Both for all, I remember cutting out a lovely dress to wear for my sister in laws 21st birthday party, and my machine was not working, So I hand-stitched every inch of it, and all the velvet ribbon trim I had for it too, took about a week as I was still at school and only had time in the evenings and weekend, adored that dress and so many people admired it too,
I had to sell my sewing machine for financial reasons so have had to start hand sewing for everything. I actually enjoy hand sewing more because I can sit and watch a movie and before you know it, it's finished. I learned embroidery and hand sewing in school. So decorative stitching is quite easy.
Personally, while I've found that some things can't be machine sewn, all things can be hand sewn. For me, I can sew by hand even on bad days (I'm disabled and spend most of my time in bed), as long as my arms are working (not a given, my left arm has been useless all week). But machine sewing for me requires me getting up, getting to the desk, sitting for however long, and also leaning forward for however long- which is really painful for me. So while machine sewing is quicker, I might have to wait weeks to be able enough to do it, in which case I could have already gotten it done by hand. Also, I find it easy to hand sew while watching shows and videos, and I often find it really relaxing (I have ADHD, so I need to get my fidgets out somehow, it might as well be productive fidgeting. I also knit and crochet for the same reason). Plus, sometimes you just want that extra control over every single stitch, like in difficult corners, or something very narrow, or when you absolutely need to make something line up perfectly (like waistbands or zippers). Then there's the need to be hand sewn stuff, like invisible hemming, or invisible felling of seams, cartridge pleating, etc. But hand sewing is't just for finishing. So when to hand sew? Whenever. Most often, for me. Machine sewing is for very good days where i want to really quickly get some long seams done. But also, why waste a good day on machine sewing if I could use that day to draft a pattern? Or cut out fabric? Just depends on what I've got going on, really.
I've found that a hand sewn seam can be far stronger than anything a machine could produce. Seriously. I find in order to get my handstitching neat enough to produce that super strong seam, or topstitch or whatever else I need, I will always premark my stitch lines with whatever removable marking item best suits the project. I premark my embroidery too-I'm not out here freehanding my embroidery, so why would I freehand my normal sewing? As long as I'm following the stitching line, all I have to do is try to make my stitches as even in length as possible. If it really matters (like when I'n stitching the gathering for cartridge pleating), then I'll also mark how long the stitches need to be (tip for cartridge pleat- use a gingham ribbon in order to get perfectly straight and even stitches that match up exactly on both rows. Much quicker than ruling ad marking a two row grid!) But if my stitches don't have to be exactly the same size, estimating is good. And practice will give you a better eye for it. You could also do the Victorian method of counting threads (over two, under two, etc), and then practising that will also help with developing an he for it. I'm way too lazy for that though. estimating it is fine. With all of that, I've found that there is no machine on earth that could give a stronger or straighter seam than I could hand sew. A straight, even backstitch with small stitches is much, much stronger than any straight stitch a modern machine could sew. The fabric itself would shred before my stitching would. So if I need something to be extra strong, I'll hand sew it.
Austistic, med student (often on the go) and with no money for a sewing machine. I agree. If someone gifts me a sewing machine I would be very happy since I could do the happy and fun part of finishing the garment only, but that's not happening, so handstiching it goes. It's cheaper, you can do it while watching a movie and it's a productive figet toy. I do need a good pair a scissors, new tread and a thimble urgently. Maybe pins since I have... 8 of them. My sewing kit consists in small things I bought and my mom's old stuff and she cannot sew so her stuff is pretty limited.
Im a hand sewing maniac lol i fell i love with lace making 40 years ago, and of course i discovered hand sewing around that time. At 60 years old I'm learning how to machine sew it's not easy lol . Thank you for sharing your passion to us all .
Hi Evelyn! Another great video, thank you! I understand that many tailors only ever set their sleeves in with a backstitch and sturdy silk thread - even when they're sewing the rest of the garment by machine. The advantages being the monstrous strength of a backstitch and the ability to build in flexibility by varying its tension. Obviously it takes a skilled hand to do that! Also it certainly can be easier to sew in the round by hand, especially if your machine doesn't a have freearm. But of course zillions of sewists set sleeves by machine all the time, and I suspect it depends on what you're accustomed to. Most modern sewists view sewing exclusively through the lens of machine sewing: it is after all an expensive, complicated tool with a heaping learning curve of its own. My sewing journey has only just begun and being a guy I might be more susceptible to the notion that modern sewing IS the machine. However, I took the plunge with hand stitching and have found that I really enjoy mixing hand and machine sewing. They compliment really well. Often for small, intricate bits with lots of interior structure - sleeves plackets, fly facings, vents, etc- I find it easier and more enjoyable to simply build on my basting with hand stitching - rather than wrestle it under the presser foot and put myself into "machine mode" for a two inch seam. Of course it takes a lot of practice, but I'm getting better at bit by bit, just as with my machine sewing. I say use whatever you most comfortable with! But don't rule out hand sewing just because it seems outmoded and twee. 'Tis neither!
My dad also sewed...he was an exceptional sewist. He made my neices wedding dress, it turned out beautifully...probably did a better job than I would have and I had been sewing longer than he...but he was a very patient man.. I on the other hand tend to hurry thru when I want to get something done...I had stopped enjoying the process. Now that I'm older and had left sewing behind for several yrs I'm am getting back to it and attempting to enjoy the process again...
I remember doing the hand sewn zippers in high school Home Ec. We measured the width to keep our stitches in a straight line. It took time but if done correctly it was beautiful! I have to say I enjoyed it! Now, that was back in the late 60’s, quite a long time ago!
@@smallfootprint2961 we were definitely blessed! I grew up in southern Oklahoma and went to a very small rural high school. But our Home Ec teacher was exceptional! She allowed us to sew at the level of our ability, and it was one of my best. She taught us to Taylor - I made coats from very nice wool we ordered from a woolen mill and she us to apply horse hair inner lining as well as many other special applications many sewing classes did not offer. Believe me - I was really better dressed then than now! Even now at 71 I’m trying to get back to that! Probably sounds crazy - but that’s my desire for the last hopefully couple decades of my life!
I went to a NE Oklahoma junior high in the early to mid 70's. I also had an exceptional home economics teacher. I had been taught to sew mostly by hand by my grandmother, although she also let me sew on her singer pedal machine...I wish I had that machine today, as it sewed beautifully. My teacher allowed me to do things in my first yr. Home economics classes that were well above the abilities of the other first yr students...ie, zippers, bindings, and the more advanced patterns. I loved home economics classes as I was allowed to challenge myself to higher projects...and those have stayed w me so much so that I used to sew for others...I still love turning on my machine and seeing a project come together...one thing I always do by hand, unless it is for design purposes is hems...those I do by hand...no matter how big the hem is, I feel like it gives a hem and outfit a bit of polish to be hand stitched...
@@tcovington0711 hello! I love seeing posts from Oklahoma colleges! Anyway, I also learned on an old Singer treadle machine that had belonged to my grandmother!
bcz of U & Bernadette Banner im now so 120% into sewing my own clothes (more handstitching than machine! *totaly proud*) so from the bottom of my heart i just wanna say 🙏🏼 Thank You Very Much keep up the gd work, ❤️ from Austria
Agreed. Watching Bernadette Banner got me interested in hand sewing again. I've made a couple of nightgowns by hand recently. The long straight seams are soothing to sew.
Hi, I hope you had a lovely day! I had a busy day in my sewing room, playing with strings of fabric and now I get to watch you! I hope you have a beautiful week ahead. Thank you for posting this video, sharing your time and talent.
Our sewing skills are so similar! I too prefer a machine sewn lapped zipper in most applications. I played with the hemmer on my machine once, many decades ago and decided never to bother again. I even hand hem my draperies. I hand baste often instead of pinning. I rarely pin or baste long easy seams, but in smaller, curvier, more finicky areas- and always for any pattern matching (even long straight seams) - I hand baste. I hand baste more now than I did in my youth. As I've studied tailoring in recent years, I find myself questioning the validity of hand stitching over machine stitching. Many old school tailors flaunt the need to hand stitch the armscye. That's a "no" for me. But I do hand baste the sleeve insertion until I'm completely satisfied and then I use my machine's stretch stitch to seam the back and bottom of the scye for the additional flexibility which is achieved by handsewing. My one major change to handsewing in recent years is the application of patch pockets on jackets and coats. I actually avoided patch pockets for years because no matter which "trick" I tried - they looked awful. Now my patch pockets are all hand stitched to the garment and look amazing. The big trick to this: I stitch the pocket in place all the way around and then I reverse direction and stitch it again. Works great!
