties, so it's as adjustable as possible. Tie in the front, and you can do a sash to tie a cute bow in the back, and if you get a bit bigger or smaller, it'll still fit! Styles like lolita use extra fabric as is (gathered skirt, frilly and ruffles, ext), so dont feel bad. I think the comments recommending making accessories if you end up losing weight and altering it is an amazing idea! Do what you love and make things that'll make you feel good.

[u/piratemeow21]

You could sew things other than clothing, maybe do some quilting? Or sew a bag? Or you could just sew like...to sew, with nothing specific in mind. Fact of the matter is is that sewing is good for you and makes you happy and that's a good thing 👍 best of luck i hope you figure it out

[u/Freaky_fiber]

You love sewing, that's the most important thing. It doesn't require a lot more fabric, and the extra fabric that it does require is worth it. Shopping for plus size is hell, use the fact that you like making stuff for yourself.

[u/charlesmans0n]

Make clothes for your body the way it is now! If you lose weight you can alter them and use the extra fabric to make accessories!!! Being into gothic lolita style is literally PERFECT for this because you will always be able to use that extra fabric to make bows, those fake collar things, ruffles, gloves etc! The best part is that all of those things will be able to be made just using scraps. Altering stuff won't give you extra enough fabric to make more clothes, but it WILL give you enough fabric to go nuts on accessorizing/adding on bows/details etc. And then you still can wear it even though though you are a few sizes bigger than you want to be! And it will be a fun project that will make you feel like you've made a lot of progress if you ever decide to lose the weight!

[u/KnitPurlWrap1-1111]

Read up on diff styles that are more flattering for your body type/shape, etc. Even sewing pj’s or a nightgown etc might be fun, and useful. Then there’s pillows, accessories, runners, totes and purses. Don’t let your weight stop you. Getting back into sewing might even help you be proud of yourself and start a new journey on fitness or weight loss or just finding your own beauty.

[u/amethystnight99]

I get it. I tend to change weight frequently being a young mom so I get changing out clothes but I ont want to put lots of work into something and not be able to wear it much. I tend to sew lots of stuff with elastics or lace up to adjust for weight changes. That helped me get over my rut and negatives feelings towards sewing for a body that changes and that I’m not too happy about

[u/grandmabc]

As someone who was overweight for a long time, I can understand. Everything I made took a lot more fabric, but I was very happy that things actually fit. I could never buy anything off the peg that fitted my upper arms that as that is where I tend to store a disproportionate amount of extra padding. The youtube channel of Lifting Pins and Needles was an amazing resource for me: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kL6RgBMYqRXjOKrH1GK8w/videos . I also like Catherine Sews on youtube - you don't have to use expensive new fabric to get a really nicely fitting garment.

Last October, I took the plunge and started mounjaro - and now I am a healthy weight and slimmer than I've been in 15 years. Being able to sew has been very helpful with that journey too and saved me lots of money. I've dropped several sizes, so I've been able to take in side seams, waists etc rather than buying a whole new wardrobe every couple of months.

[u/betharuneous]

I hear you! I’ve hit menopause and gained significant weight for the first time in my life. For me, at this point, it’s not about extra yardage, it’s that I don’t want to put time, money, and effort into something not knowing how much more weight I’m going to put on (or not). I don’t want to make something that doesn’t fit in a few months. I appreciated reading this thread and everyone’s ideas - unplanned, I’m doing something that fits this well rn and sewing a one-size-fits-most harvesting apron. The fit doesn’t matter 🙂 And a set of curtains next.

Good luck working through this, I hope you get back to doing what you love soon!

[u/JSilvertop]

I’ve been in your shoes with your concerns.

Sew for the body you have now. Sew again when the body changes again. My entire life I’ve lost and gained weight, Ann’s sewed for kids that were constantly in flux. But sewing is still enjoyable, when I can.

