Beginner's Sewing Tips
Someone I know who just started reading my blog said that it was really interesting, although she had only browsed it so far. I think that second comment is probably the explanation for the first ;) Some other friends read it regularly. I find that amazing. Who would have thought? Of course, I read theirs regularly too so I suppose it makes sense.
Anyway, the person who said it was really interesting just made their first skirt (awwww) so that is pretty awesome and congratulations to them. I haven't seen it yet, but they are going to wear it on Friday so it can't be too bad. If you can, and would, wear it, it is a success I feel.
So anyone else who is too afraid to sew, you should just give it a go. The patterns tend to provide a few instructions, and there are some good general sewing books around, even on Trademe or Ebay and in second-hand shops (cos it doesn't really matter how old it is). The books won't help much though until you give it a go and discover what you DON'T know, and then you can look it up. Just start with something simple, and take your time. If you want you could ask a question in the comments and I might be able to help, but it might be tricky for us both to explain in words, that's all.
Try and get a pattern from a big well-known company as they have a better chance of being of good quality and having good instructions. Until you get the hang of it, try sewing in cheap materials. If it is really really cheap, you could use ugly material as a mock-up and then remake it nice, but otherwise try and still get something you like. Then when you have done it once, you can do it again with more expensive material, if you want. However, not all materials act the same, so if you make it once in thin material it will work differently in thick material, and so on. This can be very interesting though, and a good way to get experience of how materials DO behave - get a few different cheap materials and make a whole bunch of something simple, or just two or three. It can be pretty amazing.
Sometimes op-shops have both material and patterns you can get for cheap. The patterns will be retro, and probably hard to find in your size as the selection will be random, but for long skirts and trousers and so on, style differences will not be too great, and will look fine especially if you use modern materials. Make sure you check all the pattern pieces are there though. A lot of people buy more patterns than they ever use, so some will be in as-new condition. If you don't know what you are doing yet, make sure the instructions are there too.
One important thing - wash your material before making anything. It is a pain because you buy your material and then want to get straight to sewing, but it may shrink when it is washed, so you want it to happen BEFORE you make anything. Second, remember the dye might run, so be careful there too. Some materials shrink lots, some not really at all. Cottons tend to shrink a fair bit. Wash your material AS YOU WILL WASH THE GARMENT. If you wash the material in cold and then the garment in hot and it shrinks in hot water....you can see the problem. Wash any material you buy as soon as you get home so it is ready to go when you want it to avoid discouragement, and you need to keep track of what is washed and what is not - if you end up with a lot of material or leave it for a long time you will eventually forget. If in doubt, wash it again.
You should start doing these, and other sensible things, as soon as possible to get good items as soon as possible. Don't be lazy! Good work habits really do pay off in the end, even though they often seem pointless initially. You will probably also find that some stuff you do now seems horrendous after you have made a few more items, as you learn more and your standards raise too. That is how you know that you are always learning!!
For some more random tips to increase sewing enjoyment, let me say that you should get yourself, or find around the house, a good pair of scissors for cutting material (and then don't use them on anything else that might blunt them, this includes paper) and also, if possible, some scissors that cut tissue paper well. This is so that you will enjoy yourself while cutting out material, and maybe enjoy yourself while cutting out paper patterns, rather than cursing your scissors and getting frustrated. You don't want to give up because of bad tools. (I don't think cutting tissue paper patterns with your good material scissors will necessarily blunt them like normal paper does, but I don't really know.) The good material scissors are important because cutting material is often fun. The scissors don't need to be the expensive ones sewing shops sell, just ones that aren't blunt and don't stick. I think I got mine at the supermarket.
This actually wasn't going to be a post about any of this, but now it is :)
Later I might post pics of my sewing books. I have been planning to make a few "bookshelf" entries.
Anyway, the person who said it was really interesting just made their first skirt (awwww) so that is pretty awesome and congratulations to them. I haven't seen it yet, but they are going to wear it on Friday so it can't be too bad. If you can, and would, wear it, it is a success I feel.
So anyone else who is too afraid to sew, you should just give it a go. The patterns tend to provide a few instructions, and there are some good general sewing books around, even on Trademe or Ebay and in second-hand shops (cos it doesn't really matter how old it is). The books won't help much though until you give it a go and discover what you DON'T know, and then you can look it up. Just start with something simple, and take your time. If you want you could ask a question in the comments and I might be able to help, but it might be tricky for us both to explain in words, that's all.
Try and get a pattern from a big well-known company as they have a better chance of being of good quality and having good instructions. Until you get the hang of it, try sewing in cheap materials. If it is really really cheap, you could use ugly material as a mock-up and then remake it nice, but otherwise try and still get something you like. Then when you have done it once, you can do it again with more expensive material, if you want. However, not all materials act the same, so if you make it once in thin material it will work differently in thick material, and so on. This can be very interesting though, and a good way to get experience of how materials DO behave - get a few different cheap materials and make a whole bunch of something simple, or just two or three. It can be pretty amazing.
Sometimes op-shops have both material and patterns you can get for cheap. The patterns will be retro, and probably hard to find in your size as the selection will be random, but for long skirts and trousers and so on, style differences will not be too great, and will look fine especially if you use modern materials. Make sure you check all the pattern pieces are there though. A lot of people buy more patterns than they ever use, so some will be in as-new condition. If you don't know what you are doing yet, make sure the instructions are there too.
One important thing - wash your material before making anything. It is a pain because you buy your material and then want to get straight to sewing, but it may shrink when it is washed, so you want it to happen BEFORE you make anything. Second, remember the dye might run, so be careful there too. Some materials shrink lots, some not really at all. Cottons tend to shrink a fair bit. Wash your material AS YOU WILL WASH THE GARMENT. If you wash the material in cold and then the garment in hot and it shrinks in hot water....you can see the problem. Wash any material you buy as soon as you get home so it is ready to go when you want it to avoid discouragement, and you need to keep track of what is washed and what is not - if you end up with a lot of material or leave it for a long time you will eventually forget. If in doubt, wash it again.
You should start doing these, and other sensible things, as soon as possible to get good items as soon as possible. Don't be lazy! Good work habits really do pay off in the end, even though they often seem pointless initially. You will probably also find that some stuff you do now seems horrendous after you have made a few more items, as you learn more and your standards raise too. That is how you know that you are always learning!!
For some more random tips to increase sewing enjoyment, let me say that you should get yourself, or find around the house, a good pair of scissors for cutting material (and then don't use them on anything else that might blunt them, this includes paper) and also, if possible, some scissors that cut tissue paper well. This is so that you will enjoy yourself while cutting out material, and maybe enjoy yourself while cutting out paper patterns, rather than cursing your scissors and getting frustrated. You don't want to give up because of bad tools. (I don't think cutting tissue paper patterns with your good material scissors will necessarily blunt them like normal paper does, but I don't really know.) The good material scissors are important because cutting material is often fun. The scissors don't need to be the expensive ones sewing shops sell, just ones that aren't blunt and don't stick. I think I got mine at the supermarket.
This actually wasn't going to be a post about any of this, but now it is :)
Later I might post pics of my sewing books. I have been planning to make a few "bookshelf" entries.
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