Gloves and Girdles and G-Strings, Oh, My!

Another day, another impulse purchase!

Yesterday on Amazon I ordered a copy of "How to Make Hats and Accessories: Instructions for Making 1940s Fashions." A reprint of the original 1946 book, it provides instructions on making not only period hats, but also gloves, muffs, handbags, belts, and more.   Do any of you know it?

I'd been wishing I could make Cathy a pair of elegant gloves -- not that this would be easy of course.  From what I understand, gloves are challenging for even advanced sewers, requiring tremendous attention to detail.

I was looking online for glove patterns when I stumbled upon the "How to Make Hats..." book (I really enjoy period hats.)

But I started thinking...are there some things it just doesn't pay to sew oneself, either due to the time and difficulty involved or because ready-to-wear versions are satisfactory and easily accessible?

When I purchased my first sewing machine last June, I originally thought it might be fun to sew some cute men's Speedo-style bathing suits.  Guess what: I've sewn more than half a dozen dresses but not a single men's bathing suit. (I did make one extremely humbling attempt I wouldn't dare show you.)  I lost interest I guess.  As a swimmer, I also know that excellent quality racing suits are relatively inexpensive and made out of long-lasting, chlorine-resistant fabrics one probably couldn't even find at Spandex House.  And I only need one or two.

I also thought it might be fun to make all sorts of underwear, but other than a few pair of boxers early on, I never did.  I have way too much underwear as it is (as you may recall from my makeover week) and the Y-front styles are very complicated.

So readers, I ask you:  Are there some things you simply will not bother sewing for yourselves?  I've read many reviews on Pattern Review for things like brassieres, men's briefs, corsets...   And clearly a lot of people make handbags and hats.

It seems like many sewers truly enjoy the challenge or find it cheaper to make these things themselves because, say, they're a difficult fit.  I've even heard of people sewing their own diapers.

Where do you draw the line?  Will you sew any type of garment or accessory you need if you can?  Do you do it to save money or for other reasons? 

Dig in!