I took a break from Facebook shortly after you had announced your diagnosis. It was wonderful when I clicked and saw you. You look absolutely beautiful. All I can say is prayers answered! You were missed. Welcome back. ❤️
My sister married into a Czechoslovakian family and her Mother-in-law was a professional seamstress. Many times I would visit and sit and watch her. She had a huge table and several women working for her making wedding dresses. I was a young girl of about eight and she told me that she learned her skills in the old country. She said, I started as a very young girl and for seven years she worked with seamstresses and all she was allowed to do at first was to sweep floors and clean up after the seamstresses before gradually learn the basic skills of sewing. She said she spent many hours mastering her art and back then many things in garments were hand sewn. She said she was not allowed to move on in her training until she mastered each and every skill in becoming a seamstress. From her, my love of sewing grew, and I started with a very old treadle Singer sewing machine. I still have the table but a modern machine. To this day, I am nowhere near her skills and my biggest disappointment is , no matter how hard I have searched , there are not many places to teach this art. At least where I live. So I continue the journey and have loved your videos and they have helped a great deal. But so wish there was someone, like my sisters Mother-in-law that I could sit, talk to and have them show me how to improve and answer my questions when I screw up as to what I did wrong. Videos are great, but a live person is better.
Set up your room and machine and watchany videos on different sewing techniques from many cultures as well and teach yourself....the best seamstresses are those who are.self taught.....
I used books, videos were not around when I learned to sew. My skills eventually went beyond the sewing people I knew. Then there was sewing with Nancy and her books and TV show.
When I started to learn sewing in middle school home economics classes we went from sewing a straight seam to putting together a complicated blouse with set in sleeves, collar, button placket, cuffs, etc. with no skill building in between. I hated it because I became so frustrated that we were expected to jump many levels up from that basic straight seam. I didn't sew at all for several years. My senior year of high school, I asked my mom to help me learn to sew and we selected several patterns that were each a bit more complex than the previous one and took it one skill at a time and by the time we finished those garmets I was a much more confident sewist. She and Dad got me a sewing machine for my birthday that year so I could take those skills forward. Thank you for pointing out how important it is to master the basics and build on what you know.
I had a similar experience, equally frustrating. I appreciate the flexibility and the opportunity to take incremental steps forward learning to sew from experts on RUclips. Could have used RUclips decades ago!
😊This is such a powerful story-thank you for sharing! I love hearing how taking the time to build your skills step by step, with your mom, transformed your sewing experience! Mastering the basics is so important-it’s the foundation that gives us confidence to grow. And what a thoughtful gift from your parents to encourage you! 🧵
Yes! I’ve taken a few sewing classes. They all do this. Lesson one: Operating the machine. Lesson two: Learning how to construct a garment from a pattern. Then all subsequent classes are one on one help with following the pattern. The information is too advanced and doesn’t sink in. I felt like the shop was just trying to sell us patterns and fabric. How about we start with hemming pants and taking in garments we own. I don’t want to make clothes YET. I want to repair what I own. I want to reverse engineer and collage together pieces from the thrift store in order to practice and learn. Makers consider these methods “their art” and they gatekeep it. I want to play and experiment and get comfortable with the tools and techniques and THEN learn how to read and follow patterns.
When the student is ready.... well I'm ready and I've been keeping my eyes open for a teacher and I chose you! Just signed up for the first step. Thank you! 🤩
When I decided to start sewing, for the first month I basically binged sewing videos (a huge chunk being this channel) and picked up a lot of 'general culture'. This didn't make me sew better, but it helped me know which "sewing hack" to look up when I was frustrated with something! (e.g. when lining a sleeveless top, using the burrito method) I really like that your videos aren't just tutorials, but are very modular that can function like a toolbox you can go back to whenever you need! ❤
This just made my day! 😊 That’s exactly what I hope to help you do - build your sewing skills one at a time -like a sewing toolbox that’s there when you need it! I’m so happy to hear that the videos have been a helpful resource for you to watch and revisit when you need them! Sewing is definitely a journey, and I’m so glad to be a part of yours.
Having been a member of VSS for a long time. I am still amazes how much I am still learning. My sewing has improved beyond recognition from my first attempt but I am still learning. My sewing hobby has changed to a sewing passion. It brings me so much happiness I am so glad I started ❤
As a self-taught biginner-graduated level sewer, your talk is such a great reminder not to stop learning. By the way you look gorgeous in the flower blouse, so beautiful, that is why i happened to click your video in my feed❤
Thank Evelyn! I've been a VSS member for over 2 years now but a subscriber for over 4. I always recommend VSS and your channel for everyone wanting to start or relearn sewing. It's such an important resource and sewing Community. I can say with your help I have gone from an absolute beginner with no skills or foresight to a competent and confident sewist with many, MANY successful garments who looks forward to sewing every day. 😀 I've even sewn gifts for friends and family to great praise😀 To anyone reading this who might be wanting some kind of course to help them learn how to sew, if you've been looking around for THE ONE, Vintage Sewing School is fantastic. If you're at the point where you're too frustrated suffering alone and RUclips videos or Books aren't enough to help you, I can attest that VSS has quality step by step videos on relevant topics that will help you! You will be better of investing 6 months of your time into these courses and working on bedsheets rather than wasting money on pretty fabric and having a disappointing garment at the end of it. There is something so discouraging about spending so much time on something that should look so pretty but when you put it on...makes you feel awful. Please - avoid that by joining the VSS Community and learning the core skills that will help you sew better now and forever. If you're anxious, nervous, living remotely or just prefer online then please - consider signing up and have Evelyn patiently guide you and teach you some wonderful sewing skills that will set you up for successful sewing forever. It would be a wonderful gift that lasts a lifetime.
For Christmas I have asked for Vintage sewing school. My hubby said but I thought you can sew. I am self taught and mainly quilt. He could not understand how that could not just transfer to making an amazing garment. Haha!! So I am truly excited to learn from you! You are the best and I can’t wait!!! And I have to say you look amazing! So glad you are back to what you love and are feeling better. May your journey continued to be blessed!!
Your vintage sewing classes are how I learned to hold fabric the right way so I could sew a straight line. I had been sewing off and on for 30 years and would quit because no one could show me how to sew straight. You did this through your videos. The basics matter!
Heh, this has been an ongoing problem for me till I started using a hand crank machine, is there a particular video that really helped you? I can't cut a straight line either...
Oh, this means so much to me-thank you for sharing! 😊 And I’m so glad you found the VSS lessons helpful! Learning to hold fabric properly really does make such a difference, doesn’t it? It’s often those little things that completely change the sewing experience. 🧵
Really pleased your channel has popped up on my feed. I learnt to sew in high school and have dabbled in it ever since. I am now in my 50s. I am wanting to sew more of my own clothes and have a massive stash of vintage fabrics to do that with. I find your manner so refreshing and encouraging and you absolutely brighten my day. Thank you Evelyn. You are a gem.
Oh, this just made my day! 😊 I’m so glad the video has been encouraging and brightened your day, and that I get to be a part of your sewing journey. Happy sewing and enjoy those beautiful fabrics!
