5 Top Tips for New Sewers

 While I still consider myself a beginner sewer, I do feel that I have made some progress. It's now been about a year since I started sewing again, having not got far at all the first time I tried. I dusted off the sewing machine to make some face masks at first, and that really boosted my confidence to start making more and more. Recently I made a couple more face masks and was surprised at how much better I was at them and how much I understood about the reasoning behind the construction method and pattern. Proof of progress! 

So even though I still feel very much like a beginner, and have a LOT still to learn and many skills to practice, I thought I would share the most useful things I have learned to date plus some resources that have helped me.

1. PINS. Seriously. Pin everything together. Then go back and add more pins. I used to shove a couple of pins in and then get cross that the fabric slipped or the lines were wonky. Pins (or clips) are your friends. Make your seam line bristle like a porcupine.

2. IRONING. When I started sewing my husband said to me "I didn't realise how much ironing is involved in sewing things!" Well, to be honest, neither did I! But ironing (or rather, pressing as it's referred to in the sewing context) is so helpful to make the fabric do what you need it to do, like staying folded up neatly, and for making your finished sewing look crisp and neat. If you are pushed for space, the ironing board is also a handy work-surface and I do a fair amount of measuring, pinning etc using it as a table.

3. DON'T SKIP STEPS. This relates a little to points 1 and 2 but seriously, when you read a pattern instruction and it says 'fold 1/4 inch and press, then fold another 1/4 inch and press again, then pin and sew' and you think, "blimey, that seems OTT, do I have to?" then just sigh, put on some music or an audio-book, and do it anyway. It may be that once you have more experience you can think "actually I think I'll do these seams a different way" but before you can start altering and customising and improvising you need to learn the basic steps.

4. OLD FABRIC. This one might be a bit controversial... There's a lot of advice out there about using old fabric, bed-sheets especially, to practice on and make toiles. I do think it's really important to make toiles to help you check the fitting and as practice garments. But I don't necessarily think that old bed-sheets are the way forward. I've used them a few times, plus old curtains too, and I've honestly found it more stressful than when I've gone on to use the 'proper' fabric. In fact my most enjoyable sewing experiences have been using 'proper' fabric as opposed to cheap, worn bed-sheets. I think this is due to the quality of the material, and the way that an old sheet tends to fray so much, be quite thin and slippy, and generally not easy for a beginner to handle. It's also much easier to find the grain when the selvage is still there! So my suggestion is to find sales fabric or remnants to practice on and make toiles, say something at £1-2 a metre. Save the bed-sheets for rag rugs!

Edit: I know that suggesting that £2 a metre fabric be used for practice/toile is a privileged position to take as spending that money might not be possible for everyone. What I would say then is that be kind to yourself if you are using charity shop bed-sheets or curtains and your sewing isn't coming out how you would like. It may be the fabric, not you!

5. YOUTUBE IS YOUR FRIEND. Seriously. If you're looking at the pattern and thinking 'what the heck does that mean?' then I guarantee that there's a YouTube video explaining it, with demos of someone doing it. Start with the website of the maker of your pattern - a lot of the indie pattern makers have really helpful blog posts, sew-along videos and links that explain exactly what to do. There are also general guides to getting started in sewing including how to use your machine. I'm really enjoying Evelyn Wood's Vintage Sewing School series at the moment but there's so many others too.

 

Extra tip: ASK FOR HELP. I don't know anyone in real life who could give me tips. But I have developed an online community, mainly through the #ConfinedCrafting hashtag, who have been so generous with ideas, suggestions, advice and links. I also joined Instagram (reluctantly) but it has been great. Curate your feed so you only get lovely, inspirational, uplifting content! I have found the sewing community on Insta to be encouraging and helpful.

What would be your top tips for a new sewer?