Beginner’s Sewing Guide

Sewing skills can seem like an exciting idea. However, the journey towards this goal may not always be so easy. While it often seems simple, sewing is complicated, and you need to learn a few techniques before developing into it. The idea is to understand where to begin and how to do it. In this beginner’s sewing guide, we’ll give you basic tips that can help you develop your sewing skills faster.

Sewing Terms

Sewing has its own technical language, which can be challenging for newcomers to grasp. For this reason, we decided to start this guide with a list of commonly used sewing terms and their purposes. You’ll see that we have to use these concepts again later in this article.

Learning them will help you better understand this guide.

Seam – This means a joint that connects at least two fabrics. However, the seam does not only apply to fabrics. It can also apply to leather.

Embroidery – Embroidery refers to the decorative sewing of fabrics, which is created by sewing threads into the fabric to create the desired pattern.

Ribbon – A narrow ribbon which is generally sewed all around the edge of clothing is referred to as ahem. The quilting could also be made with tape.

Lining – A cloth or combination of materials that can be used to complete the inside of clothing. The lining is often used to hide seams as well as to make clothing easier to use.

Long stitch – This stitch is primarily used to make rugs. One stitch can cover 1 to 12 threads.

Decorative Sewing – A term that encompasses all aesthetic work.

Patchwork is a decorative work that usually sews small fabrics together to create a patchwork-like effect.

Seam allowance – Refers to the width of the fabric after the seam line. Today, a standard seam allowance of 1.5 cm is used for sewing.

Solver – A small tool used to remove or remove stitches from all fabrics. It is a handy tool for beginners.

These are some of the more common sewing terms, but there are many others. If you come across something you don’t understand, research it and learn what it means. You can also find the sewing glossary in the blog post sewing glossary https://thesewingstuffs.com/

Sewing Supplies for Beginners

Before we start talking about sewing, it is important to highlight some of the tools you need for sewing.

Here is the list:

Solver

Solver is a handy tool for beginners for one reason. Before you get used to sewing, you’re sure to make a few mistakes here and there. The solver allows you to get rid of a faulty stitch and start over.

Fabric Scissors

Fabric scissors are designed to cut all types of fabrics and thus can naturally be very sharp. Whenever you have to deal with them, you must be extremely careful. The great thing about Saxony is that they also cut straight. This will ensure that you get the right length of fabric.

Trimmers

Trimmers are simply used to cut a sewing thread after sewing. Although sewing threads are very thin by nature, they don’t cut so easily, so you need a tool to cut them.

Corrugated Scissors

If you need to cut a stylish zigzag line into the fabric you are using, corrugated scissors are handy here. Cutting the zigzag pattern helps reduce fabric unraveling.

Tape Measure

Well, this is pretty obvious. Fabrics must be cut perfectly, and measurements cannot be made correctly without a good tape measure. After all, measuring fabrics is one of the most important skills you should learn as a beginner in sewing.

Circular Cutter

When cutting fabric, you will also need to cut arches depending on the model you make. Using regular scissors to cut arches does not work. You need a tool for this, and the circular cutter works ideally for it.

Parchment Paper

When you start sewing, you eagerly want to make your first dress or some other piece of clothing. But don’t rush. Instead of using the right expensive fabrics, practicing on parchment paper may be a good idea. You can also use drying cloths. Go for the right fabrics when you feel ready.

Here were some of the most important tools you need, but we recommend getting other small tools as well. These include a magnetic needle holder, a ruler, chalks for making marks, a wire threader, and a cutting mat.

Basic Stitches

Sewing is about stitching. If you manage to learn different types of stitches, nearly 90 percent of your study is completed. Today, three main stitches are used for sewing.

Next, we take a closer look at them.

Straight Stitch

Straight stitching is the foundation of the sewing world. It is also a generally useful learning technique that allows you to easily do many sewing projects.

However, straight stitches are not the same. For example, longer stitches are often not as strong. A long straight stitch is used to hold the fabric together, paving the way for other stitches. It is usually torn off when the fabric is ready. If you want to use straight stitches to create a tighter and firmer seam, you need to use a short seam.

Zigzag Stitch

The zigzag pattern is mostly used for fashion purposes. It is usually used to create decorative stitch patterns. Fabrics’ flexibility and strength can also be improved. In most cases, zigzag stitches are used in situations where a straight stitch does not work. For example, zigzag stitching can be used to reinforce buttonholes in stretch fabrics. It is also used to link two pieces together along their edges.

Backstitch

Reverse stitching means reverse stitching for the first few stitches. This is frequently done as a decorative feature at the start and finish of the stitching line. The backstitch secures everything in place, including fabrics and future seams.

While many experienced tailors technically don’t consider backstitching a stitch type, it’s necessary to create long-lasting garments. Nevertheless, backstitching is not always necessary. When you use very thin fabrics like silk, you don’t have to create a backstitch. The straight stitch can easily hold and fasten the fabrics together. Besides, a thick backstitch in a thin fabric like silk can make it look a little bigger than usual.

Designing Your First Sewing Project

Once you’ve learned the basics of sewing, it’s time to start your first project. However, it is not worth starting with anything big. Here are a some thoughts that might be beneficial.

Decide Exactly What You Want to Sew

This sounds probably the easiest thing to do, but it’s not actually. Completing a sewing job can sometimes be a little stressful simply because you want to do so much, but you can only choose one at a time. As a rule of thumb, choose the easiest possible project.

Get Fabrics

Once you’ve decided what you want to sew, it’s time to get fabrics. The fabrics are not the same, and the type you are looking for should fit perfectly for sewing.

Prepare the Fabric

Before you even cut the fabrics to the desired dimensions, they must be prepared first. Many usually pre-wash the fabric before starting to sew. After the cloth has dried, cut it into the necessary shapes. If you want to add decorative patterns to your fabric, do it now. Do not wait with the decorative stitches until the garment is ready.

Sew the Seams

Once everything is finished, it’s time to put the seams together and create a garment. Also, don’t forget to make finishes, including ironing and adding decorative buttons.

Learning to sew with our sewing guide is not that difficult at all. If you learn the basics of sewing, you’re ready to get started. The great thing is that most modern sewing machines are very user-friendly. You can easily get used to them in a few days.

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