We all need to be reminded of how important the basics are. I still use pins and learning to manipulate fabric is very important. Sometimes though these arthritic fingers just don’t want to cooperate. That’s where I love my hem guide foot that holds my fabric in place. I use very few pins. My fabric was still shifting at hem and I found couple of magnets did the trick. When I get close to magnets I slow down and sew right to edge of magnets. Remove magnets and sew off fabric. Yes I truly believe it is important to learn these things. However I also believe at 70 my main thing is to enjoy sewing and if I have to use some devices or other ways to accomplish the same result I’m doing it.
Perfectly said! I have RA and use several notions to help me. Sometimes I need to use pins, sometimes I don't. Loctite magnets are too strong for me to pull apart so can't use them. I try many and some work some don't - but I don't know until I try. The ones that don't work for me get donated to other sewists.
I love that you're talking about this. Out of necessity, I'm learning about full bust adjustments and moving darts so I can get a better fit. My last fitting lesson, that the same pattern cut in different materials fits completely differently. Sewing is such a large subject, it cover so many things and there is so much to learn. I think that's why I'm so obsessed with it.
How exciting for you! I have fallen down the wonderful rabbit hole of darts and bust adjustment and am absolutely in love with the results I'm getting. I've even constructed my very first sloper which worked wonderfully until I lost a lot of weight recently. But the great thing is that it's so easy to make a new one, now that I know how.
Instinctive-like, I have done this. Wow. After 65 trips round the sun, tired of making a closet filled with handmade clothing that DOESN’T WORK, I gave up on the corner-cutting tricks my mom taught me, and started reading the patterns. Bought a Beginner’s Guide to Sewing (after researching to find a good one). Started making muslins. Basics. Now my stuff WORKS, hooray. So glad I figured it out and here you are telling me I did the right one perfectly right thing. I am Justified. Thank you and thank everything you are well and strong again.
@ I probably could, but Evelyn teaches a marvelous class, and really, a class is better than a book in so many ways. I can’t get questions answered by my book, for instance. I have to puzzle out how to fix this or that by the pictures; Evelyn could just explain. So if you’re determined to use a book instead of a human, I suggest doing the research I did (I just don’t feel good putting a title here); but really, consider Evelyn’s class instead. I might have done, had it been available to me.
I’m so glad you are back! I hope you feel as good as you are looking! Thank you for your post to remember the basics. We tend to forget that and jump ahead before we’re ready.
I started sewing way back in the era of dinosaurs, ok 1984. I am always reading and watching. I read instructions, measurements, google and am regularly borrowing library books on sewing. I subscribe to various sewists on YT I like and trust and watch what they do. When I buy a new pattern I read google reviews and watch it being made here on RUclips. I learn from mature, experienced sewists but also get much inspiration and tips from younger, under 30, sewists too.
When I was young my granny always had us spend time embroidering. She explained that every stitch was necessary to be a sewist once you learn them you find that they are used in every aspect of sewing. It has been my life saver for over 50 plus years now. I think God I learned them and why.
Hello! I am new to this community but so happy I stumbled on this! I learned to sew over 40 yrs ago but when I started my family I didn’t have time to sew. It had been well over 35 yrs since I had sewed anything! When my kids started having kid I was excited to start sewing again for my grandkids! I am so excited to be sewing again! It is absolutely true, if I didn’t have a basic understanding of sewing I couldn’t pick it up again flyer all this time! I am still very rusty but I keep at it and hope to get more proficient year after year! I have questions so hoping this forum can help me as I get back into it! Thank you Evelyn for this community!
I'm excited for you! Isn't it amazing how it all starts to come back to you, even after such a long time? If you've not seen it yet, I just started a new 3 part series for beginners and "re-starters" that you may find helpful! You can find part 1 here: ruclips.net/video/o4MW25Ub94I/видео.htmlsi=PyJ1rC7RsVhFo9EE And welcome to the community! 😊
I'm old- lol I have worked as a seamstress in my lifetime and I still learn from you and I hope many people will take your classes,you are a gem to us all.
Wow! Thank you Evelyn for validiting what I realised that I gained from the 2 years of study at the NSW TAFE Fashion Technology course that I did from 1981 to 1983. To do the course, my wonderful mother (Evelyn) realised that I (aged 16) was good at and enjoyed sewing. She paid for my wonderful PFAFF 1222E sewing machine (cost $899 back in 1981...which I still use today) and supported 100% of my living expenses to move from Tasmania to Sydney so I could do the course. Gaining a deep understanding of different fabrics and how to handle them became imprinted, without me realising, because I had fantastic and dedicated teachers who gave us the opportunity to work with a wide variety of fabrics and showed appropriate techniques for handling them. What a wonderful gift. My first job was as the "sample cutter" @ Cue Design (when all their garments were made in Australia). Anyway, I'm 61 now and every time I sew, I realise that "the basics" are like the foundations of a house......if they are not correct/accurate, then what builds on top of them is too. If you don't mind, I'd like to add that accurately sewing the correct seam allowance (always), pressing seams (as you go) and clipping threads (beginning and end ...every time you sew a seam) are what I would include in "The basics". Thank you for your wonderful channel and Kindest regards 😊
Great advice. Twenty years ago I realised that different fabrics needed different techniques, so I did a deep dive into fabrics and their properties. It made it quicker to come up with the right technique to guarantee a successful project. Love seeing you back on screen
Wow, I was "sewing" the day before yesterday and I was learning the backstitch, since my machine is pretty basic and mechanic, so no fancy options, and I just have to make that muscle memory of doing the backstitch automatically, whenever I'm sewing, because I sometimes forget. Also, learning to always put the needle in the material, learning how to rotate it properly, how to do curved stitches on the fabric - your basic manipulation of the fabric. I think manipulating material as you sew, so you can help your machine feed the material easy is one of the most crucial skills and rarely talked about. It looks so easy on tutorials, which are additionally sped up, but in reality it can be pretty frustrating, because for those who sew longer certain things are given and done automatically.
I chuckled through this whole video. After 50+ years of sewing, you told me to make sure my pressure foot was up when threading my machine. 😮 Do I even need to say how much frustration you eliminated?🤣🤣 On that day I got off of my high horse and have been working on the basics ever since. Because, honestly, it is learning a basic technique that always advances my skill. Now, sewing has become a passion. But for all of those years it was a dreaded chore.
Oh, this made me chuckle too! 😊 Isn’t it funny how the smallest adjustments can have the biggest impact?! I love that you’ve rediscovered sewing as a passion rather than a chore-it’s such a joy when it all clicks, isn’t it? Keep embracing those basics-they’re truly the key to everything! Thank you for sharing your journey! 🧵
Quite some time ago my sewing machine gave up on me. And l rarely sewed because hand sewing is time consuming for me. Now l have finally been able to get a new machine and l will be visiting this fine channel and enjoying your videos once again.