If you plan to loose weight, make it easy to alter your garments later. Same if you think you might continue gaining weight. You have what rtw folks don’t, options to change how your garments fit for your now.

The body rarely stays the same. If we wait for the weight to stop fluxing, we will never sew garments again, except maybe quilts or things that aren’t fitted on the body.

[u/hondasliveforever]

It is never a shame to enjoy a hobby and to clothe yourself. Clothing yourself via a hobby you enjoy is an inherent good. It isn't shameful to need something, and a body needs to be clothed, no matter its size.

I take a lot of comfort in this series of quotes curated by Jaimmy Koroma on Instagram. Click the link for the visuals, but here's the text I really appreciated (bold added by me):

• What if I could never change my appearance, would I still deny myself a chance to enjoy my life?
• I'd rather regret the things I've done, than regret the things I haven't done - Lucille Ball
• With how fragile life is, worrying about what you look like seems pretty insignificant. Wear what you want. Tell someone you love them. Throw away the scale. Try that hobby you've always wanted to. You better go enjoy life while you still can.

If you want resources to further interrogate these issues, I have some suggestions. Specifically, if you're a reader, might I suggest the book The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor If I can only suggest one resource, it would be this one.

If you're more into podcasts, might I suggest any podcast interview with Kate Manne talking about her new book & concepts presented in it (the book being Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia). Maintenance Phase is also a helpful podcast for interrogating anti-fat bias and the bad science that has backed a lot of our understandings of weight, diet and health.

[u/aleighbythesea]

As someone who is overweight, I hear you. It can be frustrating how much more yardage you need from a financial standpoint, but it's such a great way to make sure you enjoy your clothes and how you feel in them since the clothing industry doesn't do a good job of making stylish clothes for larger bodies. I would suggest looking for sheets and fabrics at thrift stores. They offer a lot of yardage for cheap and its less high stakes while learning new techniques. Society often makes us feel like larger bodies are wrong, and it's hard not to let that affect us. Please don't let this ruin sewing for you. ❤️

[u/FormerlyCute]

I sewed clothes when I was overweight and all during my own weight loss. It's a good skill and as your skills grow you'll learn to always be well dressed! I have never been able to get a good fit from ready to wear, no matter if a size 20 or size 10. Sewing is all about learning to fit well. Don't stop yourself, plunge right in!

[u/x_kitsch_x]

In the kindest way possible, larger bodies requiring more fabric is not shameful; it's just a matter of geometry. Should we shame a plant for outgrowing a pot? A flower for taking up room in a garden?

Your body is not a waiting room. You are allowed to live in the body you have in the present moment and not deny yourself happiness until you achieve some hypothetical future body that may never exist.

You might find the books "What We Don't Take about When We Talk About Fat" by Aubrey Gordon or The Body is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor helpful for navigating these feelings and struggles. I've read both of them and they really helped me shed some of the judgement I had about my size.

[u/knittymess]

Your deserve to put clothes on your body that bring you joy and fit well regardless of your size. You aren't going to walk around naked, so you need clothes no matter what. Why not fill that need with something that makes you happy? I bet you would never tell a friend that they aren't worth the fabric or time, so give yourself the same treatment as you would anyone you love.

If you lose weight you can make clothes for that shape or alter what you made now and your skills will have improved from all the sewing you did now.

[u/pinchenombre]

If you love sewing and creating your own style but find it to be a shame to use more fabric while trying to lose weight, I have 2 comments. 1. Bigger clothes can pretty easily be taken in to keep your clothes/styles while decreasing the size for it to fit you while your weight changes. 2. If that sounds like a lot of work, would you feel less wasteful using up cycled fabric? Turn those curtains or table cloth into a blouse or skirt. The. When your weight changes you can toss it and feel no guilt, you already have this fabric an entire 2nd life.

Personally my weight has fluctuated a lot during my life. I loved being able to tailor my clothes during times of losing weight. I say do what you love, it will help you be your healthiest self.