Like you, most of my answers are 'it depends' but usually for the opposite reasons! I prefer hand stitching for anything I want to be strong and durable, while I generally only use a machine for the speed of it. So seams that aren't under stress, like the side seams of a long skirt, those I would do by machine, while the waistband would absolutely be done by hand because I want that strength. Hems can go either way; machine for speed, or hand for invisibility and strength. Some like jeans need to be machined to get the look right, but overall I do prefer an invisible hem. The only thing I would always do on machine is top-stitching, but given I'm not a huge fan of how it looks, it's very rare I'd use it on my personal sewing. Basting I always do by hand, as well as threadmarking. I love being able to see my marks on both sides of my pieces, and it doesn't risk staining hard-to-wash fabrics. Also a good way for me to make use of those bobbin ends. I like basting instead of pinning, because if I'm sewing with pins in, I can guarantee a pin will end up in my hand and I'll have to Blood Rule myself out of the sewing room. Given I enjoy hand-sewing, no pins also makes it more portable, as I don't have to worry nearly as much about how I transport it, or if a child or animal gets too close. I detest zips with every fibre of my being. I'll hand sew a dozen buttonholes by hand before doing a single zip. But when I am forced to use a zip, I'll always hand-baste it in place first, to ensure the dratted thing doesn't wriggle about and mess up my pattern matching or create a step at the top/bottom. Invisible zips I'll do by hand, otherwise I do them on machine.
I use a combination of both. Learnt sewing from grandmother and mother. At school, old style hand sewing, pulled thread work, embroidery and fine hand sewing techniques and basic Home Ed sewing. At College (Fashion student) learnt 1970’s style garment construction techniques. Costumes, quick and machined usually unless adding trim. Lycra cut and sewed by machine every time and for Lycra and most stretch knits edges left cut and not finished. Also overly finishing costumes makes for difficult alterations for different wearers. (There are different sewing techniques too for costumes to allow for super fast alterations.) Suits, tailoring, mostly hand for shaping and machining for body of suit and sometimes hand finished when catching down lining to finish garment edge inside. Bridal and formal wear, usually machined and only hand sewed when adding lace or embellished surfaces, these often need fine hidden seams, hand sewed or special cut lace work that is pieced before sewing (sometimes by hand but also machined) on bodice or embroidery of gowns. Corsets, depending on era, historical combination of hand and machine stitching. Waistbands, necklines and armholes, machined, including understitching and top stitching, usually hand finished to catch facing down to inside garment. Hems, often machined (sometimes first layer turned under and stitched down by machine ) and then hand sewed to finish. Small narrow or rolled hem, machined. Zips, fine sewing, sometimes pricked stitched in on some formal wear (depending on fabric as well as drape of garment), but most often sewed in, it depends on finish look, use of and durability of garment. My experience (it has been across many types of sewing and I am still just on trainer wheels), is that you need a combination of both as each sewing situation has different requirements.
I agreed with most of your choices and I LOVE hand sewing. I prefer to add trims (rarely used) by hand as I get a better finish. We were taught at TAFE in the early 80’s to machine our zips after hand basting. I’ve recently preferred to hand sew zips. I’ve even done an invisible zip replacement by hand (😵💫😵💫). Love your videos, thank you.
I started sewing by hand because I didn't have a machine and for this days I think sometimes it's easier than playing around machine. Ex. yesterday I was sewing a kindey bag for first time and when I was doing corners, I decided to do it by hand.
Mostly machine stitching for seams, repairs frequently by hand. Facings and hems mostly by hand. A lot depends on the garment, purpose, look you want, and sometimes fabric.
So I’ve hand sewn an entire formal gown, but that was more because my machine was having some mechanical issues. So excluding my historical recreations: Seams- now I would use my machine, except for sleeves which I prefer to set by hand. Waistbands-hand Facings-hand Hems- both, may attach a bag lining with the machine. But mostly hand. Trim- probably hand sewn unless it’s very thick or it can hold up to my machine. Top stitching- machine Zips- I like to hand sew these. But depending on the garment I could machine. Basting- by hand Adding in buttonholes-machine. I’ve hand sewn buttonholes and eyelets and I just prefer a bit of modern tech here when possible.
With everything I use/have used both machine and hand sewing. Mostly I do invisible construction by machine and finish by hand but there are always exceptions. I enjoy this kind of video; it's so interesting and helpful to see what everyone else does.
Such cool perspectives! Here's what I have done so far: Seams - machine sew Waistbands - hand sew with invisible ladder stitch Facings - machine or hand sew, whatever is invisible Hems - machine sew #lazy Trims - machine or hand sew, depending on how futzy or slippery or delicate the material Topstitching - machine sew (all those layers OMG I don't have a thimble that robust) Zips - welllllll I have been avoiding trying out a zip for the first time 😅 tbd, I do have both regular and invisible zipper feet for my machine when I work up the nerve Basting - hand sew - I can do it so much more quickly with super-long running stitches, and those are faster to rip out that machine stitching Stay stitching - machine sew - when I hand sew I tend to unintentionally pull on the bias so running it through the machine minimizes the total amount of time that I could accidentally yank the bias out of whack What a fascinating topic!
Nice explanation of options. I agree with all. I recently hand stitched a part of a jersey teeshirt hem to duplicate a coverstitch. Single thread, backstitch turned out a bit stretchy and fairly straight. Must be creative!
I agree with you. I usually follow the pattern instructions except I baste in the sleeves. If I heard you correctly, I think I disagree with you about hand sewing a garment. Although I never would hand sew a garment, I needed to use some fabric from a blouse my grandmother had hand stitched (it was during WWII and didn't have access to a sewing machine). It took forever to take it apart - hours. That blouse would never come apart without a seam ripper.
I personally like hand sewing, I think its a bit like meditating xD But only for parts of the garment it makes sense to me. My hand stitches can be as strong and small as machine so most of the time I prefer the "couture" invisible look of hand stitches. Here is my list: seams - machine waistband - hand facing - hand hems - hand (only if its a design choice to top stitch like in jeans or sporty t-shirts then machine - but I don't sew jeans xD) trims - if its possible to do mostly invisible by machine then I do it by machine, but if not I totally will sew any amount of trim on by hand! top stitching - machine (as in hems - top stitching is a design choice for me, so when I chose top stitching I can totally do it by machine, most of the time I will chose an other finish though) zips - machine (same reason as for top stitching. either its a design choice or its an invisible zip so it doesn't matter at all xD) basting - if its really only basting than by hand (mock-ups I will baste by machine though) stay stitching - machine (for me stay stitching isn't really basting therefore I did a separate point for that xD)
I LOVE hand sewing. I only use my machine occasionally. I’m not in a hurry for things, so hand sewing gives me something to do. My latest project was a single bed patchwork quilt. I did the whole lot by hand. It took 10 weeks.
Thank you for this video. It took me quite some time to realise that there actually is a place for hand stitching and that I don't have to do everything by machine. Seams I usually machine sew. Facings I usually handsew, with waistbands I have done both but I am not that good at ditch stitching. I get better results when hand sewing. With everything else it depends, really.
Man...this video has blown my mind...I'm very new to sewing in general but addicted as all heck. I started with a bit of embroidery and very basic hand sewing and then took the plunge and bought a machine. Aside from basting, and closing turn gaps (backstitch and slip stitch) I haven't even considered using any other had sewing...what techniques are you even referring to!? Now I feel like some enormous world of hand sewing is being open to me but I dont know what it is lol! I would love a video on that, or maybe other people can share the type of stitches they do by hand. Please forgive me for perhaps wording this poorly out of lack of understanding!
Couture seamstresses actually use the same basic stitches as you probably already know. However, the point is knowing when to use the machine for speed and when to use hands for the special finishing touches. I think that comes with practice.
In general, any large, straight and easy seams I do on machine. Tacking down facings, tricky seams, buttons, things that need precise stitches, I do by hand. But I've made entire garments by hand when I haven't been able to leave bed, and I've used a machine for every stitch in something when I just want it DONE and no longer care if the stitches show. 😅
seams: machine waistbands: machine or by hand depending on the effect i want facing: machine hem: machine or by hand depending on the effect i want trim: i have not actually done this yet topstitching: depends, machine if i can get it to fit without sewing something to something else that should not be sewn together zipper: mainly by machine basting: machine
I hand baste the poop out of difficult seams or fabrics (talking to you, stretchy knits!). I like hand sewing facings, etc. since it’s harder for me to make things lay where they should. Plus, I find it relaxing.
