Lynne McCrossan: Will homespun challenge make me better off?

Never being one to shy away from a challenge has its moments.

There was the time I was roped into free falling off the Forth Bridge for charity.

Holding my breath while driving through the Clyde Tunnel is mandatory in the McCrossan household.

And food challenges have frequently left me lavvy-bound over the years.

So when the gauntlet was thrown down to make and wear my own clothes for the next six months I said yes before even thinking about it.

The fact I’ve never owned a sewing machine, let alone used one, provided plenty of laughs at my expense.

Undaunted I took myself to John Lewis to find the sewing machine of my dreams. As soon as I clapped eyes on the peachy-toned device I knew she was the one.

I called her Coral to match her colour and we’ll be having our first date, formally known as an introduction tutorial, tomorrow afternoon.

The challenge is to see how cheap it really is to make your own clothes. I’m going to factor fabric cost with the amount of time it takes to make a garment and off-set that against the price I paid for my machine.

In a recession, is it really cheaper to create your own wardrobe or will I find the high street fairer priced than I thought?

Either way, my first frock will be made and worn to the Scottish Fashion Awards next week, nothing like a baptism of fire to get started.

Fashion Insider

Union flag fever is everywhere thanks to the Jubilee and Olympics but I’ve happened across a website called Runaway Coast that will make you want to keep the bunting out long after the Olympic hangover is gone, my eye’s on the giant cushion.