I'm in the 60% done stage of working on a 1950's dolman sleeve blouse in a cobalt blue wool creep. In honour of finding that much wool for 20$ Canadian at a destash sale I decided I was going to go a "couture" as possible. All the work is by hand; pad stitching in the cuffs and front facing/collar; felled seams; prick-stitching all the finished edges; hand-made buttonholes; and I'm using the "good" vintage crystal buttons. It's been a fantastic learning experience. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
Ooh, exciting! What a great find!! I just drafted a jacket from the Keystone Jacket and Dress Cutter and am mocking it up in preparation to make a jacket to go with my Victorian walking skirt I made last winter, drafted from the same book. We'll have to meet for another coffee when we get our respective garments finished!!
@@stevezytveld6585 My hint for getting a circle large enough without sufficient table or floor space to do so? Get creative with your space. The skirt wants you to draw part of a circle at radius = waist then another at radiius = waist+skirt length... I clamped a piece of para cord with two sharpies tied onto it at the correct lengths to my kitchen table then put my paper on the rabbit crate which happened to be the right distance away. Also, for me, the front and the back are different but all the middle panels are the same so if you still don't have enough room to do 1/4 of a circle or whatever they want you to do, taking 1/8 of it and just sliding it along and tracing it should be close enough. Oh and I can't remember what shape you are but if you're cylindrical like me, you may wish to experiment with curved rather than straight waistbands, I've discovered that curved waistbands like to try to creep up on my hips while straight ones want to fall off! I essentially ran all the skirt pieces together (closing the darts a la Closet Historian) and traced the top two inches to get my facing/waistband for that skirt.
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 Yeah, for me it's a space thing that's holding me back from starting one (that and I want to sew all the things, lol). That is such a huge arch of paper to be dealing with. So far I'm still curvy, but I love an curved waistband. And where would any of us be without the Closet Historian when it comes to dart manipulation.
In the last couple of months I have been going back to the basics also, and I've found it to be the thing I needed to get better. You are so right about that, and everything else you've taught us. Love your channel.
Evelyn you are an inspiration. I've returned to sewing after some 30 yrs, now in my late 70s. Nervous and unsure. In my late teens and early twenties I would complete suits, dresses, trousers, curtains, you name it. Today I am struggling to make a straight summer shift look half decent. My handsewing is improving as I'm learning Sashiko which is very exact. I will continue watching you and am so pleased you look so well and happy again.
I’ve been watching you for quite a while now. I really enjoy your advice and tips. I’ve been sewing since 7 years old - starting with making my own Barbie clothes. I’m now 63. I’ve helped my mother do alterations for the neighbor, i do a lot of my own alterations on purchased or thrifted clothes and I make things I love to wear out of fabrics that inspire me. I find I have to do mock ups of vintage patterns because the reproductions never fit right. I am wanting to make my own patterns and make a set of blocks. I love doing special finishes and couture touches to my garments. Sewing can be very inspiring and I learn more from mistakes I make (my poor lemon dress was a vintage reproduction failure I had to turn into a skirt to salvage it 🫣😂). Your channel is very helpful and inspiring. I’m so glad to have found you. ❤🥰
I'm new at sewing, but before I started my journey I devoured your videos! I'm on my second skirt now (not counting trimmed curtains, my cats alter them all day) and I find it super helpful thinking back at what you've said on your videos! I'm so glad you posted a new video, especially reminding me that the basic skills matter the most. I'm going to eagerly wait for your next video❤ Greetings from Finland 😊
A couple of the best tips that I picked up, that have improved my hand sewing beyond recognition, are these - 1) wear a thimble. First get one that actually fits (did you know that thimbles are sized in a similar way to rings and if you're wearing the correct size thimble it doesn't fall off or cut off the circulation in your fingertip?), and find a style that works with the way you sew. You will sew much faster and be able to sew for longer if you do. Tip 2) if you want to make small stitches, you need to use small needles. You can't make a small stitch with a large needle with a large eye - obviously we can't all see like we used to when we were children, but I keep a pair of x5 magnification glasses so I can see to thread the small needles, and be able to see when I'm doing fine sewing (among other things). I can now sew stitches so small that they are invisible on the right side of the work. And being able to create such small and tidy stitches means I now enjoy hand finishing my garments, whereas until a couple of years ago, hand-finishing anything was a chore to be endured, not a part of the process to be enjoyed.
You have the best channel! I am coming back to sewing after decades of not doing much more than mending dog beds (sloppily) and it is such a pleasure to watch your videos and be inspired and learn so much every single time. So glad you are back, praying for your continued good health 😊
I just subscribed to a fabric swatch club so that I can learn about the feel of different fabrics. We no longer have any fabric stores where I live so this is the next best thing.
Welcome Back!!! I need to work in installing invisible zippers. They are the "Bane of my Existence!!!" ...But we need them so much! Thanks for the encouragement!!
First of all, you look fabulous!!!! Second, I love the mark on the thumb to measure stitches. Never thought of that. 2025 is the year I start sewing again. You have inspired me. Thanks.
Very inspiring! I came back to sewing after many, many years and because I'm older I'm actually calmer--ha ha! I don't freak out so much when I make mistakes, and I put more care into every step. I made a pair of linen pants, and they came out amazing! Your philosophy is spot on. Thank you so much!
For Christmas I have asked for Vintage sewing school. My hubby said but I thought you can sew. I am self taught and mainly quilt. He could not understand how that could not just transfer to making an amazing garment. Haha!! So I am truly excited to learn from you! You are the best and I can’t wait!!!
Miss Evelyn, you've just earned a new subscriber and I am headed over to sign up for your Vintage Sewing School. I've watched several of your videos and you've rekindled my love of sewing. I'm an old seamstress from way back, but I was always in a hurry to finish my projects. As a result, they looked shoddy. Now that I am older, I realize the value in slowing down to enjoy and learn from the process. Thank you!
Oh, that makes me so happy to hear! 😊 Welcome to Vintage Sewing School-it’s such a joy to have you on this sewing journey with me. Slowing down really does make such a difference, doesn’t it? Be sure to join the VSS Community so we can all say Hi! Happy sewing! 🧵
Thank you Evelyn, for reminding us that we need to learn the basics first. Foundation is key, no matter what we want to learn. Sewing, music, faith, houses, they all need good solid foundations. Other than houses, they all need practice, too. Skills need to be worked. Thank you.
Personally still on the basics 😂I have only just started and am on my 4th sewing project, a skirt with a zipper! I’ve learned a lot of things, dos and don’ts (mostly don’ts…) hoping I’m catching on a bit 🤞 skirt looks good so far- hopefully finishes up looking passable and wearable
A tip that my aunt taught me when threading a needle....be certain you knit the correct end of your thread as the thread has a right way & wrong way twist. Most of your tangled and knots are caused by hand sewing with the thread going against the twist of the thread. It is like driving the wrong way in a one way street...tangles!
Smart! I figured out to hold my thumb on the stitch as I pull the needle through to prevent knots. I'm going to pay more attention to threading the needle now.