I learned to do most construction with hand basting when needed and then machine sewing. Now with some arthritic hands, I do mostly machine. I have learned how to use various sewing feet to make machine work easier and look better. If I’m sewing for my grandkids, then machine hem. But I have done, and continue to do an occasional hand stitched one.
I’ve just listened to you talking on the Love to Sew podcast, and was happy to discover you’re so close to home. Pretty sure I could hear familiar bird life at about 50:40 into it! It sounds like you’re the lady from whom to learn the finer techniques.
I machine sew most of the time. However, some projects may need to be hand sewn to get the correct look (or result). When need button holes I make them by hand. Hand made button holes not only look better they also last longer than machine made button holes. Shaped facings - I hand sew them where I want to hide the stitching. Bia tape - I machine sew one side, turn, pin and blind stitch to get it even and hidden. I hand blind stitch my hems in skirts, blouses, dresses, pants and drapes. Trims - I hand sew unless I want machine stitches to show. I top stitch by machine. I also stay stitch by machine. Zippers - I put in by machine. However, I have put zippers in by hand when I do not want them to show (and did not have an Invisable zipper in the correct color to use). Basting - I use a machine to put in two rows of machine basting stitches to make gathers. I use hand basting stitches to place an applique in the correct place, or to hold a sample together long enough to try it on.
waistband - hand sewn bias facing - hand sewn hems - hand sewn, pretty much a given for me trims - don't usually do ric rac or ribbons as such but have done poodle skirts with hand sewn applique and extra embroidery which I absolutely adore! top stitching if I must - machine, not really a fan of top stitching and have said no to a pattern with lots of top stitching if wouldn't look right without it. zips - originally hand sewn until I could machine sew satisfactorily, but hand sewed my daughter's formal dress zipper due to delicate fabric incl sequins and glitter basting stitches - stay stitching - machine basting stitches to hold in place more firmly than pins & then to be removed - hand sewn in a contrasting coloured thread
I made tea length circle skirts to dance in during the 80s. I hand basted the hems twice with each turn up to ease the excess fullness in, and then did a shirt tail type machine sewn hem then removed the basting. My 4-1/2" stiletto heels and a hand sewn hem in that instance just felt like a safety issue.
Thanks for this very informative and interesting video, Evelyn! I can tell you that if it can be machine stitched, I do not hand sew. But, having said that, it would depend on what I was making. I have never sewed couture and such. But, if I did, I am sure there would be more hand sewing.
I hand sew understitching, waistbands and some hems, I also baste by hand. I enjoy finishing by hand it's relaxing and feels great when it's done. When I left home and didn't have my grandmas old treadle machine I made dresses entirely by hand! Those days taught me that hand sewing isn't scary and is good when relaxing in the evenings.
I hand sew and i have wanted to learn on a machine for years but i was always too afraid. But now i've decided it is time to learn. I still need a machine, and to enroll in a course. I plan on becoming a seamstress for work, since a good portion of the work is done while sitting. I have a bad back, and I want to turn my hobby into something that can help support my family.
Seams: machine sew structure, machine sew French seams, hand sew felled seams. Usually. (I have hand-sewn garments while my machine was in the shop). May do sleeve heads by hand though (seeing another comment). Facings: hand sew (whether shaped or bias; this includes bias-faced hems). Hems: machine sew if there is already visible top-stitching (like on a shirt), or if I'm not in the mood; otherwise hand sew. Particularly skirts/dresses; use bias faced hems almost all of the time, hand-stitch the bias down. Basting/tacking: by hand, because it's usually to control squirrelly fabric, so the increased control is the point. Gathering: by hand, I haven't made friends with machine gathering Or pin-gather instead (my mum taught me!). Buttonholes: usually by machine (although have done hand-done ones when the buttons were too big for my machine's button-hole foot to work properly with). Zips... I avoid zips!
Seams- Hand sew Waistbands I haven't had much experience with yet but I have used the machine with what I have done. For facings and hems I use both, like you. Trims, topstitching and zippers I use the machine. For basting its usually the machine but sometimes hand stitching. Thanks so much for another great video. :)
Basting always by hand because the point of it is to have it in place and maybe it's just my machine but it always moves the fabric around. The control you have with hand sewing is the best and I actually find it relaxing. Never would I sea a seam or visible hem by hand. That is too much work. But I live invisible hems by hand.
Thank you Evelyn for another informative video. My hand sewing is atrocious, so machine all the way for me. BTW I love those covered buttons on your outfit. I'd enjoy a tutorial on how to make them one day.
I just made a pair of wrap around palazzo pants( sort of). I added a standard waist band. It has darts at front and elastic across the back. (I don’t like the toileting aspect of the traditional wrap style. I machined in the ditch for the waist band but hand stitched the rolled hem. ( machined the stay stitched edge but turned by hand. It was fun.
Although I am firmly located on team hand sew, I've never sewn a hand pricked zipper. So I can confidently say, I always sew zips by machine, mostly sew seams and top stitching by machine and usually sew everything else by hand.
I do all my hems by hand, as well as most facings. I sometimes stitch in the ditch (e g. waistbands) but am not very good at it, so often I prefer to hand stitch those too. I hand baste after pinning in tricky areas before machine stitching if there's a likelihood the fabric will not stay in place, such as curved seams and zips. Otherwise I use the sewing machine for speed and strength.
Thank you for these videos, there's always something interesting to learn, even though I've been sewing since I was about 7 or 8. I do much more machine sewing since I've learned new techniques, but would hand sew facings, some hems and always zips. I do a much neater job of zips by hand. 🌻
I always handstitich necklines and hemlines.... and just like you, either hand or machine stitch all the other stuff depending on how I want the end result to be.I always handstitich for basting as I am more in control.
Seams- machine Waistband- both (still can't stitch in the ditch accurately by machine) Facings- hand sew Hems-hand sew with either a whip or catch stitch.
Having made some historical garments (so far, a shirt and a pair of trousers)... the shirt was entirely hand-sewn just because I didn't have a machine, and it was for the early nineteenth century anyway. The trousers had all the long seams machine sewn, I finished the waistband by hand and hemmed them by hand. Haven't sewn any facings in anything at all - yet! Trims... again, I haven't done anything requiring trims yet, but I'd probably hand-sew them - it would depend very much on the type of trim, and the era of the garment, I think. I have top-stitched by hand - again, though, it was that Regency-era shirt so 100% historically accurate, and I probably would have done that even if I'd had access to a machine at the time.
I use my machine as much as possible, but there are situations where hand sewing makes sense. Silk gets hand basted inside the seam allowance instead of using pins or clips. That way, the fabric is secure and won't slip under the foot and there are no visible holes in the main garment. I tend to hand baste when doing tricky necklines, too. Just to get everything where I want it.
Hi Evelyn, I have a question for you, when making a Chanel cotoure jacket would you do the required hand sewing by hand or would you machine sew it ? ✂️🧵😊💕
Lynn if you mean you're sewing a Chanel jacket from a pattern, if it stars required hand sewing, that's likely your answer to get the results of a channel couture jacket 😊
Well I have found that different fabrics and different styles of garments require a different construction method, for me though I tend to use the following Seam-Machine, (it would take way to long to hand sew). Waistbands-Machine, I tend to ditch stitch. Facing-Machine and Hand sew as facings seem to come in many forms and shapes. Hems-machine all day long. Trims-Machine and Hand Sew. Top Stitch-Machine, just as Under-stitching I would always Machine Sew. Zip-Machine Baste-Hand, I feel I need the control to keep things just where I need them when it comes to machine sew. Now what about buttons? and Button Holes? I machine the button holes and hand sew the buttons on.
Bias facing and zippers are the only thing two things I 💯 prefer to do on a machine. The malleability of the both types of tape make a hand seam too jiggly, even though I have a pretty firm straight strong even hand stitch. Darts are the only thing I 💯 prefer to do by hand. Machine stitched darts always look way stiffer and go too fast to avoid imprecision unless you are using the handwheel, in which case I might as well do it all by hand, achieving a faster, prettier, and more even result anyway.
seams: machine waistband: hand sew, I whip or fell stitch facing: hand sew hems: hand sew (unless it’s a design element, then machine sew) trim: hand sew topstitch: I evade it😁 (I don’t like it when stitching shows), if necessary then machine sew zippers: baste by hand, machine sew basting: alllllways by hand, it saves a lot of time in seam ripping it out later and if machine sewn it tends to damage the fabric ….except for gathering👀🤭 then I do machaine sew
I watched a video on here showing a zipper inserted into a white dress using the prick stitch. Whilst it was done really professionally I wasn't too sure about seeing the stitches, tiny as they were, although they did look decorative. An ordinary zip was used, but could a concealed zip be hand-stitched in this way, do you think? I say this because although I do machine zips in I always get a little stressed out doing them, so thought doing them this way might cause me less stress and more in control. Love your video, all so informative. I love your style of clothes you wear, so much more feminine and flattering than a lot of today's fashions.