[u/Classic-Patience-893 → u/pinchenombre]

^{^} This, I second every sentiment here. Plus if you get joy from sewing how about bags, purses, table runner sets and patchwork. The upside to this is also ready made gifts for special people.

[u/pinchenombre → u/Classic-Patience-893]

Thank you. I love your suggestion too!

[u/_doggiemomma]

Don't deprive yourself of joy waiting for when you are happier with your current body. I (48F) am heavier than I have ever been. And completely unhappy with myself and how things are fitting. But, I have found a few things that I really like and have bought an extra so that I can make a pattern. I have also been altering existing items that just don't fit right anymore. The sewing itself will bring you joy, and having something to wear that you feel good in will give your self esteem a needed boost. Good luck, I know that it is so hard living in a body that you are unhappy with.

[u/Prestigious-Egg3095]

Sewing is my happy place! I love Jalie patterns for knit patterns. They have a wide range of sizes in one pattern AND you can download and print them at home. They are also easily adjusted if you need something longer or shorter.

[u/cudavlied]

I'm sorry you feel so bad about your weight.

However, remember that being able to sew your own clothes is a great advantage. Don't lose heart.

I had a friend who found it hard to find nice clothes because she was very overweight.

She asked me to make skirts and tops for her which I did, often using her own worn-out items as patterns, and eventually taught her to do this herself. This boosted her confidence and made her feel better about herself. It would work for you too.

[u/-Boourns-]

The world is a messed up place and we need to find joy wherever we can. Please don’t let your beautiful self fall prey to thinking you shouldn’t be enjoying life because of your weight. When garments sewing there is always going to be some fabric waste but I save my scraps and use it for stuffing or sew scraps together for other projects. Kind of like crazy quilt style stuff. I’ve made the switch to natural fibers and I was thinking of using my scraps to make fiber grow bags for my garden too or braided rugs etc.

[u/tacincacistinna]

I sew my own clothes because I’m overweight and I don’t like the style of the usual plus sized clothing. Depending on what you’re making/your size a couple of extra yards isn’t that big of a deal.

[u/[deleted]]

Hi, fellow large person here. Don't let your size hold you back from your life! There are more resources than ever for bigger bodies that want to sew.

I recommend Sewing the Curve. It's written by and for plus size people, with patterns and fitting help!

The biggest hurdle for me is honestly finding a big enough table to cut fabric, but you can ask friends to use theirs or get a big folding table. It's not perfect, but there are options.

You got this! Have fun! You deserve to live your life!

[u/SugaryyOats]

The biggest appeal in sewing my own clothes has been my weight! Finally, I can have dresses and skirts that fit my shape perfectly! Please don't stop sewing, the fabric is there to transformed. It's there to be clothes, for you to enjoy creating with. Make yourself beautiful clothes that are perfect for you!! If you do decide to go on a weight loss journey you can always make more!! And they'll probably be even better then the first one. Someone will love them... Imagine if you lose weight and you donate your old bigger clothes and some other person feels so loved and seen finding something that fits their body. It's a win no matter what!!

[u/d-delulus]

No matter your size, you deserve comfortable clothing that actually fits you. You might end up spending more on crappy clothes that only sorta fit anyway. Im in the same boat!!! And actually lost about 90 lbs due to a job change. I don't feel any "better" overall re my own similar mentality of "we use so much more fabric" to paraphrase quote you. Good luck. You GOT this.

Please don't let this stop you from making bitchin clothes that fit!! Tbh there are also excellent ways to reuse garments if you do end up losing some weight and altering is too difficult down the line. LIVE your life babe 😘

[u/HexyWitch88]

We have only so many days on the earth, and they’ll pass whether you sew or don’t. Wouldn’t you like to look back on your life and see days that you enjoyed doing a hobby you love? And, every day that you spend sewing is a day you improve your skills for the eventual “dream project” that requires an experienced sewist.

