10 Simple Sewing Tips for Beginners www.needleworkcompanion.com
NEEDLEWORK COMPANION 2013 Authored by: Susan Sanderson
10 Simple Sewing Tips for Beginners www.needleworkcompanion.com
1. Getting to Know Your Machine Locating the on/off switch and knowing how to thread your machine should be enough to start sewing, but if you want to sew WELL then you’re going to need to take some time and become intimately familiar with the workings of your particular machine. You don’t need to take it out for dinner and tell it lies about how much money you make (but nobody’s here to judge…) Sit down with a latte and your machine’s manual and read it from cover to cover. If you don’t have the attention span, still flip through the manual (most have pictures!) and try to get a grasp on the basic functions. If you’re a visual learner, classes may be helpful. Some stores that sell machines also offer classes where you can learn to use them. If you lost your manual or bought a used machine that didn’t come with one, you can normally find them online. If you’re a complete beginner, it’s recommended that you stick to beginner-friendly sewing machines.
10 Simple Sewing Tips for Beginners | 1/1/2013
2. Practice Your Stitches
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You should start with something that is easy to sew on. Some people like to start with a sheet or regular printer paper. Try out all of the different stitches that your machine has and play around with the stitch length and width and the tension on your machine. There’s no point in spending money on your practice fabric scraps. If you have a bag of clothing that doesn’t fit and you were just going to donate it to the thrift store, cut them up and they’ll be perfect for this. Also, anything that has stains or rips will make a great practice scrap. Use a walking foot and a ball point needle for stretch fabrics and set your machine to a zig-zag stitch. Putting tissue paper between layers of slippery fabric helps to keep it from sliding away. Change to a zipper foot and try to attach a zipper to something. You’ll only know what works once you try it out!
3. Iron Twice, Sew Once Ironing thoroughly is the first and easiest step to achieving a professional-looking finished product. Make sure there are no creases at all in your fabric before you begin to sew and also
‘iron as you go’, smoothing down the seams that you need to have laying flat. If you are using a pattern, iron the paper that the pattern is printed on also as there will be folds in the pieces. Consider buying a tailor’s ham for ironing over a surface that is supposed to be curved like darts on a shirt. Remember: If you sew over odd wrinkles, they will always be there and your work will not look as tidy as it should.
4. Use Lots of Pins Sewing pins are one of the most useful tools you will ever invest in. Don’t be afraid (or too impatient!) to use lots of pins. Line everything up as smoothly and as neatly as you can and pin the fabric together before you even turn on your machine. Eventually you’ll probably want to get a few different types of pins, but it’s a good idea to start with a sew of standard straight pins with colored heads that make them easy to see and grab.
5. Start Small When I began sewing I started buying pretty dress patterns right away and wasted a lot of money on expensive fabric only to ruin it all. Seek out easy beginners projects and try to up cycle things that you have laying around rather than spending too much money on supplies. Martha Stewart’s website had lots of great ideas for projects. Tip nut also has a great sewing section. (If you’re going to try to design your own pattern, remember to leave a seam allowance around the edges.)
It’s so frustrating to watch somebody on their lightning-fast industrial machine, whipping up something in minutes that could take a beginner hours or even days. Try to remember that everybody has to start somewhere and it’s definitely better to learn how to do something correctly once than to pick up bad habits. All your hard work and patience will pay off eventually!
7. Choose Your Fabric Wisely The weight of fabric that you use will matter a LOT when it comes to how the finished item drapes and fits. Consider the characteristics that you want your finished product to have (For example: I want to make leggings, so I’ll need a medium weight fabric with some stretch to it and it shouldn’t be transparent. So bought a dark colored cotton/spandex jersey)
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10 Simple Sewing Tips for Beginners | 1/1/2013
6. Take Your Time
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8. Concentration is Key You can’t sew well if you’re distracted. If you have small children, wait until a time when somebody else can be in charge of making emergency snacks and killing spiders. I like to put on a big chunky pair of headphones and play something relaxing so everyone can tell that I’m busy. And DON’T try to sew quickly until you’re comfortable with your machine. Getting a needle through the finger hurts more than it looks!
9. The ‘Make it 3 Times’ Rule I love trying new projects, but when learning to sew it’s important to practice the skills you learned from a project a few times to make sure you have it down. Here’s a good way to make sure you remember to do this: Make one for practice, make one for yourself to use and then make one as a surprise gift for your friend (What a great excuse to show off what you can do!).
10. Ask a Million Questions, and Never Stop Learning If you’re not sure about something, never be afraid to ask somebody. The staff at your local sewing store, quilting store, or fabric store can be an amazing resource. Sign up for as many sewing newsletters as you can find. Join message boards, watch YouTube tutorial and always try to be open to constructive criticism of your sewing (except, of course, what it’s just criticism from awful snobby people who are just trying to bring you down. If this happens, throw your tailor’s ham at them)
10 Simple Sewing Tips for Beginners | 1/1/2013
Article originally published: http://www.needleworkcompanion.com/sewing-tips-for-beginners/
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