[jt'smum]

Okay I haven't sewn since HS (14yrs) and have looked at some of the things you all have made. I must say I am very jealous and want to learn. The clothes I have looked at here are so much cuter then what is available.

So where do I start? I have a machine, its pretty basic. I can thread it etc. Have trouble with sewing a straight line

. But, really want to learn how to make clothes for my DD's. My aunt made oldest a heap two summers ago but she isn't able to sew as much now.

Any suggestions for easy things to start on? Also any good sites for free patterns?

 

[BeagleMommy]

My advice would be to just start sewing! I learned on my own and didn't know how to thread my machine when I started. Morsbags might be good to start with. (http://www.morsbags.com/) It makes a very simple shopping bag. The first Christmas after I started sewing, I made these in pretty fabrics for gifts. The straight line sewing comes with a little practice. I don't do patterns (yet) so tutorials are my favorite way to try and learn.
Let's see, favorite sites for tutes:
craftster.org- lots of stuff, they even have a children's clothing board
http://indietutes.blogspot.com/

Well, my toddler is demanding my time, so that's all I can come up with at the moment. Oh, the other thing that helped me was to get clothes or sheets from the thrift store and use that as my fabric or rework the clothes to fit dd. The investment was so little, I wasn't afraid to mess things up.

HTH!

 

[Roxy2007]

start simple, dont be tempted to get more fabric than you sew or expensive ones. if you dont already know fabric type, learn, there are SOOOO many kinds. you will eventually need a serger once you think you will make sewing a somewhat permanent hobby.

get a good pattern, you can try the online stuff, they have tons of free ones. for paper pattern, for the big 4 like simplicity, mccalls and stuff, i prefer their vintage patterns which you can find in thrift stores for dirt cheap. i find their vintage pattern fit better than their current ones..well on my kids anyway. and with kids, nothing really goes out of fashion..that jumper dress you wore when you were a kid..chances are its still worn by kids now.once you are more confident with a little pocket change, you can try the european patterns for kids, they fit GREAT and true to size but can cost a little more. Japanese pattern are also great, most dont hv translation so you go by pictures but i think for newbies, you might want to stay away from it for a bit till you are a little more experienced.

you dont need fancy sewing machines..anything that does decent zig zag and straight stitch is really what you need for now. you can either pick up something cheap from your local store or check out CL or ebay. but you do get what you pay for and most ppl hate sewing per se b/s their machines dont perform. if you buy from a dealer, ask for classes, they are usually free and it will help you.

phew, enough for the novel..lastly..sewing is addictive!! be forewarned

 

[jt'smum]

Thanks! I tried a pillowcase dress, no pattern just cut it out like I thought it should be. Well, it would have been great but where I was going to put the ribbon for ties, I sewed that shut as well. I have some fabric that I am going to just play with for now. I have been checking out fabrics on line and must say I can't wait till I get good enough to use them.

 

[pixie-n-hertwoboys]

what I did to get my feet wet again was go to goodwill, yard sales or thrift shops and buy old sheets. I started sewing bags, simple pillows, etc. if I messed up it was no big deal.

I searched the web for tutorials that were VERY detailed. I sewed when the kids weren't bugging me so I could focus (in other words late at night! LOL) then I made a simpe skirt and moved on to a simple dress. I tried to think logical and figure out construction beforehand so I wasn't in the middle of a project left w/ not knowing how to continue. Oh and there are lots of blogs that are awesome for techniques - even martha stewart had some pointers on how to start sewing again.

 

[sapphire_chan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jt'smum Thanks! I tried a pillowcase dress, no pattern just cut it out like I thought it should be. Well, it would have been great but where I was going to put the ribbon for ties, I sewed that shut as well.

On the list of supplies: seam ripper.

As for projects, bags are great because they're still usable even if they're messy. Kids' clothes are a billion times easier than adult clothes, imo.

For handsewing projects, I highly recommend felt food if your kids will be at all interested in playing with it. And if you have LOs over about age 7, they'll probably be able to make a piece or two themselves after you've practiced a bit.