Thank you for this video. I have been sewing since my Oma taught me as a child. Lately though projects haven't turned out as nice or as professional as I would like. Your video reminded me to go back to basics to reflect on why I am rushing projects, etc. SOOO very helpful. Thank you again :-)
Good points all around. One thing I like to tell sewists, is to listen to your machine. Don't always watch a podcast or play music. Settle and listen to how you sew. Every machine I have used sounds different when the bobbin is running low. I haven't run out of bobbin thread and sewn an entire seam on empty in years. A non hearing person I used to know, said the machine vibrated at a differing rate as the bobbin emptied. Needles getting blunt sound different before they start damaging fabric. A simple thing to do, listening, but I have found it useful for lots of reasons, including a reminder to oil or book a service before things go horribly wrong.
I was forced back to basics when I bought a new machine last year. Went from a 2001 base-model Brother to a brand-new digital Brother with embroidery functions made me feel like I was learning everything all over again! Definitely gave me some appreciation for everything I'd already learned.
You mentioned that about fabrics and how they behave. I had never heard of waft and weft until I learned this from my mother-in-law. Tension, stretch, and all of those terms never made sense. No one ever told me why they were important. Thank you again.
A big game changer for my hand sewing was using a thimble, and buying good quality needles (I love bohin and clover) at the right length for my fingers, and the correct type for the sewing. Next step - sourcing some decent hand sewing thread… If you know where to get this in Australia, I’m all ears! Also - welcome back! Love your videos 😊
Thank you for this video. Here are a few things I practice. First is fewer pins to fix a pattern I use weights. Less cutting on my pattern, I use 10 inches sheers to cut my fabric vis-à-vis the lines of the size I need without altering the original. Also, practicing with various presser feet for hem and decorative fantasie on scraps of different fabrics, I use several stitches lenghts to spot the ones that work best. I discovered the ⚡️ zigzag amazing. Hours of fun and useful experiences.
So true, Evelyn. I’ve learned so much from you on these items over the past few years. While you were asleep on the other site of the world, I was learning from your video’s on RUclips and VSS. Thanks to my Australian sewing teacher I can now confidently call myself an advanced seamstress. Warm regards from Muiden, near Amsterdam, The Nrtherlands.
I want the algorithm to show a positive also. Going back to the basics applies not just to sewing - it's in any field. I've done it many a time in my health career.
I'm so glad that my sewing teacher at school was so good. She really made us learn the basic-basics. I might not know all of the basics but I feel, because of my teacher, confident enough to start sewing almost anything. I'm also so very happy to see you in good health again. Much love from Sweden.
I’m so thrilled to see your radiantly beautiful face again! I really love to sew - but for years forgot that I did. This was because I was so focused on efficiently achieving the end result, I’d plow through projects. Sewing was a means to an end. When I began slowing down and not putting so much pressure on myself to become an expedient sewer, I found I enjoyed the process so much more. And in enjoying the process, my results were not only better - but I appreciate them more. I recently sewed stretch velvet - a fabric that truly needs to be hand-fed under the presser foot. There was a learning curve to working with it, but now I factor “learning” in as part of each new endeavor. It’s so much nicer than becoming frustrated that I don’t know how to work with something I’ve never used before. Just this week, I spent $8.50 on bulb tipped professional tailors’ pins - which might seem a silly expense to some. But they’re so much easier to handle, they save me time - and subsequently increase the enjoyment of sewing. I encourage others to refrain from suffering “crafter’s guilt” when investing in quality supplies - especially when you’re making things like drapes (and saving 3/4 of what custom made ones would cost). Torturing ourselves is self defeating! 😊
Thank you for sharing a bit of what you've learned along your journey! Slowing down, enjoying the process, factoring in learning, and investing in yourself...there are so many pearls of wisdom here! ❤️
@ Thank you for your kind response, Evelyn ~ I’m sending my thoughts, prayers, affection and encouragement until you return to us safe, sound, and victorious!!! 🕊️💝🕯️🌟
Hi I did sewing to earn money. I learnt in my teens .my mum made me sew zips on dresses odd things,would earn 40 to 50 cents per item. Did for My dads managers wife . Mrs. TRASH .My mum had an old tredle Singer machine. Later the managers wife gave me cut out paper patterns cut and sewed dresses. Didn't go to high school only std.6.Later in life went to work for a designer on a lovey industrial machine. I also bought my own and worked for myself. In India I learnt how to draft and sew Indian outfits. Well on my way to sew and earn better. Love sewing it's an art and very gratifying. Now can sew anything. Also did quilting and made duvets. and covers and patchwork etc. Love from Cape Town. South Africa
My sewing season is usually during the winter so sometimes it seems like I have to start over learning how to sew. Several things that helps me get back into it is going through the pile of mending. Another is a really good how to sew book. The one I got several years ago is not only a how to book but it’s also filled with notes not only for what I’m working on but notes form the internet. There’s some from you too.
Always love you 🥰 great info and I always remember you talking about fabric, respecting the drape and flow. This is so good, eg..every time I wash a garment, hang it out and consider how I treat the fibre.
Commenting not because i have something to say, but because this is immensely encouraging and I want the algorithm to show it to lots of people.
So glad you are back. After sewing for over 60 years I am still learning and it is always good to be reminded to remember the basics.
Same here, and Evelyn is the first person I go to. There are a few others putting out little tips and tricks that I watch, but she's the best.
I took a break from Facebook shortly after you had announced your diagnosis. It was wonderful when I clicked and saw you. You look absolutely beautiful. All I can say is prayers answered! You were missed. Welcome back. ❤️
My sister married into a Czechoslovakian family and her Mother-in-law was a professional seamstress. Many times I would visit and sit and watch her. She had a huge table and several women working for her making wedding dresses. I was a young girl of about eight and she told me that she learned her skills in the old country. She said, I started as a very young girl and for seven years she worked with seamstresses and all she was allowed to do at first was to sweep floors and clean up after the seamstresses before gradually learn the basic skills of sewing. She said she spent many hours mastering her art and back then many things in garments were hand sewn. She said she was not allowed to move on in her training until she mastered each and every skill in becoming a seamstress.
From her, my love of sewing grew, and I started with a very old treadle Singer sewing machine. I still have the table but a modern machine. To this day, I am nowhere near her skills and my biggest disappointment is , no matter how hard I have searched , there are not many places to teach this art. At least where I live. So I continue the journey and have loved your videos and they have helped a great deal. But so wish there was someone, like my sisters Mother-in-law that I could sit, talk to and have them show me how to improve and answer my questions when I screw up as to what I did wrong.
Videos are great, but a live person is better.
Set up your room and machine and watchany videos on different sewing techniques from many cultures as well and teach yourself....the best seamstresses are those who are.self taught.....
Great comment ❤
I used books, videos were not around when I learned to sew. My skills eventually went beyond the sewing people I knew. Then there was sewing with Nancy and her books and TV show.
It’s wonderful to see you healthy and cheerfully confident!
When I started to learn sewing in middle school home economics classes we went from sewing a straight seam to putting together a complicated blouse with set in sleeves, collar, button placket, cuffs, etc. with no skill building in between. I hated it because I became so frustrated that we were expected to jump many levels up from that basic straight seam. I didn't sew at all for several years. My senior year of high school, I asked my mom to help me learn to sew and we selected several patterns that were each a bit more complex than the previous one and took it one skill at a time and by the time we finished those garmets I was a much more confident sewist. She and Dad got me a sewing machine for my birthday that year so I could take those skills forward. Thank you for pointing out how important it is to master the basics and build on what you know.
