SEW CLEVER
Mum saves £800 by turning old shower curtains and cushion covers into new clothes for her children using YouTube tutorials
AS adorable as children's clothes can be, the novelty certainly starts to wear off when your little one grows out of their wardrobe at rocket speed.
Well forget racing down to the shops the second your child outgrows their favourite T-shirt - because you might already have everything to make them a new one at home.
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Thrifty mum Becky Lawrence, 32, has put this into practice by transforming old shower curtains and duvet covers into clothes for her children and herself.
In fact, the self-taught seamstress believes she's saved a whopping £500 on her children's clothing and £300 on her own wardrobe since she took up sewing three years ago.
The former primary school teacher has turned everything from cushion covers to oversized t-shirts into fashionable new outfits for herself and children Ezra, five, and Isla, three.
Becky, from Shirley, South East London, revealed how she took up sewing to complete her mother-in-law's unfinished quilt three years ago.
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She explained: “My mother in law passed away three years ago, she made quilts. She made one for me, my husband and son.
“My daughter had only just been born so hers was half finished and I wanted to learn so I could finish it off but I haven’t touched it yet because I’m too nervous.
"I inherited lots of resources from her, apart from my sewing kit which is how I got started."
Along with taking sewing lessons, Becky also taught herself how to make clothes from watching YouTube videos.
“I didn’t realise it was something I could do, and I really enjoy doing it," she said. “I don’t stop moving all day and I would normally crash out on the settee but I’m happy to sit and sew.
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“It never gets boring, it’s really exciting and the money saving aspect is really just an added bonus to what I do.
"For me the transformations are about taking something that is unloved and over looked, or not quite right for the person, and turning it into a garment that is perfect and unique for someone."
Although Becky has stopped buying clothes for her children, her husband Tom, 31, is a bit more picky about his clothes.
She said: “I don’t buy clothes apart from school uniforms. I’m constantly picking things apart with my eyes. When I'm out shopping, I think ‘I can make that myself’.
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“I save so much money. I made a ball gown with materials that cost £15, if I bought one I would have spent over £100.
“I have a go at most things. I love transforming into something completely different. I love the fact I can make clothing into what I want it to be.
“I love that aspect. If I’m going to an event I’ll go round charity shops looking for a certain colour or fabric that I like.
“Some things I make are epic fails, not everything goes to plan but you learn from it.”
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With her youngest starting school in a couple of years, Becky one days hopes to turn her passion into a business and help others upcycle their clothes.
She said: “In the last five years, Tom and I have been trying to look after our planet a bit more, recycling and producing less waste.
“My eyes have been opened to how much waste there is and small changes make a big difference.
“After one wash, clothes shrink a bit because they have been made as a bulk, they’re worn a couple of times and thrown in the bin, they aren’t even taken to the charity shop.
“I would love to help other people do the same thing as me and I would love to make clothes for other people.”
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