Learning to sew?

Question

I want to learn how to sew. I want to be able to make my children halloween costumes, or holiday dresses. But I have no idea where to start. I have 0 knowledge about it, but that the thread goes thru the hole in the needle. HELP???? Where do i start?

Answer 1

Several possibilities:

1) Simplicity's Simply The Best Sewing Book. Meant for

no-experience newbies; home dec sorts of things rather than

garments. Should be able to find a used copy fairly reasonably.

2) Connie Crawford's new "Studio Sewing Skills" video takes a

brand new learner (she'd literally never sewn before) from

threading a machine through construction of a camp shirt. Connie

taught sewing, patternmaking and draping at FIDM for many years

before forming her own company.

http://www.butterick.com/item/CC770.htm?...

and the pattern used: http://www.butterick.com/item/B5047.htm

Too new (June 2008) to find used, most likely.

3) Crawford's Guide to Fashion Sewing: starts a bit beyond "how

to thread a machine", focussed on garment construction methods

slightly modified from ready to wear sewing methods. Much more

straightforward and time saving than the usual home sewing

methods, and better results, imo.

Takes you through all major garment types, including lining

jackets and vests. Wish I'd learned to sew this way from the

start... would have saved me years of frustration. Standard

textbook for fashion students, will be a little pricey even used;

worth it, imho.

4) Reader's Digest Complete Book of Sewing. The classic home

sewing manual. You may wind up wanting two copies, one from the

70's and a current one, because of different coverage. Should be

able to find used copies cheaply and easily.

5) Two more videos you should know about for a bit farther into

your sewing career: Mary Roehr's Pressing to Perfection and

Cecelia Podolak's Fearless Pressing. Pressing is not the same as

ironing -- pressing flattens seams, removes bulk, shapes fabric.

Someone who knows how to press a garment can make a mediocre

garment look great, and even a poorly sewn garment look ok.

Borrow them from your library (or I think Smartflix may have  

them.) Both also worth owning, imo.

The main thing you need to do is to make up your mind to ruin a

few pieces of fabric. Doesn't even have to be good fabric -- off

the dollar table at Walmart or that old dead sheet from the rag

bag. The ladies in the fabric department at Walmart (if you've

still got one) mostly sew and like fabrics, so if you tell them

you're a raw beginner and ask them to help you find some

"on-grain" easy fabric to practice on, I'm sure they can help.

("On grain" means the yarns in the fabric are at 90 degrees to  

each other, instead of skewed. Never assume you can straighten

skewed fabric).

If you don't have an iron, I recommend the Black and Decker

Classic as an inexpensive but good choice. If you need scissors,

Fiskars are pretty good for cheap, but I far prefer Kai -- you

want "dressmakers", as big a blade as you can afford -- the

bigger the blade, the less choppy the cutting, the easier the

sewing. http://www.kaiscissors.com/category.php?...

(N 5250 or N5275 would be my suggestion) About twice as much as

Fiskars, and worth it, imo.

I start beginners out with sewing on paper. Don't bother to    

thread up the machine. Get a piece of paper (junk mail is fine)

and put the right edge of the paper at the 5/8"/15mm mark. Lower

the presser foot and start sewing, trying to keep the paper

feeding straight. Watch the edge mark, not the needle. When you

get to the corner, stop with the needle down, raise the presser

foot, pivot 90 degrees, lower the presser foot and keep sewing.

Try to use just your right and left index fingers for steering

the paper. When you can sew

straight lines, cut some curves on your paper and learn to follow

those -- both inside and outside curves. When you're happy,    

thread up and try fabric. Paper is easier to sew on than fabric,

and learning to steer with your index fingers teaches you that

the feed dogs (the little grabber teeth under the presser foot)

do a nice job of transporting fabric by themselves -- you don't

have to clutch it to r****d the movement of the fabric or pull  

the fabric through. You'll need to use a little more of your hand

to control fabric instead of paper, but this is one of the best

beginner exercises I know of.

Answer 2

If there is a fabric store that sells sewing machines in your area, they will have everything you need. Books, videos, and some have classes Look for a mentor that can help you get started, either at the classes, or perhaps at church or a womens social club in your area. This is a great opportunity to meet new friends. Start out with easy things, stay with the beginner stuff, until you become proficient.  Once you know the basics, its a matter of practice, practice, practice. It takes most people years to become a really good seamstress. But, its very rewarding to get there.

Answer 3

I too just started to sew.  Get this book:  The Complete Guide to Sewing Made Easy.  Creative Publishing International, Inc.  800-328-3895.  I got mine at Borders/Waldenbooks.