Sewing - how do I learn?

belfastgirl23

Try your local FE college for courses. Ours runs them but the beginners one is on a night I can't make - have always fancied doing it. If you do go please please come back and let us know how you get on.

Otherwise it might be worth checking out videojug - see here http://www.videojug.com/tag/sewing

You can also find out how to kiss passionately if you want

Firehorse

How about approaching your local sewing shop. I have an absolutely wonderful one, all the ladies are so knowledgeable. I'm not that great at it, and when I purchase patterns we go through the instructions first in case there's something I don't understand. Also, some of them do private work and may consider giving you lessons/walking you through your first pattern.

Equipment wise, you could try looking on freecycle for a secondhand sewing machine. Don't see much point in buying an expensive new one, if you find you don't take to the hobby. I was lucky and purchased a second hand Pfaff for £50 16 years ago, and have only had it fixed once, £41 - it's been an absolute star to me.

donny-gal

Isn't it strange, I seem to have known how to sew/knit/crochet since being small. Maybe it is with having a Mum who due to circumstances had to make her own clothes, and always was knitting, etc., I used to make dolls clothes for my dolls either via guess work or via a pattern (I think I still have some somewhere!), the results weren't always perfect, but it didn't matter.

Like you Tanith, maybe a money spinner for my retirement, if I only had the time:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
DG

jannyannie

Hi

I taught myself to sew when I was in my twenties. At that time I was skint and depressed and I found it helped me to switch off. Have just ordered some beginners books to do with knitting/ crochet from Amazon. There probably is something similar for sewing, also if you google it you'll probably get loads of stuff. Your local library should be able to help you with courses.

Good Luck

Jan

Dioritt

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

Try your local FE college for courses. Ours runs them but the beginners one is on a night I can't make - have always fancied doing it. If you do go please please come back and let us know how you get on.

Otherwise it might be worth checking out videojug - see here http://www.videojug.com/tag/sewing

You can also find out how to kiss passionately if you want

Have just spent half an hour browsing around VideoJug - what a great site. Not a whole lot on sewing but picked up some other ideas. Will definitely be giving the Salvador Dali Clock a try.

Sharon

lillythecat

Kittycat have a look at this site http://www.threadbanger.com/blog there are great videos about re-stying and interesting projects. Also lots of links to other blogs etc. Its not that hard to do the basics once you can sew in a straight line. Could you borrow a sewing machine from someone and have a go? Then you could practice on old bits of material. There are also lots of books on sewing might be worth a look for an old one on Amazon or ebay.I've got a Readers Digest step by step one thats really useful. Just try something easy to start with. Lol Lil
This site is great too http://nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/

lessonlearned

Hi Kittycat

My parents bought me a second hand sewing machine for my 13th birthday (over 40 years ago - ouch!!!). It was nothing fancy and only did straight forward and backward stitches, not like the all singing/all dancing ones you can get now.

Although we had sewing lessons at school I never achieved much and never even finished a garment all the while I was at school. (I was one of the naughty ones who preferred to play around rather than pay attention in class).:rotfl:

Basically, I taught myself at home through trial and error (same with knitting, crochet, decorating and furniture restoration). It's just practice really.

Now I can make coats, suits just about anything although I'm not great at curtains for some reason. I agreee zips can be tricky.

Some of my early attempts were a bit rough but, even as a skint school girl, making my own meant I could afford the latest fashions.

I would buy some fabric off the market on a Friday lunchtime and wear the outfit to go out on Saturday night!!! Mary Quant (famous 60's fashion designer) had nothing on me once I caught the sewing bug.

What with my home made clothes and my Oxfam finds I always had something new and different to wear and had wardrobes full of clothes. Wish I'd kept them - vintage stuff is worth a small fortune now. (I also had a Saturday morning job at a hairdressers so always had great hair cuts too - for free). Happy days.;)

Anyway - back to learning how. Some schools do evening classes, otherwise most sewing machine shops offer free tuition if you buy a machine through them. One of ours offers one to one tuition for about £10 a lesson, even if you haven't bought a machine from them. The lessons are tailored (sorry no pun intented) to exactly what you need to learn.

You could learn some basics from books - your library might be able to help. Stick to easy patterns ie no zips etc to start with, most patterns have step by step instructions. If you can follow a recipe book you should be ok with a pattern.

Simplicity patterns (if they are still in business) are good for beginners. I now have a library of patterns which I collected free with "Prima" magazine. They used to be enclosed with the magazine itself but I think you have to send off for them now. I think they are still free, you just have to pay the p&p.and they are quite straightforward.

You don't need a machine to start with although hand sewing is slower of course. Fabric can be quite expensive sometimes so you could perhaps start by buying cheap jumble or car boot clothes to cut up and practise with. If starting from scratch is too daunting try customising things you already have.

Look round haberdashers stalls (markets are good) for trimmings, bits of lace etc. and "jazz up" plain outfits. There are plenty of products that don't even require sewing skills because you can iron them on, i.e. "Wonderweb" for doing hems etc. Ask the assistant for advice, they are usually very knowledgeable.

Good luck. Once you get your creative juices flowing you'll love it. Just keep practising and your skills will improve.

lessonlearned

Just remembered. I've also dyed clothes to ring the changes, as well as shoes, bedlinen, towels, loose covers for sofas - all sorts really. I've printed plain fabric, using old sheets etc, decorated plain t-shirts with fabric paints, sequins etc and all sorts of bits and bobs. I've also re-covered and re-vamped old junk shop furniture and knick-knacks.

Once you get going, there's no stopping you. Yes, you save money but also you end up with something that is different and original.

I've collected quite a few craft type books from "The Works" usually for a few pounds each, but you could also try Amazon and E-bay, car-boots and charity shops etc.

Happy Sewing and Crafting!!!

arkonite_babe

as the title says, I'm a beginner with a sewing machine. Anyone got any good easy starter projects I could try? I'm aiming in the future to make a patchwork quilt (that's waaaay in the future )

TIA for any replies or help

ab
x

notenoughcash

My mum started me with peg bags, if I can get hold of cheap pretty cotton now I make up a batch and sell them at the car boot!

Then I moved on to curtains and make all of my own now, can put some together in a couple of hours.

It's all about practice, just get some old or cheap fabric and see how you get on!