What did you copy from someone experienced that was a total disaster for your sewing? ✂️ For sewing skill library and online resource guide at your finger tips, join me and a community of other like minded sewists at Vintage Sewing School www.vintagesewingschool.com/ as I would love to have you in class!
One thing I’ve noticed is RUclips sewists have all their thread prettily displayed. 😱😱😱😱😱 light and dust are the enemy of thread and fabric!! Please don’t display your threads, keep them in a box/cupboard. Love your videos.
Not only is it bad for the thread, it's bad for your machine. Especially newer, computerized machines. The dust that collects on the thread runs through the machine and can cause issues.
My tips are: we are doing slow fashion not fast. There is no substitution for best practice. The tape measure is in your kit for a reason use it! Study the various types of tacking/basting as machine stitches are much more tricky to unpick, in other words shortcuts make long roads. I could go on but !
I was kind of the opposite; as a beginner sewist I did a lot of shortcuts and poor sewing practices, and it was actually watching experienced sewists doing things properly that made me realize the importance of following some “rules”!
Pins! Pins was a huge one for me! I would see people just whipping off a really long, straight seam and not using a single pin. Especially in patchwork, but in garment sewing too. Pins are super helpful, and completely worth taking the extra time over. I could spend 2 minutes pinning something and 2 minutes sewing it once, or I could save 2 minutes by not pinning, and then spend 10 minutes sewing, unpicking, re-sewing etc. I agree that over time you'll definitely get to know when you can get away without using them, different types of fabric etc, but they should never be something anyone should be embarrassed to use. :)
Biggest things I learned: do the steps. Do all the steps. The ironing, the basting, the stay stitching, the mock-ups, the understitching! This is where the difference between well-meaning and well-made comes from. Take the time, even if it seems tedious and you are impatient. It really pays off.
Ohhhhh the whole “guesstimate distances” is actually important as I caught myself wondering how a senior coworker could estimate down to millimetres - they’ve been working in the area for years. It takes time, and it’s one of those “skills” that sneak up on you without you realising. All of these points are definitely a reminder to not worry about the end goal (sewing without pins etc) and more enjoy the process, and the results will come in time
My mother, who passed away in 1972, taught me never to lift or move the fabric when cutting out and I still hear her voice when I go to cut out the garment. You taught me to be careful AFTER I cut it.
I learned that it's not good to plant your foot in the machine pedal as fast as it can go just because you're seeing more experienced sewists do it. It looks cool, feels cool but your work will be sloppy or you'll put a needle through your finger. I also recognized that it's always a good idea to press your seams and fabric even though you don't usually see it in videos because of time constraints. Pressing assists in more accurate and crisp finishes. Don't horde patterns/fabrics when you already have too many to count. Start with basics and work your way up.
Oh thankyou for adding that one! I agree, you see experienced sewists sewing fast, and think that's what you should be doing.... no way! 😅 Slow and steady wins the race!
Also on pattern-hoarding, don't keep something just because "some friend/family-member _might_ want to use it." Or "maybe I can adjust it to fit my size once I know more." I finally pared my paper pattern collection down by more than half once I ditched those thoughts. Either I know I or someone in my circle can use the pattern (in which case, I offer it to them), or I _know_ I can adjust it to fit _and_ have plans in place to actually do so, or it goes to the thrift store. We... won't discuss the digital patterns. I'm still waffling on those.
You know, I often sew straight seams at full speed. Or, something that the look really doesn't matter. I made covers for our bearded dragon's elevated hammocks. I mean really, he didn't care if they were perfect. And they actually LOOKED perfect lol
I frequently see RUclips sewists lay the pattern on the fabric, weight it or pin it and cut it out. . . Without checking the straight grain. This makes me CRAZY! I’ve been sewing for 55 years and would NEVER cut a garment without checking the grain line.
Me too also I see videos where they are cutting out with wrinkled fabrics. I'm guilty of not using a lot of pins. I rarely move the fabric around when I cut out.
I always check the grain of fabric. I grew up when inexpensive fabric was usually not printed on grain. As a result I learned that I should not trust the pattern of printed fabric for grain lines.
I have been sewing for over 40 years and I still place pins somewhere on the fabric rather than no pins. Thin fabrics can be tricky and can't afford the expense of a mistake.
But there are occasions where you should fit over clothes. If you are sewing something like a jacket or a coat, otherwise these garments might come out way to small.
This is really helpful! Another thing is mock-ups. I’m guessing a lot of experienced sewers don’t make mock-ups but as a beginner you definitely should, even just for sizing purposes! :)
I agree! Or at least, if your making something similar to what you've made before or the same pattern, you don't need a many mock-ups anyway as you get more experienced 🙂
Eyactly! My Grandma always reminded me to fit a garment on top of the exact undergarments I intend to wear underneath the finished product. She was so right! Even my adjustable vintage wire dressform is shaped on my naked body and for fitting purposes wears the type of bra plus a slip or no slip I intend to wear with the garment I´m making .
The thing about not moving your pattern pieces about and moving around the fabric instead is tricky, because as a beginner, you generally don't have a dedicated space or sewing table yet that allow you to do that. Depending on your housing situation or the state of your knees and back, even the floor might be a limited option. I am in the process of rearranging part of my appartment to have a suitable sewing corner and perhaps fit a cutting table there, but at the moment, I'm reporting live from the living room's coffee table. So I do fold and move my pattern pieces around quite bunch, I just make sure to always mark a few important points first and then always check and match my pattern back to that. Otherwise I just avoid shifty fabric projects for the time being, with the exception of very square shifts where I can always pull a thread to find a true straight line.
I actually miss being able to use the floor! So easy to lay everything out at once and "walk around" on my knees - but that was decades ago. Of course back then, always had to remember to put the cat(s) up. They enjoyed dive bombing the pattern paper and sending it flying into the air. Somehow, they never actually damaged anything with their claws.
@@adedow1333 once, in my late twenties, I had what would now be a "minimalist" setup. Freshly divorced and nothing resembling a table. So I sat on the floor and actually sewed a pair of pants sitting there, one knee up with foot on the pedal. Needless to say, I felt like just staying there afterwards, my back felt like it was stuck in that position😂. I am now 58 and would definitely not take that chance now - would probably stay there for a week😅
Sewing over pins!!! I have broken 2 needles doing that, and one shot up and hit me in the face! Learned my lesson early on. If I didn’t have glasses on, it could have taken out my eye.
Yikes! I had s similar experience. I don't sew over pins, but my sewing machine needle did break off a piece that went flying towards my face and hitting my prescription eyeglasses. I was trying to sew over something thick when it snapped off. Talk about a wake up call. So now I just take it nice and slow. It takes me longer to sew up something, but I don't care. I'm enjoying the whole process.
Straight pins must be inserted perpendicular to the edge. Insert the pin in where your going to sew. No bent pins. Then you can see over as the sewing machine foot will walk over it. Safety glasses are great if you don't wear glasses.
Thanks for all the great tips!!! Something I learned through years of sewing was to press my fabric before I cut it out and as I was sewing. After pre-washing your fabric it sometimes has a tendency to be wrinkled. For me while working on a project with wrinkled fabric just doesn’t feel good. I hope you have a wonderful day!! 💚😊💚😊
Exactly👌🏻!! I see a lot of famous RUclips Seamstresses, put their patterns straight on crinkly fabric (probably after they pre-washed their fabrics) when cutting their pieces out. That drives me bonkers 😣, as a seamstress of more that 40 years. And not using any pins - often just 'pattern weights' I find sets a really bad example as well, for "beginners" ✌🏻
I noticed I've become less careful with some aspects of my sewing, like pinning certain parts of garments; if it's a long straightish seam, such as a side seam, I hardly put any pins in. On the other hand, I've become more careful with other parts, such as basting sleeves before sewing them, which I didn't use to do because putting in sleeves is horrible, so why spend even more time on this terrible task? Of course, more often than not, I'd have to redo a sleeve, so now I just baste the damn thing 😂
I used to see my mom holding pins in her mouth and started that habit until my daughter sent me an article about a woman who inhaled a pin 😱 I stopped doing that. It was hard for awhile not to do it but I don't anymore!!
As a nurse years ago, I had a patient who had been having chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) for 20 years from swallowing a pin! That changed my bad habit quickly!
Yikes! I use a magnet because my first machine didn't have speed settings and it scared me how fast it went. Wanted a place to just throw the pins real fast and not be losing them.
@@karenlindsay9884😱!! Indeed that knowledge should put any seamstress of, from putting pins between her lips. My Mom & I used to "store" pins between our lips. It took years🤫 for me to un-learn this bad bad habit. ✌🏻😁
Thank you! I think my big mistake was trying to emulate a lovely friend being able to sew with no pins at the surger. I nearly cut part of my dress off when I tried. Luckily, I learned quite quickly from that experience. :)
I'm doing a sewing course in Portuguese right now, and the teacher told us to never just eyeball and lay the pattern on the fabric. Always measure the grain line from the Pattern with the side of the fabric only so we are sure that we have perfect grain matched.
