Patterns can get really expensive.  Our local Hobby Lobby has had both McCall's & Simplicity patterns on sale recently for .99 each.  I always wait to buy them when they are on sale.  Fabric can also be expensive but they also run sales for that frequently and I've found lots of sources for fabric.  You can check freecycle and craigslist for fabric.   I also check yard sales, thrift stores and even the local consigment shops for fabric and sewing items.  I know someone who is in the process of helping her mother move from her home to an apartment.  I happen to know that the mother used to sew alot.  I will be asking K what they will be doing with the sewing stuff (her mother has vision problems now and no longer sews). You never know when you will find someone that has sewing things they aren't using anymore. 

A friend of mine called me a few weeks ago and said come see me I have something fun for us to do.  When I got there she said go look in the craft room there were boxes and bags of fabric that someone she knew had given to her.  We went through them and found lots of stuff we both could use.  I was very grateful that she shared her good fortune with me. The best part was it was free. 

Shellia

If I can jump in with a funny story, when our youngest dd was very small, we were at a yard sale.  I found a very large, very full-skirted dress in a cute seersucker.  It contained a LOT of material and I was envisioning a short set and maybe a sundress for my youngest.  So here my dd comes up to me:  "Hey, mom what are you going to do with that big dress?  Wow, that's a HUGE dress, ain't it mom??  Golly, that dress is really BIG!!  Who do you think could wear such a GIGANTIC dress like that, mom??!!...."  And so on, and so on....I COULD NOT shut her up.  And of course, there sat the lady that wore the dress just smiling sweetly at the both of us when I was hoping the ground would open up and swallow me...

So, yes, second-hand clothes can become resurrected into other clothing...just ask my dd.  Liz.

yo tizzy you got that right...lol

AnyWAY yes sewing frugal can be done it is no more expensive today as it was yester years I keep thread buttens, patches and somethings needed but i get one thing at a time on pay days all the time like thread needles and pins all cheap but know your price then you have it made in the shade kinda deal just takes playing thats all.

 That's a good one.  Have you ever heard of the old TV show with Art Linkletter - Kids Say the Darndest Things?  

Edey

I love to sew.  It probably isn't necessarily the cheapest thing ever, but some things yes.  Every year on black Thursday, Jo Ann has flannel on sale for $.99 a yard.  It takes 3 yards to make PJ pants.  Everyone I know has gotten them and LOOOOOOVES them.  I have also made purses and bags.  Simple and loved.  Good stuff!  Definitely a good skill to have.  Fixing things when they break and all makes it a nice skill to have too!  Learn to sew, you won't be sorry!

My mother taught me to sew as a youg girl.  Over the years, that skill has saved me lots of money.   However, with the rising costs of fabrics and patterns, I have learned that it is NOT always cheaper to make your own clothes.   I have learned to pick my battles, so to speak - I stick to simple garments that I can whip up quickly.  I no longer buy patterns - I will make my own patterns from garments I already own, making a few modifications along the way if I "need" something a little different.

My greatest sewing savings have come from making home decor items (pillows, simple draperies etc), making accessories (totes, handbags etc.), refashioning old clothes into something new, as well as repairs and alterations.  Some of the items I make, I sell at craft fairs.   

I salvage zippers, buttons, and other notions from clothes earmarked for the rag bag.  That also helps to keep my sewing costs down.  It also helps me to respond to "sewing emergencies" without having to rush out to the store to buy zippers etc.

I'd highly recommend learning to sew.  It's a relatively inexpensive hobby/ source of entertainment, and it can save you quite a bit of money over time.

I look for fabric remnants at my local thrift stores.  Recently I  found designer fabrics in 2 yard X 45" packages for $1.99!    I made valance type curtains for my kitchen for two windows for that $1.99.  I found a remnant of heavy duck cloth for .99 cents that I made double sided draft dodgers for my doors, for $2.00 each instead of spending about $18 for one at Walmart ( its the kind that sells on TV with the foam pipe cover inserts).  I also made an apron from an old gold color tablecloth i had laying around and added cute rooster print pockets and ties from scrap fabric.  It also pays to look for cheap patterns at the thrift stores usually a quarter each. 

 I found a set of sheets by Pottery Barn at the local Goodwill a year or so ago. They looked to be almost new, in a red and white plaid. I made a tablecloth, curtains, two dozen napkins and had enough left to trim a plain white table cloth (also made from a cotton sheet bought at the Goodwill store). I still have the pillow cases and someday will make placemats from them.  The whole set cost $6. I don't where I could buy all that for $6, or where I could buy the material to make it for that.  

Sewing is a great skill to have, enjoy learning!     Is it frugal??  No.   If all you want is cheap clothes, its better to go to Kmart or thrift stores.  The only time it is frugal is if you are looking at very high end clothing.  Here's my example:    you can buy a cheap ladies T-shirt at Kmart for about $6 (even less at thrift stores, but for my point I'm going to buy it retail).  Joann Fabric sometimes sells jersey knit for a couple dollars a yard (need about 1 for a T-shirt)   So yes you can make one for lets say about $2.   However, such cheap jersey fabric will not hold up well, it will twist off grain, shrink, pill etc and so you will get about 2 or 3 good wearings for your expense and effort.  Not frugal.

BUT, if you are wanting a 100% cashmere ladies' coat then it is very frugal to make it yourself.  Cashmere coats sell in my area for upwards of $750.  I just bought some top quality cashmere fabric at $30 per yard, so the final cost of my coat with pattern, interfacing, fabric, thread, buttons, etc will only cost me about $300.  Yes, as coats go its expensive, but for a cashmere coat tailor-made to fit me its a bargain.

 So my advice:   if its just a cheap garment like a T-shirt, nightgown, placemat etc, go buy it instead.  Save your sewing time and dollars for when the cost/benefit is on the positive side.

Good luck and most of all, have fun!! 

I know the rising cost of sewing is what made my mother stop.  She used to sew for herself and us kids occasionally when she wanted something special or specific.  But kids grow so fast it's often not worth the effort, and there came a time when she could no longer make something from a pattern and have it fit right the first time.  She was endlessly altering her garment to have it fit properly, even though she made the correct size according to the pattern.  She gave it up and shops retail.  She'd rather know whether something will fit or not right away instead of after investing in materials and time!

That being said, if you have the knowledge and experience, making your own quality clothing can be a real moneysaver.  But if you don't have the knowledge, making something that doesn't look 'homemade' can be difficult.  The devil is in the details, and getting those details to look right takes a lot of skill.  Your time might be better spent bartering with someone who already has the skills.