I have this incredible skill that has saved my family hundreds of dollars(quite honestly, it’s probably more like thousands). I’m self taught (mostly) and other then a below average semester of Home Ec back in 7th grade, I’ve never taken a formal class.
This skill allows me to create beautiful items for my home, for my children, for friends and family and it also enables me to fix things and to repurpose that which no longer seems to be of use any longer.
What is this amazing skill?
I can sew.
It doesn’t seem like people put a lot of value on knowing how to sew nowadays . When you can head over to Walmart and buy a t-shirt for $3, and fabric costs at the minimum $4.50 for a single yard, why bother?
- I don’t know about your family, but between my husband and kids something ALWAYS needs to be mended around here. Mending is a quick way to save your investment in clothing. You can purchase more expensive clothing if you know you can fix it! 😉
- Sewing pillows, curtains and other basic household decor is SO easy. Why pay $30 for a pillow that will take you 30 minutes and $5 worth of fabric and supplies?
- Learn to sew for those times you need something fancy/unique/dressy. Attach the words “prom”, “wedding”, “bridal” or “Halloween” to an item of clothing and watch the price sky rocket up 25-50%! Your costs stay the same when you sew regardless of whether you are using that satin for a blanket or a precious flower girl dress.
- Sewing is a creative outlet that can be enjoyed with as much or as little money as you want after your initial investments (I’ll explain more about that later). Do you want to sew with fancy expensive fabric? Go right ahead. Or head to your nearest closet and grab some old t-shirts or jeans and start there. Thrift stores are excellent for finding super cheap fabric.
- Finally…my favorite! When you sew, even if you sew from a pattern, you are creating something unique and one of a kind (trust me, try making 2 dresses look exactly the same! You are not a factory!). If I sew my daughter a dress for the first day of school, I know that she will be the only one wearing that dress. I’ll know it was made with love and I’ll know that she’ll feel special. You can’t beat that accomplished “I made that.” feeling.
Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you need to go to a class to learn how to sew.
Download Sewing Patterns Today!
Make sure you have basic sewing supplies
I have written about this before. Sewing is not a cheap hobby to start up (although it can be if you can borrow or find a sewing machine a friend or family member is willing to donate or sell to you for cheap!). After the initial investment though (and you really don’t need much!), your costs are what you want them to be.
As mentioned above, purge your own closets for fabric. Shop the remnant bin at your local Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s or Hancock Fabrics (some Walmart’s still carry fabric as well). Once friends and family know that you are sewing, you can guarantee you’ll have piles of t-shirts and jeans dropped on your doorstep at regular intervals!
Read this article for what you need specifically to teach yourself to sew: Basic Sewing Supplies-What Do You Really Need?
Pick a project
Surprisingly, I think THIS is the step that breaks a lot of would-be seamstresses! You might have decided to teach yourself to sew because you want to make yourself floor to ceiling curtains for your 2 story living room, but let’s start smaller.
The project we want has the following characteristics:
- Labeled “easy” or “beginner”
- Has straight lines and minimal (if any) pattern pieces
- Does not include advanced techniques such as ruffling, interfacing, darting, etc
- Has a functional purpose. Don’t make something just to make it. Make something that can be used and enjoyed.
Some ideas: Pillows, Pillowcase dresses, basic pants, table runners, basic burp cloths, blankets, etc
Find this pattern on youcanmakethis.com (click the picture)
Purchase 2 different sets of fabric for your project
Muslin fabric is cheap and easy to work with. If you don’t have scrap fabric around, purchase some muslin and try your project with that first. Then use your desired fabric once you have the pattern or project down.
Do NOT try your project for the first time with your $12.99 a yd fancy fabric if you are a beginner. That’s a surefire way to push yourself towards giving up.
Practice, Practice, Practice
You are going to fail. I promise. Maybe not with your first project…but eventually, you.will.FAIL. From that failure, you will learn how not to do that again (or if you are like me, it might take a few tries! )
Do you have any idea how many pillowcases dresses I had to make to be able to do this?
I used a lot of scrap fabric first and made a lot of mistakes. A lot of this is just getting to know your machine. Pull out your sewing machine book or DVD and read/watch it. Learn what settings work best for YOUR machine. Once you and your machine “click” it will be like you are BFF’s.
Use this opportunity to make mistakes, learn your machine and to educate yourself (more on that in the next tip!).