Pulling curves straight to sew them. I actually tried this as a beginner not emulating anyone, and wondered why my project looked so funky. Later on I watched a tutorial where the sewist was speeding through the circle and straightening her curves as she went, rather than going more slowly to follow them and editing for time. I was horrified both at how sloppy she looked, and that that was the standard she was setting for a beginning project!
Please note that I have been sewing for over 55 years. Below are some of the many rules that I was taught a long time ago. 1. On a large, flat, smooth surface (not on top of a bed, carpet, tablecloth, or a pool table) pin the pattern onto the fabric matching the grain lines (after all alteratioins have been made to the pattern). Pining the pattern onto your fabric on top of a bed, carpet, tablecloth, or pool table may lead to damage to the bedding, carpet, tablecloth, or pool table top; and, cutting the garment off grain may not give you the results you desire. 2. Cut out the garment with clean, sharp shears. Never close the blades completely (to get a smooth cut line). 3. DO NOT REMOVE the pins and pattern pieces from your cut fabric until after you have transfered (copied) all markings from your patterns pieces on to your fabric; and, keep your pattern pieces on your marked fabric until you are sitting down to begin to sew the garment. If you remove the pattern pieces to soon you may not be able to get the marking onto your cut fabric correctly. Removing the pattern pieces to soon could cause you to cut one or more pattern piece(s) twice (which may leave you without enough fabric to cut the garment correctly); and, you may misplace or loose one (or more) of your pattern pieces.
Good advice, I learned the same things when I was taught to sew many years ago. In my head, it was the cardinal rule of sewing. You never forget good advice that turns into good sewing habits.
Pressing between each sewing step... when watching a lot of sewing tutorials... What they are sewing looks as if it has been pressed... but, we, the audience, rarely see that step. I hated that my iron is so clever it shuts itself off... every time I need it I have to wake it up with wait until it heats... ugh...
I also have an auto shutoff iron, curling iron, coffee pot, etc. If they make appliances with an auto shutoff, I buy it/replace it. I forget most times to shut it off when I leave the room thinking I'll be back in a few minutes, which is never the case. So my iron is cold when I come back, which I don't mind since a fire is not anything I want to deal with.
When my last iron went kaput, everything I was interested in was auto shutoff. PITA for sewing! They also had a $9 cheapie with no shut-off. So I bought that just for sewing. I pamper it with distilled water and try to remember to empty the water after a sewing session. It gets pampered more than the more expensive one! Also, I plug them in to a lit power strip, mounted to the wall. Easy to notice that extra little red light left on.
Don’t hold pins in your mouth! I grew up with a mother who did that, and she even admitted it was a bad habit. I always wear a wrist pincushion. they’re easy to make out of scrap fabric and a bit of stuffing. I sew mine onto thick hair elastics, but you can make a quick loop out of spare elastic and tack it on by hand. If you cut out fabric on the floor, and you haven’t bought a cardboard cutting board, they’re worth every penny. My mom would lay out the fabric on the carpet, and I started out doing that, but when I bought the cutting board it made a huge difference to my pattern cutting. And they last a long time. My first one went close to twenty years, although the folds did end up duct-taped to hold them together. I finally replaced it last year.
I am less physically mobile, and this cutting board would lay on my queen size bed, and my desk chair would let me roll around it to reach and pin, cut, etc. I could also move the board to reach more. Now I have a standing cutting table and sometimes wish I could sit down and slide the cardboard around again.
The pin thing I don't really agree on... As a kid I learned from my mother to always BASTE, only use pins before basting, and I still agree with her! It may seem like a waste of time, but you get a lot more security with basting, thus improving the end result, and you don't have to keep stopping to remove the pins, just focussing on that straight line, that by the way I still struggle with, urgh! My mom loved sewing, she actually wanted to do it full time as a teenager and kept it as a useful hobby all her life. Now, thanks to the urge to sew masks and the isolation of 2020, my reinvigorated love for it makes me feel closer to her
I’ve done it that way for 37 years until I saw a video only last week where the person tried their garment on the right way out, when asked why she said that it’s because it’s in reverse on your body. For example, you try on a pair of trousers on inside out, take them in to fit each leg but when they’re finished they’re too tight on one side and too loose on the other because you made the adjustments in reverse! I personally think it only really matters if you’re making a fitted garment or comparable parts of your body are noticeably uneven, my right side is bigger and longer in all areas than my left but not enough that I need to make adjustments to the pattern but some people might, I guess it’s up to the individual and what works for them but I’d been taught from grass roots to pin inside out and will carry on 😊
@@rhonddalesley Yeah I can do rough shirt fitting inside out but I have one shoulder higher than the other so I need to do final fitting right side out or else it's doubly wonky!!
Don't make changes from the pattern to the garment without making a mock-up. All the time I see RUclipsrs who are experienced sewers who know how to change where an opening is or omit a facing without creating a mock-up, and I thought winging it was part of the fun of sewing. I know now that only comes with having made a million mock-ups with those changes before, so they know exactly what to do.
You aren't saying yo not adjust for sizing are you? Prob not, I no longer fit in one size and will be forced to go "between the lines." Rather frightening.
Experienced sewists may use rotary cutters to cut out a pattern. I tried this method and wasted time trying to get the rotary cutter around curves and tight spaces. I went back to scissors until I gained more dexterity and experience with a rotary cutter but even now, use the rotary cutter more for long straight lines on skirts and trousers, rather than on bodices.
What radius rotary cutter do you use? Some one told me that the 65mm is for straight cutting only, the 45 is for slight curves and the 25 for very curvy bits🤔 I use the 45 for almost everything, but I'd probably buy the 65 for quilting and the 25 for appliqués if I started making those 😃
I think learning to use scissors properly is important, but I have to admit the rotary cutters are really nice on silks, linings and all the slippery stuff.
@@tinamcnalley2575 oh, I forgot to say that I tend to use the rotary cutter on smaller pieces and children's clothes and big pieces like a dress I cut on the floor with scissors because it's easier that moving the fabric around on the cutting mat (I've got the A0 size)
I was given a Bernina Record as a wedding present 48 years ago, so I am not new to sewing, but I am still able to pick up a lot of information here that is helping me to tutor my granddaughters in sewing. And your videos are just superb, and your retro look. Love it.
I'm guilty of not pressing the flat-felled seams and measuring by eye. Most of the time I hit the spot, but not on curves, like my challenge for this month at your school. I'll start measuring all seams from now on. Thank you so much for these videos.
I learned from an experienced sewist, my mom. And she is a wonderful sewer but some of her techniques made me anxious as a beginner. 1. Not marking any pleats for a pleated skirt, just eyeballing it. 2. Eyeballing the center front of shirt plackets. I guess when I got married, i started to sew with ladies who were my age and learned simpler techniques, and that made me a more confident sewer. My sisters say they couldn't learn from my mom, they liked the way I taught them, but she is a great seamstress.
On the pins part! It's important to note the machine being used to sew as well. A home sewing machine usually tugs at work because of the simpler mechanism of the feed dogs versus an industrial/professional machine. It is far more precisely calibrated on the latter, meant for speed and accuracy. Most experts will own an industrial and sew on it on their demonstrations-- but not everyone owns one and it does make a huge difference! I sew without pins a lot now because I own a couple industrials. I used to sew on home machines before I dipped to buy these beasts, and I needed to use pins regardless of how well I thought my experience level was.
I had to crack up at the part about not wearing clothes underneath the toile because I think that's one I've unconsciously fallen for based on watching videos. But you're right, of course they wouldn't be naked for a RUclips vid! Funny how we can so easily forget the format. 🤣
I am just learning to sew. Thank you so much for this video. You just saved my sanity. I would have made these mistakes and wondered what I was doing wrong. There is one other critical pointer you made in a different video, but I don't remember which one. Beginners should not try to sew as fast as someone who has been doing it for years. Take your time. simply be slowing my machine my towel hems look 100% better.
Pins, funny that you say it. I am actually going back to basics with basting. And about the not measuring. Oooh yes. I am sewing for years and I just know the distance..... tricky. You are right again. 🌹
Dear Kiki D, what could maybe help you with the pattern pieces not matching up, after you've sewn the pieces together is this: For example when you pin trouwser leg parts together (there might be an almost undetectable difference in the front & back leg pattern pieces. . Put a pin at the top and one at the bottom of the intended sideseam line. Then put a pin in the middle between those two pins and then put a pin in the "middle" of the remaining fabric, between the "begin/end" pin and that "middle" pin. Keep repeating this process. By dividing the material between the ever smaller distance between the pins you place. You are able to "distribute" the fabric evenly over the whole sideseam. 😊✌🏻
What may also help is using a walking foot so that the layers of fabric are pushed through at the same rate. I recently bought one as an add on and it was a complete game changer!
Dear @@kikid4093 , you are so welcome. Learned this (from a professional seamstress/teacher) after many years often having ended up with uneven trouser pattern pieces, after sewing them together ✌🏻😁.
Pinning and basting..do not ever skip this step!! And I love your new hair look but I also loved the black curls. So nice with that red lipstick and nails.
To be honest I appreciate the comments same as the video and mostly read them as far as my eyes can really helpfull for beginners thanks every one for sharing your experiences thx Evelyn.
