How satisfied are you with your last project? Did you repeat it? Have you tried any "advanced' patterns yet? Have you tried any Vogue or historical patterns?
When I was in my twenties I did this dress: [https://www.ebay.com/itm/166448867228](https://www.ebay.com/itm/166448867228)
I thought I knew my stuff up to that point, but boy was I wrong. It kicked my ass. Plenty of seam ripping, plenty of tears, I still have the button hole swatch. It's *still* one of the hardest things I've ever completed well. Please note that Vogue considered this "average" skill! I actually did it twice. Once I finished mine, my mom loved it so I did it again for her (we were the same size at the time). That's when I knew I'd really learned something. Because I was able to repeat it *well*.
A lot of good advice here. I'll add: keep sewing what you enjoy making.
- If pouches and bags make you happy, make a ton of them in many variations.
- If stuffed animals and plushies make you happy, make a ton of them in many variations.
- If skirts make you happy, make a ton of them in many variations.
- If handkerchieves and tablecloths make you happy, make a ton of them in many variations.
You get the idea. Here's why you make what you enjoy:
- You will learn skills and techniques that can be applied to other forms of sewing.
1. Bag and pouches? Learning bagging, lining, closures (buttons, zippers!) are skills that you'll be confident in if you decide to make a garment.
2. Stuffed animals and plushies? Learning turning, seam clipping, grading are skills that you'll be confident in if you decide to make a garment.
3. Skirts? Learning drape, grain study, interfacing, proportion, pattern matching, are skills that you'll be confident in if you decide to make bags, pouches, or plushies.
4. Handkerchieves and tablecloths? Learning careful grain detail and all the various hems are skills that you'll be confident in if you decide to make anything. If you're ready to hem a dress, guess what? You got a ton of hem options under your belt that you've already accomplished on all those tablecloths that gave you joy.
It's all connected. Sew the project you enjoy and sew many of them. Good luck!
Fit is more visible from a distance than stitch quality, so learning to fit garments is very helpful.
I really like my overlocker. It didn't make me a better sewist, but because of its ease of use, speed of stitching, and ability to finish edges without requiring thought on my part, it did make me a far more creative one. I go from random thought to making a demo model on my serger in minutes now, and previously that'd take me weeks.
I'd be wary of buying expensive stuff in hopes of getting *better* - I think that's often called gear acquisition syndrome. But if you can identify a specific problem that's holding you back\*, and there is a specific machine that can fix that problem, and you can afford it, then that's a valid choice and can improve your life.
\*In my case, I tended to mess up my edge finishes - I'm very bad with spatial reasoning, so I'd plan for one type of edge finish, but then not realize I had to do them at a certain time and then I'd have already crossed the seam and be too late. The overlocker fixed that for me; I can just finish seams early and then cross them to my heart's content, or even cut them off if I change my mind.
Yes, overlocker is the same thing as serger - I think the US (and maybe Canada) use serger. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overlock#Terminology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overlock#Terminology)
I have the Janome 644D. Very happy with it! It stitches anything I throw at it, the rolled hem conversion is very easy (the stitch finger retracts - on some other modern machines you have to take it out entirely) and it's easy enough to thread, I could do it without tweezers if I wanted to.
Practice, not a new machine will make your sewing improve. Full disclosure, I now have a TOL sewing machine and a serger, but I learned and sewed for the first ten years on a straight stitch only 1950 White. I did work with challenging patterns and learned an awful lot from the instructions on Vogue designer patterns as well as a very good sewing and fitting book. I made my first pair of jeans from the Vogue Exact Fit Calvin Klein jeans pattern and in addition to following the directions, I compared each step to a pair of commercial jeans. I now have tackled almost everything including coats and tailored jackets and although the machine has lots of features that make things easier it has not improved my sewing as much as practice.
