Beginner Sewing Help!?

Question

I got a sewing machine for Christmas because I want to take up sewing clothes. Theonly problem I have is that I have no idea where to begin! I went to the local fabric store and was so overwhelmed! Could someone please tell me a good beginner pattern to begin with, a list of basic sewing supplies I will need and any tips you may have for a beginner!! Thank you!

Answer 1

The absolute minimum I'd send you home with is a decent pair of scissors (Fiskars are ok, and quite reasonable). a good seam ripper, some pins, a package of hand needles, and a tape measure.

When choosing scissors, the sort you want are the ones with the blades set at an angle to the fingerloops, like these:
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_no-10-office-shears.aspx
or http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_no-8-softouch-scissors.aspx
and not the inline ones like these:
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_no-7-all-purpose-scissors.aspx

When you cut fabric, you keep the lower blade in contact with the table surface while cutting... and you can't do that with the inline style scissors. Generally speaking, you also want the longest blade length you can handle comfortably -- for me, it's 12", but for most women, 10 or 11" is better, and 9 is fairly common. If you want better scissors than Fiskars, Gingher has its proponents, though I prefer Kai by far.

Seam rippers (aka frogstitchers -- "rip it! rip it!") are important tools, because you will be ripping a lot at first. The Clover ripper with the white handle is a pretty good one, imho, and far better than the blue handled Dritz jobbies, which often have snaggly spots.http://www.patchworksewingbasket.com/prod01.htm

Pins: "silk pins" are traditional, and will work for almost any fabric. However, pins with ball heads and a magnet or magnetic pin dish are easier to pick up:
http://thequilter.blogspot.com/2006/09/pincushions-quilt.html
(my pins usually live in a Corelle bowl with a magnet out of a disk drive on the underside of the bowl, fwiw.) Pins come with plastic or glass heads -- the glass headed pins are more expensive and can be ironed over, the plastic ones are cheaper and I don't feel at all bad about chucking them at the wastebasket when they develop snaggly tips). Mostly what I use for regular sewing are the yellow-headed plastic quilt pins you can find in any fabric store or Walmart. I save my good IBC silk pins for fine work.

Tape measure: I prefer the "quilter's tape measures" that are 120" on one side, equivalent metric on the other. Whatever you get, make sure it won't stretch... fiberglas is good, vinyl is ok.

Hand needles: I suggest a package of "embroidery" or "crewel" needles in assorted sizes. Less than $1. Same size as "betweens", but bigger eyes make them easier to thread.

Nice to have: tailor's chalk for marking. I'd suggest either
in this form:http://missourifamilies.org/learningopps/learnmaterial/tools/chalk.htm Or you could consider a Chakoner (my favorite -- it dusts out fine chalk lines):
http://www.sewingplace.com/browseproducts/Chakoner-Chalk-Marker.HTML or a cake of bath soap that you've used down to the sliver stage, where it has sharp edges. In any case, don't use pigmented markers till you're a little more experienced.

Nice website to help you get started with notions:
http://missourifamilies.org/learningopps/learnmaterial/tools/index.htm

You'll also need thread, sewing machine needles (size 80/12 universal points will do for most projects), and any notions required by the pattern, like elastic, buttons, zippers, etc.

I'd also like to see you have a roll of plain paper for cutting fabrics on (email me at kay @ fern.com and I'll send you better instructions). I use an end roll from the local newspaper, which in most places is close to a lifetime supply, free to $5 in most parts of the US. Cutting fabrics on paper stabilizes the fabric and makes your cutting much more accurate, which makes the sewing much, much easier.

The other important thing to have is a good book or three. I strongly suggest you might want to head for your local library and check out the beginner's books. The two commonly available ones I'd particularly suggest are the Reader's Digest Sewing Book and Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing Book. If you were my student and you wanted to sew garments, the book I'd send you for is Connie Crawford's Guide to Fashion Sewing -- it's industry methods adapted for home sewing machines, and it is *very* step by step and much more straightforward than typical home sewing instructions.

More helps here:http://www.tomfarrell.org/textiles/sewing/
http://besewstylish.taunton.com/n/blogs/blog.aspx?redirCnt=1&webtag=besewstylish
http://www.taunton.com/promotions/pages/nmt060_sewing_rev.asp

Whoops, nearly forgot: you'll also need a decent iron and an ironing board or table. The Black and Decker Classic iron (about $25) is a pretty good budget choice.

Answer 2

You are going to have so much fun with your new sewing machine! First you need to read your instruction manual.
Go back to the fabric store and talk to a clerk there and tell them you are a beginner and want a basic "Easy" pattern. Start with something simple like a tank top or a basic skirt, or a child's top. You Will need thread to match your material and some pins or tape for your pattern. a good pair of scissors. It would be even better if you have a friend or relative who sews to help you with your first project. Have fun &" Happy Sewing"

Answer 3

take a look here. they have a list of beginner projects. and lots of help for a beginner.
http://sewing.about.com/library/blrankbegin.htm
for a first project using a pattern since you want to sew clothing would be either a pair of sleep pants or an elastic waist skirt.
i have found that simplicity patterns are the easiest ones for me to understand. you can look for your pattern on the internet by going here.
http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm?cat=5&type=23&sec=63&startrow=1&selected=Y
simplicity has their catalogue online.
by reading the back of the pattern you will find the fabric type you will need, how much fabric you need, and any notions you need for your project i.e. thread, elastic.
the very basic things you will need to sew from a pattern are;
straight pins, tape measure, scisors (don't cut anything but fabric with your sewing scisors) a marking pen or fabric chalk, some type of pin cushion (i perfer the magnet type for dressmaking), and a seam gauge. you can buy a basic sewing kit that has most of these items in it. do yourself a favor and buy a good pair of fabric scisors. the fiskars are good and reasonably priced. there are many yahoo groups you may want to look for one for sewing. i belong to many that are for machine embroidery.
i think one of the most helpful things in sewing is if you are having a hard time with it leave it alone for awhile and do something else, when you come back to it you will find it easier.

have fun and good luck.

UPDATE;
i belong to alot of yahoo embroidery groups. these groups are an invaluable resourse for help. here is one that should be very helpful to you.
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=newtosewing

Answer 4

I agree that you need to get a relative or friend to help you the first time. Go to your local library..they have sewing books too they will be under Craft section.
Simplicity is a good brand of easy sew patterns. Wal-Mart carries these patterns, and they are easy to follow even with you being a first time sewer!!
Happy Sewing!!!
and Congrat's on your new Sewing Machine!! you will love it!!

Answer 5

I agree with book reading to start.....would be better if you had someone sitting next to you helping. I received my first training from my mother and then in Jr High school (today's mid school) and what a disaster the first few items were. Don't get discouraged. I agree, Simplicity is a good first step. Practice making good straight lines, turning corners, etc. Simple cotton will do and use two different colors thread, one below and one on top so you can see how the threads come together and also if you need to adjust tension......all in the books. First project.. I made a blouse and threw it away. Skirt was marginally better. I suggest something like a simple apron.

Answer 6

Look up www.simplicity.com...pick a simple pattern, go down to the fabric store and buy what is required on the list of the pattern. and just start.