1. Seams - machine 2. Waistband - machine 3. Facings - machine 4. Hem - machine 5. Trims - never done, I'd try hand sewing first, but probably end up using my machine 6. Top stitching - machine 7. Zips - machine 8. Basting stitches - both My first shirt I ever made was entirely hand sewn. After that, my hands had about enough so I got a sewing machine and been using it 99% of the time. The main thing I hand sew these days is putting on buttons (despite there being a sewing machine trick to doing it, I don't want to break my needle trying lol)
Seams, topstitching and most zippers by machine. Waistbands, facings, hems (except jeans) and basting by hand. Trims depends on what it is, I may even hold something on with a safety pin inside so it can be removed for washing. But if I am sewing Barbie clothes, I do everything completely by hand, including invisible zippers.
1. seams- machine 2. waist bands- both. It depends on what kind of a look I am going for and how much time I have 3. finishing a facing- If I need to tack it down or attach it, I would hand sew. 4. hems: both. If I am top stitching down seams like in a men's shirt definitely machine. If I'm not top stitching, say a dress, I hand stitch the hem. 5. trims: I tend to machine stitch. 6. top stitching- machine 7. zippers- machine 8. basting- machine
I generally machine stitch but will hand sew hems and facings. When my son was 6 months old he needed a formal outfit so I made a 3 piece suit - pants, waistcoat and beret. I hand stitched all of it because his clothing was just far too small and fiddly for me to machine sew.
I tend to hand-sew not only because of invisibility, but also when a machine seam would make the area too stiff. I hate the clumsy look of machine-sewn bias bindings on clothing (it is OK on napkins and such) and always finish them by hand. A hand-hemmed skirt will have more fluidity to it, which I want in some cases. I use my coverstitch machine in the double chain stitch setting to baste the simpler seams of my toiles. They can be opened with one pull if they are not right, or the chain ends can be secured and then the seam is done.
If you prefer to hand stitch your hands mostly something I tried on one of my mock ups to not be able to catch my hands all the time is do a blind machine him just at the back like where your heels would catch so that there’s a nice Eno barrier there and there’s no holds for you to catch and then you can hand so the rest of it if you prefer Jorja Smith machine stitch the whole thing but it’s just a good way to get best of both worlds if you have like a big circular him you need to either lot in but then you also don’t want to catch your skirt and heels or something like that that
basting always by hand... for the rest I agree with you! But I would like to know if you do pad stitching of collars by hand or machine? I just "discovered" this method and the collar "falls" so nicely in place with this ! So now I machine stitch only the bending line and the rest of the pad stitching by hand
Once I remembered that I can lower the feed dogs on my machine I free motion my basting seams. So much faster. Can make them as long or as short as I need them.
I've heard a lot of people say that machine stitching is stronger or more durable but I've had newish garments start to come apart at the seams and I've heard that quality historical hand sewn items often have the stitching actually outlast the fabrics that were sewn together. With this in mind, is machine or hand stitching actually stronger and more secure than the other or does it simply come down to the quality of the thread and skill of the person doing the sewing (regardless of the method (hand/machine) used)?
I hand sew if I don't want to see the stitches, like on hems and facings, and if the seams are too close together or too "fiddly" to sew on a machine (like on stuffed animals).
Seams Machine sew. Waistbands depnds on the garment what fabric and look I want or how much time I have to finish it. Facings Like you depnd on the look of the finished garment. Hems mostly machine but not always. Trims If I can get away with machine I will if not I will hand sew. Top stitching machine every time! Zipper I would machine sew. Basting I do both.
I machine sew whenever possible. I even went out of my way to research machine accessories to familiarize myself what solutions have already been invented for domestic machines. Rufflers exist, people! Save yourselves the effort. I know some people find the act of hand stitching relaxing… but that’s not me. There’s enough work going into the construction long before you get to the machine part. Why add to the labour if you don’t enjoy the process?
Hehe, my best use of stitching time is stabbing fabric thousands of times by hand so I don't stab people :) I might drag one of my less ornery machines out to do some repairs (I'm staring at a pile of ten pairs of work pants that need patching and I do not enjoy hand patching), but right now everything's getting hand sewn unless it's a knit because two of my machines need servicing and the other's a hand crank and doesn't do zigzag stitches... I find backstitching to be as strong as machine sewing and I'm better at making a straight line by hand than I am with any of my machines.
I pretty much do all of my finishing by hand. I hate visible stitch lines. I also sew my buttons on by hand. 3 out of 5 of my machines have button feet but I like to have a bit of a thread shank. Basting is always done by hand because I’m usually trying to make sure things are very precise and the fabric doesn’t shift before taking it to the machine. Long seams always get machine sewn. I do not sew zippers. Ever. 😂
Rolled seams for fine scarves or hems on skirts or dresses made of chiffon or georgette or anything that requires nearly invisible hems. Nothing is as pretty as a hand-rolled application.
I hand sew quite a bit. Not going to hand sew denim or any heavy fabric. The lighter weight the fabric is, the more likely to hand sew. But have only hand sewn zippers in hand knitted baby buntings.
I worked in a high end dressmaking shop when I was 19 yrs old. I was the one that did all of the hand sewing. Since then, over 40 yrs, I hand sew the majority of all my hems and the same goes for zippers. I usually hand sew more than one item at a time. I sit on the couch with one of my dogs, have my coffee, and put on some movie, then just settle in. But.....I can’t wear my boots with the hook type things on the top, because like your heels, it gets caught.
The only time I would hand sew top stitching would be prick or pick stitches details like on coat lapels or pockets. This is a very common feature of vintage outerwear and even some suits and looks very nice and much more subtle tan solid top stitching. I think this would be demanding.
An authentic 18th century outfit rates hand sewing but I’ve machine sewn the hidden seams. Anything seen gets hand sewn. For a costume or occasion Dress I bag the whole thing and machine away!!! I usually hem by hand.
Seams - Machine Stitched Waistbands - Machine Stitched Bias Facing - Machine Stitched Hems - Machine Stitched Trims - Machine Stitched Top Stitching - Machine Stitched Zips - Machine Stitched Baste Stitches - Machine Stitched I really dislike hand sewing but it's something I want to explore more as I try to make nicer/fancier pieces.
I think it's very interesting that when I started to sew in the 60s, the directions for sewing the hem were always hand stitching. As time went on, machine stitching the hem became more popular and today I would never hand stitch a hem. It seems we were afraid of seeing stitches on the hem back in the 60s, but today we're not. Go figure.
Lean to sew clothes you love with me online at Vintage Sewing School www.vintagesewingschool.com/
Both for all, I remember cutting out a lovely dress to wear for my sister in laws 21st birthday party, and my machine was not working, So I hand-stitched every inch of it, and all the velvet ribbon trim I had for it too, took about a week as I was still at school and only had time in the evenings and weekend, adored that dress and so many people admired it too,
Now that is commitment Christine! 😀
That's spectacular! You go Christine!
I had to sell my sewing machine for financial reasons so have had to start hand sewing for everything. I actually enjoy hand sewing more because I can sit and watch a movie and before you know it, it's finished. I learned embroidery and hand sewing in school. So decorative stitching is quite easy.
Personally, while I've found that some things can't be machine sewn, all things can be hand sewn. For me, I can sew by hand even on bad days (I'm disabled and spend most of my time in bed), as long as my arms are working (not a given, my left arm has been useless all week). But machine sewing for me requires me getting up, getting to the desk, sitting for however long, and also leaning forward for however long- which is really painful for me.
So while machine sewing is quicker, I might have to wait weeks to be able enough to do it, in which case I could have already gotten it done by hand. Also, I find it easy to hand sew while watching shows and videos, and I often find it really relaxing (I have ADHD, so I need to get my fidgets out somehow, it might as well be productive fidgeting. I also knit and crochet for the same reason). Plus, sometimes you just want that extra control over every single stitch, like in difficult corners, or something very narrow, or when you absolutely need to make something line up perfectly (like waistbands or zippers). Then there's the need to be hand sewn stuff, like invisible hemming, or invisible felling of seams, cartridge pleating, etc. But hand sewing is't just for finishing.
So when to hand sew? Whenever. Most often, for me. Machine sewing is for very good days where i want to really quickly get some long seams done. But also, why waste a good day on machine sewing if I could use that day to draft a pattern? Or cut out fabric? Just depends on what I've got going on, really.