I have discovered (to my cost) that if I follow all the instructions in the way they are written then my game to works.. if I go out of sequence things go "pear-shaped - EVERY TIME. MORAL - read and follow the instruction sheet. That's what it's there for. Learned this lesson well.
I've actually started a habit that I don't recommend anyone to copy. I mean it works, kinda. But I would never teach it to a beginner. I'm curious if anyone else is doing this: So, I cut out my pieces and put them together. I then try the garment on and just eyeball the changes I need to make. I rarely mark anything but will just proceed to make the changes at the sewing machine with only my memory as a guide. Granted, I work with knits so I do have some leeway for errors, but I also know it's a terrible habit and I don't know why I do it. As I said, it usually works out, but I wouldn't teach it to anyone. Glad I'm not doing tutorials! I also come up with changes to the patterns as I'm at the cutting table (it's really my floor, but you know...) I guess my style of sewing is kinda chaotic really! I do love the process though. Getting to the point where I could start breaking the rules is really what took my sewing from fun to exciting!
It's like baking, you have to learn a certain amount before you realize where you can and can't break the rules, which parts are chemistry and which parts are art :)
Hahaha! Yes, I measure by pinching and noting where on my finger it came and measuring that instead of measuring properly. VERY BAD HABIT! Don't Do This!!
@@michellecornum5856 Haha, I do that all the time, across multiple crafts. I need this piece of wood trim one thumb wide. I need to drill this hole in an armour piece one thumb down and one finger over...I need my crocheting to be as long as my arm... I want my dart three fingers over from the centreline... TERRIBLE habit. But works better for me than trying to remember a measurement.
Sewing a zipper by machine. I see tons of youtubers sewing their zippers by machine and obtain a very clean result. When I do it, it always ends up messy no matter what technique I use, and I always have to unpick the whole zipper and sew it again by hand. So now, I just pin, baste and sew by hand directly. Less mess, less frustration.
As a former fashion student there was two things I always regretted not doing when I was in school or in my sewing project. To track or baste. Yes it seems like a waist of time and you think you have the skills to sew directly with the machine, its always better to take the time to track the most difficult parts (blazer collars, double welt pockets, hems) The other one it’s to believe you know how to do things and don’t follow the specific steps in your patterns. Also (and maybe it’s because they don’t show it) but you MUST wash your fabric before cutting it, a lot of fabric have so chemicals, dust, etc. You need to wash it because after cleaning it can change the way the fabric moves, feels, fall or even shrinking.
Im currently training someone to help me in my sewing business & this is such a great reminder. I completely forget all of those things that i needed to practice countless times before it became second nature. The pins and the measurements are big ones i really need to be conscious of with my lessons. Thankyou!
Muscle memory is the best!! I can iron a 1/4 inch down no problem. If it’s something important I will verify before setting but after all these years it pretty accurate
Yep, this basically goes for anything! If you're a beginner, don't watch what an experienced practitioner is doing and assume you can follow along 1:1. With experience comes knowing when and where you can cut corners, and a beginner seeing those shortcuts taken without any context can lead to all sorts of bad news! (This is why I really appreciate it when someone says something like "This is just the way _I_ do it though, don't interpret this as a tutorial." by way of disclaimer, it's right up there with when skilled makers leave the mistakes and all the ways things _didn't_ work in their videos; people need to see that.)
When my mother took the patterns of 2 different wests and combined them into a pattern for a west (fitted waistcoat) that fit me... I do not really remember what she had me dressed in under that west as she fitted the patterns to me... I do remember that I hated the shirt/blouse she and my oldest sister bought for me to wear underneath... both because of the color and because of the pattern... but that was all that the shops offered... that was the fashion that year... according to the shops. I was 13 years old... it was for my confirmation And all those years later I rembember my mother changing the patterns and all that work that went into the dress - a skirt and a west.
Thank you much for your sewing wisdom. As in anything else practice makes it much easier and better. My husband s hobby is working with wood . Our motto is measure twice cut once. Or measure once and usually waist. The wood or the fabric. I love the whole process of sewing. All of it . There are Some things that are more mundane and make me sew a bit slower. Makes a better garment and because of the time and sometimes problems ,I am more proud and happy with my work.
for me the biggest thing is the steps that sewists wouldn't show, because they are so obvious when you have more experience like: understitching or basting or sewing in a thread to help pull corners out, or ironing, etc. and finishing, I only really learnt to finish raw edges when my favourite self made items were falling apart.
In one of my first sewing classes, we learned NOT to roll our measuring tapes, because that will make our centimeters stretch over time and our measurements be off. We all had our measuring tapes neatly rolled up. This is what we all had been taught by our mothers. Another sewing habit that was hard to break ... 😂 Thanks for your videos, I am learning a lot !
At work, we wore ours around our necks most of the time, and had to check our tape measures against a metal yard ruler once a month to ensure they were still "on". Any that were off got binned and we got a new one.
@@esmesvintagecloset I too, measure my tape ruler against a wooden (not metal like you) ruler, because I was taught a long time ago to measure your plastic ruler often since plastic can stretch. Thanks for the reminder.
Oh my😮 I roll my tape up every night en even secure it with an elastic. I have to add that I have to pack all my sewing tools away because I have a young cat, but I never thought about this. Thank you for this advice😊
Have you made a video on deciding what to machine sew vs. hand sew? Obviously none of us are as dedicated as Bernadette Banner, but I know there's a middle ground somewhere, as well as personal preference.
@@pvanpelt1 i always hand sew my hems. Just a habit of mine, since everything off the rack is for someone taller than me. I'm 5'3" and shrinking according to my doctor. I do, however, have a hemming stitch on my sewimg machines that I just love 💘 using. If you're not familiar with how it works, practice on a piece of scrap fabric first. You'll be glad later that you learned how to use it.
What a great video that would make! When and why to handsew. Also using other stitches. I've used a stretch stitch to sew the lower seat seam in trousers for years. Studying tailoring, I learned many tailors stress hand sewn armscyes to increase movement - I'm not willing to go there. One said he used a machined stretch stitch instead. That was a forehead slapping "duh" moment for me. Now I do that.
Our sewing guild had a large table that was designed for working on quilts. When I was cutting out a pattern, I had to climb onto the table to finish the job! Couldn’t do that today, I assure you.
I was fortunate that back in the 1960's in the UK we had a good grounding in sewing. Starting with the apron and cap for our cookery classes through petticoat a blouse to finally a dress. Teacher even for then was very old school, so I was lucky to get a really good grounding in sewing.
Eyeballing is a big one. It frustrates me when people say just eyeball it whether it is sewing or cooking/baking. When you are teaching someone they can't eyeball it because they don't know what it should look like. Good tips!
Blushing a little as I type - I tend to sew in my undergarments when I get to a stage that I need to try on the garment, possibly several times. It just saves time and feels a little risque. 8-) Spices up the sewing a little!
Literally today I tried something on over a tee shirt, just to check whether I'd pinned the shoulder in the right place... 😁 I knew I was being lazy. Once it was hand basted I tried it on with just underwear to be completely sure 👍
Hi dear-love your videos. This old experienced sewer still uses just as many pins! That's me and can't do without them, wished I could but can't. Thank you.
I just went back in ti.e to my mothers old singer with the right leg pressure drive belt. Ir was coverted from a treadle. .in my mind I hear her now whip around and go back over that last bit. We use chalk . .she had no reverse
I'm definitely still a novice, the only time I didn't sew with pins is on a face mask pattern that I could probably do in my sleep now and that's because it's small enough that I could literally just pinch it together with my fingers. I can't imagine not using pins or clips on any other project
I had to laugh because just TODAY (before seeing this video) I was cutting out lining for my first-ever project involving lining. Within about sixty seconds I realized that I needed to walk around my table and leave the fabric in place. I set weights down all around (including my heaviest vase lol) so I couldn’t even be tempted to move the fabric.
I think it's also easier to get away with cutting corners when you have the skills to fix things you've messed up or to adjust when things aren't perfect. As a beginner, you're not necessarily going to have those skills, so being slow, methodical, and careful is more important.
Such great advise. I see people on RUclips doing some of these things all the time. Taking the time to cut out your pattern precisely is so worth it. And like you shared, the precisen can be so altered by moving the fabric all around. Thanks for your practical tips.
I want to thank you for your videos, I am learning to make bras & your tips have greatly improved my skill. I now take the time to match exact seam lines (1/4 inch), use one hand to control each layer of fabric taking the time to manipulate fabric to get accurate seams. Before I thought pins would be enough & was frustrated when it wasn’t. I adjust tension for each step based on fabric & seam thickness & document it for future projects.
Thank you for the tips! I remember starting sewing and watching a lot of RUclips. There was so many bad things I learned and was just frustrated at some of the things I learned.
I am currently making a Dottie Angel pattern that is complex. Use of seam binding for facings. Using underlining because eyelet has holes! Using seam binding to cover open seams. Lots of top-stitching all over the place. Also: French Seaming. That means all the seams are finished. However, I read on a blog that specializes the sewing and sharing of ideas of these Dottie Angel patterns. The commentator said that this pattern would be great for a beginner!!!! HA!!!!!!