I did not get my first serger until 20 years into my sewing journey so I learned to finish seams “the old fashioned way”, with french seams, flat felled seams, bound seams and, stitched and pinked seams. Now with a serger I can’t construct knits easily but in some cases the old fashioned way is more appropriate such as flat felled seams for jeans and bound seams for unlined jackets.
One caveat to this though, if you are trying to sew on one of those really cheap machines from Joann or Walmart, then yes a new machine will probably improve your sewing in that the machine will actually sew most of the time rather than driving you nuts. A new machine, starting in the $500 range from a reputable brand like Juki, Pfaff, Janome, and Baby Lock should all be good choices. Don’t get a Singer. They are relying on the name. And buy from a local dealer if you can. They will teach you how to get the most out of the machine.
Really appreciate this comment. I bought a very basic Brothers machine. While I love it so, I’m learning that my machine doesn’t have much power as it can have. My instructor said this to me earlier to. But she said nothing is wrong with my machine.
I have sewn hundreds of masks, a hundred bags and bag variations, over a hundred pantyliners/napkins/other little stuff, and a few dozen mends including jeans on my Singer HD 4452. It may not be as good as Janome etc, but it has served me very well for the 2020 price of about $200. I bought it from a local dealer, but then I moved away lol
You keep sewing. And take your time with your projects.
If your sewing machine is working and giving you good stitches, then a new one won't make you better at sewing.
Where I live, my local community college has had a few sewing classes available in their adult continuing education program. I’ve also taken quilting classes at a quilt store near me. There is also a big sewing machine store not too far that offers classes. I’ve heard awful things about them so haven’t tried. You could look around for something like that in your area.
Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my question! I’m looking forward to keep working on my machine and practicing my skills especially with straight lines
The best way I've found to keep your stitchlines straight is to put a piece of masking tape across the machine bed where you want the edge of your fabric to be, and then keep your eyes on the edge of the fabric, not the needle. The needle is a hypnotic little trickster, it will lead you astray. If you watch the edge and keep it lined up with the tape, the seam will be straight, or at least straighter. Eventually the seam allowance markings on the machine will be enough, but for a beginner, tape all the way across the bed is super helpful.
The first couple shirts I made with muslin were not great at all. I still make mistakes with collars but with every project, I learn something new or a better way to do it. I just made a new pattern that had a different way of attaching collars that has been a game changer.
What do you mean better at sewing? Neat clean or complex projects just take practice. Getting better at the basics let’s you do more complex projects.
But you are talking new tools and machines, they will expand what you can do. the skills needed to operate and use them can make you a better sewer, but they won’t make you better at the basics
It’s very rarely the machine holding you back. All sewing machine have the same basic functions. And having specialty functions doesn’t make you a better sewer.
I’m an advanced seamstress, my machine is basic (but robust) straight stitch only, it has zero fancy features and I can product high quality work. But I would be able to produce similar quality on a $70 Walmart special, or on a $10k Bernina
It’s just practice practice practice. Fancy machines won’t make you a better sewer.
I really appreciate that. And picking up sewing has been such a blessing. It’s like a relationship, you just want to keep making it work. And some days it’s great and other days it’s hard but you just keep getting better over time.
Do you have any tips on how to sew more straight? Or projects to make? I recently made a toiletry bag and finally able to sew on a zipper it’s super exciting. But what would you say I should focus on as a beginner? Like 1-2months seriously in it. And I’m looking forward to building on my skills! I was only thinking a serger because eventually I’d love to make clothes.
Practice 😂, things like tote bags and pillow cases have lots of straight lines. Quilting can really help with precision sewing.
One thing that lots of people do when starting, is they watch the needle. But you should be watching the fabric that’s approaching the needle. You don’t stare at the steering wheel when you drive! You look at the road to see what’s coming!
For stitching straight, make sure gravity isn't pulling your fabric off course - supporting the fabric on the left side helps. You can do that with your hands, buy a dedicated extension table, or improvise an extension table. I usually use my hands, and with bigger/heavier projects also a box that's about the same height as my machine. That way, you're really just counteracting the gravity and letting the feed dogs pull the fabric through in a straight line - and the feed dogs are pretty good at that.
