How did you learn to sew? And by who? And why?

Answer 1

I took home ec in high school and it got me started on the basic stuff. Now I am older and I love to sew for my family.

Answer 2

I began sewing when I was six years old, although I wanted to try much earlier. I made simple things by hand, like little pincushions and toy mice to hold catnip for the cats, and simple flower embroidery and appliqué on my pants and vests. I wasn't allowed to use the machine until I was eight, then I started taking old clothes apart and making them new. I also started using patterns for simple skirts and dresses, patterns and fabrics were in every store back then. I learned by doing, and from using patterns, the instructions were quite easy to follow. My mom didn't teach me, after a short time I was doing more sewing than her. She never really enjoyed sewing. I failed home ec because I didn't follow the instructions of the teacher or any of her useless rules. She wanted us to make aprons and silly stuff, at least I thought it was silly when I was twelve. I was sewing jeans and she wanted us to make elastic waist skirts from ugly polyester crimpelene double knit. I got the last laugh a few years ago when she attended one of my classes.

As a teen had a couple summer jobs sewing, one as a sample maker in a designer shop where I learned how to use an industrial machine. I also worked in a tailor shop, where I learned some bespoke tailoring methods and I learned invisible mending and reweaving, which I've never been able to completely master. I took dressmaking and design the very last year it was offered at community college. Over the years I took other courses, including several couture classes with Angelina DiBello, the lady who had a program on television in the 1980's (Pins and Needles was the name of the show) I've also read many books and sewn many things over the years and taken other courses and enriched my sewing and design education in other ways.

I don't know why I started, designing sewing and constructing clothes is just part of who I am. I've been doing it as long as I can remember and the reasons are lost. I can't imagine not doing it --not sewing Sewing is something I love to do and I want to do all the time and its something that I know I'm very good at; better than most people. Isn't that the best reason in the end?

Answer 3

I bought a machine and figured out how to make it work. My mom answered a few questions here and there, but didn't sew well enough to teach much. I basically taught myself; it seemed to come fairly easily. After I'd been sewing a few years, I started working in the costume dept of a summer theatre. I got almost all my real training there. Consequently, I do not sew like a seamstress, I sew like a costumer because that's what I am. I make almost all my own clothes, and use a whole lot of costumers' shortcuts!

Answer 4

I learned a fair amount in Home Ec, in spite of the fact that my mother sewed. She had a tendency to get impatient and just finish things for me, so my skills are still somewhat lacking. Now, I'm using a combination of what I picked up from her, random questions (ah, the glories of not living at home!), and various books to really learn how to sew. Why? Well, there's a lot of textiles out there that are cheaper to make (like curtains), the machine makes most mending jobs faster, I'm hard to fit, so being able to do alterations and make my own stuff will help with clothes shopping, and, most importantly, there's a lot of ugly clothes out there and I don't want to have to wear them.

Answer 5

I don't know how to sew, but it is one of the things I am going to learn to do after the first of the year. I will be teaching myself. As to why...

1. I think sewing is awesome!

2. I have an unusual figure and I am very hard to fit.

3. I will save money by buying clothing at a thrift shop and altering garments myself.

4. Next year I will be able to give my loved ones handmade gifts.

Answer 6

In school by the teacher, it was part of Home Ecc. I went on to make clothes for a while then took up upholstry. Today I don't sew a lot but I could if I had to.

Answer 7

Mother plus Boys Home Ec class in 7th or 8th grade (they also offered a Girls Shop). I have her sewing machine now.

Answer 8

I was about 11, and Mom taught us to sew the patches on our Boy Scout Uniforms.. she also taught me alittle embroidery (it was 'hip' then to have embroidered thangs on your jeans or jean jacket).

When I was 13, the refused to sew a Pannier & Handlebar bag (bike-bag) kit (FROSTLINE)... she taught ME to do it. I sewed another 4 kits.

I guess it was because she had 4 boys and no girls... so all of us boys had to learn.

Helped me out immensely in my Navy career, and also when I was living on my sailboat. My brother and I split her two sewing machines when she passed

Answer 9

My mom is a really big sewer. She made my jacket for my horse shows! My hole family on my moms side likes to sew so my mom passed it down to me. I really like sewing and I was so proud of myself when I made my very first pair of leg wraps.

Answer 10

My mom had to make almost all my clothes because I was so hard to fit. I wanted to make my own but she wouldn't let me use her machine. My mom found an old singer the peddle kind at a garage sell. I leaned on that. That thing no matter what you did it would never break down. I wish I still had it.