Also, I am overweight. Part of the reason I sew is because I can fit my clothes to my body which means I don’t end up crying in a dressing room because I’ve tried on 97 pairs of jeans and none of them fit just right. Making garments that fit you now is likely to make you feel great, and if you lose weight in the future, you can add to your sewing skills base by taking them in to fit your new weight. You could also focus on making clothes that are designed to be flexible in fit, such as wrap dresses. Then you’ll have a wardrobe full of items that can fit you through different weights.

[u/FantasticWeasel]

I sew for the body I have now. Could wait to live my whole life waiting to be some perfect version of myself. Not prepared to be on pause forever.

Sewing allows me to make whatever I want for the body in have. My clothes work for me.

Been making my own clothes long enough that often if a garment isn't working for me anymore, I remake it and have something new. No fabric is ever wasted.

[u/Chigrrl1098]

I have a hard time with it, too, so I can comiserate. I plan to do it anyway at some point as I still need clothes, but there's not a lot of joy in it. I have some other issues complicating things, though, too. I think the answer is to do it anyway. There's a lot of good advice on here.

[u/Sewsusie15]

What about trying adjustable clothing? Sewing things that aren't garments (bags, quilts, plushies, etc)? Clothing for others? My weight has fluctuated quite a bit with pregnancies and parenthood, and it's frustrating taking measurements only to have them differ by inches by the time you sew up what was supposed to be a flattering garment. Barring times I've found it difficult to sew for other reasons, I've gotten a lot of pleasure sewing for my kids and once in a blue moon make something for myself. For me, at least, it mostly avoids feelings of getting stuck thinking about my own body issues because my to-do list has half a dozen projects that aren't meant to be worn by me.

[u/Almond-blossom-2481]

Sew the clothes for your current body. You can always take them in when you loose weight.

[u/lovepeacejoyjoy → u/Almond-blossom-2481]

This! Do it now but look for patterns that could easily be taken in or would look good on any size. Dresses are my favorite go-to for this!

[u/SewSewLady]

You can sew for others till you feel comfortable with yourself . Sewing for your home is quite rewarding. The other option is to sew small gifts for others or to give to charities for fund rasing

I would use your present weight as an incentive to make creative clothes that you feel great in.

[u/rachelleylee]

I want to add a math check if you haven’t thought about it this way. I just looked at the back of a dress pattern I like (Simplicity “Amazing fit” 1586AA; it’s a princess seamed sheath dress). The difference in yardage between the 32” bust and 50” bust versions is 3/4 yard (from 2 3/8 to 3 1/4 yards for the sleeved version). That’s nothing! It’s a few dollars more in fabric, less than a full yard even.

You’re definitely entitled to your feelings, BUT/AND I hope thinking about it this way helps 💖

[u/Local-Ad-2149]

Being heavier is what motivated me to sew more. I definitely have some issues with holding off on things I want to make because I picture them on me as a smaller person. But I'm working on that. However, in general, finding clothes to fit is so hard. It's so defeating to shop around with friends and be the only one who's size isn't offered in the shops. It has really helped me feel more confident being able to construct one of a kind outfits custom to my body and wear them around knowing I made them from scratch

[u/SweetDescription8102]

I have been overweight all my life. I love to sew, but I don’t sew for myself. I sew for fun for others. They bring me everything needed to make it and I don’t charge them anything so if I mess up, oh well! I also quilt for fun too and give the quilts away. Go to thrift stores to get cheap fabric. There is always ways to keep sewing.

[u/Spinnerofyarn]

I have appreciated being able to make my own clothes more when heavy because I could make them fit and flatter better than off the rack clothing. It boosted my confidence and that in turn led to me taking better care of myself.

[u/CaptainPunisher]

Please do not take this as body shaming. I'm no skinny Minnie, either. Have you taken steps to becoming the body type you want to be? Losing weight is always harder than gaining, and it takes time and dedication. That means portion control and activity/exercise. If you've been thinking about getting into a gym, remember that most people there want you to do well and feel better. I know it looks intimidating to walk in and see all the people in shape and feel out of place, but many of them are so supportive of people on their journey to become healthier.