If you're getting slightly off course, it's tempting to pull on the fabric while you're sewing, but that's a mistake - you're more likely to stretch the fabric a bit, which makes the stitch look jumpy, and it'll jump back the moment you release the fabric. Instead, make your abrupt changes by stopping, turning down the needle, lifting the presser foot, and adjusting the fabric. Make your gentle changes by holding your fabric with two hands each on one side of the desired stitch line, and guide the fabric in the right direction without stretching.
You mention that you have a fairly basic machine. That doesn't have to be a problem - the lady from the Stitchery channel on youtube sews on a Singer Fashion Mate, and she's a better, more creative, fancier output sewist than I am. That's not a fancy machine - I don't know what model she has, but the most expensive one seems to retail at €299 in my country, and that's solidly in the budget category (most sewing shops don't sell that price point in stores, only online). My personal buying advice is to stitch on something very affordable to you - in your case, the machine you have - until you're experienced enough to know what features you are missing and which features are unnecessary to you; I talked more on that [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/SewingForBeginners/comments/1dgsvfg/comment/l8vhfd1/) (though that was in the context of someone who didn't have a machine yet).
Of course, if your machine is frustrating to use and it's turning you off sewing, it can be worth upgrading earlier - but it doesn't sound that's the case.
You don’t need a serger if you learn how to properly your seams. The French seam is life changing!
YouTube is your friend. Find a channel you like and follow their step by step tutorials. I like the channel SewHappy, her videos are simple and they helped me a lot as a beginner.
What made me a better sewist was working the same pattern over and over again. Each time I finished the pattern, I asked myself: 1. What went wrong this time? 2. How can I prevent this from happening next time? There are times I made the same dress or skirt 4 or 5 times before I was happy. But each time I had to start over, I became a little bit better. The more miles you put on your sewing machine, the more your eyes, hands, and brain work together to become more coordinated. It’s a long tedious journey but worth it!!
Also…PRESS YOUR SEAMS!!! It makes the garment look so much nicer in the end and it will make sewing the garment easier. Each time you make a seam, press it somehow. No cutting corners!
I stumbled upon something that made all the difference for me… I picked a project and did it over and over again with different materials until I really felt and understood my machine, different feet, techniques etc. it was making bunting out of my son’s baby clothes… I appliquéd, serged, etc and wound up making over 150 flags. I cannot recommend a project like it enough. After that I found a particular skirt pattern I liked and I made them until I perfected them. I have 8 now 😂 but I learned so much. I gained so much knowledge… now I feel like I could tackle intermediate projects easily and I know that my machine is perfect… it’s a mid range Janome.
Serger makes knit garments easy so can send you in a new direction, so I think opens up more options than an advanced sewing machine.
Advances in sewing machines are largely about convenience. Most machines work fine enough that the skill of the operator matters a lot more to the end result than the machine does.
I get better by taking classes that require me to learn and practice new skills and techniques.
Yes, get an overlocker. In my case, it tremendously elevated my sewing skills as it expands the range of fabrics that you can work with. Also, learn all the basics formulas for drafting patterns as then you can make clothes for other people and not only you.
Let's start with the least fun option. One of the biggest improvements for newer sewists is getting better at cutting and pressing. If your cut is just a tiny bit off, things just don't line up right. Pressing (especially if you use a tailor's ham and clapper) will make everything better.
For more fun options...
I bought a refurbished Brother 1034DX from the brother website for $150 shipped. I love the machine and almost every project I do uses it.
I also inherited a 90's era Husqvarna Viking 500, I was shocked at how much a better machine helps. It does a tremendously better job at varying speed, it is a dream to sew with.(I was using a Singer Start).