Utilize online resources for tips, tricks and visual explanations of confusing techniques
YouTube baby. Don’t know how to thread your bobbin? You COULD look it up in your sewing machine manual. However, if you are a visual learner like me, you might try to watch a video on YouTube.
There is also Craftster, Craftsy and the huge plethora of blogs out there filled to the brim and just dying to give you advice 😉 .
Google it. I promise, you’ll find the answer.
You can teach yourself to sew. If you want to learn how to sew all it takes is persistence and a goal. Gather your supplies, pick a project, grab some fabric, try try and try again and use the resources available on the wonderful world wide web to achieve sewing success.
My goal was to make my daughter’s outfit for her first birthday party. It’s not technically the best sewing I’ve ever done, but 4 years later I look back on this adorable outfit I made for my princess and it has all been worth it.
Comment below with any questions or any additional tips you might have!
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This is a great post! I especially love your reasons for learning to sew–it’s not just about the clothes!
I found this post from the Frugal Friday Link Up Party. I have a sewing machine and supplies that I rarely even get out. That little girl in the Pillow Case has inspired me to give it another try. Thanks for the awesome post!
Oh yey! Be sure to come back and let us know what you make!
Heather
You’ve inspired my to make a comment. I have started sewing again since all the children are in school now. I love it and have been getting many ideas from Pininterest. I do have another job but I can truly say if you enjoy doling something you will find the time to do it:}
Janis
glad to find this web. im new n want to learn bout sewing. dunno what to do. but thanks to your ‘5 steps..” i make my to do list 🙂
thanks
I had been given a sewing machine and I was in heaven, until I realised how bad I was at sewing lol. I struggled on and got just bearable in the items I was producing. I started to lose heart and get slightly depressed until I found your site through Pinterest. I read this article and thought maybe I could still improve… I have hemmed some trousers, altered a shirt for myself, added pockets to a pair of jeans that the pockets had long since worn out…as long as no one checks the quality of my sewing we should be ok lol….yesterday I made myself a handbag…admittedly the handle was a little sad but it is a usable handbag and I will tell everyone it was a deliberate fashion statement should they comment.. Today I am making covers for wine bottles out of old jeans Hubby no longer fits into.
Thank you
I love that I ran across this on pinterest. I have been debating on buying a sewing machine, I think that now I will. Hopefully I will be posting soon. Thanx
Wow. I was gifted a sewing machine snd gotten supplies yet have never used it
Wow. I am glad I came across this site. I had a sewing machine for years and had collected a lot of thread and needles and other supplies but never used them untill a few mths ago. I knew some basic stuff but decided to take up sewing more out of necessity cause of being hit with hard times. I have a huge drum of old clothes and fabric scraps so i started with that and what i had on hand . I made cloth diapers for my little ones and kept disposables for long trips. saved me alot of money and kept my kids bottom drier. i made pants for my son cause he needed pants and downsized clothes for my little ones. THen as i continue to learn and make mistakes i found i really started enjoying sewing instead of just out of need. i made halloween costumes, trick or treat bags and doll clothes. the more i learn the more i am loving it. thanks for people like you and your tips.
Just came across your post and loved it. ..just received my sewing machine for Christmas and have followed your recommendations…first project is a pillow for my dog’s bed!! Thanks for the advice! !
Grear advice. This year I tried sewing gifts for Christmas and was successful! There were plenty of mistakes but I think am getting better.Can’t wait for my next project.
What a great site! I’ve sewn off & on for years, before you know it you will have mad skills. I have found amazing sewing supplies at estate sales and yard sales, for very little $
A good post. And very inspirational. But one point {or a few}. Let’s not forget the guys. Men should know how to sew as well. From basic mending and repairs to home decoration and clothing construction if they want too. Also, you don’t need a family and/or children to enjoy sewing. As a single guy, i enjoy sewing for the rewards of creating something unique. And saving money!
I totally agree! My son will leave my house with at least a basic knowledge of sewing (and more if he wants!)
Thanks you so much! I came across this blog from Pinterest and I am exploring! Currently, I am learning to sew. I got a sewing machine on a Black Friday Sale (yay!) and I am still learning from my mistakes. Thanks again for a great post!
You are welcome! Enjoy your new machine!
I think the outfit for your daughter is adorable! Glad I found this I’m thinking about starting to sew and it almost seems overwhelming. Your 5 steps makes it more manageable. I find it funny that if you put a building project in front of me I’m all hung ho but hand me needle and thread and I’m overwhelmed lol.
