Sewing 101: How to Get Ready to Sew

Sewing garments for yourself and your family can be very rewarding. Not only can it save you money, but you also have the wonderful feeling of creating something useful. However, there is more to sewing that one might realize. Here are some tips to get you started.

Always read over the sewing directions that come with the pattern completely at least once before you begin cutting your fabric. I would recommend reading over them 2 or 3 times. It is easy to make a mistake if you don't read the directions carefully. And, once you cut fabric incorrectly, you usually can't fix it. It is better to make sure you fully understand the directions that to need to buy more fabric.

Wash, dry, and iron your fabric before you start cutting. Wash the fabric in the same manner you will use to wash the finished garment. Any fabric that is going to shrink will do the majority of its shrinking during the first wash and dry cycle. If you know your fabric will shrink, buy an extra ¼ to ½ yard to make up for yardage that will be lost when it shrinks.

Read the list of required materials carefully. Be sure to know the different yardage requirements for different widths of fabric that your pattern may call for. Also be sure to note any additional materials or notions required such as a zipper, hook and eye, elastic, buttons, snaps, etc. Don't forget about interfacing and/or lining yardage requirements. They are usually listed separately from the requirements for the garment. It is very frustrating to start to put something together and realize you don't have everything you need.

Read your sewing machine manual to make sure you are using the correct size needle for the fabric you are using. Sometimes this information can also be found on the package the needles came in. The manual will also tell you what thread tension is needed for the type of fabric you are planning to use. There will be instructions on how to set the tension in the manual.

Wash your hands before you handle the fabric. It doesn't matter if you just took a shower or bath or think your hands are clean for some other reason. Wash them again, thoroughly. It is possible you have gotten something on them you don't know about, and could get it on the fabric. You don't want that to happen. It is not fun to get a stain on a piece of fabric before you even start cutting or sewing.

Be sure the surface you are going to be using to cut the fabric is large enough. It should also be clean and have no rough edges to snag or tear the fabric. Masking or duct tape over rough edges can fix this problem quickly and cheaply.

Some people prefer to iron the pattern pieces to make sure they lay out flat on the fabric. This should be done with a warm dry iron. If you think you are going to use a pattern often, you may want to transfer it to another medium. You can get paper to do this at a craft or hobby store. You can also laminate patterns with self-laminating kits.

Sewing can be a very rewarding hobby. Clothing is not the only thing that can be made with your sewing machine. It is also possible to make decorations for your home, such as draperies, tablecloths, pillows, and much more. You can also create holiday decorations such as Christmas wreathes and ornaments. There are so many things that can be made with your sewing machine. Hopefully, this article will help you get started.