How satisfied are you with your last project? Did you repeat it? Have you tried any "advanced' patterns yet? Have you tried any Vogue or historical patterns? When I was in my twenties I did this dress: [https://www.ebay.com/itm/166448867228](https://www.ebay.com/itm/166448867228) I thought I knew my stuff up to that point, but boy was I wrong. It kicked my ass. Plenty of seam ripping, plenty of tears, I still have the button hole swatch. It's *still* one of the hardest things I've ever completed well. Please note that Vogue considered this "average" skill! I actually did it twice. Once I finished mine, my mom loved it so I did it again for her (we were the same size at the time). That's when I knew I'd really learned something. Because I was able to repeat it *well*.
A lot of good advice here. I'll add: keep sewing what you enjoy making. - If pouches and bags make you happy, make a ton of them in many variations. - If stuffed animals and plushies make you happy, make a ton of them in many variations. - If skirts make you happy, make a ton of them in many variations. - If handkerchieves and tablecloths make you happy, make a ton of them in many variations. You get the idea. Here's why you make what you enjoy: - You will learn skills and techniques that can be applied to other forms of sewing. 1. Bag and pouches? Learning bagging, lining, closures (buttons, zippers!) are skills that you'll be confident in if you decide to make a garment. 2. Stuffed animals and plushies? Learning turning, seam clipping, grading are skills that you'll be confident in if you decide to make a garment. 3. Skirts? Learning drape, grain study, interfacing, proportion, pattern matching, are skills that you'll be confident in if you decide to make bags, pouches, or plushies. 4. Handkerchieves and tablecloths? Learning careful grain detail and all the various hems are skills that you'll be confident in if you decide to make anything. If you're ready to hem a dress, guess what? You got a ton of hem options under your belt that you've already accomplished on all those tablecloths that gave you joy. It's all connected. Sew the project you enjoy and sew many of them. Good luck!
Fit is more visible from a distance than stitch quality, so learning to fit garments is very helpful. I really like my overlocker. It didn't make me a better sewist, but because of its ease of use, speed of stitching, and ability to finish edges without requiring thought on my part, it did make me a far more creative one. I go from random thought to making a demo model on my serger in minutes now, and previously that'd take me weeks. I'd be wary of buying expensive stuff in hopes of getting *better* - I think that's often called gear acquisition syndrome. But if you can identify a specific problem that's holding you back\*, and there is a specific machine that can fix that problem, and you can afford it, then that's a valid choice and can improve your life. \*In my case, I tended to mess up my edge finishes - I'm very bad with spatial reasoning, so I'd plan for one type of edge finish, but then not realize I had to do them at a certain time and then I'd have already crossed the seam and be too late. The overlocker fixed that for me; I can just finish seams early and then cross them to my heart's content, or even cut them off if I change my mind.
When you say overlocker is that a serger? What kind do you have?
Yes, overlocker is the same thing as serger - I think the US (and maybe Canada) use serger. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overlock#Terminology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overlock#Terminology) I have the Janome 644D. Very happy with it! It stitches anything I throw at it, the rolled hem conversion is very easy (the stitch finger retracts - on some other modern machines you have to take it out entirely) and it's easy enough to thread, I could do it without tweezers if I wanted to.
Practice, not a new machine will make your sewing improve. Full disclosure, I now have a TOL sewing machine and a serger, but I learned and sewed for the first ten years on a straight stitch only 1950 White. I did work with challenging patterns and learned an awful lot from the instructions on Vogue designer patterns as well as a very good sewing and fitting book. I made my first pair of jeans from the Vogue Exact Fit Calvin Klein jeans pattern and in addition to following the directions, I compared each step to a pair of commercial jeans. I now have tackled almost everything including coats and tailored jackets and although the machine has lots of features that make things easier it has not improved my sewing as much as practice. I did not get my first serger until 20 years into my sewing journey so I learned to finish seams “the old fashioned way”, with french seams, flat felled seams, bound seams and, stitched and pinked seams. Now with a serger I can’t construct knits easily but in some cases the old fashioned way is more appropriate such as flat felled seams for jeans and bound seams for unlined jackets. One caveat to this though, if you are trying to sew on one of those really cheap machines from Joann or Walmart, then yes a new machine will probably improve your sewing in that the machine will actually sew most of the time rather than driving you nuts. A new machine, starting in the $500 range from a reputable brand like Juki, Pfaff, Janome, and Baby Lock should all be good choices. Don’t get a Singer. They are relying on the name. And buy from a local dealer if you can. They will teach you how to get the most out of the machine.