I've found that a hand sewn seam can be far stronger than anything a machine could produce. Seriously. I find in order to get my handstitching neat enough to produce that super strong seam, or topstitch or whatever else I need, I will always premark my stitch lines with whatever removable marking item best suits the project. I premark my embroidery too-I'm not out here freehanding my embroidery, so why would I freehand my normal sewing? As long as I'm following the stitching line, all I have to do is try to make my stitches as even in length as possible. If it really matters (like when I'n stitching the gathering for cartridge pleating), then I'll also mark how long the stitches need to be (tip for cartridge pleat- use a gingham ribbon in order to get perfectly straight and even stitches that match up exactly on both rows. Much quicker than ruling ad marking a two row grid!) But if my stitches don't have to be exactly the same size, estimating is good. And practice will give you a better eye for it. You could also do the Victorian method of counting threads (over two, under two, etc), and then practising that will also help with developing an he for it. I'm way too lazy for that though. estimating it is fine.
With all of that, I've found that there is no machine on earth that could give a stronger or straighter seam than I could hand sew. A straight, even backstitch with small stitches is much, much stronger than any straight stitch a modern machine could sew. The fabric itself would shred before my stitching would. So if I need something to be extra strong, I'll hand sew it.
Austistic, med student (often on the go) and with no money for a sewing machine. I agree. If someone gifts me a sewing machine I would be very happy since I could do the happy and fun part of finishing the garment only, but that's not happening, so handstiching it goes. It's cheaper, you can do it while watching a movie and it's a productive figet toy. I do need a good pair a scissors, new tread and a thimble urgently. Maybe pins since I have... 8 of them. My sewing kit consists in small things I bought and my mom's old stuff and she cannot sew so her stuff is pretty limited.
Thank you, 🙏 i was looking for exactly this
Im a hand sewing maniac lol i fell i love with lace making 40 years ago, and of course i discovered hand sewing around that time. At 60 years old I'm learning how to machine sew it's not easy lol . Thank you for sharing your passion to us all .
Hi Evelyn! Another great video, thank you!
I understand that many tailors only ever set their sleeves in with a backstitch and sturdy silk thread - even when they're sewing the rest of the garment by machine. The advantages being the monstrous strength of a backstitch and the ability to build in flexibility by varying its tension. Obviously it takes a skilled hand to do that! Also it certainly can be easier to sew in the round by hand, especially if your machine doesn't a have freearm.
But of course zillions of sewists set sleeves by machine all the time, and I suspect it depends on what you're accustomed to. Most modern sewists view sewing exclusively through the lens of machine sewing: it is after all an expensive, complicated tool with a heaping learning curve of its own.
My sewing journey has only just begun and being a guy I might be more susceptible to the notion that modern sewing IS the machine. However, I took the plunge with hand stitching and have found that I really enjoy mixing hand and machine sewing. They compliment really well. Often for small, intricate bits with lots of interior structure - sleeves plackets, fly facings, vents, etc- I find it easier and more enjoyable to simply build on my basting with hand stitching - rather than wrestle it under the presser foot and put myself into "machine mode" for a two inch seam. Of course it takes a lot of practice, but I'm getting better at bit by bit, just as with my machine sewing.
I say use whatever you most comfortable with! But don't rule out hand sewing just because it seems outmoded and twee. 'Tis neither!
Very well said Doug! 😀
My dad also sewed...he was an exceptional sewist. He made my neices wedding dress, it turned out beautifully...probably did a better job than I would have and I had been sewing longer than he...but he was a very patient man.. I on the other hand tend to hurry thru when I want to get something done...I had stopped enjoying the process. Now that I'm older and had left sewing behind for several yrs I'm am getting back to it and attempting to enjoy the process again...
I remember doing the hand sewn zippers in high school Home Ec. We measured the width to keep our stitches in a straight line. It took time but if done correctly it was beautiful! I have to say I enjoyed it! Now, that was back in the late 60’s, quite a long time ago!
I went to school in the 50s and didn't get that training. Sounds beautiful. My mother showed us how to do things like that by hand sewing.
@@smallfootprint2961 we were definitely blessed! I grew up in southern Oklahoma and went to a very small rural high school. But our Home Ec teacher was exceptional! She allowed us to sew at the level of our ability, and it was one of my best. She taught us to Taylor - I made coats from very nice wool we ordered from a woolen mill and she us to apply horse hair inner lining as well as many other special applications many sewing classes did not offer. Believe me - I was really better dressed then than now! Even now at 71 I’m trying to get back to that! Probably sounds crazy - but that’s my desire for the last hopefully couple decades of my life!
I wish I was taught that in school!
I went to a NE Oklahoma junior high in the early to mid 70's. I also had an exceptional home economics teacher. I had been taught to sew mostly by hand by my grandmother, although she also let me sew on her singer pedal machine...I wish I had that machine today, as it sewed beautifully. My teacher allowed me to do things in my first yr. Home economics classes that were well above the abilities of the other first yr students...ie, zippers, bindings, and the more advanced patterns. I loved home economics classes as I was allowed to challenge myself to higher projects...and those have stayed w me so much so that I used to sew for others...I still love turning on my machine and seeing a project come together...one thing I always do by hand, unless it is for design purposes is hems...those I do by hand...no matter how big the hem is, I feel like it gives a hem and outfit a bit of polish to be hand stitched...
@@tcovington0711 hello! I love seeing posts from Oklahoma colleges! Anyway, I also learned on an old Singer treadle machine that had belonged to my grandmother!
bcz of U & Bernadette Banner im now so 120% into sewing my own clothes (more handstitching than machine! *totaly proud*) so from the bottom of my heart i just wanna say
🙏🏼 Thank You Very Much
keep up the gd work, ❤️ from Austria
Agreed. Watching Bernadette Banner got me interested in hand sewing again. I've made a couple of nightgowns by hand recently. The long straight seams are soothing to sew.
Wow, go for it. I'm am also a follower of both Evelyn & Bernadette . After 44 yes of sewing I learn so much. 🙂
Awww I'm so glad to hear it! 😊
Same here fan of Bernadette & Evelyne to increase sense for perfection in sewing and fit of the garment itself on me
Hi, I hope you had a lovely day! I had a busy day in my sewing room, playing with strings of fabric and now I get to watch you! I hope you have a beautiful week ahead. Thank you for posting this video, sharing your time and talent.
Our sewing skills are so similar! I too prefer a machine sewn lapped zipper in most applications.
I played with the hemmer on my machine once, many decades ago and decided never to bother again. I even hand hem my draperies.
I hand baste often instead of pinning. I rarely pin or baste long easy seams, but in smaller, curvier, more finicky areas- and always for any pattern matching (even long straight seams) - I hand baste. I hand baste more now than I did in my youth.
As I've studied tailoring in recent years, I find myself questioning the validity of hand stitching over machine stitching. Many old school tailors flaunt the need to hand stitch the armscye. That's a "no" for me. But I do hand baste the sleeve insertion until I'm completely satisfied and then I use my machine's stretch stitch to seam the back and bottom of the scye for the additional flexibility which is achieved by handsewing.
My one major change to handsewing in recent years is the application of patch pockets on jackets and coats. I actually avoided patch pockets for years because no matter which "trick" I tried - they looked awful. Now my patch pockets are all hand stitched to the garment and look amazing. The big trick to this: I stitch the pocket in place all the way around and then I reverse direction and stitch it again. Works great!
Like you, most of my answers are 'it depends' but usually for the opposite reasons!
I prefer hand stitching for anything I want to be strong and durable, while I generally only use a machine for the speed of it.
So seams that aren't under stress, like the side seams of a long skirt, those I would do by machine, while the waistband would absolutely be done by hand because I want that strength.
Hems can go either way; machine for speed, or hand for invisibility and strength.
Some like jeans need to be machined to get the look right, but overall I do prefer an invisible hem.
The only thing I would always do on machine is top-stitching, but given I'm not a huge fan of how it looks, it's very rare I'd use it on my personal sewing.
Basting I always do by hand, as well as threadmarking. I love being able to see my marks on both sides of my pieces, and it doesn't risk staining hard-to-wash fabrics. Also a good way for me to make use of those bobbin ends.
I like basting instead of pinning, because if I'm sewing with pins in, I can guarantee a pin will end up in my hand and I'll have to Blood Rule myself out of the sewing room. Given I enjoy hand-sewing, no pins also makes it more portable, as I don't have to worry nearly as much about how I transport it, or if a child or animal gets too close.
