Sewing as a beginner

[TryAgainAnotherDay]

Always loved crafting, knitting, crochet and basic sewing. Was always good at sewing at school but not done much since leaving, only basics such as turning clothing up, buttons and basic fixes.

Had a look at buying a memory blanket a few weeks ago and they where stupidly expensive, so decided to make my own. I'm hooked.

Blanket turned out well for a first attempt and going to do a couple more, but what I really want to aim to is making clothing, I've always dreamed of making my own but the problem is I wouldn't know where to start, I wouldn't even know how to read a pattern.

I've looked for local classes but can't find any, so does anyone have any recommendations of where to start. What can I make first to start bringing me up to clothing? is it easier / harder then it looks? Should I just give up?

Any tips would be very much appreciated.

i would check out tilly and the buttons - generally not my style but her teaching courses look a good start. the hardest part of sewing is the fit. if you have a large bust i would recommend cashmerette - again do online sewing school - i use her patterns all the time. if don't want to spend so much on a course i would buy a simple skirt pattern made for wovens and then work your way through and google the pattern markings. there are lots of blogs for 'how to read a sewing pattern' etc
i honestly wouldn't expect to wear your first garment or two so dont spend lots on fabrics, polycottons are your friend!

oh and enjoy!

No help but that was me a couple of months ago. I found a local sewing shop who ran classes and I'm in my second block of 4. I've made two loose dresses, one in class and one by myself and I'm learning how to make a fitted one. There are also zoom classes I am thinking of doing one with hobbycraft so maybe you can find a virtual one?

Hi. Don’t give up on sewing- there’s loads of easy things to start with and you’ll soon find you’re able to “tweak” patterns to get exactly what you want.
I would recommend Jalie patterns as a good place to start. You can print the pattern at home. They are really good patterns and there are video tutorials for some. There’s also a Facebook page called sewing with jalie and the owners will give help if needed. The Clara leggings are a nice easy make. The t- shirts are also good. Jalie patterns
It isn’t too hard to teach yourself how to sew.
😀

Oh and don’t be afraid of stretch fabrics- people seem to think they’re hard to sew with and so long as you use the correct needle ( stretch or ballpoint) and machine stitch it’s really forgiving!!

Hi, it is harder than I imagined but there's also more tutorials and help freely available than ever before. I started in lockdown and never looked back.

Yes do a class if you can, look for a social sewing club, join our stitch and bitch thread and go for it. There are often YouTube sewalong videos for some clothing patterns.

Definitely don't give up! There's nothing inherently complicated about making clothing - it's still just one seam (or process) at a time, and before you know it you have something to wear.

I'd also second TATB to start with. Her patterns aren't for everyone, BUT she has the best instructions for beginners, with LOADS of pictures, and also a lot of associated help on her website/blog. Starting with something not too fitted is a good idea. There's a lot of love for the Stevie dress/top, if you like that kind of style. Or PJs are a good place to start (Tilly has a pattern for them too). She has just released a new trouser pattern (Esti) which looks like it would be very straightforward indeed.

Closet Core patterns also have very good instructions, but often for more complex garments (although I think their Celio top is supposed to be very simple).

Sew Over It also have online tutorials too, but I don't know if they're beginner friendly.

Whereabouts in the country are you? People may know of a local sewing shop/teacher.

The key thing is to go in with an open mind. It's unlikely that the very first thing you make will be perfect. But it will be something you'll have learnt from, and a base from which to build. It's a skill which takes a bit of time to learn, but it's SO worth learning.

I love Jalie patterns for inclusiveness, most of their patterns cover from toddler to plus size. You can also 'preview' their instructions in PDF on their website so you can see what you're getting into. If you're not into printing at home, Minerva Crafts sell some in paper format.

Sew Over It patterns cover from beginners to tricky. The instructions are pretty clear, generally with photographs and details.

I've had some success with patterns from Made by Rae - I've made the both the Luna and the Rose trousers and they both look pretty good. Instructions are drawings rather than photos, but still pretty clear. Of the two Luna were the simpler.

I got started on sewing after going to a class at an Abakhan shop - I made a pair of leggings in an afternoon so had no excuse to be scared of stretch fabrics.

I got the machine out again today to make DH a patchwork quilt out of his old T-shirts for more practice. I might try a sort toy next before getting adventurous and trying PJ bottoms.

I find it so therapeutic and really do just get immersed. Until I fo it wrong and then spend 20 minutes unpicking 😁

I third Tilly and the Buttons even though some of the styles are not right for me, as a learning process (and I was right at the bottom end of the beginner level) it’s been great. And I wear all the garments I’ve made from TATB. Not perfect but more than wearable. Some Sew Over It videos are really good too… I used the one for adding an invisible zip and it was really clear.

It's all going downhill. My machine keeps making random banging noises and the needle keeps getting jammed 😢

Rethread machine,and check that the spool is is in correctly, and also that its been wound properly.

I also came on to suggest Tilly and the Buttons. Her instruction leaflets are very well explained and have photos and there are also videos online.

I think making a quilt out of T shirts is quite difficult for a beginner as they are so stretchy. Have you backed the patches with iron-on interfacing to stablilise them?

A fourth vote for Tilly and the Buttons! I taught myself to make clothes during lockdown when I randomly decided to buy a sewing machine. I started with quilts but there’s only so many quilts you need, so clothes were the next step.
I agree that Tilly’s patterns might not be to everyone’s taste style-wise, but her book Love at First Stitch is an excellent introduction, introducing new techniques with each new pattern. The pyjama bottoms pattern out of that book is still one of my most-used patterns despite being much more advanced as a sewist now!
oh and if you use Instagram, the sewing community on there is lovely and helpful, follow a few accounts you like the look of and you’ll pick up all sorts of inspo and tips!

I’m going against the grain - I don’t rate TATB, her patterns don;t fit my shape well. I like Waves & Wild, I started with the Beachcomber which comes as a T-shirt, tunic or dress length.

Look up Start to Stitch Academy. It's an online sewing school. Disclaimer; I know the lady who runs it, I am not attempting to advertise, I know lots of people who have attended her classes online and in person and apparently it's fabulous.

I did indeed, youtube told me to 😁.

It started after I was sewing and ran out of bobbing. I've rethread it all and it will be fine for a few stitches before jamming again 🤷‍♀️

Ok, is your needle bent? Put it on a flat surface to see.

@Kilopascal I did think it looked slightly bent. I will take it out tomorrow to have a proper look.

@TryAgainAnotherDay please can you share your memory blanket pattern? I'm a beginner, but have a creative eye and a lovely machine. I'm wondering if I could start doing a blanket to make use of the clothes I'm keeping for memory's sake!

👍

Second project completed

Fantastic. Well done.

I just typed make a memory blanket into youtube, I watched a few different videos and pulled bits that I liked from each video to make my own blanket.