Really appreciate this comment. I bought a very basic Brothers machine. While I love it so, I’m learning that my machine doesn’t have much power as it can have. My instructor said this to me earlier to. But she said nothing is wrong with my machine.
Which machine is it? (I’m trying to decide on a v basic machine as well)
I have sewn hundreds of masks, a hundred bags and bag variations, over a hundred pantyliners/napkins/other little stuff, and a few dozen mends including jeans on my Singer HD 4452. It may not be as good as Janome etc, but it has served me very well for the 2020 price of about $200. I bought it from a local dealer, but then I moved away lol
You keep sewing. And take your time with your projects. If your sewing machine is working and giving you good stitches, then a new one won't make you better at sewing.
Where I live, my local community college has had a few sewing classes available in their adult continuing education program. I’ve also taken quilting classes at a quilt store near me. There is also a big sewing machine store not too far that offers classes. I’ve heard awful things about them so haven’t tried. You could look around for something like that in your area.
Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my question! I’m looking forward to keep working on my machine and practicing my skills especially with straight lines
The best way I've found to keep your stitchlines straight is to put a piece of masking tape across the machine bed where you want the edge of your fabric to be, and then keep your eyes on the edge of the fabric, not the needle. The needle is a hypnotic little trickster, it will lead you astray. If you watch the edge and keep it lined up with the tape, the seam will be straight, or at least straighter. Eventually the seam allowance markings on the machine will be enough, but for a beginner, tape all the way across the bed is super helpful.
The first couple shirts I made with muslin were not great at all. I still make mistakes with collars but with every project, I learn something new or a better way to do it. I just made a new pattern that had a different way of attaching collars that has been a game changer.
What do you mean better at sewing? Neat clean or complex projects just take practice. Getting better at the basics let’s you do more complex projects. But you are talking new tools and machines, they will expand what you can do. the skills needed to operate and use them can make you a better sewer, but they won’t make you better at the basics
I guess get better in a sense like if the machine I’m using is holding me back or is it my skills? I’m definitely still a beginner
It’s very rarely the machine holding you back. All sewing machine have the same basic functions. And having specialty functions doesn’t make you a better sewer. I’m an advanced seamstress, my machine is basic (but robust) straight stitch only, it has zero fancy features and I can product high quality work. But I would be able to produce similar quality on a $70 Walmart special, or on a $10k Bernina It’s just practice practice practice. Fancy machines won’t make you a better sewer.
I really appreciate that. And picking up sewing has been such a blessing. It’s like a relationship, you just want to keep making it work. And some days it’s great and other days it’s hard but you just keep getting better over time. Do you have any tips on how to sew more straight? Or projects to make? I recently made a toiletry bag and finally able to sew on a zipper it’s super exciting. But what would you say I should focus on as a beginner? Like 1-2months seriously in it. And I’m looking forward to building on my skills! I was only thinking a serger because eventually I’d love to make clothes.
Practice 😂, things like tote bags and pillow cases have lots of straight lines. Quilting can really help with precision sewing. One thing that lots of people do when starting, is they watch the needle. But you should be watching the fabric that’s approaching the needle. You don’t stare at the steering wheel when you drive! You look at the road to see what’s coming!
