finlaure13 reblogged
Things I wish I had read in "beginner" sewing tutorials/people had told me before I started getting into sewing
- You have to hem *everything* eventually. Hemming isn't optional. (If you don't hem your cloth, it will start to fray. There are exceptions to this, like felt, but most cloth will.)
- The type of cloth you choose for your project matters very much. Your clothing won't "fall right" if it's not the kind of stretchy/heavy/stiff as the one the tutorial assumes you will use.
- Some types of cloth are very chill about fraying, some are very much not. Linen doesn't really give a fuck as long as you don't, like, throw it into the washing machine unhemmed (see below), whereas brocade yearns for entropy so, so much.
- On that note: if you get new cloth: 1. hem its borders (or use a ripple stitch) 2. throw it in the washing machine on the setting that you plan to wash it going forward 3. iron it. You'll regret it, if you don't do it. If you don't hem, it'll thread. If you don't wash beforehand, the finished piece might warp in the first wash. If you don't iron it, it won't be nice and flat and all of your measuring and sewing will be off.
- Sewing's first virtue is diligence, followed closely by patience. Measure three times before cutting. Check the symmetry every once in a while. If you can't concentrate anymore, stop. Yes, even if you're almost done.
- The order in which you sew your garment's parts matters very much. Stick to the plan, but think ahead.
- You'll probably be fine if you sew something on wrong - you can undo it with a seam ripper (get a seam ripper, they're cheap!)
- You can use chalk to draw and write on the cloth.
- Pick something made out of rectangles for your first project.
- I recommend making something out of linen as a beginner project. It's nearly indestructible, barely threads and folds very neatly.
- Collars are going to suck.
- The sewing machine can't hurt you (probably). There is a guard for a reason and while the needle is very scary at first, if you do it right, your hands will be away from it at least 5 cm at any given time. Also the spoils of learning machine sewing are not to be underestimated. You will be SO fast.
I believe that's all - feel free to add unto it.
Things I have learned as an occasional sewer:
- Get sharp scissors. They don't need to be expensive, but your fabric scissors should NOT be the ones you cut plastic ties with. Eventually, if you sew enough, you will hear the siren song of better scissors. You don't have to listen.
- Thread nippers are so helpful - they spring open so you don't need to expend the hand effort to open the scissors. You don't need them, but they are great for when you need to trim those threads.
- Get more bobbins. Fill those bobbins. It sucks to be on a seam and run out of thread in your bobbin. Make sure you get the right bobbin for your machine.
- Fabric stores have sales. You can usually get notions (thread, zippers, buttons, etc) much cheaper if you shop sales. Cheaper option? You can find A LOT of notions at garage sales and charity shops.
- Patterns are usually marked on skill level. Find things at your level. Very easy usually has minimal fuss.
- You can experiment with cheap fabrics. You can find fabrics at consignment shops, garage sales, etc. Also, if you meet someone who sews and mention you are learning, you will probably get given something from their stash. I'm happy to give you something from mine.
- You don't need 846 stitches on your machine. BUT don't buy a super cheap brand-new one. You can probably find a good one used for that same super cheap price. A quick service and you've got a machine that will last you until you somehow acquire another machine.
- Velvet and chiffon are the devil. Gorgeous, amazing, delicious demons from hell. Wait until you have money to burn on wasted fabric and the patience of a saint before tackling these two.
- Zippers piss everyone off. It is known.
- Sleeves can be cranky.
- If it's a commercially made pattern, check what other folks have done to resolve issues. Sometimes there is a known missed mark or fold line.
- Stretch fabrics aren't what I would start anyone off with. They wiggle and move like a sugared up toddler.
- You can iron your patterns.
- Don't buy your pattern based on your commercial clothing size. Take your measurements and go from there. Patterns live in a different size world. And different pattern-makers have different sizes, and sometimes that varies by age of the pattern.
- You will occasionally try to sew something beyond your skill level. THAT's OK. Just give yourself time, and listen to those who have gone before you. And don't try to make a period-appropriate gown the day before your event unless you've done it before. Or you are doing a toga.
I forgot something.
Buy extra needles for your machine. It’s not uncommon to break a needle and it sucks if you are mid-project at midnight. They are generally inexpensive and they won’t go bad. Buy them. Buy multiple packs.
- Flat (razor) blades are even better for taking seams apart. You can get them in bulk. In Canada they are available at Canadian Tire for about $9/100.
- Buy an invisible zipper foot and put invisible zippers in when skirts and dresses call for a regular zipper. The zipper door is universal, does all the work, and the zipper is then hidden in your seam. Can’t recommend this enough.
- Sometimes pins are not the right tool to hold things together. Zippers, plaids, stretchy fabric, sometimes you need a third hand. A wash away “wonder tape” will stabilise and hold things in place while you work and will disappear with water.
- Natural fibres are WAY nicer to work with than manmade fibres. They press nicer, lay better, tear straight, wear better.
- Use a longer stitch rather than a shorter one. You might like the look of tiny little stitches until you try to take them out of a finicky fine fabric when you inevitably make a mistake.
- Pinking shears are a bit more expensive than regular scissors but a lot cheaper than a serger, and they work well to finish edges inside seams to keep fraying at a mimimim and to lessen the bulk of a hard seam line of fabric.
