Starting out on this sewing thing

Since I’ve got nothin’ this week, I thought I would talk a little bit about sewing and how I go about getting things done.  I get asked fairly often about it, so I thought I would just write up a few things.  Feel free to tune out if you don’t care about all this boring sewing stuff.

• One thing I get asked is how to start off sewing and what machine to get. For sewing machines, I wouldn’t recommend getting a high end machine to start. Once you know how much you are going to use it, then maybe you can buy something with 50 different stitches and an onboard computer. FYI, my sewing machine has neither. It is a heavy-weight Janome machine that can handle being used A LOT. I generally only use the straight stitch, the zigzag stitch and the buttonhole setting.  I have to service it once a year or once every two years. I probably should be doing it more, but I can’t part with her that often.

I can imagine there is a thrift store or two that may have an old machine lying around from someone that had it in their closet collecting dust. I learned to sew on ancient machines that hadn’t EVER been serviced I would wager, and frustrated me to no end. I figured out how to work around that and still learned to sew.  The oldest one I used was black and probably from the 40’s or 50’s.  It only did a straight stitch, and the foot pedal popped when I used it.  I’m fairly lucky I didn’t get electrocuted. 😉

I also have a serger.  While not a necessity in sewing, it cuts down the time needed to make things.  Whereas before I would have to sew a seam and then finish the edges, now I can do it once.  I still make sure everything is sewn well, because a serger can become a crutch in that, but it is so nice to make up clothing articles quicker.  Plus…I can ruffle with it!  I’m sure if you seen the creations I’ve made for Anya, you must know how much I use that. 😉

• Once you have a machine, then you can buy fabric. There are so many places online that you can buy fabric from, plus the chain stores in many locations. If you live in a large metro area, see if there are any discount fabric warehouses around. There are a few where I live and that is where I buy the majority of my fabric for great prices.  Seriously, that duiponi silk dress and pants I made for Anya cost about $25…if that.  I could have easily bought her one for the same amount of money at JC Penny with lower quality materials. 

• Next you need a pattern. The chain stores occassionally have sales on their patterns and that is the best time to buy. You can get a pattern for $0.99.  You can also see if you can find lots of old patterns on ebay.  I have a bunch of patterns that I got that way, and most were uncut.  I wouldn’t recommend the Ottobre patterns for beginners, since they don’t have a lot of instructions, but they are nice once you have a basic understanding of garment construction. 

The major pattern companies will usually have how hard the pattern is on it, so look for the easy ones starting out.  There are also free tutorials online, but some of them expect you to have a basic knowledge of how to put things together.

I recommend buying some basic patterns and then you can modify them for what you want.    For instance, get a pattern for some basic elastic waist pants.  If they fit, you can use that same pattern to turn it into capris by just cutting it shorter, or add a ruffle to the bottom by figuring out the length and multiply by 2 for the width.

• Now, actually making something. My best advice is to find an elderly relative or neighbor that would love to teach you just for some company. Really, wouldn’t that be the best way to learn? They have alot of knowledge and experience to impart and you can learn in a relaxing atmosphere where no one is pushing you to buy something from them.  Plus, you are doing a good deed and spending time with someone that probably doesn’t get a whole lot of visitors.  My Grandma Josephine is the one that taught me to sew, and we had a wonderful time together.

If you can’t find someone to help you, thoroughly go over the patterns before you start.  Maybe take a sewing class at Joann’s.  If you get stuck on something….google is your friend!  They are so many wonderful seamstresses out there that are sharing their knowledge on putting in zippers or making buttonholes.

Start small is my best advice. Make some pillows or simple curtains. They have lots of straight lines. Then you can graduate to simple clothing construction. That would be nothing requiring buttonholes or zippers or darts. Eventually you can tackle the zipper. Really, it’s not that hard. Have a seam ripper, since you will have to use it. It is inevitable, so just accept the fact that you will make mistakes. It is part of that learning process. 🙂

I still have much to learn about sewing. There are so many things that you can make and do that your learning is never really complete. Couture sewing is difficult due to the attention to detail, but the final product is worth the effort. I want to try more of those techniques. This next year I want to make more items for myself, since I have the fabric for it anyways. 🙂

As to how I get so much done…well, having a goal in mind is good. Since I usually try to make sure I have something to post for Carrie’s Crafty Tuesday’s, this keeps me motivated to make things. I have so many projects that I want to get done, this extra motivation is helpful!

Hopefully I will have something to share next week, but since home improvement is taking a priority I’m not sure I will.  It may be a few weeks yet. Busy, busy!