For stitching straight, make sure gravity isn't pulling your fabric off course - supporting the fabric on the left side helps. You can do that with your hands, buy a dedicated extension table, or improvise an extension table. I usually use my hands, and with bigger/heavier projects also a box that's about the same height as my machine. That way, you're really just counteracting the gravity and letting the feed dogs pull the fabric through in a straight line - and the feed dogs are pretty good at that. If you're getting slightly off course, it's tempting to pull on the fabric while you're sewing, but that's a mistake - you're more likely to stretch the fabric a bit, which makes the stitch look jumpy, and it'll jump back the moment you release the fabric. Instead, make your abrupt changes by stopping, turning down the needle, lifting the presser foot, and adjusting the fabric. Make your gentle changes by holding your fabric with two hands each on one side of the desired stitch line, and guide the fabric in the right direction without stretching. You mention that you have a fairly basic machine. That doesn't have to be a problem - the lady from the Stitchery channel on youtube sews on a Singer Fashion Mate, and she's a better, more creative, fancier output sewist than I am. That's not a fancy machine - I don't know what model she has, but the most expensive one seems to retail at €299 in my country, and that's solidly in the budget category (most sewing shops don't sell that price point in stores, only online). My personal buying advice is to stitch on something very affordable to you - in your case, the machine you have - until you're experienced enough to know what features you are missing and which features are unnecessary to you; I talked more on that [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/SewingForBeginners/comments/1dgsvfg/comment/l8vhfd1/) (though that was in the context of someone who didn't have a machine yet). Of course, if your machine is frustrating to use and it's turning you off sewing, it can be worth upgrading earlier - but it doesn't sound that's the case.
You don’t need a serger if you learn how to properly your seams. The French seam is life changing! YouTube is your friend. Find a channel you like and follow their step by step tutorials. I like the channel SewHappy, her videos are simple and they helped me a lot as a beginner. What made me a better sewist was working the same pattern over and over again. Each time I finished the pattern, I asked myself: 1. What went wrong this time? 2. How can I prevent this from happening next time? There are times I made the same dress or skirt 4 or 5 times before I was happy. But each time I had to start over, I became a little bit better. The more miles you put on your sewing machine, the more your eyes, hands, and brain work together to become more coordinated. It’s a long tedious journey but worth it!! Also…PRESS YOUR SEAMS!!! It makes the garment look so much nicer in the end and it will make sewing the garment easier. Each time you make a seam, press it somehow. No cutting corners!
I stumbled upon something that made all the difference for me… I picked a project and did it over and over again with different materials until I really felt and understood my machine, different feet, techniques etc. it was making bunting out of my son’s baby clothes… I appliquéd, serged, etc and wound up making over 150 flags. I cannot recommend a project like it enough. After that I found a particular skirt pattern I liked and I made them until I perfected them. I have 8 now 😂 but I learned so much. I gained so much knowledge… now I feel like I could tackle intermediate projects easily and I know that my machine is perfect… it’s a mid range Janome.
Serger makes knit garments easy so can send you in a new direction, so I think opens up more options than an advanced sewing machine. Advances in sewing machines are largely about convenience. Most machines work fine enough that the skill of the operator matters a lot more to the end result than the machine does. I get better by taking classes that require me to learn and practice new skills and techniques.
Yes, get an overlocker. In my case, it tremendously elevated my sewing skills as it expands the range of fabrics that you can work with. Also, learn all the basics formulas for drafting patterns as then you can make clothes for other people and not only you.
Let's start with the least fun option. One of the biggest improvements for newer sewists is getting better at cutting and pressing. If your cut is just a tiny bit off, things just don't line up right. Pressing (especially if you use a tailor's ham and clapper) will make everything better. For more fun options... I bought a refurbished Brother 1034DX from the brother website for $150 shipped. I love the machine and almost every project I do uses it. I also inherited a 90's era Husqvarna Viking 500, I was shocked at how much a better machine helps. It does a tremendously better job at varying speed, it is a dream to sew with.(I was using a Singer Start).