Complete beginner sewer

[boogeek]

My lovely DH gave me a sewing machine for Christmas - I have never used one before! I have had a jolly afternoon threading it and sewing lines in an old sheet, but have no idea what to do now. Should I buy a cloth kit or something? Are there some really easy online patterns I could have a go at? What should I do, please ?

Ebay is worth a look for fabric too. The only drawback is you can't feel it!

welcome to the wonderful slightly addictive world of sewing!!
i've just spent the last year learning bits and pieces and second everyone's advice about internet/books etc...it's purely a matter of confidence...
Youtube is an amazing source of knowledge, people on there have been kind enough to video the SIMPLEST of things...
I have this book and this book and recently i have to be perfectly honest, i've also found this pretty useful The last one is good because she also gives you fabric to make a tiny bag with...but she does do things in a slightly weird way. Lovely ideas though.

If you can make friends with your local haberdashery, the ladies usually know a LOT in there and are usually helpful, even to complete dunces like me!!!

Just go for it....i reckon drawstring bags are a really good way of learning how to make something that's ultimately very pretty but has lots of good technique in there too.....

good luck!!

I've just got a sewing machine too and got a lovely book from the library called "Sew It Stuff It" which has nice childrens toys in.

I then got a bag of cotton off cuts on freecycle, from a dressmaker and had a go - great fun & nothing lost if it didn't work.

It did work! So all I had to buy was the stuffing. Great fun & a really good book

Thisblog belongs to a store in the US. They have tutorials for just about everything! They did a handmade holidays feature in November and posted lots of links everyday, most of them are pretty good for a beginner.

The other thing you could make is is a morsbag

and I often lurk in this forum

I think I'm going to go completely against the grain here...

I'm not new to sewing but I well remember being so. I made a few of the types of things suggested and because I wasn't very confident i bought very cheap fabric to do it in. And...it was ok...

But other posters are right - it doesn't save money to make your own clothes. Unless they are designer ones. For about my third sewing project I bought a Vogue Issey Miyake designer pattern and some gorgeous linen and made up an outfit I then wore for years and years (I grew out of it ). I took it very slowly and carefully - but that experience of putting together all those complicated bits was a fairly precipitous entry into the world of patterning and making.

In a rather circuitous way I ended up making my living for some years using the skills I'd taught myself using those sorts of patterns and my sewing machine.

That's nice to read melezka - I think your approach might fit better with me to be honest, as I can't imagine spending time and effort to make something I won't use :) I might not be quite as wild as you but I am teetering on trying at least a skirt in some lovely fabric that won't be in the shop

Linen, wool and slub silk are good fabrics to start with because they kind of "stick" (well don't slip anyway) when you are sewing edges together.

Have fun!

(I should mention that, having been machineless for a number of years I have just been presented with one as well - sooooo looking forward to getting stuck back into it!)

I have been sewing for more years than I care to state! When I was first married I stitched curtains, bedding and my own clothes and later made clothes for my children and bedding for their prams and cots. We had little money to spare and I could make great savings.

However clothes are now cheap to make and I would agree with the above posts that it is not worth spending precious time on something that can be bought. Luxury garments and evening wear which is often a simple shape made in a special fabric are a better way of spending time. A skirt is an easy garment to make and easy to fit (and it is fitting that makes wearing homemade clothes a pleasure).

I would add that I still make curtains as they are so easy to make and I also make bags for gifts.

Curtains are so expensive, I was shocked when I moved into my house and didn't like any of the pre made ones from Dunelm etc and to get a pair made cost £300! So that's definitely a goal of mine (Hell if I get good and stuck for work I could earn some cash! lol)

I have a dress that I bought in Matalan ages ago that I wore and wore and would love to make some replicas in different colours so that's a goal of mine too. It's a simple pinnafore style dress and something special could be made with a little inspiration or fluke.

Went to Dunelm a couple of days ago and they've got a sale on, bought a sewing box (looks just like my mums does that she's had since she got married, in a cute way) and I bought the essentials that an intro book told me i needed to have. Bought a bit of 99p a metre fabric too. Unforch the library was shit so no book to follow yet. The internet is helpful enough for now though.

What was on your list of essentials, please?

Just came across this earlier with lots of freebie patterns. Might be worth a look.

Agree abut curtains - I just get bored

Obviously only like stunt sewing

But yes, they are so expensive - was actually a big part of the reason for getting the machine.

There are millions of things you can buy but the introductory books seem to agree on the basics:
Tape measure
Cutting shears (big scissors)
Embroidery scissors (small scissors with pointy ends)
Dress Pins (i.e. small ones)
Needles (various sizes)
Seam/stitch ripper (sacrilege if you ask me but I don't doubt i'll be making mistakes and will need to un-sew something!)
Threads (bought a selection box with loads in for £3.99)
Tailors chalk which you can get in pencils or in triangular lumps of chalk which looked a bit messier to me.

Cool - I actually have all those things lying about apart from appropriate pins, threads, and chalky stuff. . I still haven't found a nice quiet hour to zip out and browse though, sob!

A good reference book (I've had mine literally since about the age of 11) is something like this Reader's digest one - i have an earlier edition and still refer to it. It has all the step by step instructions so if you want to do something like a piped edge or a buttonhole you can look it up. Sewing isn't hard if you can follow instructions. And have fun, too!

I would add to the list of essentials

a yardstick or very long rule if you want to make curtains or bags as you will need a straight edge

2 things I personally could not be without are

tacking (basting) cotton

Yes you can pin many things and then sew but tacking is essential for certain fabrics and although it seems a waste of time is quicker than having to unpick and restitch.
Tacking cotton is soft and leaves no marks and pulls out easily as it breaks so it is quicker than using ordinary thread.

and the gauge similar to the red one on the page below

sewing.about.com/od/beginner1/ig/Sewing-Tools/Sewing-Gauges.htm

but unfortunately I think only imperial versions are available so it might not suit younger sewers.

One tip with your small scissors knot a long loop of ribbon (grosgrain sort pref.) then if they slip under something you can find them easily and also you can hang them round your neck if you are using them regularly on a piece of work.