4Real Forums: How to get started sewing????

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Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry

Topic: How to get started sewing????

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lovebeingamom
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Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 1:21pm \| IP Logged

I have no idea how to sew but have an interest in learning. Any ideas on how to get started inexpensively and on such a beginner level? My DD is 4 and I would love to pass a skill/talent on to her or something that we could learn together.

JennGM
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Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 1:24pm \| IP Logged

I just bumped up another thread. I'm watching these free webinars and finding them VERY VERY helpful.

Homeschool Blogger Beginning Sewing.

If you are buying a machine, often times the store offers free sewing lessons.

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Jennifer G. Miller
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Betsy
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Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 2:52pm \| IP Logged

This is how I learned to sew a few years ago (not to say this is the best way, just what I did).

I had an old sewing machine that I had inherited from my MIL. I went to Hancock Fabric's and they directed me to the lady that offered lessons in the store. She was reasonable, so I took a few lessons from here.

At this point I realized that I needed a better sewing machine. I wanted a good one so I went to the local quilting store that offered Vikings. I purchased the best "mechanical" machine they had. The Viking machine came with a few lessons to help you learn how to use your machine.

From there I did a lot off easy costumes, curtains and simple skirts until I felt like I needed more instruction. I then found a professional seamstress that offered lessons and took about 8 lessons from her over the course of a year or so. From this point I knew as much as I want to know for what I liked to sew and only needed more practice.
Unfortunately, the best learning comes from practice and making mistakes, and then fixing mistakes!!!!!

I found personal lessons to be very helpful, because I liked the camaraderie and personal touch. Also, when I learned there wasn't so much on line.

If I was to learn today I would call all the quilting stores or stores that sell Viking or Bernina sewing machines and see what they offered for lessons.

I would make youtube my friend and search endlessly for sewing related videos. I learned how to do a quilt last year by watching videos.

I would also check out every sewing book from the library and read through those...if nothing else that to get inspiration!

Finally, I would find a project that you REALLY, REALLY want to do and go after it. I seem to always presevere the best at learning new things when I desire the final project enough!

(FWIW, this last method is how I taught myself how to knit about two years ago. There is so much on the internet!)

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CatholicMommy
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Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 6:08pm \| IP Logged

I second that final thought - about finding something you like to work on.

The advice that hit home the most for me when I was really beginning came from a lady who wishes she'd received this advice in the beginning:

Just pick one thing - and learn it well, whether it's a functional item or not. Make lots of that one basic item - until you can do it in your sleep.

Then start tweaking it - adding pieces, removing sections, whatever is an appropriate modification for it. Make it smaller, make it larger.

So one person I know who took this advice, started with jumpers - she started with doll-sized pull-over jumpers, then adjusted up from there, adding pockets, then different styles of hems, then adjusting the neckline to different shapes, adding a zipper in the back, then buttons down the front in different configurations....

Finally she had her daughters dressed out in jumpers, had her nieces and friends set up with as many as they could take - and she moved on to simple dresses. She took that jumper pattern, modified the arm holes a bit - and voila! The only new skill she needed was making sleeves!

From there, she went simpler - to skirts - then to blouses - then to her husband's casual shirts and is currently working on the dress shirts.

So that one project - learned well, allows you to learn the next thing easily - because it minimizes the amount of new stuff to be learned - and you've been successful many times over, so you KNOW you can do it, even when you make a mistake

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JennGM
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Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 6:21pm \| IP Logged

The projects I first sewed were applique pillow with zipper, drawstring totebag, and then a pair of pants.

I still have the totebag and use it all the time.

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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to

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'07
Family in Feast and Feria

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