PREPS PART 30: SHOE AND CLOTHING PRODUCTION

Clothing and shoes........pretty basic. But, what do we do when all the stores are closed, no more imports from China and Brazil, no more chance to buy cloth and leather? How will you clothe your family, children, yourself?
I think shoes are going to be a far bigger problem than clothes. Clothing can be worn for many many years, and repaired often before being relegated to the rag pile. But repair of shoes is trickier. And they seem to wear out sooner. PLus small children need new sizes all the time.

So........how are you prepping for clothing and shoes? Anyone know how to make shoes?
The Foxfire series has some info but it is not detailed enough to be really useful. I have seen the TIRE sandals but most tires nowadays have steel belting which makes that idea useless.
Ideas anyone?

Moccosins and tire sandals are what I'm planning on for shoes. You can find old unsteel belted tires in lots of old junk type places.


http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm

Don't know how to make shoes and I can't sew worth anything (I can put buttons back on), so I have to stockpile these item.

Clothing--I always have about 5 extra packages of underwear and socks put back in addition to what is in the drawer. I have a fair amount of clothing (work clothing) so I'm not overly worried about that. I try to keep 3-4 pairs of sneakers in the closet (new) and wear 2-3 pairs, so up to 7 pairs available. I also have at least one more pair of leather shoes in the closet in addition to what I wear and I want to get an extra pair in the back-to-school sales. I also have 2 pair of workboots and plan on getting another pair of those. My only advice is to buy good quality stuff that will last--cheaper is not better in shoes, IMHO.

No real advice, although my grandparents who lived through the depression and WWII said shoes are the most important thing- and the first to go. Consider the fact only high-end shoes are made now in America. I think this is a real threat- especially for parents with small children and growing feet! I'd make sure your shoes are in order, and stash several larger sizes away for the kids.

Anyone can learn to sew

There are lots of great books on how to sew and make garments. "Sewing for Dummies" (no joke) is good, as is Singer's manual and Better Homes and Gardens' series (available in most used bookstores at really cheap prices). Many stores offer sewing classes, and so do many community colleges as a non-credit course.

Think of a pattern as a puzzle piece; all you have to do is put them together. into a finished garment.

Styles aren't going to matter much if It hits the proverbial fan. Stock patterns for basic shirts and pants. Most fabric stores run them on sale - JoAnn sometimes has Simplicity patterns for a dollar each on weekends!

Buy patterns in various sizes for growing kids. THe sewing books also tell you how to alter garments and re-size patterns.

Stock bolts of seasonal fabric....buy fleece, wool, flannel, etc, at the end of the spring, cotton and muslin in fall just like you do clothing. Some stores offer a substantial price cut if you buy the whole bolt.

Stock needles, pins, buttons, etc for handsewing. Invest in a good pair of dressmaker shears - and NEVER EVER cut anything BUT fabric with them. (Smack the kids if they try to cut paper with them)

If you can make it on a machine, you can make it by hand....and once upon a time that's how people HAD to do it.

I have some fabric and sewing supplies and yarn. These will make shirts, skirts, baby clothing should the need arise and over 200 buttons, various snaps and hooks etc.

I am slowly raising our number of pairs of shoes. You can get curved needles to repair shoes that have rips at the seams. The soles are a problem but I have not had to many pairs of shoes wear a hole through a man made sole. I mostly have had the toe or heel wear out first.

I would say learn to tan hides and plan to make your own homemade shoes. They won't be stylish or as durable as store bought but they will keep your feet dry. You will need to get some shoe making supplies or plan on how to make them. I have read a bit on shoes making. In the old days they made the shoes with bores hair needles and heavy thread soaked with some anti water substance. If you don't soak the thread then it rots very fast as the shoes get wet all the time.

I also have flax seed to eventually grow it and make fiber then fabric if needed. If I had my land I would get about 5 sheep to harvest the wool too but I need the land first. I have also been wanting to try mutton as I have heard it is very tasty and not as tough as beef. Considering mad cow I am thinking of switching to mutton for our main meat.

Here's a great Native American site with how-to for moccasins and other clothing. This is a great site...browse around.
http://www.nativetech.org/clothing/index.html

Bump for day crew

what do we do when all the stores are closed, no more imports from China and Brazil, no more chance to buy cloth and leather?

Click to expand...

You retrieve clothing from dead folks. There will be an abundance. Waste not, want not. Military spec being the best quality source for teen/adult clothing/footwear.

Remember, you will no longer have a real need for suits, skirts, loafers, heels, etc, etc, "civilized" types of clothing. Daily changes of underwear, like daily showers/baths will be a luxury. "Work", or rather "field", clothing will be the norm.

Boots are preferable to shoes. Cotton socks preferable to synthetics. Learning to care for/repair those is preferable to having multiples. Growing children get hand me downs or traded/scrounged used. Going barefoot across one field will quickly eliminate any (spoiled) objections.