I would say an exception to your fitting over the clothes is items that are worn over other garments. I made a peacoat and fit it over a light tank top during the summer, but then winter came and i could not wear that peacoat over sweaters or layers. I could only wear it with lighter tops. It was only the 2nd time I had made a coat and it just didn't occur to me to fit it over the winter clothing I wanted to wear it with.
I have the opposite problem. I CAN'T just eye-ball things because I am dyslexic. I used to feel bad cause I can't do that but I got over it; after all, the RUclipsr can't see in my sewing room and I get tired of doing things over and over so I just go at MY speed and it's ok.
I still remember making a strapless dress for a friend; I fit it properly, making a toile (using curtain lining, final dress was silk dupion, so similar weight & lack of stretch). BUT it was fitted over a regular bra, then when she tried the final dress on, without a bra, it drifted down and flashed her boobs! (She's not very busty). Our solution; make spaghetti straps (double); using the silk the dress was made from (two colours of blue silk, so made two straps each side, one of each colour). Phew!
Definitely the pinning one. I thought I was defective or something for needing so many pins. Another one was sewing fast. I'd see others flying their fabric through the machine and thought I had to do the same. Oh, what a mistake 😒 Thanks for this video
I've seen sooooo many sewists cut their pattern pieces out of wrinkled fabric and it makes my skin itch lol. I'm also a quilter so it blows my mind that anyone would work that way.
If I see someone machine stitching without pins or with pins I say out loud (to myself) "WHY? You call yourself a professional and yet you are doing ABCXYZ." I actually do the complete opposite and do my own thing and what feels right for me. I pin and then I baste/tack stitch and then I machine stitch. Takes longer but it feels good to me mentally to do that. As for moving the fabric around: buy a folding table. I have two measuring 2 ft x 2 ft when closed and when opened they measure 2 ft x 4 ft. I put them together to make a 4 ft x 4 ft table in the middle of my lounge and walk around them whilst cutting. When my project is finished I fold the tables down and put them away. Job done. However, a dining table, if you have one, will do the exact same thing.
I'm still very new to sewing, but I'm a mechanic by trade and spend a lot of time measuring things from other hobbies, so I have got kind of lucky eyeballing things, but I feel kind of silly because it was just today that I realized what was meant by the 5/8" seam allowance and that there is actually a little measurement guide on the right side of the plate on the machine. I've been eyeballing it to about 1/4" seams on the opposite side of the machine and didn't notice the measurement guide because I was covering it with cloth. No wonder why things have been coming out a little bigger than intended and while I was actually sewing fairly straight lines, I was riddled with anxiety before sticking every piece onto the machine... As for the pins, I think I might be going the other extreme and using too many of them because I keep getting stabbed... Most of the fabrics I have worked with though have not really been the kind to shift a lot. As for pattern cutting and pinning patterns, I do sort of have a little more experience with that because as a child, my grandmother would have me help her out, but it was so long ago that I barely remember it.
Eyeballing badness! I'm terrible for it, but lately I am getting into the habit of measuring. So often have I found a whole line of wiggle stitches when it should have been straight, that said I am now also making full use of the guide marks on the sewing machine.
i was working with a two pattern-piece garment made in luxe fleece and I could NOT get it to stop sliding to cut. I remembered science and i used a sheet of acryllic from a picture frame that fell that was just smaller than the front and back and I used that to hold it in place. its like the school science trick where you put a sheet of newspaper over a ruler at the edge of a table and chop the ruler in half with only the news paper holding it down. It worked so well!
I never was lucky enuff to be shown that trick, so I am having difficulty grasping the concept. I don't understand how an acrylic sheet can hold fleece in place or 1 sheet of newspaper holding half a ruler. Would someone tell me the overall concept or law of science being used so I can read about this and gain knowledge and understanding. Thank you for helping me. This will drive me nuts till I get the complete picture finished.
My best friends mother used to be a seamstress and is an amazing sewer. However one thing I've seen her do which horrifies me as someone just starting out is that she doesn't cut out the pattern pieces first, she often just lays the pattern sheet on the fabric and cuts the pieces and fabric together. Still works out somehow but I don't want to try it myself
I saw that years ago on a sewing channel and still do that. I reserve one set of shears just for that purpose since I’m breaking the sewing rules on not using fabric shears on paper and vice versa 😛. I also interface my fabric and then cut out the pattern piece rather than cutting the interfacing separately and then ironing them together. Much neater!
Thank you Evelyn - a great subject once again. Is it possible for you to provide advice regarding choosing stitch length and thread type for the fabric, garment and the use of the garment you want to make? For example silk used for underwear and silk used for Jockeys and silk used for parachuting for example.
Hi Evelyn! I love your videos. I want to sew so bad but I’m so intimidated to start. I have tons of patterns and fabric I thrifted but I just can’t get myself started. I embroider everyday but I can’t fit in time to actually start sewing. It was also something my mom was going to teach me but she got cancer a year and a half ago and then passed in June. Now my grandma says she will teach me but I hardly get to see her. I am encouraged tho by your videos to finally start. I need to let myself make mistakes especially since I have nothing to lose having thrifted bedsheets to use as my first fabrics.
Pick out a simple pattern and a woven cotton or cotton blend fabric to start. Make time to see your Grandma and let her help you with choosing a size, pattern layout, cutting, etc. all the basics. After that, you can call her when you get stuck. You'll be learning a skill you'll probably love (you have the patience to embroider, sewing shouldn't be a problem) and she will enjoy the extra phone calls. Also take whatever machine you'll be using if possible, so she can check to make sure its sewing well and teach you how and when to make adjustments and how to oil and clean it. You can find all kinds of help online, but having someone go over it with you in person will help solidify the learning curve. If you can't get to Grandma's, invite her to yours - she'll love it!
@@tinamcnalley2575 definitely love your go to Granny's idea for learning to sew! You'll be making lots of good good memories that you probably will never regret!
Pins for me, made some major messages trying to work without pins. I also used to do tiny seams till I learned the patterns fit accounts for 5/8 seam. Sight problems makes sewing a challenge, but well worth it when there's a good end result.
What did you copy from someone experienced that was a total disaster for your sewing?
✂️ For sewing skill library and online resource guide at your finger tips, join me and a community of other like minded sewists at Vintage Sewing School www.vintagesewingschool.com/ as I would love to have you in class!
One thing I’ve noticed is RUclips sewists have all their thread prettily displayed. 😱😱😱😱😱 light and dust are the enemy of thread and fabric!! Please don’t display your threads, keep them in a box/cupboard. Love your videos.
Thank you! That drives me nuts, too! All that money for thread and then have UV ruin it.
I also have my threads out on display, but i am a bit of a vampire & dont open my windows very much haha
This makes me feel better that I have left mine in a box lol. I thought I was just ill equipped. Lol.
Not only is it bad for the thread, it's bad for your machine. Especially newer, computerized machines. The dust that collects on the thread runs through the machine and can cause issues.
I agree. The dust gathered on the spools can damage the sewing machine. A good clear box is how I keep my threads.
My tips are: we are doing slow fashion not fast. There is no substitution for best practice. The tape measure is in your kit for a reason use it! Study the various types of tacking/basting as machine stitches are much more tricky to unpick, in other words shortcuts make long roads. I could go on but !
I can sew without pins,I worked for years in garment factories,all notches must meet,I only pin down my patterns for cutting.
I was kind of the opposite; as a beginner sewist I did a lot of shortcuts and poor sewing practices, and it was actually watching experienced sewists doing things properly that made me realize the importance of following some “rules”!
Pins! Pins was a huge one for me! I would see people just whipping off a really long, straight seam and not using a single pin. Especially in patchwork, but in garment sewing too. Pins are super helpful, and completely worth taking the extra time over. I could spend 2 minutes pinning something and 2 minutes sewing it once, or I could save 2 minutes by not pinning, and then spend 10 minutes sewing, unpicking, re-sewing etc. I agree that over time you'll definitely get to know when you can get away without using them, different types of fabric etc, but they should never be something anyone should be embarrassed to use. :)
😂😂 Totally! If your not there yet, you rarely save time by not using pins!
I pin and tack mostly. Less haste more speed.
Biggest things I learned: do the steps. Do all the steps. The ironing, the basting, the stay stitching, the mock-ups, the understitching! This is where the difference between well-meaning and well-made comes from. Take the time, even if it seems tedious and you are impatient. It really pays off.
I only learnt the importance of steaming from Evelyn lately and, wow, does that make everything so much easier😊
Agreed! It's a long process to realize all of the steps actually have a purpose. Imagine that! 😅
I do everything, except mock-ups....& at times I have to pay a heavy price. Actually, it's a habit that I need to cultivate.
Ohhhhh the whole “guesstimate distances” is actually important as I caught myself wondering how a senior coworker could estimate down to millimetres - they’ve been working in the area for years. It takes time, and it’s one of those “skills” that sneak up on you without you realising. All of these points are definitely a reminder to not worry about the end goal (sewing without pins etc) and more enjoy the process, and the results will come in time
Said perfectly! 🥰
My mother, who passed away in 1972, taught me never to lift or move the fabric when cutting out and I still hear her voice when I go to cut out the garment. You taught me to be careful AFTER I cut it.