I detest zips with every fibre of my being. I'll hand sew a dozen buttonholes by hand before doing a single zip.
But when I am forced to use a zip, I'll always hand-baste it in place first, to ensure the dratted thing doesn't wriggle about and mess up my pattern matching or create a step at the top/bottom.
Invisible zips I'll do by hand, otherwise I do them on machine.
Wow! That top and colour look fabulous on you! I know you’re not technically a fashion influencer but you inspire me. ❤️
I use a combination of both. Learnt sewing from grandmother and mother. At school, old style hand sewing, pulled thread work, embroidery and fine hand sewing techniques and basic Home Ed sewing.
At College (Fashion student) learnt 1970’s style garment construction techniques.
Costumes, quick and machined usually unless adding trim. Lycra cut and sewed by machine every time and for Lycra and most stretch knits edges left cut and not finished. Also overly finishing costumes makes for difficult alterations for different wearers. (There are different sewing techniques too for costumes to allow for super fast alterations.)
Suits, tailoring, mostly hand for shaping and machining for body of suit and sometimes hand finished when catching down lining to finish garment edge inside.
Bridal and formal wear, usually machined and only hand sewed when adding lace or embellished surfaces, these often need fine hidden seams, hand sewed or special cut lace work that is pieced before sewing (sometimes by hand but also machined) on bodice or embroidery of gowns.
Corsets, depending on era, historical combination of hand and machine stitching.
Waistbands, necklines and armholes, machined, including understitching and top stitching, usually hand finished to catch facing down to inside garment.
Hems, often machined (sometimes first layer turned under and stitched down by machine ) and then hand sewed to finish.
Small narrow or rolled hem, machined.
Zips, fine sewing, sometimes pricked stitched in on some formal wear (depending on fabric as well as drape of garment), but most often sewed in, it depends on finish look, use of and durability of garment.
My experience (it has been across many types of sewing and I am still just on trainer wheels), is that you need a combination of both as each sewing situation has different requirements.
I agreed with most of your choices and I LOVE hand sewing. I prefer to add trims (rarely used) by hand as I get a better finish. We were taught at TAFE in the early 80’s to machine our zips after hand basting. I’ve recently preferred to hand sew zips. I’ve even done an invisible zip replacement by hand (😵💫😵💫). Love your videos, thank you.
I started sewing by hand because I didn't have a machine and for this days I think sometimes it's easier than playing around machine. Ex. yesterday I was sewing a kindey bag for first time and when I was doing corners, I decided to do it by hand.
Mostly machine stitching for seams, repairs frequently by hand. Facings and hems mostly by hand. A lot depends on the garment, purpose, look you want, and sometimes fabric.
'It depends' right! 😀
I follow the same principle
Fabric and quality of finish!
So I’ve hand sewn an entire formal gown, but that was more because my machine was having some mechanical issues. So excluding my historical recreations:
Seams- now I would use my machine, except for sleeves which I prefer to set by hand.
Waistbands-hand
Facings-hand
Hems- both, may attach a bag lining with the machine. But mostly hand.
Trim- probably hand sewn unless it’s very thick or it can hold up to my machine.
Top stitching- machine
Zips- I like to hand sew these. But depending on the garment I could machine.
Basting- by hand
Adding in buttonholes-machine. I’ve hand sewn buttonholes and eyelets and I just prefer a bit of modern tech here when possible.
With everything I use/have used both machine and hand sewing. Mostly I do invisible construction by machine and finish by hand but there are always exceptions. I enjoy this kind of video; it's so interesting and helpful to see what everyone else does.
Such cool perspectives! Here's what I have done so far:
Seams - machine sew
Waistbands - hand sew with invisible ladder stitch
Facings - machine or hand sew, whatever is invisible
Hems - machine sew #lazy
Trims - machine or hand sew, depending on how futzy or slippery or delicate the material
Topstitching - machine sew (all those layers OMG I don't have a thimble that robust)
Zips - welllllll I have been avoiding trying out a zip for the first time 😅 tbd, I do have both regular and invisible zipper feet for my machine when I work up the nerve
Basting - hand sew - I can do it so much more quickly with super-long running stitches, and those are faster to rip out that machine stitching
Stay stitching - machine sew - when I hand sew I tend to unintentionally pull on the bias so running it through the machine minimizes the total amount of time that I could accidentally yank the bias out of whack
What a fascinating topic!
Nice explanation of options. I agree with all. I recently hand stitched a part of a jersey teeshirt hem to duplicate a coverstitch. Single thread, backstitch turned out a bit stretchy and fairly straight. Must be creative!
I agree with you. I usually follow the pattern instructions except I baste in the sleeves. If I heard you correctly, I think I disagree with you about hand sewing a garment. Although I never would hand sew a garment, I needed to use some fabric from a blouse my grandmother had hand stitched (it was during WWII and didn't have access to a sewing machine). It took forever to take it apart - hours. That blouse would never come apart without a seam ripper.
You really enjoy your job, every time you’re happy and brilliant. Thank you
I personally like hand sewing, I think its a bit like meditating xD But only for parts of the garment it makes sense to me. My hand stitches can be as strong and small as machine so most of the time I prefer the "couture" invisible look of hand stitches. Here is my list:
seams - machine
waistband - hand
facing - hand
hems - hand (only if its a design choice to top stitch like in jeans or sporty t-shirts then machine - but I don't sew jeans xD)
trims - if its possible to do mostly invisible by machine then I do it by machine, but if not I totally will sew any amount of trim on by hand!
top stitching - machine (as in hems - top stitching is a design choice for me, so when I chose top stitching I can totally do it by machine, most of the time I will chose an other finish though)
zips - machine (same reason as for top stitching. either its a design choice or its an invisible zip so it doesn't matter at all xD)
basting - if its really only basting than by hand (mock-ups I will baste by machine though)
stay stitching - machine (for me stay stitching isn't really basting therefore I did a separate point for that xD)
Superb. Thank you Evelyn x
I agree it depends on fabric,where the repair is etc. Great discussion.
Always thankful for your every content 💝 so helpful and informative
I LOVE hand sewing. I only use my machine occasionally. I’m not in a hurry for things, so hand sewing gives me something to do. My latest project was a single bed patchwork quilt. I did the whole lot by hand. It took 10 weeks.
Thank you for this video.
It took me quite some time to realise that there actually is a place for hand stitching and that I don't have to do everything by machine.
Seams I usually machine sew. Facings I usually handsew, with waistbands I have done both but I am not that good at ditch stitching. I get better results when hand sewing.
With everything else it depends, really.
I think a combination of hand sewing and machine sewing as you say gives great results!
Man...this video has blown my mind...I'm very new to sewing in general but addicted as all heck. I started with a bit of embroidery and very basic hand sewing and then took the plunge and bought a machine. Aside from basting, and closing turn gaps (backstitch and slip stitch) I haven't even considered using any other had sewing...what techniques are you even referring to!? Now I feel like some enormous world of hand sewing is being open to me but I dont know what it is lol! I would love a video on that, or maybe other people can share the type of stitches they do by hand. Please forgive me for perhaps wording this poorly out of lack of understanding!
Couture seamstresses actually use the same basic stitches as you probably already know. However, the point is knowing when to use the machine for speed and when to use hands for the special finishing touches. I think that comes with practice.
In general, any large, straight and easy seams I do on machine. Tacking down facings, tricky seams, buttons, things that need precise stitches, I do by hand.
But I've made entire garments by hand when I haven't been able to leave bed, and I've used a machine for every stitch in something when I just want it DONE and no longer care if the stitches show. 😅
Nice to see you posting again. Hope you are doing well. Best wishes to you Evelyn.
seams: machine
waistbands: machine or by hand depending on the effect i want
facing: machine
hem: machine or by hand depending on the effect i want
trim: i have not actually done this yet
topstitching: depends, machine if i can get it to fit without sewing something to something else that should not be sewn together
zipper: mainly by machine
basting: machine
I hand baste the poop out of difficult seams or fabrics (talking to you, stretchy knits!). I like hand sewing facings, etc. since it’s harder for me to make things lay where they should. Plus, I find it relaxing.
I learned to do most construction with hand basting when needed and then machine sewing. Now with some arthritic hands, I do mostly machine. I have learned how to use various sewing feet to make machine work easier and look better. If I’m sewing for my grandkids, then machine hem. But I have done, and continue to do an occasional hand stitched one.
Love your tips and suggestions.
I enjoy your videos.
I’ve just listened to you talking on the Love to Sew podcast, and was happy to discover you’re so close to home. Pretty sure I could hear familiar bird life at about 50:40 into it! It sounds like you’re the lady from whom to learn the finer techniques.
