My Design Fails and How to Avoid Them
In this post I wanted to talk all about my design fails and how you can avoid them. And let me tell you, there are plenty to choose from. I thought it’d be this big inspirational “learn from my mistakes,” type of thing, where I’d show you my mistakes and voila! You’d avoid them, just like that.
Only problem is…you can’t. There’s no avoiding design mistakes of your own.
I hate to say it, but it’s true. Throughout my blog, you can see posts about all the cool things I’ve made both from scratch, like this bikini, and by re-making clothes of mine or clothes from the thrift store, like this dress.
But that is definitely NOT where I started. You didn’t get to see all the fails that came before the successes, and I think it’s something you should see. So, let’s check out the highlight reel of my four worst designs yet, shall we?
1. The pants I’ll Wear for my big debut on “my 600-lb life”
I followed a size medium pattern to make these pants and here’s how they turned out. Should I have noticed that they were way too big before fully sewing them together with a waistband and all? Probably.
2. The sack-dress, as i like to call it
This is another one of my design fails that turned out way too big. I made it for a high school clothing project and never once wore it, despite having worked on it for weeks!
3. the Shiny Disaster
This big shiny creation was another high school clothing project that I put so much time and work into. I added a zipper and everything, which is not easy! But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s huge and something I’ll never actually wear. I still hold onto it for the memory though, because I’m sappy like that. 🙂
4. the unwearable swimsuit
This swimsuit was the first design I ever made without a pattern. I had a picture in my head and was dying to make it, but unfortunately didn’t actually do much planning before just winging the whole thing. From the back, this swimsuit turned out just how I’d pictured it. But from the front, it’s awful. It’s uneven in several places, the sewing is crooked, and the straps are always falling down! So other than a couple photo shoots showing off the back, I’ve never really worn this swimsuit.
This was one of my most disappointing design fails. But I did learn how to make it right the next time!
I also did shared a photo of this swimsuit on social media when I first made the suit because, despite all the mess-ups, I was so proud of myself! And the result was incredible. I got lots of positive feedback, which gave me the motivation to keep going. Having people compliment something you made entirely on your own is one of the best feelings in the world. It’s a big reason why I encourage people to try making or re-making their own clothes. Not only is it better for the environment than a shopping spree, but it’ll make you feel like you can do anything.
What you can learn from my design fails:
I wanted to take a little walk down memory lane with you so you know it’s OK if your designs don’t turn out the way you wanted. It still happens to me all the time (more than I’d like to admit). But it’s all part of the process. If I hadn’t made those mistakes, I wouldn’t have learned to make successful designs like these.
So don’t let the fear of imperfection keep you from trying. We all start somewhere!
If you do end up with a complete fail like these, learn to laugh about it and start over. Just don’t forget to snap a photo and share it with me, first. We can commiserate over design fails together. And I may be able to share some tips for how to fix it. Keep trying and don’t give up!
One last thing, if you’re curious where I get my fabric for all my designs, I almost always shop at either Joann Fabric or Fabric.com (when I’m not thrifting at Goodwill that is).
Do you have any DIY fail stories to share? Comment below and don’t forget to share if you liked this.