I had a similar experience, equally frustrating. I appreciate the flexibility and the opportunity to take incremental steps forward learning to sew from experts on RUclips. Could have used RUclips decades ago!
😊This is such a powerful story-thank you for sharing! I love hearing how taking the time to build your skills step by step, with your mom, transformed your sewing experience! Mastering the basics is so important-it’s the foundation that gives us confidence to grow. And what a thoughtful gift from your parents to encourage you! 🧵
Yes! I’ve taken a few sewing classes. They all do this. Lesson one: Operating the machine. Lesson two: Learning how to construct a garment from a pattern. Then all subsequent classes are one on one help with following the pattern. The information is too advanced and doesn’t sink in. I felt like the shop was just trying to sell us patterns and fabric. How about we start with hemming pants and taking in garments we own. I don’t want to make clothes YET. I want to repair what I own. I want to reverse engineer and collage together pieces from the thrift store in order to practice and learn. Makers consider these methods “their art” and they gatekeep it. I want to play and experiment and get comfortable with the tools and techniques and THEN learn how to read and follow patterns.
I’m so glad to have you back. You always put a smile on my face.
When the student is ready.... well I'm ready and I've been keeping my eyes open for a teacher and I chose you! Just signed up for the first step. Thank you! 🤩
When I decided to start sewing, for the first month I basically binged sewing videos (a huge chunk being this channel) and picked up a lot of 'general culture'. This didn't make me sew better, but it helped me know which "sewing hack" to look up when I was frustrated with something! (e.g. when lining a sleeveless top, using the burrito method) I really like that your videos aren't just tutorials, but are very modular that can function like a toolbox you can go back to whenever you need! ❤
This just made my day! 😊 That’s exactly what I hope to help you do - build your sewing skills one at a time -like a sewing toolbox that’s there when you need it! I’m so happy to hear that the videos have been a helpful resource for you to watch and revisit when you need them! Sewing is definitely a journey, and I’m so glad to be a part of yours.
Having been a member of VSS for a long time. I am still amazes how much I am still learning. My sewing has improved beyond recognition from my first attempt but I am still learning. My sewing hobby has changed to a sewing passion. It brings me so much happiness I am so glad I started ❤
As a self-taught biginner-graduated level sewer, your talk is such a great reminder not to stop learning. By the way you look gorgeous in the flower blouse, so beautiful, that is why i happened to click your video in my feed❤
Mastering the fabric in the machine! Yes! The slippery stuff is quite often the master of me
Thank Evelyn! I've been a VSS member for over 2 years now but a subscriber for over 4. I always recommend VSS and your channel for everyone wanting to start or relearn sewing. It's such an important resource and sewing Community. I can say with your help I have gone from an absolute beginner with no skills or foresight to a competent and confident sewist with many, MANY successful garments who looks forward to sewing every day. 😀 I've even sewn gifts for friends and family to great praise😀
To anyone reading this who might be wanting some kind of course to help them learn how to sew, if you've been looking around for THE ONE, Vintage Sewing School is fantastic. If you're at the point where you're too frustrated suffering alone and RUclips videos or Books aren't enough to help you, I can attest that VSS has quality step by step videos on relevant topics that will help you!
You will be better of investing 6 months of your time into these courses and working on bedsheets rather than wasting money on pretty fabric and having a disappointing garment at the end of it. There is something so discouraging about spending so much time on something that should look so pretty but when you put it on...makes you feel awful. Please - avoid that by joining the VSS Community and learning the core skills that will help you sew better now and forever.
If you're anxious, nervous, living remotely or just prefer online then please - consider signing up and have Evelyn patiently guide you and teach you some wonderful sewing skills that will set you up for successful sewing forever. It would be a wonderful gift that lasts a lifetime.
For Christmas I have asked for Vintage sewing school. My hubby said but I thought you can sew. I am self taught and mainly quilt. He could not understand how that could not just transfer to making an amazing garment. Haha!! So I am truly excited to learn from you! You are the best and I can’t wait!!! And I have to say you look amazing! So glad you are back to what you love and are feeling better. May your journey continued to be blessed!!
Maybe see you in class then 🤩 I'm getting myself Vintage sewing school for my birthday.
Your vintage sewing classes are how I learned to hold fabric the right way so I could sew a straight line. I had been sewing off and on for 30 years and would quit because no one could show me how to sew straight. You did this through your videos. The basics matter!
Heh, this has been an ongoing problem for me till I started using a hand crank machine, is there a particular video that really helped you? I can't cut a straight line either...
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 I paid for her vintage sewing classes for a few months. There are a ton of super detailed lessons that were super helpful.
Oh, this means so much to me-thank you for sharing! 😊 And I’m so glad you found the VSS lessons helpful! Learning to hold fabric properly really does make such a difference, doesn’t it? It’s often those little things that completely change the sewing experience. 🧵
Evelyn, you look amazing! So glad you are able to do the videos again.
It’s lovely to see you back and looking so well. Thanks for the tips.
Really pleased your channel has popped up on my feed. I learnt to sew in high school and have dabbled in it ever since. I am now in my 50s. I am wanting to sew more of my own clothes and have a massive stash of vintage fabrics to do that with. I find your manner so refreshing and encouraging and you absolutely brighten my day. Thank you Evelyn. You are a gem.
Oh, this just made my day! 😊 I’m so glad the video has been encouraging and brightened your day, and that I get to be a part of your sewing journey. Happy sewing and enjoy those beautiful fabrics!
We all need to be reminded of how important the basics are. I still use pins and learning to manipulate fabric is very important. Sometimes though these arthritic fingers just don’t want to cooperate. That’s where I love my hem guide foot that holds my fabric in place. I use very few pins. My fabric was still shifting at hem and I found couple of magnets did the trick. When I get close to magnets I slow down and sew right to edge of magnets. Remove magnets and sew off fabric. Yes I truly believe it is important to learn these things. However I also believe at 70 my main thing is to enjoy sewing and if I have to use some devices or other ways to accomplish the same result I’m doing it.
Thank you! I had this thought; sometimes I have pain, so it was always in the back of my mind ❤️✌️
Perfectly said! I have RA and use several notions to help me. Sometimes I need to use pins, sometimes I don't. Loctite magnets are too strong for me to pull apart so can't use them. I try many and some work some don't - but I don't know until I try. The ones that don't work for me get donated to other sewists.
I love that you're talking about this. Out of necessity, I'm learning about full bust adjustments and moving darts so I can get a better fit. My last fitting lesson, that the same pattern cut in different materials fits completely differently. Sewing is such a large subject, it cover so many things and there is so much to learn. I think that's why I'm so obsessed with it.
How exciting for you! I have fallen down the wonderful rabbit hole of darts and bust adjustment and am absolutely in love with the results I'm getting. I've even constructed my very first sloper which worked wonderfully until I lost a lot of weight recently. But the great thing is that it's so easy to make a new one, now that I know how.
Oh yes. Since gravity works too well, the things I made five years ago and fit so well... 'llI just say my bust is no longer up there.
