New to sewing...

[LoveLife]

I mean BRAND NEW.

I've been wanting to learn to sew for a while, and my DH got me a sewing maching for my b-day. YAY!

SO now I'm ready to start and I want to be able to make cloth dipaers when we have kids, as well as just be able to sew anything and everything.

The other night I successfully threaded my bobbing and machine- and practiced a few straight and zig-zag stiches on some rags. But patterns, etc-I'm clueless.

Ok- to my question... do I need a class to learn how to sew and be good at it? Sewing classes I've found are rather expensive- so I'd rather not.

Can I learn from a book? Any recomendations? Thanks for helping a newbie out!

[amberthesugarcat]

I would suggest buying the Darling Diaper fitted or AIO pattern ( www.darlingdiapers.com ) and with your sewing machine book and that pattern you will learn to sew! I learned how to sew on that pattern and my first diaper was usable (but ugly!).

[Jenlaana]

I was in the same position as you not a long time ago. I'm still not a pro, but I get by. I started by making curtains, seat covers for my dining room chairs, etc. What I did learn about patterns was to read read read and read again. I have trouble with that so I have avoided most patterns. What really helped me, was doing quilt patterns. It sounds silly but you have to be exact for all the pieces to fit together so it really got me focusing on the details. I've also been making cloth wipes like crazy which really helps in getting straight lines down I think.

[rugbymom]

I think you can do it yourself too. It just means you don't always do things correctly the first time, so you need patience. I agree with making simple things to practice (like wipes). You will mess things up, but you'll learn!

[LoveLife]

Thanks!

Well, last night I sewed some dust cloths. (Hey, we don't have kids yet- so I'm trying to hold off on the diapes and wipes for a little bit. I might freak out DH. LOL.)

I must say, they turned out pretty good (for my 1st time.) I used some old clothes we had lying around. Anyway, I'm going to get a book on sewing (the sewing teacher at Hancock Fabrics recommended Sewing 101). And i'm going to get my supplies. All, I currently have is the machine and some white thread. Oh, and it sucks cutting fabric with non-fabric sissors- I'm sure there's a term for those.

Anyway, thanks for the encouragment. Its just what I needed to dive in!

[sdcourtney]

I started out sewing little dresses for my baby girl. You can find some really easy patterns in the pattern books at the fabric store. Maybe you know someone with little girls you can sew for? Or you can just make stuff and save it for when you might have a baby girl to wear it. Good Luck!

[AllieFaye]

I'm learning with diaperkit.com. So far, so good!

[Jenlaana]

Originally Posted by LoveLife

Oh, and it sucks cutting fabric with non-fabric sissors- I'm sure there's a term for those.

There is something called "rotary cutters" that looks like a pizza cutter and is INCREDIBLE for cutting fabric. Especially smaller pieces. I have a cutting mat, a clear acrylic? ruler, a pair of scissors and a rotary cutter and I love them all.