3 Tips To Know Before You Start Sewing

I made my first stitches with a sewing machine when I turned 6 years old. Since then, I developed an interest in sewing which grew into a passion. One of my favorite classes during high school was sewing. Most of my classmates hated it but I always looked forward to it. It was like the excitement you feel when you are going to visit your boyfriend. It’ll be easy to think that I know everything about sewing, HOWEVER, this is not the case. With hindsight, there are a few things I wished I had known before I started sewing. Here are 3 things I believe every beginner should know before you start sewing.

1 You’ll Probabbly Mess Up At Some Point – That’s OK

Yes, you are seriously allowed to make mistakes. We’ve all browsed through the internet and seen all these perfectly sewn and gorgeous projects. When I started sewing, there were times I’d be so hard on myself because my projects never quite turned out the way I imagined them. But I later realized my mess ups were alright. Honestly if you aren’t making mistakes, you are not learning much. Mistakes are an opportunity to learn so the next time your project turns out horibbly, laugh it off and start over.

2 – Seam Allowances Are Important

I realized this when I began taking quilting seriously. I wanted to try new block and harder techniques. After working on a block for several hours, I’ll notice that nothing lined up. I discovered that what I thought was a 1/4-inch mark on my quilting machine was actually not exactly 1/4 inches. However, quilt designs are made to perfectly fit a 1/4-inch seam.

If you want to quilt, you need to get yourself a seam guide to measure your seam allowance. It is the best way to ensure your seam allowance is truly 1/4 inches.

Use the stitch guide to find the 1/4-inch spot on your sewing machine and mark the spot with a washi tape so you don’t have to measure it each time.

If you are going to make a lot of quilting projects, make sure you get a machine that comes with a 1/4-inch foot or buy a 1/4-inch foot for your existing quilting machine. This type of foot has a guide and as long as the guide is on the edge of your fabric while the needle is in the center of the guide, you know your seam allowance is a 1/4-inch.

Remeber this and your quilting life will be much easier.

3 – You Need Help

Ask any sewing enthusiast of professional today and they’ll tell you someone helped them in the beginning. The truth is you might think you are good and know everything, but I assure you there’s always something new to learn. People around you can help you improve your sewing greatly. Never be shy or afraid to ask a friend who is good at sewing, a grandmother or even professionals you don’t know for help. You’ll be surprised what you don’t know.

If you are a beginner sewing enthusiast, here are a few tools that helped me along the way and might be helpful to you as well.