Instinctive-like, I have done this. Wow.
After 65 trips round the sun, tired of making a closet filled with handmade clothing that DOESN’T WORK, I gave up on the corner-cutting tricks my mom taught me, and started reading the patterns. Bought a Beginner’s Guide to Sewing (after researching to find a good one). Started making muslins. Basics.
Now my stuff WORKS, hooray. So glad I figured it out and here you are telling me I did the right one perfectly right thing.
I am Justified. Thank you and thank everything you are well and strong again.
Which beginner’s guide, please?
Hi there, thank you for your comment ! Could you recommend the good beginners guide book please ? ☺️👍
Hi there, thank you for your comment ! Could you recommend the good beginners guide book please ? ☺️👍
Well ! And here was I thinking that having a good sewing machine did all the work and fancy stuff. 😪
@ I probably could, but Evelyn teaches a marvelous class, and really, a class is better than a book in so many ways. I can’t get questions answered by my book, for instance. I have to puzzle out how to fix this or that by the pictures; Evelyn could just explain.
So if you’re determined to use a book instead of a human, I suggest doing the research I did (I just don’t feel good putting a title here); but really, consider Evelyn’s class instead. I might have done, had it been available to me.
I literally gasped at the revelation of using marks on my thumb as a gauge. Brilliant!
Evelyn, your teaching style is so approachable and encouraging! Thank you for sharing your wisdom! ❤
I’m so glad you are back! I hope you feel as good as you are looking! Thank you for your post to remember the basics. We tend to forget that and jump ahead before we’re ready.
Marks on thumb? To gauge my hand stitches?
Thank you for that one.
🧵👀
I started sewing way back in the era of dinosaurs, ok 1984. I am always reading and watching. I read instructions, measurements, google and am regularly borrowing library books on sewing. I subscribe to various sewists on YT I like and trust and watch what they do. When I buy a new pattern I read google reviews and watch it being made here on RUclips. I learn from mature, experienced sewists but also get much inspiration and tips from younger, under 30, sewists too.
When I was young my granny always had us spend time embroidering. She explained that every stitch was necessary to be a sewist once you learn them you find that they are used in every aspect of sewing. It has been my life saver for over 50 plus years now. I think God I learned them and why.
Grandmas are the best! ❤
Wow! A big thank you. You speak so much sense. Those small tips that you shared are so straightforward and really helpful!
So glad to see you again. You are looking lovely as always.
Hello! I am new to this community but so happy I stumbled on this! I learned to sew over 40 yrs ago but when I started my family I didn’t have time to sew. It had been well over 35 yrs since I had sewed anything! When my kids started having kid I was excited to start sewing again for my grandkids! I am so excited to be sewing again! It is absolutely true, if I didn’t have a basic understanding of sewing I couldn’t pick it up again flyer all this time! I am still very rusty but I keep at it and hope to get more proficient year after year! I have questions so hoping this forum can help me as I get back into it! Thank you Evelyn for this community!
I'm excited for you! Isn't it amazing how it all starts to come back to you, even after such a long time? If you've not seen it yet, I just started a new 3 part series for beginners and "re-starters" that you may find helpful! You can find part 1 here: ruclips.net/video/o4MW25Ub94I/видео.htmlsi=PyJ1rC7RsVhFo9EE
And welcome to the community! 😊
I'm old- lol I have worked as a seamstress in my lifetime and I still learn from you and I hope many people will take your classes,you are a gem to us all.
Wow! Thank you Evelyn for validiting what I realised that I gained from the 2 years of study at the NSW TAFE Fashion Technology course that I did from 1981 to 1983. To do the course, my wonderful mother (Evelyn) realised that I (aged 16) was good at and enjoyed sewing. She paid for my wonderful PFAFF 1222E sewing machine (cost $899 back in 1981...which I still use today) and supported 100% of my living expenses to move from Tasmania to Sydney so I could do the course. Gaining a deep understanding of different fabrics and how to handle them became imprinted, without me realising, because I had fantastic and dedicated teachers who gave us the opportunity to work with a wide variety of fabrics and showed appropriate techniques for handling them. What a wonderful gift. My first job was as the "sample cutter" @ Cue Design (when all their garments were made in Australia). Anyway, I'm 61 now and every time I sew, I realise that "the basics" are like the foundations of a house......if they are not correct/accurate, then what builds on top of them is too. If you don't mind, I'd like to add that accurately sewing the correct seam allowance (always), pressing seams (as you go) and clipping threads (beginning and end ...every time you sew a seam) are what I would include in "The basics". Thank you for your wonderful channel and Kindest regards 😊
Great advice. Twenty years ago I realised that different fabrics needed different techniques, so I did a deep dive into fabrics and their properties. It made it quicker to come up with the right technique to guarantee a successful project. Love seeing you back on screen
Wow, I was "sewing" the day before yesterday and I was learning the backstitch, since my machine is pretty basic and mechanic, so no fancy options, and I just have to make that muscle memory of doing the backstitch automatically, whenever I'm sewing, because I sometimes forget.
Also, learning to always put the needle in the material, learning how to rotate it properly, how to do curved stitches on the fabric - your basic manipulation of the fabric.
I think manipulating material as you sew, so you can help your machine feed the material easy is one of the most crucial skills and rarely talked about. It looks so easy on tutorials, which are additionally sped up, but in reality it can be pretty frustrating, because for those who sew longer certain things are given and done automatically.
So lovely to see you in my feed again ❤❤❤
My heart sings to see you are back! You are so encouraging!
I chuckled through this whole video. After 50+ years of sewing, you told me to make sure my pressure foot was up when threading my machine. 😮 Do I even need to say how much frustration you eliminated?🤣🤣 On that day I got off of my high horse and have been working on the basics ever since. Because, honestly, it is learning a basic technique that always advances my skill. Now, sewing has become a passion. But for all of those years it was a dreaded chore.
Oh, this made me chuckle too! 😊 Isn’t it funny how the smallest adjustments can have the biggest impact?! I love that you’ve rediscovered sewing as a passion rather than a chore-it’s such a joy when it all clicks, isn’t it? Keep embracing those basics-they’re truly the key to everything! Thank you for sharing your journey! 🧵
Quite some time ago my sewing machine gave up on me. And l rarely sewed because hand sewing is time consuming for me. Now l have finally been able to get a new machine and l will be visiting this fine channel and enjoying your videos once again.
I'm in the 60% done stage of working on a 1950's dolman sleeve blouse in a cobalt blue wool creep. In honour of finding that much wool for 20$ Canadian at a destash sale I decided I was going to go a "couture" as possible. All the work is by hand; pad stitching in the cuffs and front facing/collar; felled seams; prick-stitching all the finished edges; hand-made buttonholes; and I'm using the "good" vintage crystal buttons. It's been a fantastic learning experience.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
Ooh, exciting! What a great find!!
I just drafted a jacket from the Keystone Jacket and Dress Cutter and am mocking it up in preparation to make a jacket to go with my Victorian walking skirt I made last winter, drafted from the same book.
We'll have to meet for another coffee when we get our respective garments finished!!
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 DEAL! With any luck I'll be done before Christmas... lol.
