Since I am a mostly self taught seamstress, I have learned many things by making a mistake first. I have wasted SO much fabric, and have had to ditch way too many projects. But I really wanted to learn how to sew, so I kept at it. I learned from each mistake. With each mistake made, I became a little more confident in my sewing. To be perfectly honest, I still don't know a whole lot about sewing. I learn more and more every day.
The following is a list of some things I wish I had read before I started sewing. It would have saved so much time, frustration, and money had I known these simple tips.
1. Always, always, always wash and dry fabric before using it. Fabric is made with starches and stiffeners to make it look great in the store, and to keep its shape. It also needs to be preshrunk so your projects will keep their shape. In the beginning, I never washed my fabric because I was impatient and didn't want to wait for it, and because I didn't want it to fray. I honestly didn't think it was that important. I ruined a lot of projects that way. Now I wash it as soon as I get it home from the store, so that it's ready when I want to use it. It becomes softer, and smells good too.
2. Never underestimate the importance of ironing. Ironing is a step that should never be skipped. It sets the fabric up for cutting, and makes everything nice and flat to ensure the best cuts and lines can be made. It also makes the fabric easier to work with because it stops it from curling up. It's also prettier that way :)
3. Even up the edges of the fabric before cutting it. During cutting at the fabric store, washing, and drying, the edges can become uneven and fray. I find that when I even the edges, it makes for much less frustrating measuring and cutting when I start to cut the pattern out. It also saves fabric when you can plan your cuts and know they are placed exactly where they should be to get the most out of the fabric.
4. Buy a rotary cutter, self healing mat, and a clear ruler. I used to use my scissors to cut everything out. It took forever, and it was hard to get a straight cut. Then I discovered a rotary cutter, and I have been in heaven ever since. It makes measuring, and cutting so much faster! The mat and ruler have lines on them, and it's so easy to line the fabric up to the lines on the mat, place the rule on top, and roll the rotary cutter along the ruler to get a clean, straight cut. Just be careful, the rotary cutter is sharp. Ask my hand. Ouch.
5. Speaking of cutting, when you do use scissors, only
use your fabric scissors, and make sure to always keep them sharp, and clean. Dull scissors can be hard to work with, and frustrating when they don't cut right. Also, never use your fabric scissors to cut anything other than fabric. It can ruin and dull them.
6. Use good thread. Using cheap or old thread is really be a bad idea. Thread quality can make or break a project. No pun intended :). Thread that is old can dry out, and break very easily. It can also mess up the tension in your sewing machine, and cause knotting on the underside of your project. I can't tell you how many times I've been frustrated with my sewing machine because of knotted thread. Once I figured out it was my thread, and made the switch, sewing became much less frustrating. The brand in the picture above is the brand I mainly use.
7. Pin everything. Even if you think you don't need to. I often skipped this step in the beginning because I thought I could just hold it all in place. Trust me, things shift even when you are holding them. Use the pins. I've even recently found that binder clips are great for this purpose also. I've also seen people use hair clips as pins. Anything works, really.
8. Using interfacing makes things look more professional. Interfacing, batting, or fusible fleece (which is what I usually use) gives your projects better shape. It makes them heavier, and less flimsy. It is a step that's pretty easy to do, and doesn't take much extra time, so it shouldn't be skipped. and it is well worth it. I use interfacing for all of my zipper bags, and totes.
9.
When sewing a project inside out, cut the corners and trim the excess fabric before turning. This helps remove bulk, and allows the corners to poke out better. I always do this. Just don't trim too close to the stitches or they won't hold. I cut maybe a 1/4 inch away from the stitches.
10. Last but not least, keep your sewing machine clean, free of dust, and oiled. Clean your sewing machine every so often depending on how much you use it. I usually clean mine every few projects. I use an air spray can to spray the dust away, and I oil the moving parts where they rub. Your sewing machine manual should tell you how to clean yours. But I will get a tutorial going soon on how to clean a sewing machine.
I hope you learned something from this. & I also hope that reading this will save others from some of the frustration that I have experienced. Sewing is so much fun, and I want beginner seamstresses to be confident that they can learn, even without a teacher. Good luck, and I'd love to answer any questions you have about sewing. If I don't know the answer, I will certainly find out, and we can learn together. Experienced seamstresses, please feel free to leave any of your sewing tips in the comment section below. Happy sewing!
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