Learning to sew!

[RosaWaiting]

Thinking to do this as a project in spare time

I have been given a small Janome sewing machine by a friend who has moved on to bigger things!

I would like to learn to sort out hems and things - I am petite and even petite tops can be too long....

and I'd like to learn to make trousers for myself, nothing terribly fancy.

Is it practical to teach myself? Does anyone have any books or YouTube videos they recommend? Plenty of scrap material to practise on.

thank you.

sorry, can't help but watching with interest as it's something i;'d love to take up

I took up sewing about a year ago. I started by reserving loads of books from my library and buying the magazines for the patterns. But really YouTube is your friend here and my favourite person is Debbie Shore.

Also google free sewing patterns...there are loads!

Hercule thank you

I see Debbie also has books, though they don't look hugely beginner friendly.

I'd also like to make odd bits like fabric brooches. I might make a start on Monday. My friend who gave me the machine lives a long way away, so she just dropped it off - with a manual - and now I'm left looking at it thinking "I wonder how this works"

Watch a few you tube videos on the basics. Have a play with your machine. Get familiar with the dials and threading method.

If you use some thicker cotton to practice stitching, it's easier as it behaves!

When you are getting more confident, make something simple like a tea towel and practise hemming.

I think the key is to watch the videos and have a go.

It's not hard. But if you get into a pickle and fabric jambs in your machine, don't force it. Cut it away with an unpicker and pick the smaller bits out carefully.

It can be great fun.

Ps, the machine will know when you are tired and will play up!

It's such an amazing hobby! I use a website called ohmotherminediy.com its all in Spanish but her patterns are fantastic and all free, you can get the gist of what to do from the video tutorials.

oh I will have to buy an unpicker, will I?

I'm off to work now but will google later. Thanks so much for all the replies. I'm looking forward to doing something new!

Definitely get a seam ripper! After the sewing machine, I think it's the next most used tool! Tip: the hook part with the bobble on it faces down as then it shouldn't cut into the fabric. Use it the other way around if the thread is more tricky to cut. Enjoy sewing!

If you want to shorten a top and it currently has a level hem all the way round, try it on while it's inside out, and then pin up just one section to the level you want.

Take the garment off, and cut a piece of card to the depth of the piece you pinned up. Now keep moving that piece of card along the hem to show you how much to fold the fabric to get an even hem all the way round. Be careful if there is any stretch in the fabric though!

You tube can help but mostly you learn by starting simple eg hemming and working your way up ... simplicity patterns for instance are easy to follow.

Thank you so much
I’m getting some fabric to practice on from mum’s neighbour, she’s away this week but kindly said I can take some scrap material from her next week. I’m ordering a beginner book as well as I thought that might be better than videos.

I now need to sort out pins....going to look through late fathers things as he did know how to sew but sadly I never got him to show me!