For light foot activity, shower clog/thongs in one form or another are used all over the world 24/7 where climate permits, and sizes easily adjustable. Easy to make from almost any durable/semi-flexible materials.

Remember too, if you have quality footwear/clothing you WILL be a target of the have-nots. Especially footwear. Be prepared for that.

For repair of shoes I'd suggest getting a box of tubes of "shoe goo" for rebuilding/patching shoe soles and heels and some kind of leather glue and patching material for the uppers besides appropriate gauge sewing needles and nylon thread.

I have made my own clothing since I was a teenager, and am skilled in all kinds of sewing and repairs. I always have plenty of sewing supplies and fabrics, so I am not very worried about clothing.

Shoes are another story....... especially shoes for growing children. It is easy for an adult to stockpile many pairs of quality shoes or boots, but very difficult to to stockpile shoes for growing children.

I've been stocking up on outdoor clothing and boots. I no longer wear shoes of any sort. I like the extra protection of boots. And if I'm out and about when tshtf, my feet are ready for rough terain and bad weather.....

Remember too, if you have quality footwear/clothing you WILL be a target of the have-nots. Especially footwear. Be prepared for that.

Click to expand...

Good point Synap. That is why I buy the same style of shoes over and over that way they will think I am still wearing the same shoes.

The reality for most of us is that we won't be tanning hides. Check the Salvation Army men's dept for leather, suede and shearling coats, and hang them in a dry place so they don't mildew. Basic shearling slippers and moccasins are easy to make and you'll have a supply of ready to go leather.

Onebyone said:

Good point Synap. That is why I buy the same style of shoes over and over that way they will think I am still wearing the same shoes.

Click to expand...

And when BIGBBAREFOOT sez "GIMME YER SHOES BITCH!!" ??

I think I have enough clothing to last about 30 or so years...should be about dead by then.

I have a bunch of shoes too. My Mother still has shoes from 50 years ago! Wear your old ones for hard work...use duck tape when they start falling apart. Save your nicer ones for special things...like when you have to go out in public.

Shop garage sales. My husband has gotten tons of shirts, pants and jackets for almost nothing (sometimes for nothing as they tend to give them away at the end of the sale) Stock up.

Buy enough underwear and socks on sale to last a long time. Cheap... and doesn't take up too much room.

I think clothing and shoes will be the least of our problems

We have two treadle sewing machines, one is a regular sewing machine and one is a walking foot machine for leather and heavy duty sewing. I have been sewing for more years than I care to count and my DH sews, too. Old clothes can be made over and recycled and I have some fabric, too. I have lots of clothes that don't fit anymore, they can be recycled or perhaps they will fit again...

Shoes. First, don't wear shoes in the house to save wear on them. Make slippers - knit, crochet, sew or felt slippers. You can felt footwear that can be worn outside, felted boots for wearing in the winter would be very warm and save the work boots for just that - work. I have a pair of slippers that I crocheted from handspun coarse wool and then felted. I have been wearing them relentlessly for about 2 years and I even wear them outside. They are pretty ugly now, but they are still very much intact, comfortable and warm. What about wooden soles, wouldn't a woodworker be able to make wooden soles or even wooden shoes as were worn in early times? Think of Dr. Scholl's sandals with leather or felt attached for the uppers.

I make sweaters, socks, mittens, etc. from handspun so that is covered.

Underwear and cotton socks may become luxuries in short order. I have extras but, they wear out so fast.

spinner

I expect that gathered skirts will come back into fashion as they are easy to make without a pattern plus if we have to start making our own underwear again then they will most likely look more like cotton shorts then what we wear now so the tight skirts will looked like we have rags stuck underneath. With a gathered skirt you won't see a pantie line.

Also tunics are very easy to make without a pattern. They can be so simple as laying the person down on the fabric and cutting out around them and their arms (make sure arms are flared out straight from shoulders or else they won't have any arm movement). The just sew together and hem and make a binding to go around neck or put a ruffle. The point is to have something to cover you if you need clothing so I think if people can find, buy or make fabric they will be able to cloth themselves to keep warm and modest.

here are a few links:

http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_feltboots.htm

http://www.peak.org/~spark/FeltBootPattern.html

http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/topics/shoe.htm

There will be no fashion OBO.

You can buy sewing machine needles fairly inexpensively.
100pcs Schmetz #90/14 [most common] for <$27 shipped.
Also, rotary cutter blades @ $10/5pcs.

http://stores.ebay.com/J-Hittle-Sewing
I've been please with the items I've bought from them.


I'm looking for source of 37% Mercerized Cotton thread Coats & Clark only. please PM me with suggestions.

I googled make your own shoes

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&biw=604&q=make+your+own++shoes&btnG=Search

make your own boots

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&biw=1004&q=make+your+own++boots&btnG=Search