I machine sew most of the time. However, some projects may need to be hand sewn to get the correct look (or result).
When need button holes I make them by hand. Hand made button holes not only look better they also last longer than machine made button holes.
Shaped facings - I hand sew them where I want to hide the stitching.
Bia tape - I machine sew one side, turn, pin and blind stitch to get it even and hidden.
I hand blind stitch my hems in skirts, blouses, dresses, pants and drapes.
Trims - I hand sew unless I want machine stitches to show.
I top stitch by machine. I also stay stitch by machine.
Zippers - I put in by machine. However, I have put zippers in by hand when I do not want them to show (and did not have an Invisable zipper in the correct color to use).
Basting - I use a machine to put in two rows of machine basting stitches to make gathers. I use hand basting stitches to place an applique in the correct place, or to hold a sample together long enough to try it on.
waistband - hand sewn
bias facing - hand sewn
hems - hand sewn, pretty much a given for me
trims - don't usually do ric rac or ribbons as such but have done poodle skirts with hand sewn applique and extra embroidery which I absolutely adore!
top stitching if I must - machine, not really a fan of top stitching and have said no to a pattern with lots of top stitching if wouldn't look right without it.
zips - originally hand sewn until I could machine sew satisfactorily, but hand sewed my daughter's formal dress zipper due to delicate fabric incl sequins and glitter
basting stitches - stay stitching - machine
basting stitches to hold in place more firmly than pins & then to be removed - hand sewn in a contrasting coloured thread
I made tea length circle skirts to dance in during the 80s. I hand basted the hems twice with each turn up to ease the excess fullness in, and then did a shirt tail type machine sewn hem then removed the basting. My 4-1/2" stiletto heels and a hand sewn hem in that instance just felt like a safety issue.
Thanks for this very informative and interesting video, Evelyn! I can tell you that if it can be machine stitched, I do not hand sew. But, having said that, it would depend on what I was making. I have never sewed couture and such. But, if I did, I am sure there would be more hand sewing.
I hand sew understitching, waistbands and some hems, I also baste by hand. I enjoy finishing by hand it's relaxing and feels great when it's done. When I left home and didn't have my grandmas old treadle machine I made dresses entirely by hand! Those days taught me that hand sewing isn't scary and is good when relaxing in the evenings.
I hand sew and i have wanted to learn on a machine for years but i was always too afraid. But now i've decided it is time to learn. I still need a machine, and to enroll in a course. I plan on becoming a seamstress for work, since a good portion of the work is done while sitting. I have a bad back, and I want to turn my hobby into something that can help support my family.
Seams: machine sew structure, machine sew French seams, hand sew felled seams. Usually. (I have hand-sewn garments while my machine was in the shop). May do sleeve heads by hand though (seeing another comment).
Facings: hand sew (whether shaped or bias; this includes bias-faced hems).
Hems: machine sew if there is already visible top-stitching (like on a shirt), or if I'm not in the mood; otherwise hand sew. Particularly skirts/dresses; use bias faced hems almost all of the time, hand-stitch the bias down.
Basting/tacking: by hand, because it's usually to control squirrelly fabric, so the increased control is the point.
Gathering: by hand, I haven't made friends with machine gathering Or pin-gather instead (my mum taught me!).
Buttonholes: usually by machine (although have done hand-done ones when the buttons were too big for my machine's button-hole foot to work properly with).
Zips... I avoid zips!
My list is the same as yours!! My hand stitching needs to level up. I also try to avoid zippers they are evil and annoying!!
Seams- Hand sew
Waistbands I haven't had much experience with yet but I have used the machine with what I have done.
For facings and hems I use both, like you.
Trims, topstitching and zippers I use the machine.
For basting its usually the machine but sometimes hand stitching.
Thanks so much for another great video. :)
Basting always by hand because the point of it is to have it in place and maybe it's just my machine but it always moves the fabric around. The control you have with hand sewing is the best and I actually find it relaxing. Never would I sea a seam or visible hem by hand. That is too much work. But I live invisible hems by hand.
Thank you Evelyn for another informative video. My hand sewing is atrocious, so machine all the way for me. BTW I love those covered buttons on your outfit. I'd enjoy a tutorial on how to make them one day.
Thanks for sharing your experience... I love embroidery and believe hand-stitch are so pretty ❤️
I just made a pair of wrap around palazzo pants( sort of). I added a standard waist band. It has darts at front and elastic across the back. (I don’t like the toileting aspect of the traditional wrap style.
I machined in the ditch for the waist band but hand stitched the rolled hem. ( machined the stay stitched edge but turned by hand. It was fun.
Although I am firmly located on team hand sew, I've never sewn a hand pricked zipper. So I can confidently say, I always sew zips by machine, mostly sew seams and top stitching by machine and usually sew everything else by hand.
I do all my hems by hand, as well as most facings. I sometimes stitch in the ditch (e g. waistbands) but am not very good at it, so often I prefer to hand stitch those too. I hand baste after pinning in tricky areas before machine stitching if there's a likelihood the fabric will not stay in place, such as curved seams and zips. Otherwise I use the sewing machine for speed and strength.
Spring sewing!
Thank you for these videos, there's always something interesting to learn, even though I've been sewing since I was about 7 or 8.
I do much more machine sewing since I've learned new techniques, but would hand sew facings, some hems and always zips. I do a much neater job of zips by hand. 🌻
I'm so glad you find my videos useful, thanks for watching! 😘
I always handstitich necklines and hemlines.... and just like you, either hand or machine stitch all the other stuff depending on how I want the end result to be.I always handstitich for basting as I am more in control.
Seams- machine
Waistband- both (still can't stitch in the ditch accurately by machine)
Facings- hand sew
Hems-hand sew with either a whip or catch stitch.
Seams: machine / waistbands: by hand / facings: by hand / hems: by hand / trim: by hand / topstitching: machine / zip: by hand / basting: by hand
Having made some historical garments (so far, a shirt and a pair of trousers)... the shirt was entirely hand-sewn just because I didn't have a machine, and it was for the early nineteenth century anyway. The trousers had all the long seams machine sewn, I finished the waistband by hand and hemmed them by hand. Haven't sewn any facings in anything at all - yet! Trims... again, I haven't done anything requiring trims yet, but I'd probably hand-sew them - it would depend very much on the type of trim, and the era of the garment, I think. I have top-stitched by hand - again, though, it was that Regency-era shirt so 100% historically accurate, and I probably would have done that even if I'd had access to a machine at the time.
I always was taught to hem by hand, but nowadays, I see a lot of machine stitched hems.
I use my machine as much as possible, but there are situations where hand sewing makes sense. Silk gets hand basted inside the seam allowance instead of using pins or clips. That way, the fabric is secure and won't slip under the foot and there are no visible holes in the main garment. I tend to hand baste when doing tricky necklines, too. Just to get everything where I want it.
Hi Evelyn, I have a question for you, when making a Chanel cotoure jacket would you do the required hand sewing by hand or would you machine sew it ? ✂️🧵😊💕
Lynn if you mean you're sewing a Chanel jacket from a pattern, if it stars required hand sewing, that's likely your answer to get the results of a channel couture jacket 😊
I hand stitch hems, waist band fold overs and quilt binding..
Well I have found that different fabrics and different styles of garments require a different construction method, for me though I tend to use the following
Seam-Machine, (it would take way to long to hand sew).
Waistbands-Machine, I tend to ditch stitch.
Facing-Machine and Hand sew as facings seem to come in many forms and shapes.
Hems-machine all day long.
Trims-Machine and Hand Sew.
Top Stitch-Machine, just as Under-stitching I would always Machine Sew.
Zip-Machine
Baste-Hand, I feel I need the control to keep things just where I need them when it comes to machine sew.
Now what about buttons? and Button Holes? I machine the button holes and hand sew the buttons on.
Bias facing and zippers are the only thing two things I 💯 prefer to do on a machine. The malleability of the both types of tape make a hand seam too jiggly, even though I have a pretty firm straight strong even hand stitch.
Darts are the only thing I 💯 prefer to do by hand. Machine stitched darts always look way stiffer and go too fast to avoid imprecision unless you are using the handwheel, in which case I might as well do it all by hand, achieving a faster, prettier, and more even result anyway.
seams: machine
waistband: hand sew, I whip or fell stitch
facing: hand sew
hems: hand sew (unless it’s a design element, then machine sew)
trim: hand sew
topstitch: I evade it😁 (I don’t like it when stitching shows), if necessary then machine sew
zippers: baste by hand, machine sew
basting: alllllways by hand, it saves a lot of time in seam ripping it out later and if machine sewn it tends to damage the fabric ….except for gathering👀🤭 then I do machaine sew
I watched a video on here showing a zipper inserted into a white dress using the prick stitch. Whilst it was done really professionally I wasn't too sure about seeing the stitches, tiny as they were, although they did look decorative.
