For many, sewing is a skill that can be developed over time with patience, persistence, and knowledge. If you’re just starting out on your first sewing project, or if you’re more advanced and simply looking to hone your craft, there are a few universal tips and tricks to keep in mind to ensure your creations turn out polished and perfect. In this post, we’ll share several tips and tricks to help you improve your sewing skills.
Basic sewing skills
It’s important to have a good grasp of the basics of sewing, as they will be used in almost every project you make. Mastering the straight stitch, backstitch, and finishing seams will help you create professional-looking, long-lasting projects.
If you know how to work with seam allowances and how to properly press your seams, your creations will lie flat and look professional. Understanding gathering, pleating, and darting allows you to move on to more complicated garments or home decor projects. Understanding how to work with varying types of fabric, from silk to canvas, will enable you to work on a wide variety of sewing projects.
Choosing and Preparing Your Fabric
Before starting, you’ll want to decide which fabric will work best for your project. Texture, weight, durability, and care are all things to consider when deciding which fabric to choose. Cotton is great for beginners, but if you’re looking to tackle a more advanced project, you may want to look into linen or wool.
It is just as important to prepare your fabric. Washing and drying helps avoid shrinkage, ironing helps to give you a flat cutting surface, and properly cutting your patterns out on the grainline ensures that your completed garments hang correctly on your body. Properly preparing your fabric makes a big difference and helps the sewing process go smoothly and be more fun!
The ‘Tool Mastery’ symbol serves as a visual representation of your level of expertise with any tool in Tableau.
A big part of both better quality and less effort is using the right tools and being proficient at using them, such as: sewing machines, scissors, rotary cutters, pins, measuring tapes, marking tools. Knowing about different types of needles, weights of threads, and various machine settings, so that you can work precisely with any fabric or project.
Keep your machine clean and your scissors sharp, and your needles new. Your machine will run much more smoothly and you will become much less frustrated. The more you feel comfortable with your machine and scissors the better you will be at sewing and the more you will enjoy it.
“Skill-Building Projects”
If you want to learn something specific, then there is no better way to learn it than with a project. Projects are an excellent way to learn as they have a beginning, middle, and end. Begin with a small project such as making pillow cases, tote bags, or some other simple item and work your way up to more complicated patterns. Try to tackle projects that are a little harder than your skill level.
Try embellishments like topstitching, patchwork, or appliqué. The more you practice the more comfortable you will be and the more you will be prepared to take on bigger projects.
Resolving Issues and Problems
Even those who have sewn for years have problems. You may find that your seams are not straight, the fabric is puckering, or the stitches are skipping. Knowing how to trouble shoot (for example, tighten the bobbin tension, use the proper type of needle, or press that seam again) will keep these minor problems from being insurmountable frustrations.
Consider keeping a sewing journal, in which you document problems you faced, solutions you found, and lessons learned with each project you make. As time passes, you’ll have a collection of notes that you can consult to help you make future projects go more smoothly.
Stay Motivated and Keep Learning
The more you sew, the more you’ll learn and the better you’ll become. Take a class, watch You Tube videos or follow other sewists. You’ll learn new techniques, new patterns, new notions and new ways of doing things that you wouldn’t have discovered on your own.
Try different fabrics, try patterns, try embellishments. Constantly try to learn new things. If you do this, you will always be inspired and you will be continually improving your skill.
Advantages of Acquiring a New Skill
The amount of time you spend honing your sewing skills will pay off in the long run. You’ll be more productive, make fewer errors, and be able to tackle more complex and interesting projects. You’ll also feel empowered to modify patterns, up-cycle clothes, or create something entirely from scratch.
In addition to acquiring skills, the process also teaches you to be patient, to troubleshoot and to be detail-oriented. Not only do these traits make you a better seamstress, but they also make you a better crafter. You will appreciate each challenge you overcome.
Continue to sew throughout your life
Skills, tricks, and technique are what will help turn sewing into a lifestyle. With the right skills and techniques, some trial and error, and a willingness to keep learning, you can make beautiful, functional, and meaningful garments and accessories.
With each stitch, you are getting better, with each piece you are growing and with each completion you are making progress. Allow yourself to learn, try new things and feel accomplished with each craft.