Wise words from your mum! 🥰
This made me smile! I also will hear my Mon remind me to take my time, to be careful certain things and press press press🥰
I learned that it's not good to plant your foot in the machine pedal as fast as it can go just because you're seeing more experienced sewists do it. It looks cool, feels cool but your work will be sloppy or you'll put a needle through your finger.
I also recognized that it's always a good idea to press your seams and fabric even though you don't usually see it in videos because of time constraints. Pressing assists in more accurate and crisp finishes.
Don't horde patterns/fabrics when you already have too many to count. Start with basics and work your way up.
Oh thankyou for adding that one! I agree, you see experienced sewists sewing fast, and think that's what you should be doing.... no way! 😅 Slow and steady wins the race!
Also on pattern-hoarding, don't keep something just because "some friend/family-member _might_ want to use it." Or "maybe I can adjust it to fit my size once I know more." I finally pared my paper pattern collection down by more than half once I ditched those thoughts. Either I know I or someone in my circle can use the pattern (in which case, I offer it to them), or I _know_ I can adjust it to fit _and_ have plans in place to actually do so, or it goes to the thrift store.
We... won't discuss the digital patterns. I'm still waffling on those.
You know, I often sew straight seams at full speed. Or, something that the look really doesn't matter. I made covers for our bearded dragon's elevated hammocks. I mean really, he didn't care if they were perfect. And they actually LOOKED perfect lol
I frequently see RUclips sewists lay the pattern on the fabric, weight it or pin it and cut it out. . . Without checking the straight grain. This makes me CRAZY! I’ve been sewing for 55 years and would NEVER cut a garment without checking the grain line.
Me too also I see videos where they are cutting out with wrinkled fabrics.
I'm guilty of not using a lot of pins. I rarely move the fabric around when I cut out.
So true! And with wrinkled fabric! Please, take time to iron them!
Oh that one bugs me too! Ironing is your friend in sewing!!!
My face the moment I read this: 🙀 I’ve pulled a thread to get a straight cross grain and put pins to mark the straight grain.
I always check the grain of fabric. I grew up when inexpensive fabric was usually not printed on grain. As a result I learned that I should not trust the pattern of printed fabric for grain lines.
I have been sewing for over 40 years and I still place pins somewhere on the fabric rather than no pins. Thin fabrics can be tricky and can't afford the expense of a mistake.
That's right! A few pins makes all the difference!
But there are occasions where you should fit over clothes. If you are sewing something like a jacket or a coat, otherwise these garments might come out way to small.
This is really helpful! Another thing is mock-ups. I’m guessing a lot of experienced sewers don’t make mock-ups but as a beginner you definitely should, even just for sizing purposes! :)
I always do one with a new pattern to check fit and make sure I like how it looks on me.
Good to know. It's so tempting to just start the final product because I'm so excited.
I agree! Or at least, if your making something similar to what you've made before or the same pattern, you don't need a many mock-ups anyway as you get more experienced 🙂
I never used to make mock ups as a beginner. I do now though as it helps to understand how a garment fits and where you need to make adjustments.
I'm an experienced sewist and I ALWAYS make a mock up; and my final pieces look it. That's not a short cut worth taking for any level of sewist.
Eyactly! My Grandma always reminded me to fit a garment on top of the exact undergarments I intend to wear underneath the finished product. She was so right! Even my adjustable vintage wire dressform is shaped on my naked body and for fitting purposes wears the type of bra plus a slip or no slip I intend to wear with the garment I´m making .
Great idea putting the undergarments on the dress form.
The thing about not moving your pattern pieces about and moving around the fabric instead is tricky, because as a beginner, you generally don't have a dedicated space or sewing table yet that allow you to do that. Depending on your housing situation or the state of your knees and back, even the floor might be a limited option. I am in the process of rearranging part of my appartment to have a suitable sewing corner and perhaps fit a cutting table there, but at the moment, I'm reporting live from the living room's coffee table. So I do fold and move my pattern pieces around quite bunch, I just make sure to always mark a few important points first and then always check and match my pattern back to that. Otherwise I just avoid shifty fabric projects for the time being, with the exception of very square shifts where I can always pull a thread to find a true straight line.
Sounds like you've got it all covered and know what to look for when moving them! 😀
I'm a dedicated"floor troll". I put it all on the ground and crunch like a monkey or Golem while I pin down and cut the fabric. Glad I'm still nimble!
I actually miss being able to use the floor! So easy to lay everything out at once and "walk around" on my knees - but that was decades ago. Of course back then, always had to remember to put the cat(s) up. They enjoyed dive bombing the pattern paper and sending it flying into the air. Somehow, they never actually damaged anything with their claws.
@@adedow1333 once, in my late twenties, I had what would now be a "minimalist" setup. Freshly divorced and nothing resembling a table. So I sat on the floor and actually sewed a pair of pants sitting there, one knee up with foot on the pedal. Needless to say, I felt like just staying there afterwards, my back felt like it was stuck in that position😂. I am now 58 and would definitely not take that chance now - would probably stay there for a week😅
Sewing over pins!!! I have broken 2 needles doing that, and one shot up and hit me in the face! Learned my lesson early on. If I didn’t have glasses on, it could have taken out my eye.
Yikes! I had s similar experience. I don't sew over pins, but my sewing machine needle did break off a piece that went flying towards my face and hitting my prescription eyeglasses. I was trying to sew over something thick when it snapped off. Talk about a wake up call. So now I just take it nice and slow. It takes me longer to sew up something, but I don't care. I'm enjoying the whole process.
Yes this is a great one to add, as it's dangerous!
Straight pins must be inserted perpendicular to the edge. Insert the pin in where your going to sew. No bent pins. Then you can see over as the sewing machine foot will walk over it. Safety glasses are great if you don't wear glasses.
Thanks for all the great tips!!! Something I learned through years of sewing was to press my fabric before I cut it out and as I was sewing. After pre-washing your fabric it sometimes has a tendency to be wrinkled. For me while working on a project with wrinkled fabric just doesn’t feel good. I hope you have a wonderful day!!
💚😊💚😊
Exactly👌🏻!! I see a lot of famous RUclips Seamstresses, put their patterns straight on crinkly fabric (probably after they pre-washed their fabrics) when cutting their pieces out. That drives me bonkers 😣, as a seamstress of more that 40 years. And not using any pins - often just 'pattern weights' I find sets a really bad example as well, for "beginners" ✌🏻
I noticed I've become less careful with some aspects of my sewing, like pinning certain parts of garments; if it's a long straightish seam, such as a side seam, I hardly put any pins in.
On the other hand, I've become more careful with other parts, such as basting sleeves before sewing them, which I didn't use to do because putting in sleeves is horrible, so why spend even more time on this terrible task? Of course, more often than not, I'd have to redo a sleeve, so now I just baste the damn thing 😂
I used to see my mom holding pins in her mouth and started that habit until my daughter sent me an article about a woman who inhaled a pin 😱
I stopped doing that. It was hard for awhile not to do it but I don't anymore!!
A pincushion on your wrist could be a good alternative!
As a nurse years ago, I had a patient who had been having chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) for 20 years from swallowing a pin! That changed my bad habit quickly!
Yikes! I use a magnet because my first machine didn't have speed settings and it scared me how fast it went. Wanted a place to just throw the pins real fast and not be losing them.
Yes, a wrist pin cushion will help break that habit!
@@karenlindsay9884😱!! Indeed that knowledge should put any seamstress of, from putting pins between her lips.
My Mom & I used to "store" pins between our lips. It took years🤫 for me to un-learn this bad bad habit. ✌🏻😁
I've seen people sew over pins - do not ever do that! Baste, baste, baste 😃
Thank you! I think my big mistake was trying to emulate a lovely friend being able to sew with no pins at the surger. I nearly cut part of my dress off when I tried. Luckily, I learned quite quickly from that experience. :)
🤣🤣🤣
I'm doing a sewing course in Portuguese right now, and the teacher told us to never just eyeball and lay the pattern on the fabric. Always measure the grain line from the Pattern with the side of the fabric only so we are sure that we have perfect grain matched.
Pulling curves straight to sew them. I actually tried this as a beginner not emulating anyone, and wondered why my project looked so funky. Later on I watched a tutorial where the sewist was speeding through the circle and straightening her curves as she went, rather than going more slowly to follow them and editing for time. I was horrified both at how sloppy she looked, and that that was the standard she was setting for a beginning project!
Please note that I have been sewing for over 55 years. Below are some of the many rules that I was taught a long time ago.
1. On a large, flat, smooth surface (not on top of a bed, carpet, tablecloth, or a pool table) pin the pattern onto the fabric matching the grain lines (after all alteratioins have been made to the pattern). Pining the pattern onto your fabric on top of a bed, carpet, tablecloth, or pool table may lead to damage to the bedding, carpet, tablecloth, or pool table top; and, cutting the garment off grain may not give you the results you desire.