An ordinary zip was used, but could a concealed zip be hand-stitched in this way, do you think? I say this because although I do machine zips in I always get a little stressed out doing them, so thought doing them this way might cause me less stress and more in control.
Love your video, all so informative. I love your style of clothes you wear, so much more feminine and flattering than a lot of today's fashions.
1. Seams - machine
2. Waistband - machine
3. Facings - machine
4. Hem - machine
5. Trims - never done, I'd try hand sewing first, but probably end up using my machine
6. Top stitching - machine
7. Zips - machine
8. Basting stitches - both
My first shirt I ever made was entirely hand sewn. After that, my hands had about enough so I got a sewing machine and been using it 99% of the time. The main thing I hand sew these days is putting on buttons (despite there being a sewing machine trick to doing it, I don't want to break my needle trying lol)
Seams, topstitching and most zippers by machine. Waistbands, facings, hems (except jeans) and basting by hand. Trims depends on what it is, I may even hold something on with a safety pin inside so it can be removed for washing.
But if I am sewing Barbie clothes, I do everything completely by hand, including invisible zippers.
1. seams- machine
2. waist bands- both. It depends on what kind of a look I am going for and how much time I have
3. finishing a facing- If I need to tack it down or attach it, I would hand sew.
4. hems: both. If I am top stitching down seams like in a men's shirt definitely machine. If I'm not top stitching, say a dress, I hand stitch the hem.
5. trims: I tend to machine stitch.
6. top stitching- machine
7. zippers- machine
8. basting- machine
I generally machine stitch but will hand sew hems and facings. When my son was 6 months old he needed a formal outfit so I made a 3 piece suit - pants, waistcoat and beret. I hand stitched all of it because his clothing was just far too small and fiddly for me to machine sew.
I tend to hand-sew not only because of invisibility, but also when a machine seam would make the area too stiff. I hate the clumsy look of machine-sewn bias bindings on clothing (it is OK on napkins and such) and always finish them by hand. A hand-hemmed skirt will have more fluidity to it, which I want in some cases.
I use my coverstitch machine in the double chain stitch setting to baste the simpler seams of my toiles. They can be opened with one pull if they are not right, or the chain ends can be secured and then the seam is done.
If you prefer to hand stitch your hands mostly something I tried on one of my mock ups to not be able to catch my hands all the time is do a blind machine him just at the back like where your heels would catch so that there’s a nice Eno barrier there and there’s no holds for you to catch and then you can hand so the rest of it if you prefer Jorja Smith machine stitch the whole thing but it’s just a good way to get best of both worlds if you have like a big circular him you need to either lot in but then you also don’t want to catch your skirt and heels or something like that that
basting always by hand...
for the rest I agree with you!
But I would like to know if you do pad stitching of collars by hand or machine? I just "discovered" this method and the collar "falls" so nicely in place with this ! So now I machine stitch only the bending line and the rest of the pad stitching by hand
Once I remembered that I can lower the feed dogs on my machine I free motion my basting seams. So much faster. Can make them as long or as short as I need them.
I have had so many arguments with zips in lined garments I always hand sew them into the lining now 😅
I would definitely hand base any area that could move or especially gathers, pleats, or around tricky necklines, etc.
More so the older I get. Lol
It's the best way to ensure absolutely no movement whilst sewing right 😀
I was so excited to get a sewing machine; I thought I'd never had stitch again. Hahaha, so wrong.
😅😅 Your skills will still be used for sure!
I've heard a lot of people say that machine stitching is stronger or more durable but I've had newish garments start to come apart at the seams and I've heard that quality historical hand sewn items often have the stitching actually outlast the fabrics that were sewn together. With this in mind, is machine or hand stitching actually stronger and more secure than the other or does it simply come down to the quality of the thread and skill of the person doing the sewing (regardless of the method (hand/machine) used)?
I hand sew if I don't want to see the stitches, like on hems and facings, and if the seams are too close together or too "fiddly" to sew on a machine (like on stuffed animals).
Seams Machine sew. Waistbands depnds on the garment what fabric and look I want or how much time I have to finish it. Facings Like you depnd on the look of the finished garment. Hems mostly machine but not always. Trims If I can get away with machine I will if not I will hand sew. Top stitching machine every time! Zipper I would machine sew. Basting I do both.
I machine sew whenever possible. I even went out of my way to research machine accessories to familiarize myself what solutions have already been invented for domestic machines. Rufflers exist, people! Save yourselves the effort. I know some people find the act of hand stitching relaxing… but that’s not me. There’s enough work going into the construction long before you get to the machine part. Why add to the labour if you don’t enjoy the process?
Well yes, if it's not enjoyable, it's likley not for you!
Hehe, my best use of stitching time is stabbing fabric thousands of times by hand so I don't stab people :)
I might drag one of my less ornery machines out to do some repairs (I'm staring at a pile of ten pairs of work pants that need patching and I do not enjoy hand patching), but right now everything's getting hand sewn unless it's a knit because two of my machines need servicing and the other's a hand crank and doesn't do zigzag stitches... I find backstitching to be as strong as machine sewing and I'm better at making a straight line by hand than I am with any of my machines.
Zippers for me are the most difficult thing to sew, so... I always hand sew them. I prefer hand sewing difficult things because I have more control.
Do you use french seams?
I pretty much do all of my finishing by hand. I hate visible stitch lines. I also sew my buttons on by hand. 3 out of 5 of my machines have button feet but I like to have a bit of a thread shank. Basting is always done by hand because I’m usually trying to make sure things are very precise and the fabric doesn’t shift before taking it to the machine. Long seams always get machine sewn. I do not sew zippers. Ever. 😂
For the basic construction I usually go for Machine stitching. For more tedail work I would hand stitch.
Being too lazy to get out the machine, I do all sewing by hand. Yes, even denim. 🥰🤭
I do the same as you 😁👍
I am working on enhancing my hand sewing so I am hand sewing.
Rolled seams for fine scarves or hems on skirts or dresses made of chiffon or georgette or anything that requires nearly invisible hems. Nothing is as pretty as a hand-rolled application.
I hand sew quite a bit. Not going to hand sew denim or any heavy fabric. The lighter weight the fabric is, the more likely to hand sew. But have only hand sewn zippers in hand knitted baby buntings.
Seams & top stitching - machine; for the rest, hand stitching. I seldom use lace etc, but would use zigzag stitch on the machine for that.
I worked in a high end dressmaking shop when I was 19 yrs old. I was the one that did all of the hand sewing. Since then, over 40 yrs, I hand sew the majority of all my hems and the same goes for zippers. I usually hand sew more than one item at a time. I sit on the couch with one of my dogs, have my coffee, and put on some movie, then just settle in. But.....I can’t wear my boots with the hook type things on the top, because like your heels, it gets caught.
The only time I would hand sew top stitching would be prick or pick stitches details like on coat lapels or pockets. This is a very common feature of vintage outerwear and even some suits and looks very nice and much more subtle tan solid top stitching. I think this would be demanding.
I hand sew basting because I forgot how to do it on my machine & am too lazy to look it up for my model 😅
For me hand vs machine generally is dependent on the fabric I'm working with.
An authentic 18th century outfit rates hand sewing but I’ve machine sewn the hidden seams. Anything seen gets hand sewn. For a costume or occasion Dress I bag the whole thing and machine away!!! I usually hem by hand.
Same here with 18th century garments! And same with sewing all hidden or invisibel seams by machine and finishing by hand. Where do you reenact?
Seams - Machine Stitched
Waistbands - Machine Stitched
Bias Facing - Machine Stitched
Hems - Machine Stitched
Trims - Machine Stitched
Top Stitching - Machine Stitched
Zips - Machine Stitched
Baste Stitches - Machine Stitched
I really dislike hand sewing but it's something I want to explore more as I try to make nicer/fancier pieces.
Like your top/dress….the color is beautiful on you…wish I could see the whole outfit
I think it's very interesting that when I started to sew in the 60s, the directions for sewing the hem were always hand stitching. As time went on, machine stitching the hem became more popular and today I would never hand stitch a hem. It seems we were afraid of seeing stitches on the hem back in the 60s, but today we're not. Go figure.
🇨🇦😃thank you
I hand sew my zips for a more finer look.