If you know anyone that sews, you’ll probably be aware of the Three Sins of Assumptions*:

1. That sewing your own clothes is loads cheaper than buying clothes
2. That the ability to sew is genetic in some way (i.e. “wow I wish I could do that but I’m not talented like you”)
3. That the sewist would absolutely love to hem your pants / fix your tablecloth / sew those buttons on etc.

*Yes, I did make up this name. No, I do not think anyone else refers to them like this. Honestly though, I think it’s quite good and I’m in favour of using this from now on.

The mere mention of any of these is likely to cause uncontrollable eye-rolling and twitching in any home sewist, and I am definitely no different. It’s incredibly frustrating! I particularly loathe number 2 – it feels cheap and dismissive to have the years of practice, experimentation and research and the sheer manhours of labour I have poured into this craft tossed aside with a “oh well I’m not talented like you”. You think I could sew a straight line when I started?! You think I picked up a sewing machine and immediately threw together a perfectly tailored dress as my first garment?! Ffs.

The third one doesn’t even warrant further discussion but I do find the first one very interesting. I have A LOT of thoughts on this. Starting with the very overlooked fact that it’s a bloody weird thing to say about somebody’s hobby. Imagine telling someone that loves gardening that they “must save so much money at the grocery store! You can just grow all your fresh produce!”. Or telling someone that loves wood work that they “must save so much money by making your own furniture!”.

Incredibly bizarre to imply that the reason someone has taken up a hobby is because it’s a money-saving exercise. Also, hobbies are notorious for being both a time and money suck. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just inherently what a hobby is; something that you do that fulfils you creatively and spiritually (which naturally requires time and money to do so). Obviously, not all hobbies are equal – I know people that horse ride and scuba dive (not at the same time lol) and wow, those get real expensive real fast. Yet, people continue to think it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to assume/mention when the topic of sewing comes up. To be honest, I think it falls into the wider issue of the trivialisation of “women’s work” and all crafts that stem from it, but that’s an issue for another day. For now, let’s go back to cost of sewing.

Yes, like all hobbies, sewing can definitely be a money suck. You can also have a rather expensive upfront cost to start with – that very first garment you sew is absolutely going to be the most expensive thing you ever made (especially if you buy a brand new sewing machine). But, I also don’t think it’s fair in general to compare a custom-made garment that is tailored to the wearer with your bog-standard Kmart knockoff – that’s not comparing apples to apples.

And so, enter my new shorts. I’m not a shorts girlie – I largely left them with my teen years. I’ve never liked how they look on me, I prefer either a skirt or light pants and it’s hard to find ones that fit well (same issues that apply to jeans fitting). This pair was a necessity make – I’m going on a trip to South America shortly and I know a pair of shorts will be a very practical item to take with me, despite my stylistic thoughts about it.

However, to my great surprise, I have been reaching for these over and over again since I made them a few weeks ago. Turns out, it’s not shorts in general I hated, it’s ill-fitting, uncomfortable shorts that don’t match my personal style that I disliked so much. I feel like that shouldn’t have been as much of a surprise as it was. But hey, we learn new stuff every day. It also felt like confirmation of an opinion that I already had; that it’s not fair to compare the costs of me-made garments with cheap fast-fashion. These were not cheaper (or faster) than trotting down to my local Big W or Kmart and purchasing a rtw pair off the rack but I know from experience that I wouldn’t be wearing those shorts as much as I am wearing these ones.

construction notes

Pattern: Adams Pant by Daughter Judy Patterns

Fabric: Heavyweight cotton canvas from Spotlight in the most gorgeous bright pink

Size: 8, graded to a 4 in the waist

This was my first experience with Daughter Judy Patterns and I can definitely see why this brand features so heavily on my Instagram feed. I absolutely loved making these shorts and am definitely now eyeing up their Worship jeans for my next jeans attempt. I found both the drafting and instructions to be great, and I didn’t personally have any issues with the fly installation, which seems to be the sticking point in the instructions for a lot of people. Not to say those people are wrong, but I do think there is a huge personal factor when it comes to technical construction like a zip fly – what clicks for one person might not click for another, and that’s okay! Thankfully, there is always youtube to help rescue us from confusing written instructions.

The only mods I made were to raise the rise by about an inch to sit at my natural waist (pattern is designed to be worn 1-1.25in below the natural waist) and put in a slightly longer zip. Between raising the rise and having a 2 size difference between my hip and waist sizes, I was very concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get these over my hips with the 6in zip length specified. For comparison, my Dawn Jeans have a 7in zip and they are still a bit of a squeeze over the hips. In the end, my final zip length was 6.5in (when installed) but next time I’d definitely lengthen it a little more to remove the slight pinch point over the hips. Whilst they definitely go over my hips, the amount of tension placed on the stitches at the bottom of the zip make me a little concerned for the longevity of those stitches lol.

Every time I make a pair of hard pants I am reminded of my absolute love for this style of sewing. Don’t get me wrong, I love trying new things, I love being able to make t-shirts and sports bras and all sorts of other things but at the end of the day, I just love a heavyweight, non-stretch woven with a lot of top-stitching and a fantastic fit that will be a closet regular for years to come.

And honestly, I think this is where people trip up on both sides of the “sewing is cheap / sewing is expensive” debate. Cost of materials for these shorts were about $25. Cost of labour is obviously astronomically more than that but I don’t think I can in good conscience include that in my calculation. If sewing is a hobby then why am I costing my time? Yes, it is a lot of time but it’s time I am (supposedly) enthused and excited about putting in. So we’re back to $25 for a pair of shorts.

I absolutely could have gone to Kmart and found some $25 shorts that fit me. Hell, I could have gone to a lot of places and found $25 shorts that fit me. But, would they have fit me well? I seriously doubt it. Would they have come in the colour that I wanted? Maybe. Would they fit me well AND come in the style that I wanted AND in the colour that I wanted AND the quality and comfort that I have come to expect from my clothes? I feel very confident in saying there is absolutely no way they’d be ticking all those boxes.

If I searched wider and with a higher price tag, could I have found shorts that ticked all of those boxes? Probably. But that’s a whole lot of time spent shopping both in-store and online, which sounds like a nightmare (might surprise you to know that while I love clothes, I hate shopping lol). It’s also a whole lot more money, which suddenly makes the cost of my materials and labour look a lot more cost-competitive. It’s also air-miles and shipping costs and the possibility of ending up with shorts that I don’t like but can’t return and so get donated or stuck in the back of my drawer to be ignored and unworn.

Like most things in life, I think it’s more nuanced than “these cost me $25 in materials so they are cheap” or “if you include my labour costs these are the most expensive pair of shorts I’ve ever owned”. Sometimes it can be both. And sometimes it doesn’t matter. These shorts were chosen specifically for my comfort and my style preferences and they were tailormade to my body. I am confident enough in my skills as a sewist to know these shorts will last and I have no doubt these will live in my wardrobe for as long as they still fit me. They may get worn less or more as both trends and my style changes but I didn’t make them to be trendy. I made them to fit me.

Maybe you want to say that sewing is expensive. Maybe you want to say that sewing is cheap. Personally, I think it can be both and that also the cost is largely irrelevant. I love sewing and I love making things that feel uniquely me. And that is worth more to me than any supposed costs of production or cost savings.

But please don’t ask me to hem your pants.