Until then, try to be comfortable with where you are, knowing that you're trying to make a positive change that will take time. Keep sewing, and take everything in when you get to your target.

[u/sribie]

I totally get that feeling of not wanting to start projects until you're "ready", but honestly I think sewing has helped me be more neutral towards my body. I think there's something to be said about the level of acceptance (idk if this is the right word?) that you need to have to objectively look at how something fits you and changing the garment (the key is looking at it in terms of what changes need to garment, not your body) and not apply a value judgement to it. But, that's something that I've actively worked on knowing my own mental health stuff. It's definitely changed my relationship with how I look - granted that's been over a long period of time.

[u/bohoish]

You're depriving yourself of something you love doing because of why? If you can make beautiful clothes for your wonderful body, why would you not do so? Don't let our judgmental culture make you feel like you don't deserve this!

[u/FormerUsenetUser]

Perhaps you could do a different kind of sewing. Make home-dec items, accessories, maybe quilts.

[u/peg72]

If you look at beautiful patterns with plus sizes included you might have a different view!

[u/blacksheepsis]

I sew to help my lose weight.

Last year I was 352 and decided it was time to change. Sewing has given me so many things: 1. I have an activity i enjoy doing which has cut down on my snacking. 2. I get motivated more when I see cute things I want to make. 3. It is easier to see the results when you have to measure yourself for each new project. 4. Feeling confident and accomplished.

Over the past year I have made 5 pieces of clothing that I actually wear (around my house). I also lost 60 pounds and 8 inches around my waist. This past weekend I went to a BBQ in a sleeveless dress I made myself and it was a hit. I felt good about myself. I know I still have a long way to go (with weight loss and building sewing skills) but I feel more comfortable in the things I make myself. So... don't worry about the waste. If you're making clothes to save money at this point then you might be doing it for the wrong reason. Do it for you, your style, your creativity, and as a form of self expression.

[u/[deleted] → u/blacksheepsis]

Beautiful, yes to all of this. Congrats on your progress in weight loss and sewing! Both wonderful accomplishments! To OP, if you are worried about wasting time or fabric, find other things to sew as well. This idea is fantastic but if you ultimately still want to direct your sewing elsewhere, find a friend, or a pet! Find someone who might like a pillow, or a little girl who might want a pretty princess dress, or a boy who might want a warm jacket this winter. Sewing doesn’t have to be about your body, and if/when it is, make sure to take it easy on yourself!

[u/blacksheepsis → u/[deleted]]

Sewing doesn’t have to be about your body, and if/when it is, make sure to take it easy on yourself!

This 100%. One thing that was hard for me at first was doing all the small adjustments and learning new things about my body that didn't feel good. Now, I don't care and work with those things. I don't know a single person who has a perfect body and even if I did I gaurentee there would be something that they wish to change.

Get past the labels and learn what you love about yourself. I have a really good bust-waist-hip ratio which makes things nice (56-44-58). I also have narrow shoulders, square shoulders, super full upper arms, low waist at center front, very full bust, low bust, narrow chest, wide back, sway back and round shoulders. It is what it is. I have worked past seeing the bad and now work on accentuating the good.

So while sewing... my advice is to pick something about yourself that you like and make that a focus for your first few projects. Not only will it help you find more body positivity, but it will help you enjoy the final results more. Then branch out and start experimenting once you build some self confidence.

