Sewing?

[RuthieinMaryland]

Hi!

Good girl! It's great that you want to learn to sew. I think you'll probably find it a valuable skill for the rest of your life, just like knitting and other fiber arts.

I learned to sew many years ago mostly from books and the instructions that come with clothes patterns. And there are a lot more books out now that cover both the basics and the advanced stuff.

It's probably a good idea for you to get yourself a good sewing encyclopedia to learn the basics. Work with the instructions that come with your new sewing machine and go over that info until you've mastered it. Repetition, repetition, repetition!!!! Then when you know how the machine works, the sewing encyclopedia will get you started on the basics - cutting out a pattern, sewing a straight seam, etc.

Then as your skills increase you can investigate specialty areas like curtains/draperies, quilting, and other home decor projects.

Mainly, though, have fun with it!!! Learning to sew well can be very rewarding.

And one piece of advice I got that's served me well over many years and many garments....never cross one seam over another until you've pressed the first seam open. (or always press garment seams as you go for a really finished look). Then when I would finish something like a jacket or jacket and skirt set I'd always have them professionally pressed before I wore them. That sets the stitches in the garment and you've got a great looking tailored piece from then on out.

Good luck!

Ruthie

[yarnfanatic]

Like many who have already posted here, I began sewing as a child in Girl Scouts to earn a sewing badge. Even though Mom sewed, I didn't do too much with it until I had my family. I learned to smock so I could do all those cute little dresses for my daughter which lead to learning to sew so I could put the dresses together. I am mostly self-taught by way of books and my greatest resource, a group of people I met through the sewing center where I bought my first serious sewing machine. So check with your local sewing centers to see if there are any groups already formed. Sometimes local parks will sponsor sewing classes where you can begin to connect with people in your area who sew. I can tell you it is probably the quickest way to learn all kinds of tricks of the trade. I even learned how to sew lingerie and was making my own panties and slips. Sadly, I haven't kept up with my sewing hobby due to returning to work full-time as a teacher. Glad to have knitting to fill that creative urge.

Oh, I just remembered there's a national guild. I think I remember it being called the American Sewing Guild. You might do a search on that because many areas have local chapters.

Anyway, have fun in your new venture. I hope you find it as enjoyable as I have.

[cftwo]

I found some places in Nova Scotia where they have sewing classes. About all I know about NS geography is where the province is (and so I was able to eliminate classes in Alberta), so I don't know how far away these places are from Halifax:

http://knitnstitch.com/classpage.html
http://www.atlanticfabrics.com/

The sewing classes in my home economics class in 8th grade started with pot holders, which allowed everyone to get used to the machines, learn how to do straight seams and 90-degree turns. A cuchion or a cover for a pillow for your sofa would be similar projects.

[mommydearest]

I'm glad I found this thread. I've been sewing since I was a kid and even took sewing in middle school but have never been great and only dabbled while my knitting took off. This past summer my daughter asked me to make her a dress and my sewing started to kick into high gear. The dress didn't come out right and it's been put away until further notice but other things have come out good.

There are DVD's available through most libraries and books are an excellent choice although I will say if anyone can make a site as fantastic as Knittinghelp is then I will join in a heartbeat. This site has everything one could need about learning to knit. The videos were/are the BEST - Thank you.

I bought a serger a few months ago and it's been hard to find enough time for sewing AND knitting.