2. Cut out the garment with clean, sharp shears. Never close the blades completely (to get a smooth cut line).
3. DO NOT REMOVE the pins and pattern pieces from your cut fabric until after you have transfered (copied) all markings from your patterns pieces on to your fabric; and, keep your pattern pieces on your marked fabric until you are sitting down to begin to sew the garment. If you remove the pattern pieces to soon you may not be able to get the marking onto your cut fabric correctly. Removing the pattern pieces to soon could cause you to cut one or more pattern piece(s) twice (which may leave you without enough fabric to cut the garment correctly); and, you may misplace or loose one (or more) of your pattern pieces.
Good advice, I learned the same things when I was taught to sew many years ago. In my head, it was the cardinal rule of sewing. You never forget good advice that turns into good sewing habits.
Pressing between each sewing step... when watching a lot of sewing tutorials... What they are sewing looks as if it has been pressed... but, we, the audience, rarely see that step.
I hated that my iron is so clever it shuts itself off... every time I need it I have to wake it up with wait until it heats... ugh...
I also have an auto shutoff iron, curling iron, coffee pot, etc. If they make appliances with an auto shutoff, I buy it/replace it. I forget most times to shut it off when I leave the room thinking I'll be back in a few minutes, which is never the case. So my iron is cold when I come back, which I don't mind since a fire is not anything I want to deal with.
When my last iron went kaput, everything I was interested in was auto shutoff. PITA for sewing! They also had a $9 cheapie with no shut-off. So I bought that just for sewing. I pamper it with distilled water and try to remember to empty the water after a sewing session. It gets pampered more than the more expensive one! Also, I plug them in to a lit power strip, mounted to the wall. Easy to notice that extra little red light left on.
Don’t hold pins in your mouth! I grew up with a mother who did that, and she even admitted it was a bad habit. I always wear a wrist pincushion. they’re easy to make out of scrap fabric and a bit of stuffing. I sew mine onto thick hair elastics, but you can make a quick loop out of spare elastic and tack it on by hand.
If you cut out fabric on the floor, and you haven’t bought a cardboard cutting board, they’re worth every penny. My mom would lay out the fabric on the carpet, and I started out doing that, but when I bought the cutting board it made a huge difference to my pattern cutting. And they last a long time. My first one went close to twenty years, although the folds did end up duct-taped to hold them together. I finally replaced it last year.
I'm on my second cardboard cutting mat/board. The first one got damaged during a move.. I don't cut fabric w/o one.
I am less physically mobile, and this cutting board would lay on my queen size bed, and my desk chair would let me roll around it to reach and pin, cut, etc. I could also move the board to reach more. Now I have a standing cutting table and sometimes wish I could sit down and slide the cardboard around again.
@@mspatti i think there's an office chair that's telescopic. You'll probably have to do some research online for one. Hope this helps.
People who do that freak me out, it's like an accident waiting to happen. Holding the pins in the lips, no no no no no ..
The pin thing I don't really agree on... As a kid I learned from my mother to always BASTE, only use pins before basting, and I still agree with her! It may seem like a waste of time, but you get a lot more security with basting, thus improving the end result, and you don't have to keep stopping to remove the pins, just focussing on that straight line, that by the way I still struggle with, urgh!
My mom loved sewing, she actually wanted to do it full time as a teenager and kept it as a useful hobby all her life. Now, thanks to the urge to sew masks and the isolation of 2020, my reinvigorated love for it makes me feel closer to her
We were taught at school to pin first then tack/baste in place and then sew. I don’t always tack😜🧶🌈🍓
Yes! The fact that bloggers don't use basting makes it look like a waste of time. But it can be so important!
@@lorettatollefson7010 I follow a few YT sewists and the only one I have ever seen basting anything is Lifting Pins and Needles.
I also baste in tricky areas. It makes me so more confident while sewing. Otherwise I always pin, even after 40 years of sewing.
I love your process Raquel! Basting is like the next level pining, and not used nearly enough I agree! 🙂
Evelyn said “a whole nother...” I love it, I love it, I love it!
I was told by a dressmaker to always try your pinned garment on inside out and repin for the best fit.
I’ve done it that way for 37 years until I saw a video only last week where the person tried their garment on the right way out, when asked why she said that it’s because it’s in reverse on your body. For example, you try on a pair of trousers on inside out, take them in to fit each leg but when they’re finished they’re too tight on one side and too loose on the other because you made the adjustments in reverse!
I personally think it only really matters if you’re making a fitted garment or comparable parts of your body are noticeably uneven, my right side is bigger and longer in all areas than my left but not enough that I need to make adjustments to the pattern but some people might, I guess it’s up to the individual and what works for them but I’d been taught from grass roots to pin inside out and will carry on 😊
I use this method very often!
@@rhonddalesley Yeah I can do rough shirt fitting inside out but I have one shoulder higher than the other so I need to do final fitting right side out or else it's doubly wonky!!
Don't make changes from the pattern to the garment without making a mock-up. All the time I see RUclipsrs who are experienced sewers who know how to change where an opening is or omit a facing without creating a mock-up, and I thought winging it was part of the fun of sewing. I know now that only comes with having made a million mock-ups with those changes before, so they know exactly what to do.
You aren't saying yo not adjust for sizing are you? Prob not, I no longer fit in one size and will be forced to go "between the lines." Rather frightening.
Yes Carolyn you are so right! Thankyou for adding this one 🙂
Experienced sewists may use rotary cutters to cut out a pattern. I tried this method and wasted time trying to get the rotary cutter around curves and tight spaces. I went back to scissors until I gained more dexterity and experience with a rotary cutter but even now, use the rotary cutter more for long straight lines on skirts and trousers, rather than on bodices.
What radius rotary cutter do you use? Some one told me that the 65mm is for straight cutting only, the 45 is for slight curves and the 25 for very curvy bits🤔
I use the 45 for almost everything, but I'd probably buy the 65 for quilting and the 25 for appliqués if I started making those 😃
I think learning to use scissors properly is important, but I have to admit the rotary cutters are really nice on silks, linings and all the slippery stuff.
@@tinamcnalley2575 oh, I forgot to say that I tend to use the rotary cutter on smaller pieces and children's clothes and big pieces like a dress I cut on the floor with scissors because it's easier that moving the fabric around on the cutting mat (I've got the A0 size)
I was given a Bernina Record as a wedding present 48 years ago, so I am not new to sewing, but I am still able to pick up a lot of information here that is helping me to tutor my granddaughters in sewing. And your videos are just superb, and your retro look. Love it.
This is brilliant and comes under the heading of how do you know what you don't know rule for beginners. Your video clarifies so much.
I'm guilty of not pressing the flat-felled seams and measuring by eye. Most of the time I hit the spot, but not on curves, like my challenge for this month at your school. I'll start measuring all seams from now on. Thank you so much for these videos.
I learned from an experienced sewist, my mom. And she is a wonderful sewer but some of her techniques made me anxious as a beginner.
1. Not marking any pleats for a pleated skirt, just eyeballing it.
2. Eyeballing the center front of shirt plackets.
I guess when I got married, i started to sew with ladies who were my age and learned simpler techniques, and that made me a more confident sewer. My sisters say they couldn't learn from my mom, they liked the way I taught them, but she is a great seamstress.
On the pins part! It's important to note the machine being used to sew as well. A home sewing machine usually tugs at work because of the simpler mechanism of the feed dogs versus an industrial/professional machine. It is far more precisely calibrated on the latter, meant for speed and accuracy. Most experts will own an industrial and sew on it on their demonstrations-- but not everyone owns one and it does make a huge difference! I sew without pins a lot now because I own a couple industrials. I used to sew on home machines before I dipped to buy these beasts, and I needed to use pins regardless of how well I thought my experience level was.
I had to crack up at the part about not wearing clothes underneath the toile because I think that's one I've unconsciously fallen for based on watching videos. But you're right, of course they wouldn't be naked for a RUclips vid! Funny how we can so easily forget the format. 🤣
I am just learning to sew. Thank you so much for this video. You just saved my sanity. I would have made these mistakes and wondered what I was doing wrong. There is one other critical pointer you made in a different video, but I don't remember which one. Beginners should not try to sew as fast as someone who has been doing it for years. Take your time. simply be slowing my machine my towel hems look 100% better.
Husband: "why are you sewing half naked?"
Me: "because I'm fitting a blouse."
Husband: "okay....."
That's funny. Thanks for sharing that.
I do the same!
Oh I wish I mentioned this in the video! 😂 So true, you only get redressed half the time, we all know this!
Same 😂
😂 yup!!✌🏻
Pins, funny that you say it. I am actually going back to basics with basting. And about the not measuring. Oooh yes. I am sewing for years and I just know the distance..... tricky. You are right again. 🌹
I can't imagine sewing without pins (or basting). Even with pins I often end up with one side slightly longer than the other. 🤷♀️
Dear Kiki D, what could maybe help you with the pattern pieces not matching up, after you've sewn the pieces together is this:
For example when you pin trouwser leg parts together (there might be an almost undetectable difference in the front & back leg pattern pieces. .
Put a pin at the top and one at the bottom of the intended sideseam line. Then put a pin in the middle between those two pins and then put a pin in the "middle" of the remaining fabric, between the "begin/end" pin and that "middle" pin. Keep repeating this process. By dividing the material between the ever smaller distance between the pins you place. You are able to "distribute" the fabric evenly over the whole sideseam. 😊✌🏻
@@janehollander1934 Thank you! I will definitely try that!
