Sewing and knitting...How??

purpleivy

http://www.thesewingforum.co.uk/index.php is a good place to start. There is a section for beginners and also a section listing clubs and classes by local area. There are some beginner classes going on in the Warrington area and also for those who can already sew a bit, she is running classes on how to fit your garments.

I have joined a club in the Widnes area, which meets fortnightly, which is great fun.

bellaquidsin

Wool (yarn, as a lot of it is acrylic nowadays) is not cheap, although you can get some cheaper makes which are fine for small children's clothes which aren't worn for long before they are outgrown. Avoid the large stores though as they go for large prices.

If you want to make a garment that will last, try waiting for the Sales as manufacturers clear out 'old' colours and often they will be sold for half price.

If you only want to make small items such as scarves or mittens for children, comb the charity shops to look for odd balls, or try asking round grannies or aunties (anyone's) as many knitters have cupboards full of odd balls.

Material for sewing is not cheap either (compared with the many foriegn imports of clothing) neither is it very widely available.

Check out market stalls or better still make over some old item of clothing e.g. cut up an adult skirt to make a childs, or an old duvet cover, even old curtains to make an adult skirt. May be better to start to learn on a fresh piece of material first with a proper pattern so that you can get used to the principle of cutting on the straight grain of the material, the pattern will tell you how to do this, other wise the garment won't hang properly

Happy sewing, it's very satisfying,
Bella.

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Hi
I can knit, sew & crochet & would love to pass these on to others, my problem is I can't find anyone who wants to learn.
I also signed up to the Jamie Oliver website, but I can't find anyone who wants to learn to cook either.
Hester

I agree, HH, I would be happy to pass on my skills but haven't found anyone. People are happy for me to do their alterations for them (for peanuts!) but are not willing to try for themselves.

Mrs F x

fertyskids

Hi everyone,

some fantastic suggestions. thanks.

Pink winged - i had a look at your sites fab will definately give them a go. ive saved them to favorates.

Mautaurus - thanks again for the links i think they will be very useful once i get going...

Purpleivy - cant afford classes. i did look at my local college but as hubby works we had to pay full costs which were a lot for a ten week course. thanks anyway!!

Harduphester - i wish you lived near me..... i hope you find someone to share your skills with soon.

Bellaquidsin - great suggestions much appreciated. i will have a look in charity shops for some. im not sure what ill knit first but it will be small and there bound to have enough wool. would they sell needles as well do you thinkj. where is a good place to get them i dont have any wool shops near me. a couple of big departement stoes about 10 miles away, but i guess they are very expensive.

JackieO - this sounds fab. do i just do a google search or can you tell me a bit more about how to find them in my local area. i think this is definately the place to start for me, im no good at reciepes let alone instructions i learn by being shown best.

thanks Fertyskids

ALFlem

I've always done bits and piecves of cross-stitch (I have bad wrists so knitting was always a bit of a pain so never really done it) and blackwork. I've recently re-discovered and I'm x-stitiching a picture for my Mother in Law and also doing some patchwork to use up all my old clothes and fabrics around the house. (see my other thread about ideas for projects).

If you want to learn I would say keep an eye on the sewing/knitting magazines and when they have a kit you like free, buy it. You get the kit and chart free, and a bunch of ideas of what to do next. all for about £3.

Menolly_2

It is true that both yarn and fabric are expensive to buy (when you can find places to get them, of course). I tend to wait until the sales to buy yarn, although there are some good sellers on eBay, or (like Bella) I look in charity shops (they quite often have knitting needles and yarn). My mother taught me to sew (she was MUCH better than the Home Ec teacher!) and I do sew for myself. The most important things IMHO to take on board are:

1.You DO have to measure yourself properly (there are loads of online sites to help with this).

2. You may well have to alter the pattern so it fits you properly - there are loads of books/online sites etc that will help with this, too.

3. It is a VERY good idea to make the pattern up the first time in a "cheap" fabric of the same weight and feel as the more expensive one that you want to use. As Bella says, you need to get to grips with laying the pattern out on the straight grain first time out, or whatever you are making will not hang right. Once you have figured out how to tell the straight grain, you can then do like Maria in the Sound of Music and convert old curtains etc.

4. You do not necessarily need an all-singing-all-dancing electronic sewing machine (trust me, when my beautiful Bernina was dropped by the couriers coming back from service and the motherboard was damaged, it was a VERY expensive repair!!!)

5. I know this should seem obvious, but do try on a style similar to the one you want to make to ensure it does suit you, before expending time, money etc on making your lovely garment - ask me how I know LOL!:rolleyes:

6. Check out the pattern review website http://sewing.patternreview.com/ (someone mentioned this in another thread and I heartily endorse this). Like it says, there are reviews of patterns from loads of companies, including the small independent ones, and they will tell you if a pattern is a good one or not and also any points to look out for.

7. ALWAYS knit the tension square! It may seem boring, but whatever you are making (if it is more complex than a scarf) will then fit (I have unravelled a beanie hat that was WAY too big and came down to my chin when pulled on, all because I was too lazy to knit the tension square).

My step-daughter often asks me to alter or sew things for her or the boys - I have volunteered to show her how, but she hasn't taken me up on it.

Once you have mastered the basics, you will find that there are loads of frugal things you can do - look in charity shops for clothes with lovely buttons because even if the item doesn't fit you or is otherwise out of fashion, you can reuse the buttons (buttons can be REALLY expensive). On the occasions that I have done this, I have replaced the "nice" buttons with basic ones and given the item back to charity. There are quite a few books around that have suggestions for remodelling clothes (some of the ideas might be a bit naff, but they can be used to get the creative process going!)

The Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing is a really useful one to look out for (again, you might find this in a charity shop) as it covers sewing for the home as well as dressmaking.

Good luck, Fertyskids - I'm sure that you will find sewing and knitting really satisfying.