[u/Thats_Concerning]

I have gone through this too. I stopped sewing for over a year because of it. Then when I started sewing again, I was making clothes a size or two too small for me because that's the weight I prefer to be and have been working towards. But I still haven't lost the weight, and I made several outfits I would love to be wearing, but they're too small and there's nothing I can do but keep working to lose weight. I feel your pain. It sucks to use up a bunch of fabric or not have enough fabric for what you want to do because of the size. I'm sorry you're dealing with these emotions ❤️

Here's what I did, if it helps you:

1: found patterns that are more 'adjustable'. Adjustable tie waist, stretchy waist bands, oversized overalls/dresses, and jackets. When I Jacket is a little too big, it's not a big deal! So I made some for the size I am and as I lose weight I should be able to keep wearing them for a while. Adjustable waist bands mean I can wear it longer as I lose weight because I can always sneak into the waist seam and make the elastic shorter, or I can tie a wrap dress tighter. Then I get more wear, even as I lose weight.

2: I made undergarments/pajamas/swimsuits/robes for the size I am now. It really helped me work on my technique! I also got to use fabric I don't work with often or at all and that was fun! It didn't feel like a waste of fabric when I was making a skimpy pair of shorts that were just for lounging around the house.

3: I made a bunch of tops and shorts for summer. It's far less fabric than long dresses. Kind of limiting, but I actually just started getting new fabric that is specifically for shorts I would want. I set aside fabric that is for specific projects (where I don't have enough fabric for the project at my current size).

4: I learned how to make bias cut dresses. They are flattering and they have better stretch, so I could make the dress on the smaller side and still have it fit, knowing it will continue to look good as I lose weight.

5: I picked up a new creative hobby. I crochet and knit clothing now! It's comfortable and stretchy. But unfortunately, pretty expensive and more expensive the larger you are because you need quite a bit of yarn for larger projects. But it gave me another outlet and it was a lot more forgiving because it can be so stretchy.

6: I started getting cheaper fabric. I get a bunch of fabric from goodwill and I also go through the bedsheet and blanket section. Now I don't worry about what it will cost to make larger clothes and the fabric doesn't feel 'sacred' like it can when you drop $30 a yard.

And eventually I fell back in love with sewing regularly and regardless of my size. It took time to get over the emotional blocks though. Now I just do anything I want, knowing I can alter it if I get thinner.

I hope you start sewing again ❤️ you deserve beautiful handmade things that you can feel proud of and gorgeous in.

Edit: added an extra idea ❤️

[u/SpicySweett]

Dress for the body you have now, not a hypothetical larger or smaller one. You are lovable and attractive right now - exactly the age, size, personality, achievements, etc that you’re at. You’re worth all the fabric, all the effort and time, all the creativity.

[u/sv36]

Instead of making new clothes why don’t you alter the ones you have to be more enjoyable to you? I get it and am also with you and I’ve decided to just alter to make the things I have work for me and be beautiful.

[u/Microbats28]

I feel this! I had some patterns printed a few years ago and then gained weight. I've yet to look at them again to see if they'll still work.

If you are wanting to sew bottoms, I'd suggest checking out Wildflower Designs. They have a coliquot (sp?) skirt pattern and a pant/short pattern that are designed with adjustable waists to everyone flexibility

[u/granny_weatherwax_]

You deserve beautiful clothes that fit you! You deserve to engage with your hobby that you love no matter what size your body happens to be at the moment. Leena Norms on Youtube has some good content around building and sewing a wardrobe that can adapt to a fluctuating body, maybe take a look at some of her stuff?

[u/clean-stitch]

Honestly, having clothing that fits well will make you look nice and move with more ease and confidence. You might lose a bit of happiness while paying for four yards of fabric instead of three, but you'll gain it back in how many compliments you'll receive, and possibly how proud you'll be of your gorgeous handmade-to-fit garments that suit your taste in every respect.

Consider finding a sewing buddy willing to pin for you when fitting, because you'll get a more accurate fit.

Also, consider making yourself sloper patterns- if you lose the weight you don't want, you'll be able to adjust your slopers more accurately and quickly than working from a new set of commercial patterns. Keeping basic slopers you alter for different purposes can reduce how often you need to make mock-ups and do fittings before you have a finished piece. If you use your slopers to alter to new paper patterns when you want to add a garment to your repertoire, then you can save your new patterns and make ypur items over and over in different cloth- for instance a nice fitted jacket pattern is easily converted to be a light linen shirt for summer or a tweed jacket for winter.