What may also help is using a walking foot so that the layers of fabric are pushed through at the same rate. I recently bought one as an add on and it was a complete game changer!
Dear @@kikid4093 , you are so welcome. Learned this (from a professional seamstress/teacher) after many years often having ended up with uneven trouser pattern pieces, after sewing them together ✌🏻😁.
@@janehollander1934 I tried it on my most recent make, along with a walking foot, and it worked perfectly! ❤
Pinning and basting..do not ever skip this step!! And I love your new hair look but I also loved the black curls. So nice with that red lipstick and nails.
I miss my curls too!
To be honest I appreciate the comments same as the video and mostly read them as far as my eyes can really helpfull for beginners thanks every one for sharing your experiences thx Evelyn.
I have discovered (to my cost) that if I follow all the instructions in the way they are written then my game to works.. if I go out of sequence things go "pear-shaped - EVERY TIME. MORAL - read and follow the instruction sheet. That's what it's there for. Learned this lesson well.
I've actually started a habit that I don't recommend anyone to copy. I mean it works, kinda. But I would never teach it to a beginner.
I'm curious if anyone else is doing this: So, I cut out my pieces and put them together. I then try the garment on and just eyeball the changes I need to make. I rarely mark anything but will just proceed to make the changes at the sewing machine with only my memory as a guide. Granted, I work with knits so I do have some leeway for errors, but I also know it's a terrible habit and I don't know why I do it. As I said, it usually works out, but I wouldn't teach it to anyone. Glad I'm not doing tutorials! I also come up with changes to the patterns as I'm at the cutting table (it's really my floor, but you know...) I guess my style of sewing is kinda chaotic really! I do love the process though. Getting to the point where I could start breaking the rules is really what took my sewing from fun to exciting!
It's like baking, you have to learn a certain amount before you realize where you can and can't break the rules, which parts are chemistry and which parts are art :)
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 Oh, I like that! Chemistry / art... Beautifully said!
Hahaha! Yes, I measure by pinching and noting where on my finger it came and measuring that instead of measuring properly. VERY BAD HABIT! Don't Do This!!
@@michellecornum5856 Haha, I do that all the time, across multiple crafts. I need this piece of wood trim one thumb wide. I need to drill this hole in an armour piece one thumb down and one finger over...I need my crocheting to be as long as my arm... I want my dart three fingers over from the centreline... TERRIBLE habit. But works better for me than trying to remember a measurement.
I see we are team chaotic crafters! Love it! But no one should copy us, bad idea. Very bad. But it's fun! But bad. Don't do it. 😄💞🦖
Sewing a zipper by machine. I see tons of youtubers sewing their zippers by machine and obtain a very clean result. When I do it, it always ends up messy no matter what technique I use, and I always have to unpick the whole zipper and sew it again by hand. So now, I just pin, baste and sew by hand directly. Less mess, less frustration.
I'm terrible at machine sewing EXCEPT zippers! I can only do a good clean straight line with zippers!
I enjoy handsewing. Have refused to learn to use the "blind hemmer" on the machine, but I think I'd lose it if I had to do my zippers by hand
As a former fashion student there was two things I always regretted not doing when I was in school or in my sewing project.
To track or baste. Yes it seems like a waist of time and you think you have the skills to sew directly with the machine, its always better to take the time to track the most difficult parts (blazer collars, double welt pockets, hems)
The other one it’s to believe you know how to do things and don’t follow the specific steps in your patterns.
Also (and maybe it’s because they don’t show it) but you MUST wash your fabric before cutting it, a lot of fabric have so chemicals, dust, etc. You need to wash it because after cleaning it can change the way the fabric moves, feels, fall or even shrinking.
Im currently training someone to help me in my sewing business & this is such a great reminder. I completely forget all of those things that i needed to practice countless times before it became second nature. The pins and the measurements are big ones i really need to be conscious of with my lessons. Thankyou!
Muscle memory is the best!! I can iron a 1/4 inch down no problem. If it’s something important I will verify before setting but after all these years it pretty accurate
Yep, this basically goes for anything! If you're a beginner, don't watch what an experienced practitioner is doing and assume you can follow along 1:1. With experience comes knowing when and where you can cut corners, and a beginner seeing those shortcuts taken without any context can lead to all sorts of bad news! (This is why I really appreciate it when someone says something like "This is just the way _I_ do it though, don't interpret this as a tutorial." by way of disclaimer, it's right up there with when skilled makers leave the mistakes and all the ways things _didn't_ work in their videos; people need to see that.)
When my mother took the patterns of 2 different wests and combined them into a pattern for a west (fitted waistcoat) that fit me... I do not really remember what she had me dressed in under that west as she fitted the patterns to me...
I do remember that I hated the shirt/blouse she and my oldest sister bought for me to wear underneath... both because of the color and because of the pattern... but that was all that the shops offered... that was the fashion that year... according to the shops. I was 13 years old... it was for my confirmation And all those years later I rembember my mother changing the patterns and all that work that went into the dress - a skirt and a west.
I AM an experienced seamstress, and tailor. I agree with your list 😎
Thank you much for your sewing wisdom. As in anything else practice makes it much easier and better. My husband s hobby is working with wood . Our motto is measure twice cut once. Or measure once and usually waist. The wood or the fabric. I love the whole process of sewing. All of it . There are Some things that are more mundane and make me sew a bit slower. Makes a better garment and because of the time and sometimes problems ,I am more proud and happy with my work.
As you should be proud of your work! 😃
I feel the same way.
Or measure 3x cut once.
You are so darn cute the way you advise us Scaredy-cats ❗️💐
Sewing over pins and which direction to put them before going to the machine.
Good advice. Thank you from Switzerland
for me the biggest thing is the steps that sewists wouldn't show, because they are so obvious when you have more experience like: understitching or basting or sewing in a thread to help pull corners out, or ironing, etc. and finishing, I only really learnt to finish raw edges when my favourite self made items were falling apart.
You need to know the rules before you can break the rules! 🧶🌈🍓
In one of my first sewing classes, we learned NOT to roll our measuring tapes, because that will make our centimeters stretch over time and our measurements be off. We all had our measuring tapes neatly rolled up. This is what we all had been taught by our mothers. Another sewing habit that was hard to break ... 😂
Thanks for your videos, I am learning a lot !
So what is the correct way to store a tape measure? Mine just hang by my ironing board.
@@debbiemiksch7276 That is fine. Anything that does not stretch the material.
At work, we wore ours around our necks most of the time, and had to check our tape measures against a metal yard ruler once a month to ensure they were still "on". Any that were off got binned and we got a new one.
@@esmesvintagecloset I too, measure my tape ruler against a wooden (not metal like you) ruler, because I was taught a long time ago to measure your plastic ruler often since plastic can stretch. Thanks for the reminder.
Oh my😮 I roll my tape up every night en even secure it with an elastic. I have to add that I have to pack all my sewing tools away because I have a young cat, but I never thought about this. Thank you for this advice😊
Thank u so much. This really help especially the pin stuff. It's really very effective for beginners
Have you made a video on deciding what to machine sew vs. hand sew? Obviously none of us are as dedicated as Bernadette Banner, but I know there's a middle ground somewhere, as well as personal preference.
I always hand sew my dress, skirt, and top zippers because my machine sewn ones never look as nice. I also hand sew most hems because they look nicer.
Great idea!! Thankyou
@@pvanpelt1 i always hand sew my hems. Just a habit of mine, since everything off the rack is for someone taller than me. I'm 5'3" and shrinking according to my doctor. I do, however, have a hemming stitch on my sewimg machines that I just love 💘 using. If you're not familiar with how it works, practice on a piece of scrap fabric first. You'll be glad later that you learned how to use it.
What a great video that would make! When and why to handsew. Also using other stitches. I've used a stretch stitch to sew the lower seat seam in trousers for years. Studying tailoring, I learned many tailors stress hand sewn armscyes to increase movement - I'm not willing to go there. One said he used a machined stretch stitch instead. That was a forehead slapping "duh" moment for me. Now I do that.
Thanks for sharing dear Wood😘
Nice work.Wonderful tutorial.Thanks
Our sewing guild had a large table that was designed for working on quilts. When I was cutting out a pattern, I had to climb onto the table to finish the job! Couldn’t do that today, I assure you.
Great tips! I just found your channel recently and am loving it so far! Looking forward to learning more from you 😁
Thanks for this video, good luck👍👍
I was fortunate that back in the 1960's in the UK we had a good grounding in sewing. Starting with the apron and cap for our cookery classes through petticoat a blouse to finally a dress. Teacher even for then was very old school, so I was lucky to get a really good grounding in sewing.
Super nice and well done video as usual!! love ya
Eyeballing is a big one. It frustrates me when people say just eyeball it whether it is sewing or cooking/baking. When you are teaching someone they can't eyeball it because they don't know what it should look like. Good tips!
Blushing a little as I type - I tend to sew in my undergarments when I get to a stage that I need to try on the garment, possibly several times. It just saves time and feels a little risque. 8-) Spices up the sewing a little!
