If you clicked on this post, you probably want to start sewing and have no idea where to start. Don't worry, we've all been in this position, myself included. The world of sewing and DIY is full of information and it's not always easy to navigate through it all, especially with so called "DIY Hacks" cramming themselves all over Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. While these shortcuts might seem like easy alternatives to traditional sewing, I've found that they just end up in disappointing results and wasted crafternoons. That being said, I have picked up a lot of tricks and skills over the past five years that have made sewing, crafting and DIYing much easier. Plus, these are all things that I wish I had known when I first started sewing, so hopefully this will help someone out. For this list, I will mainly be focusing on sewing tips, but maybe in the future I will create more lists as my skillset grows. While I can't transform an old T-shirt into a cute mini dress in under five minutes, I can certainly help make your sewing experiences a little easier and more fun. 1. Be Patient This one sounds like the most obvious but it is something we all take for granted. In a world where we expect perfect results immediately, sewing might seem like a waste of time at first glance. Why should you put time and effort into a project you can easily buy? Furthermore, a lot of people don't understand how long making clothes actually takes, which is why they get discouraged so easily when they actually try it. Plus, our first attempts aren't always successful so giving up is a simple solution to the problem. However, if you are serious about sewing and doing it successfully you need to have patience. A lot of things can go wrong and they inevitably will. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and to keep going despite your failures. You'll eventually start seeing great results and you'll want to keep challenging yourself. 2. Sketch Your Ideas Whether or not you're an experienced artist, sketching your projects before applying them to fabric is a good habit to get into. Sketching your ideas on paper allows you to have a record of your concept, but more importantly it allows you to visualize your idea more easily. It also helps you translate your idea from an image in your head into a physical product. Keep in mind that your drawings don't have to be perfect; they're simply a vessel for realizing your brainchild (or brainchildren). In addition to sketching your ideas, I suggest writing down your ideal fabrics, patterns and colours as well as any samples of possible fabrics you might use. 3. Pre-wash and Iron your Fabrics While not all fabrics need to be pre-washed before use, it's good to habitually wash your fabrics before sewing with them to avoid any incidents once you've finished your full project. Every experienced sewer has a horror story about one of their projects shrinking in the wash after finishing it, trust me. You can determine if and how a fabric needs to be washed by consulting the fibres. A good rule of thumb is that all natural based fabrics should be pre-washed in hot water before use. Fibres like cotton, linen and denim will shrink the first time you wash them and then be fine for future washes. These can include fabrics like quilters cotton, flannel, denim, cotton-jersey, linens, rayon, etc. On the other hand, synthetic fibres like polyester don't require immediate washing before use. However, it's still a good idea to pre-wash these fabrics to help relax them and make them easier to work with. If you're working with a particularly delicate fabric or you don't know the fabrics' fibre content, you should throw a scrap of it into the wash for a little test drive before washing the whole bolt. This test will also help you learn if your fabric can be washed in hot water or not, since some fabrics (mainly wool) need to be washed in cold water. Once your fabrics are dry, you should iron your fabrics to prevent wrinkles as much as possible. I know that ironing might seem boring and time consuming but it can really change the look and feel of a project. If ironing stresses you out, I suggest putting on some relaxing music or a podcast to keep your mind occupied. Once you get into the rhythm of it, it honestly won't feel so bad. 4. Use Interfacing Interfacing, also known as stiffener, is a thin, paper-like webbing that helps fabric maintain shape and structure. They are typically used in projects like bags, accessories, toys and hats, but they're also essential for shirt cuffs, collars, formal wear, jackets and pants. They can range from very light weight, like tissue paper, to heavier weight like cardboard (though you shouldn't replace interfacing with either of these things). They are typically sandwiched between your outer fabric and a lining fabric. While interfacing might seem like a scary tool if you're just starting out, it can actually make your experiences better, especially if you're working with stretchy and more delicate fabrics. If you're nervous about trying it out on a piece of clothing, try a smaller project like a stuffed animal, a hat or a tote bag. I guarantee you'll never go back. 5. Learn About Different Needles I feel like many beginners overlook this step when they start sewing. Knowing when to change your needles is a habit that will drastically improve your sewing skills, and is actually a lot easier than you might think. The basic concept is to use thin needles for delicate fabrics, thick needles for heavy fabrics and ballpoint needles for stretchy fabrics. For example, If you use a leather needle on satin or silk you're going to end up with a lot of holes and rips in your project. By contrast, a more delicate needle will break if you try using it on a heavy fabric. Most needles will state their type on the packaging (universal, ballpoint, leather, quilting, topstitch, etc.) so first classify your needles by fabric type. Then check the numbers on the box: the bigger the number, the thicker the needle. For example, I have a set of needles marked as 80/11 and 60/8 Both are universal but the ones on the right are better suited for thinner fabrics like chiffon or satin, while the ones on the left are best for heavier fabrics like cotton and denim. There's also the ballpoint needle, which is a needle specifically designed for stretch fabrics. The needle's point is slightly rounded allowing it to push aside the fabric's fibres without piercing and damaging them. Once again, make sure you're using the right needle with the right fabric to avoid unnecessary snagging or tearing. Basically, make sure to switch out your needles any time you're working with a new fabric. You'll waste less time and broken needles that way. 6. Get a Pair of Good Quality Fabric Scissors A common tool beginners often forget or ignore to invest in is a good pair of fabric scissors. While I can understand the hesitation of investing in something that we can all get at the office supply shop for relatively cheap, most paper scissors aren't strong or sharp enough for fabrics. Plus the stress of using weaker scissors can potentially hurt your wrists or cut your hands if you're not careful. For these reasons, a good pair of scissors can make things a lot easier and less dangerous. I recommend the Fiskars brand Easy Action Bent Scissors available on Amazon. These scissors are spring powered so you can put less pressure on your wrist when cutting fabrics. They are relatively inexpensive compared to higher-end scissors so it's less intimidating (also Fiskars did not pay me to say this but even if they did my opinions would be the same, I really love these scissors). If you find spring powered scissors uncomfortable, there are plenty of traditional style offered by many brands. Do your own research and see what qualities work best for you. So save the stress early and drop those gross, old paper scissors for some shiny, sharp fabric scissors. 7. Do Tests on Fabric Scraps Finally, a good step before starting your actual project is to test your methods on any extra fabric or scraps you have. Maybe you didn't thread your needle properly, or your bobbin isn't in right or you're just using a fabric you've never used before. Either way, test out your machinery before applying it to the real deal, or you might accidentally come across a lot more problems than you initially realized. Plus, it's a great way to understand your equipment better so you can identify problems quicker and more easily. And that's it! I hope this post inspired you to dust off your machine and pick up that old sewing project you started but never finished! Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comments section bellow.
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AuthorAndrea Mestre Archives
May 2019
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