I just bought a sewing machine because I want to learn to sew. Like you, I took Home Ec a long time ago but haven’t really touched a machine since. I was hoping I could teach myself, and your article was exactly what I needed to encourage me to try! Thank you for the useful links and helpful tips. I’m very glad I found your site today!
Thank you for this post. I was so excited to get my first sewing machine two years ago, tried my first bookmark and gave up. Obviously it wasn’t even as complicated as a dress but it’s still worth it to “try try try” and “practice practice practice” until I get it. I’ve always believed knowing how to sew is a great skill and you just gave me the words to get back at it. And you helped me with a goal – something to push me forward: I want to make my daughters’ bday outfits (August and next January). That’s plenty of time and I can do it with practice!!
Thank you!!
Thanks for the great advice! I received a sewing machine for my birthday last week for my mom. I can hand sew but trying to figure out the beast (what I’m calling my machine) has been more than a little intimadating.
I am so glad I found this post today of all days. I got out my new sewing machine yesterday for the first time and spent a whole day just trying to teach myself how to thread it and sewed across a small piece of fabric. Doesnt feel like much yet but I now feel motivated to sit down again tomorrow and look at some tutorials.
I do alterations for few year. And need to take up a wedding dress. At the waist can you point me in the right direction
Alterations are something I haven’t really attempted. They make me too nervous! I’d look it up on YouTube or Craftsy though!
I decided to learn to sew because I wanted to alter my own clothes because I have a lot of stuff that’s just a bit too loose or shapeless – do you think that’s an okay way for a beginner to start?
I do! I personally don’t really do alterations because they make me nervous. I have started doing little things here and there though. Best of luck to you!
You hit it on the nose when you said about making your childrens clothes for the first day of school. Now i make my granddaughters.
Hi ! U made me cry , I started recently and totally dig in your thoughts I know is old post but this is how I started on my own . I was looking around pin to sew edges and I found this amazing Blog .Love it thank you so much is Hard nowadays at home and making some Income will do so much Good a mom of 4 trying her Best , I never finish my high school and I been self taught mostly all the things I love now I can’t get a decent Job coz I have no Diploma and Online in this side of the world is not Accepted . So I am going to make the Best of what I can learn many blessings from Emirates if u ever get to see Around Ola momma that’s Me .
Regards
I love sewing, but my passion is re-fashioned clothing. Any tips on where I can learn these types of sewing skills? BTW: I love your blog 🙂
Happy sewing!
T.
I am teaching myself to sew at well we will say in my late Thirty’s. It’s something I have wanted to do since I was a little girl and never had anyone to teach me. So I decided to teach myself! It has been a whirlwind of a project and so much information to sort thru I make myself dizzy, but after several projects and thread nightmares a couple quilts ànd I have finally started a simple line of aprons boys and girls to sell at a little thrift store where I help my Mom and brother restore and make furniture to decorate a space in this local shop. It has been lots of fun and a learning process but Your site gives me hope yet!!! I think for anyone learning picking a simple project, watching a youtube video, and then commit is the best advice I have heard!! Thanks for the light at the end of the tunnel so to say!!
And BTW that outfit you made your little girl is the cutest thing ever!!! I LOVE it to pieces!
God bless!
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this nice post. In this below, I want to share some tips for Sew (using a sewing machine). Such as-
1. Start by finding a reputable sewing machine repair shop
2. Get a machine with all-metal parts
3. When you’re first starting out, consider a basic model
Regards,
Barbara Harris
I have just seen your blog and wanted to say thanks!!!
I got myself a cheap very old Sewing Machine today, I surprised myself we remembering how to thread and load the bobbin.
When starting my first project I was thinking about getting an old t shirt and making headbands… but was that enough to warrant getting the machine… after reading your blog heck yes!!!
Its going to make a great addition to my family, Alterations to clothes from 3 seasons ago that are in storage. Thanks for the inspiration.
Kris
Woohoo! Have fun with it!
It was so much helpful. I have sewing machine and I do make dresses for myself and for my 9 yr. old daughter. I make some mistakes but, I write down that mistake in a diary so I don’t repeat that mistake again. That has improved my work a lot.
One of my fav looks on you hun! I love layering like this xx
I too was introduced to sewing in home ec which was the only time I had any instruction. Now I’m 45 and am determined to teach myself how. I signed up for Craftsy classes for a monthly fee of $14.99 and you can watch and learn at your own pace. If I can do it so can you.
I love Craftsy!