Unless you sew in a glass cube in a well visited area, I think sewing in your undies is perfectly fine. I do it too, esp. When i do fiddly mock ups!
Literally today I tried something on over a tee shirt, just to check whether I'd pinned the shoulder in the right place... 😁 I knew I was being lazy. Once it was hand basted I tried it on with just underwear to be completely sure 👍
Hi dear-love your videos. This old experienced sewer still uses just as many pins! That's me and can't do without them, wished I could but can't. Thank you.
I just went back in ti.e to my mothers old singer with the right leg pressure drive belt. Ir was coverted from a treadle. .in my mind I hear her now whip around and go back over that last bit. We use chalk . .she had no reverse
I'm definitely still a novice, the only time I didn't sew with pins is on a face mask pattern that I could probably do in my sleep now and that's because it's small enough that I could literally just pinch it together with my fingers. I can't imagine not using pins or clips on any other project
I had to laugh because just TODAY (before seeing this video) I was cutting out lining for my first-ever project involving lining. Within about sixty seconds I realized that I needed to walk around my table and leave the fabric in place. I set weights down all around (including my heaviest vase lol) so I couldn’t even be tempted to move the fabric.
I think it's also easier to get away with cutting corners when you have the skills to fix things you've messed up or to adjust when things aren't perfect. As a beginner, you're not necessarily going to have those skills, so being slow, methodical, and careful is more important.
Such great advise. I see people on RUclips doing some of these things all the time. Taking the time to cut out your pattern precisely is so worth it. And like you shared, the precisen can be so altered by moving the fabric all around. Thanks for your practical tips.
If you don’t like pins, you can hand baste the garment with large running stich
I want to thank you for your videos, I am learning to make bras & your tips have greatly improved my skill. I now take the time to match exact seam lines (1/4 inch), use one hand to control each layer of fabric taking the time to manipulate fabric to get accurate seams. Before I thought pins would be enough & was frustrated when it wasn’t. I adjust tension for each step based on fabric & seam thickness & document it for future projects.
Thank you for the tips! I remember starting sewing and watching a lot of RUclips. There was so many bad things I learned and was just frustrated at some of the things I learned.
Great tips! Lots of awesome information! Thank you fr sharing this video!
I am currently making a Dottie Angel pattern that is complex. Use of seam binding for facings. Using underlining because eyelet has holes! Using seam binding to cover open seams. Lots of top-stitching all over the place. Also: French Seaming. That means all the seams are finished. However, I read on a blog that specializes the sewing and sharing of ideas of these Dottie Angel patterns. The commentator said that this pattern would be great for a beginner!!!! HA!!!!!!
I would say an exception to your fitting over the clothes is items that are worn over other garments. I made a peacoat and fit it over a light tank top during the summer, but then winter came and i could not wear that peacoat over sweaters or layers. I could only wear it with lighter tops. It was only the 2nd time I had made a coat and it just didn't occur to me to fit it over the winter clothing I wanted to wear it with.
Good point! Thanks.
Yes definitely!!
Good morning, from California
Good morning, from Wyoming!
I have the opposite problem. I CAN'T just eye-ball things because I am dyslexic. I used to feel bad cause I can't do that but I got over it; after all, the RUclipsr can't see in my sewing room and I get tired of doing things over and over so I just go at MY speed and it's ok.
I still remember making a strapless dress for a friend; I fit it properly, making a toile (using curtain lining, final dress was silk dupion, so similar weight & lack of stretch). BUT it was fitted over a regular bra, then when she tried the final dress on, without a bra, it drifted down and flashed her boobs! (She's not very busty). Our solution; make spaghetti straps (double); using the silk the dress was made from (two colours of blue silk, so made two straps each side, one of each colour). Phew!
Definitely the pinning one. I thought I was defective or something for needing so many pins. Another one was sewing fast. I'd see others flying their fabric through the machine and thought I had to do the same. Oh, what a mistake 😒 Thanks for this video
I've seen sooooo many sewists cut their pattern pieces out of wrinkled fabric and it makes my skin itch lol. I'm also a quilter so it blows my mind that anyone would work that way.
If I see someone machine stitching without pins or with pins I say out loud (to myself) "WHY? You call yourself a professional and yet you are doing ABCXYZ." I actually do the complete opposite and do my own thing and what feels right for me. I pin and then I baste/tack stitch and then I machine stitch. Takes longer but it feels good to me mentally to do that.
As for moving the fabric around: buy a folding table. I have two measuring 2 ft x 2 ft when closed and when opened they measure 2 ft x 4 ft. I put them together to make a 4 ft x 4 ft table in the middle of my lounge and walk around them whilst cutting. When my project is finished I fold the tables down and put them away. Job done. However, a dining table, if you have one, will do the exact same thing.
Thank you for the time stamps in the description ❤️
Great for beginners.
I'm still very new to sewing, but I'm a mechanic by trade and spend a lot of time measuring things from other hobbies, so I have got kind of lucky eyeballing things, but I feel kind of silly because it was just today that I realized what was meant by the 5/8" seam allowance and that there is actually a little measurement guide on the right side of the plate on the machine. I've been eyeballing it to about 1/4" seams on the opposite side of the machine and didn't notice the measurement guide because I was covering it with cloth. No wonder why things have been coming out a little bigger than intended and while I was actually sewing fairly straight lines, I was riddled with anxiety before sticking every piece onto the machine... As for the pins, I think I might be going the other extreme and using too many of them because I keep getting stabbed... Most of the fabrics I have worked with though have not really been the kind to shift a lot. As for pattern cutting and pinning patterns, I do sort of have a little more experience with that because as a child, my grandmother would have me help her out, but it was so long ago that I barely remember it.
Eyeballing badness! I'm terrible for it, but lately I am getting into the habit of measuring. So often have I found a whole line of wiggle stitches when it should have been straight, that said I am now also making full use of the guide marks on the sewing machine.
i was working with a two pattern-piece garment made in luxe fleece and I could NOT get it to stop sliding to cut. I remembered science and i used a sheet of acryllic from a picture frame that fell that was just smaller than the front and back and I used that to hold it in place. its like the school science trick where you put a sheet of newspaper over a ruler at the edge of a table and chop the ruler in half with only the news paper holding it down. It worked so well!
I never was lucky enuff to be shown that trick, so I am having difficulty grasping the concept. I don't understand how an acrylic sheet can hold fleece in place or 1 sheet of newspaper holding half a ruler. Would someone tell me the overall concept or law of science being used so I can read about this and gain knowledge and understanding. Thank you for helping me. This will drive me nuts till I get the complete picture finished.
SUCH important points! Another terrific video. Thank-you, Evelyn.
My best friends mother used to be a seamstress and is an amazing sewer. However one thing I've seen her do which horrifies me as someone just starting out is that she doesn't cut out the pattern pieces first, she often just lays the pattern sheet on the fabric and cuts the pieces and fabric together. Still works out somehow but I don't want to try it myself
I saw that years ago on a sewing channel and still do that. I reserve one set of shears just for that purpose since I’m breaking the sewing rules on not using fabric shears on paper and vice versa 😛. I also interface my fabric and then cut out the pattern piece rather than cutting the interfacing separately and then ironing them together. Much neater!
Thank you Evelyn - a great subject once again. Is it possible for you to provide advice regarding choosing stitch length and thread type for the fabric, garment and the use of the garment you want to make? For example silk used for underwear and silk used for Jockeys and silk used for parachuting for example.
Good idea, I would also love to see a video on stitch lengths for type/size/use.
I was just thinking recently, it would be nice for pattern makers to recommend needle sizes and types with their instructions...
That’s a great idea
Of topic, but wow Evelyn! The screen in the background is gorgeous!😁
Hi Evelyn! I love your videos. I want to sew so bad but I’m so intimidated to start. I have tons of patterns and fabric I thrifted but I just can’t get myself started. I embroider everyday but I can’t fit in time to actually start sewing. It was also something my mom was going to teach me but she got cancer a year and a half ago and then passed in June. Now my grandma says she will teach me but I hardly get to see her. I am encouraged tho by your videos to finally start. I need to let myself make mistakes especially since I have nothing to lose having thrifted bedsheets to use as my first fabrics.
Pick out a simple pattern and a woven cotton or cotton blend fabric to start. Make time to see your Grandma and let her help you with choosing a size, pattern layout, cutting, etc. all the basics. After that, you can call her when you get stuck. You'll be learning a skill you'll probably love (you have the patience to embroider, sewing shouldn't be a problem) and she will enjoy the extra phone calls. Also take whatever machine you'll be using if possible, so she can check to make sure its sewing well and teach you how and when to make adjustments and how to oil and clean it. You can find all kinds of help online, but having someone go over it with you in person will help solidify the learning curve. If you can't get to Grandma's, invite her to yours - she'll love it!
@@tinamcnalley2575 definitely love your go to Granny's idea for learning to sew! You'll be making lots of good good memories that you probably will never regret!
Pins for me, made some major messages trying to work without pins. I also used to do tiny seams till I learned the patterns fit accounts for 5/8 seam. Sight problems makes sewing a challenge, but well worth it when there's a good end result.