I have the Keystone book. That skirt is on the to-do list.
@@stevezytveld6585 My hint for getting a circle large enough without sufficient table or floor space to do so? Get creative with your space. The skirt wants you to draw part of a circle at radius = waist then another at radiius = waist+skirt length... I clamped a piece of para cord with two sharpies tied onto it at the correct lengths to my kitchen table then put my paper on the rabbit crate which happened to be the right distance away. Also, for me, the front and the back are different but all the middle panels are the same so if you still don't have enough room to do 1/4 of a circle or whatever they want you to do, taking 1/8 of it and just sliding it along and tracing it should be close enough.
Oh and I can't remember what shape you are but if you're cylindrical like me, you may wish to experiment with curved rather than straight waistbands, I've discovered that curved waistbands like to try to creep up on my hips while straight ones want to fall off! I essentially ran all the skirt pieces together (closing the darts a la Closet Historian) and traced the top two inches to get my facing/waistband for that skirt.
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 Yeah, for me it's a space thing that's holding me back from starting one (that and I want to sew all the things, lol). That is such a huge arch of paper to be dealing with.
So far I'm still curvy, but I love an curved waistband. And where would any of us be without the Closet Historian when it comes to dart manipulation.
In the last couple of months I have been going back to the basics also, and I've found it to be the thing I needed to get better. You are so right about that, and everything else you've taught us. Love your channel.
Evelyn you are an inspiration. I've returned to sewing after some 30 yrs, now in my late 70s. Nervous and unsure. In my late teens and early twenties I would complete suits, dresses, trousers, curtains, you name it. Today I am struggling to make a straight summer shift look half decent. My handsewing is improving as I'm learning Sashiko which is very exact. I will continue watching you and am so pleased you look so well and happy again.
J'apprécie vraiment votre façon d'expliquer la couture et en plus vous êtes très sympathique 😊
Thank you for the tips! So good to see you back. You look so pretty with your short hair
I’ve been watching you for quite a while now. I really enjoy your advice and tips. I’ve been sewing since 7 years old - starting with making my own Barbie clothes. I’m now 63. I’ve helped my mother do alterations for the neighbor, i do a lot of my own alterations on purchased or thrifted clothes and I make things I love to wear out of fabrics that inspire me. I find I have to do mock ups of vintage patterns because the reproductions never fit right. I am wanting to make my own patterns and make a set of blocks. I love doing special finishes and couture touches to my garments. Sewing can be very inspiring and I learn more from mistakes I make (my poor lemon dress was a vintage reproduction failure I had to turn into a skirt to salvage it 🫣😂). Your channel is very helpful and inspiring. I’m so glad to have found you. ❤🥰
I'm new at sewing, but before I started my journey I devoured your videos! I'm on my second skirt now (not counting trimmed curtains, my cats alter them all day) and I find it super helpful thinking back at what you've said on your videos! I'm so glad you posted a new video, especially reminding me that the basic skills matter the most. I'm going to eagerly wait for your next video❤ Greetings from Finland 😊
Such a beautiful lady! Going back to basics is a must, just to stay practiced.
A couple of the best tips that I picked up, that have improved my hand sewing beyond recognition, are these - 1) wear a thimble. First get one that actually fits (did you know that thimbles are sized in a similar way to rings and if you're wearing the correct size thimble it doesn't fall off or cut off the circulation in your fingertip?), and find a style that works with the way you sew. You will sew much faster and be able to sew for longer if you do.
Tip 2) if you want to make small stitches, you need to use small needles. You can't make a small stitch with a large needle with a large eye - obviously we can't all see like we used to when we were children, but I keep a pair of x5 magnification glasses so I can see to thread the small needles, and be able to see when I'm doing fine sewing (among other things). I can now sew stitches so small that they are invisible on the right side of the work. And being able to create such small and tidy stitches means I now enjoy hand finishing my garments, whereas until a couple of years ago, hand-finishing anything was a chore to be endured, not a part of the process to be enjoyed.
You have the best channel! I am coming back to sewing after decades of not doing much more than mending dog beds (sloppily) and it is such a pleasure to watch your videos and be inspired and learn so much every single time. So glad you are back, praying for your continued good health 😊
I just subscribed to a fabric swatch club so that I can learn about the feel of different fabrics. We no longer have any fabric stores where I live so this is the next best thing.
I'm so happy to see you back and hope you are feeling so much better. I love watching your sewing videos 😀
I love your blouse, both the style and fabric!
Ah thank you. Such an amazing lesson. 🎉🎉
So glad to see you back here! I absolutely love your dress.
You are looking good after your battle. So glad you are back.🎉
Hi, Evelyn. So glad you are back. We’re on board with you!
Whatever the skill, whatever the level, there are always gaps to fill and something new to learn.
Thanks for the inspiration (as always🙂)
Welcome Back!!! I need to work in installing invisible zippers. They are the "Bane of my Existence!!!" ...But we need them so much! Thanks for the encouragement!!
First of all, you look fabulous!!!! Second, I love the mark on the thumb to measure stitches. Never thought of that. 2025 is the year I start sewing again. You have inspired me. Thanks.
Very inspiring! I came back to sewing after many, many years and because I'm older I'm actually calmer--ha ha! I don't freak out so much when I make mistakes, and I put more care into every step. I made a pair of linen pants, and they came out amazing! Your philosophy is spot on. Thank you so much!
For Christmas I have asked for Vintage sewing school. My hubby said but I thought you can sew. I am self taught and mainly quilt. He could not understand how that could not just transfer to making an amazing garment. Haha!! So I am truly excited to learn from you! You are the best and I can’t wait!!!
One of the best sewing teachers anywhere! Wishing you a very Merry Wonderful Christmas & New Year Evelyn! ❤
Aw, thank you so much! Wishing you a Happy Holiday, too! 😊
This was very helpful, you are an amazing teacher. Thanks you 🎉. Peace
Miss Evelyn, you've just earned a new subscriber and I am headed over to sign up for your Vintage Sewing School.
I've watched several of your videos and you've rekindled my love of sewing.
I'm an old seamstress from way back, but I was always in a hurry to finish my projects. As a result, they looked shoddy.
Now that I am older, I realize the value in slowing down to enjoy and learn from the process.
Thank you!
Oh, that makes me so happy to hear! 😊 Welcome to Vintage Sewing School-it’s such a joy to have you on this sewing journey with me. Slowing down really does make such a difference, doesn’t it? Be sure to join the VSS Community so we can all say Hi! Happy sewing! 🧵
This is (as usual:)) a WONDERFUL video. Thank you.
Thank you Evelyn, for reminding us that we need to learn the basics first. Foundation is key, no matter what we want to learn. Sewing, music, faith, houses, they all need good solid foundations. Other than houses, they all need practice, too. Skills need to be worked. Thank you.
Hi Evelyn. I think you so inspirational.
Thank you Evelyn, totally agree to get back to the basics, it is easy to get off track if you take a break from sewing. thats me for sure.