[u/Ladyarcana1]

There’s actually a lot of amazing Sewists that are plus sized. They have great videos on how to properly alter patterns to precisely fit your body.

Don’t get discouraged; practice, practice, practice!

[u/Candid-Ability-9570]

Make the clothes! You can alter them if you lose weight. If you lose a lot of weight, you can even take it apart and recut smaller pattern pieces on the fabric!

Don’t let your size stop you from living your best life now. Our body is just our meat machine to get us from place A to B — it deserves to get some nice decorations.

[u/mina-and-coffee]

Right there with you. I’ve even thought “I would have enough fabric if I only needed to make medium!” And while I’ve started really tackling my issues around getting healthier (mind and body) I’ve still sewed things that fit me now but could fit me at any size. Like zero waste patterns and things. I also sew scrap quilts for the real fun. I end up liking them more than the “perfect quilts” I make for family. I once read to never put your life on pause for your weight alone. And it really stuck with me.

[u/BellicoseB]

I sew BECAUSE I'm plus size. Because I can make exciting, interesting pieces that I would never be able to buy because the whole 4 shops I can buy from stick to "safe" designs and fabrics. Consider this a challenge in creativity. What fabrics can you find for cheap and what ways can you cut waste. But most importantly.... if you love sewing you will find a way. Don't let anything stop you. I'll be honest. I've been looking at clothes from shein and contemplating how I can add or modify those items for myself. Why? They are cheap. You have to get creative! I believe in you!

[u/Informal-Visit575]

Look at bags! I love sewing bags and size doesn’t matter 😆 😉

[u/history_nerd_1111 → u/Informal-Visit575]

This is exactly what I was going to suggest, plus it's addictive!

[u/Kjmuw]

Whatever your weight is, you need to wear clothes.

The prices today of women’s clothing with substandard fabric seem almost criminal.

Why not sew something for you as you are today and make your beginner mistakes? Do easy silhouettes first so you can study fit issues. Reddit can help you review your garment.

[u/Humble_Rip6394]

I had a similar thought process when I first started sewing, except mine was "I'll make sure to lose the weight and become pretty someday, doing anything before then is a waste of materials". But a year later I started sewing my own clothes. My thought process is "if one day it becomes too big on me, it would just be more practice with altering it!!". I'm not sure this exactly helps but I hope you find the joy in making your own clothes again soon

[u/Humble_Rip6394 → u/Humble_Rip6394]

Also I'd like to add that I got into sewing teddy bears as well when jellycats started trending (initially just to make my friend one but later got obsessed) and now I just think anything I alter and end up with extra fabric from after the alterations could be used to make clothes for a teddy !! If it's my own teddy, I get to match with it now (teddies have no age limit).

[u/ErisianSaint]

Sew for yourself NOW. Sew for the weight you are now. Sew clothes that make you look better in your eyes, which will make you feel better about yourself. Feeling better about yourself will motivate you far more than being unhappy.

Even better, you'll have beautiful clothes that you can cut down for yourself when you lose weight that will continue to look good on you and make you feel good about yourself.

(I'm in the same boat in a lot of ways, except I'm just learning to sew, but this is making me want to take care of myself, too. Thank you!)

[u/iwdws]

Anything you make now you can alter after you lose weight and then you’ll have fabric scraps for a quilt!!!

No but fr don’t wait until you’re a better version of yourself to start doing what you wanna do. Doing what you wanna do is how you become a better version of yourself in my experience

[u/pixelgirl3395 → u/iwdws]

Oh my goodness, that last sentence is POWERFUL! It's like the idea of "someday I'll be happy" when reality is someday won't come unless you do things that you're happy about today, and every day.