Sewing For Beginners
Sewing Stitches For Beginners
There are a wide variety of sewing stitches that are all designed to meet specific sewing requirements. As a beginner, it is best to identify the stitch that will best suit your sewing needs before starting to sew.
Below are some of the basic stitches that you will need to learn:
1. Running Stitch
The running stitch (also called a basting stitch) is the most basic of all and is usually not used to actually join fabric but as a guide for other stitches or to hold fabric in place while sewing.
It consists of simply guiding your needle in and out of the fabric at regular intervals to form a sequence of stitches and spaces. A running stitch can also be used to gather fabric when pulled tight.
2. Stitches For Hems
Catch stitches are ideal for sewing hems in place securely. Start by ironing a crease about 5 cm’s in length into the fabric. Fold the short piece of fabric over and iron a second crease into the fabric. The first crease will form the hem and the second crease will be laid against the inside of fabric that you will be sewing.
Pull the needle and thread through the second crease a couple of millimeters from the edge of the crease until it reaches the knot in your thread. Catch as small piece of the underlying fabric at a slight forward and upward angle from the original entry point. The length of the catch will determine how visible the stitching will be on the outside of the fabric.
Pierce the creased fabric about 5 mm’s from the original entry point and you should have an inverted ‘V’ or ‘X’. Repeat until complete.
3. Basic Stitch For Seams
Seams are created when you join two pieces of fabric together. The most effective seam stitch is a Backstitch that basically doubles the seam strength.
Thread your needle and knot the end of the longest piece. Pierce through both pieces of fabric, pulling the thread through from the back to the front, until you reach the knot. Make one stitch to the desired length leaving the thread and needle behind the fabric. Place the needle the desired stitch length away from the first stitch and pull the thread through to the front of the fabric.
Pierce the fabric with the needle as near to the end of the first stitch as possible without using the same hole. You should now have two neat, even stitches facing you. Repeat the process.
4. Finishing Edges
Fabric edges are prone to fraying. The Zig-Zag stitch finishes edges to prevent the fabric from unraveling or becoming frayed. You can work with a single piece of fabric or two edges together.
Start by pulling the thread through the fabric, 3-5 mm’s from the edge, from back to front.
Create a vertical stitch directly up from the exit point and then through the original entry point to the front again. Your next stitch will be angled to the top right, from front to back, and then vertically from the back to the front again. Repeat to form a zig-zag. It is best to practice these sewing stitches on scrap material before starting to sew.
Sewing For Beginners
Is It Hard To Learn Sewing?
Sewing is not tricky, and it is an incredibly useful skill to have. People who can sew can mend damaged items of clothing and extend the life of their garments.
They can also add adornments to garments or alter them in case of weight loss or weight gain. Parents who know how to sew can customize hand-me-downs from one child to another for a perfect individualized fit.
It’s easy to see that if you can learn sewing, you can save a lot of money and get the most use out of all of your garments.
Sewing is also an enjoyable pastime and craft. You could learn to sew your own garments from scratch and create useful items for your household, or you could learn to make the most of older garments by taking up such enjoyable activities as quilting.
Creating quilts with intricate and precise designs or free-form, crazy quilts is an enjoyable way to get even more wear from castoff clothes or scraps of fabric leftover from fashioning new garments.
Although sewing is a simple task, having someone show you how is very helpful. As with most physical activities, it’s quite difficult to learn from the written word.
If you have an older relative who knows how to sew and can teach you, you would be wise to take advantage of the opportunity. This is a great way to carry on family traditions and spend quality time with a loved one.
Sewing was once a group activity in which women and girls would sit around together and do their mending and sewing while sharing each other’s company.
Learning to sew from a relative can be a pleasant and memorable experience. If you include your own children in your sewing lessons, you may rekindle a family tradition.
If you don’t have friends or relatives who can help you learn to sew, look into classes at your local junior college, a community center, or a senior center.
Senior members of your community may be very happy to teach you how to sew. Providing you with lessons may become a high point for a senior community member.
Alternately, if you are a member of a place of worship you might approach older members there to see if they can help you learn sewing. You might even set up a sewing circle.
It’s easy to see that sewing is a valuable skill that will benefit you personally and may act as a way of building community. Why not seek a friend, relative or new acquaintance to teach you today?
Sewing For Beginners
Important Beginner Sewing Tips
Sewing can be a fun hobby and, at the same time, a practical undertaking. Whether you will be a sewer, tailor or designer, you must start with some of the most basic beginner sewing tips to make a good start.
This can be a very good money-making business for an individual who has what it takes to engage in sewing.
Apart from venturing into the fashion industry, you can actually trace a wide range of business opportunities with the sewing skills you possess. It can range from making highly hailed bridal gowns and dresses to sewing up some dog dresses.
There are many opportunities available for you to make money. If you are a beginner in sewing, here are some beginner sewing tips you should start with.
Familiarize Yourself With The Terms
Sewing and dressmaking are not something you can just wake up one morning and start. This is because there are a lot of terms that you have to master.
Just like other areas of the profession, sewing is an area that has numerous terms associated with it. Before you begin sewing, you should try to learn some of the terms used.
This makes it easy for you to start your sewing career. In addition, this helps a beginner to keep up with the latest trends in the sewing and fashion industry.
Once you have learned the terms used in sewing, you can claim having made one of the most important leaps.
Begin With The Seams
Sewing the seams is among the basics for all sewing projects you may come across. The truth is that most of the sewing projects and dresses will always have seams.
Whether you are mending or altering a dress or a pair of pants, you soon realize that sewing the seams is a huge part of the project. It is important to practice sewing on scrap fabric or paper.
Through this, it is easy for you to get used to using your sewing machine to make straight seams. If you find it difficult to sew straight seams with your machine, you can use graphing paper or a tailor’s chalk to make sure that you stick to the straight line.
Start With Simple Projects
Just like any other project, you have to begin from the very basics. Before going into complex and sophisticated projects, you should first focus on working on the very simple ones.
Going for huge, complicated projects can leave you frustrated. As a beginner, it is important to start with simple projects that just require straight sewing, like pot holders, table runners, or simple skirts.
Avoid beginning with very complicated stitches since they will leave you frustrated.
Master Your Equipment
Another great secret to being a great sewer is mastering your equipment. You must be aware of your sewing buddy, which, in this case, is the sewing machine.
Once you have mastered your sewing machine, you can easily make a lot of items with it. If you are purchasing a new sewing machine, you must ensure that you have tested in thoroughly before making your purchase.
It is important to do some research to settle on the machine that best suits your needs.