I am so glad to see you back
I have been praying for you sweet Evelyn
Personally still on the basics 😂I have only just started and am on my 4th sewing project, a skirt with a zipper! I’ve learned a lot of things, dos and don’ts (mostly don’ts…) hoping I’m catching on a bit 🤞 skirt looks good so far- hopefully finishes up looking passable and wearable
I love learning new techniques. I'd never heard of the marks on a finger when hand sewing, but I'll definitely use that sometime. Thanks so much.
A tip that my aunt taught me when threading a needle....be certain you knit the correct end of your thread as the thread has a right way & wrong way twist. Most of your tangled and knots are caused by hand sewing with the thread going against the twist of the thread. It is like driving the wrong way in a one way street...tangles!
Smart! I figured out to hold my thumb on the stitch as I pull the needle through to prevent knots. I'm going to pay more attention to threading the needle now.
Thank you for this video. I have been sewing since my Oma taught me as a child. Lately though projects haven't turned out as nice or as professional as I would like. Your video reminded me to go back to basics to reflect on why I am rushing projects, etc. SOOO very helpful. Thank you again :-)
As always excellent advice. I think I’m 2+ years into VSS….great value..learning so much!!!
to not be afraid of trying, fear is a big threshhold to pass
Good points all around. One thing I like to tell sewists, is to listen to your machine. Don't always watch a podcast or play music. Settle and listen to how you sew. Every machine I have used sounds different when the bobbin is running low. I haven't run out of bobbin thread and sewn an entire seam on empty in years. A non hearing person I used to know, said the machine vibrated at a differing rate as the bobbin emptied. Needles getting blunt sound different before they start damaging fabric. A simple thing to do, listening, but I have found it useful for lots of reasons, including a reminder to oil or book a service before things go horribly wrong.
Wow, thank you all of this advice! I'd never learned about listening to the machine while sewing but it makes a lot of sense!
Yep, we are all learning new things. My sewing mentor is often in my head as I sew
Lovely to see you looking so beautiful , thank you so much this going back to Basics I have to remind myself to do this often ❤❤
Nice to see you again. Good reminder.
I was forced back to basics when I bought a new machine last year. Went from a 2001 base-model Brother to a brand-new digital Brother with embroidery functions made me feel like I was learning everything all over again! Definitely gave me some appreciation for everything I'd already learned.
You mentioned that about fabrics and how they behave. I had never heard of waft and weft until I learned this from my mother-in-law. Tension, stretch, and all of those terms never made sense. No one ever told me why they were important. Thank you again.
Thank you Evelyn
Hi Evelyn, how are you? I took a break from sewing and now that it is winter time, I have time to sew. Glad you are back!!!
so helpful and cheerful! Thank you so much
A big game changer for my hand sewing was using a thimble, and buying good quality needles (I love bohin and clover) at the right length for my fingers, and the correct type for the sewing. Next step - sourcing some decent hand sewing thread… If you know where to get this in Australia, I’m all ears! Also - welcome back! Love your videos 😊
Thank you for this video. Here are a few things I practice. First is fewer pins to fix a pattern I use weights. Less cutting on my pattern, I use 10 inches sheers to cut my fabric vis-à-vis the lines of the size I need without altering the original. Also, practicing with various presser feet for hem and decorative fantasie on scraps of different fabrics, I use several stitches lenghts to spot the ones that work best. I discovered the ⚡️ zigzag amazing. Hours of fun and useful experiences.
Timely video -- learning the basics is reallly about doing the right techniques! Thanks so much.
Very good advice- thank you!
Building a good foundation or building on the basics paves the way for better outcomes to better products. 😊
Hi do glad you are back you are looking great 😁
You look fantastic Evelyn, happy you are better now. Love your videos and the clothes you wear. They are works of art even on the inside.
So true, Evelyn. I’ve learned so much from you on these items over the past few years. While you were asleep on the other site of the world, I was learning from your video’s on RUclips and VSS. Thanks to my Australian sewing teacher I can now confidently call myself an advanced seamstress. Warm regards from Muiden, near Amsterdam, The Nrtherlands.
I want the algorithm to show a positive also. Going back to the basics applies not just to sewing - it's in any field. I've done it many a time in my health career.
Love seeing your smiling face. Mastering the basics is a good lesson in everything you want to do. Thanks for the video.
Learning to sew early is very wise. A patient mentor is integral to that. A child or anyone needs an available and kind instructor.
I'm so glad that my sewing teacher at school was so good. She really made us learn the basic-basics. I might not know all of the basics but I feel, because of my teacher, confident enough to start sewing almost anything.
I'm also so very happy to see you in good health again. Much love from Sweden.
I’m so thrilled to see your radiantly beautiful face again!
I really love to sew - but for years forgot that I did. This was because I was so focused on efficiently achieving the end result, I’d plow through projects. Sewing was a means to an end.
When I began slowing down and not putting so much pressure on myself to become an expedient sewer, I found I enjoyed the process so much more. And in enjoying the process, my results were not only better - but I appreciate them more.
I recently sewed stretch velvet - a fabric that truly needs to be hand-fed under the presser foot. There was a learning curve to working with it, but now I factor “learning” in as part of each new endeavor. It’s so much nicer than becoming frustrated that I don’t know how to work with something I’ve never used before.
Just this week, I spent $8.50 on bulb tipped professional tailors’ pins - which might seem a silly expense to some. But they’re so much easier to handle, they save me time - and subsequently increase the enjoyment of sewing.
I encourage others to refrain from suffering “crafter’s guilt” when investing in quality supplies - especially when you’re making things like drapes (and saving 3/4 of what custom made ones would cost). Torturing ourselves is self defeating! 😊
Thank you for sharing a bit of what you've learned along your journey! Slowing down, enjoying the process, factoring in learning, and investing in yourself...there are so many pearls of wisdom here! ❤️
@ Thank you for your kind response, Evelyn ~ I’m sending my thoughts, prayers, affection and encouragement until you return to us safe, sound, and victorious!!! 🕊️💝🕯️🌟
Hi I did sewing to earn money.
I learnt in my teens .my mum made me sew zips on dresses odd things,would earn 40 to 50 cents per item. Did for My dads managers wife . Mrs. TRASH .My mum had an old tredle Singer machine. Later the managers wife gave me cut out paper patterns cut and sewed dresses. Didn't go to high school only std.6.Later in life went to work for a designer on a lovey industrial machine. I also bought my own and worked for myself. In India I learnt how to draft and sew Indian outfits. Well on my way to sew and earn better. Love sewing it's an art and very gratifying. Now can sew anything. Also did quilting and made duvets. and covers and patchwork etc.
Love from Cape Town. South Africa
great tips and advice, thanks Evelyn
My sewing season is usually during the winter so sometimes it seems like I have to start over learning how to sew. Several things that helps me get back into it is going through the pile of mending. Another is a really good how to sew book. The one I got several years ago is not only a how to book but it’s also filled with notes not only for what I’m working on but notes form the internet. There’s some from you too.
I love the marks on the thumb tip for even stitching...so simple and yet so clever ❤
Always love you 🥰 great info and I always remember you talking about fabric, respecting the drape and flow. This is so good, eg..every time I wash a garment, hang it out and consider how I treat the fibre.