Before You Sew

I’ve run across a lot of people who are interested in beginning to sew. I have a few suggestions for you since there are a ton of cute books out there and it can get quite overwhelming.

Beginning to Sew Preparation

1. Go the library

Check out a few books and then purchase the one that you liked the best to put in your personal library.

I like:

1 – a General Sewing Guide.

~source~

This is one that you will grow with from straight stitches to advanced feet. It’s got great ideas. It wouldn’t be the 1st book if you’re a true beginner.

2 – Project Books

There are other books like

Bend the Rules Sewing (and others like hers) that have a glossary of terms and general sewing knowledge in the book before the projects. This is a great first step into sewing.

3 – Patterns on Etsy

Purchasing patterns online can be a bit of a pain (either waiting for it to ship or printing them off and taping them together) but in my opinion it can be well worth it. The instructions in general tend to be a bit simpler to understand and there are usually step by step pictures.

A few shops I have purchased from include LilBlueBoo, Kitschy Coo, My Dear Kids, and Sprouts Sewing Patterns. (They have in no way compensated me to write about them here. I truly enjoy their patterns and want to share them with you.)

4 – Patterns in the store

This would be one of the last things I would send a beginner to. Depending on your ability to fold tissue paper and read paragraph after paragraph of sewing terms. If you do have a pattern, try the patterns labeled “1 hour” or “easy”.

Note – vintage patterns are fun, but remember that they are size specific! Be sure to check the numbers. I pick these up at garage sales and second-hand stores.

5 – Sew with a Friend

Find someone who is one step ahead of you in sewing and do a small project together. There’s nothing like laughing and learning together.