Sewing for Beginners: Tips and Basic Skills to Know

If you want to learn how to sew, as with anything, practice makes perfect. For sewing beginners, it always helps to have someone working alongside you to show you the ropes.

But whether you’re new to sewing or are already a pro with the needle, there’s always something new to discover, whether in-person or online. It’s exciting to pick up a life skill and age-old craft!

Sewing Tips and Tricks

First, know what you want to get out of it.

Granted, the main objective might be just to have fun doing it, but you have to have an end goal — something you want to achieve from it. Different people get into sewing for different reasons. Maybe you just want to learn how to make adjustments to your clothes, or maybe how to make your own clothes out of old ones so you wouldn’t have to buy more, like that nice wool jacket you’ve always wanted to get. Whatever your goal may be, it’s good to have a goal in mind to know which steps to take towards it.

Start small

As with any hobby, you want to start off as simple as possible. Maybe start with stitching patches onto your old clothes to make them like new again, or maybe quilting cushion covers for throw pillows to decorate the ol’ sofa.

It’s not recommended to start with something complicated right off the bat, like embroidery or chain stitching. Going for big projects like those immediately may cause you to be discouraged. But if you’ve been sewing long enough and feel like you’ve learned enough to do them, go for it!

Consistency is key

In order to truly master the skill of sewing, taking a private online class or two won’t turn you into a full-fledged tailor overnight. And although they do help, you have to remember that, as with any hobby, consistency is key. Make the time to practice how to sew, if you can, every single day until you can do it with your eyes closed.

Or not. Maybe that’s a bit too extreme. But you have to keep practicing in order to get good at something, especially sewing.

Ask around

While you don’t want to compare your progress to other people’s (especially if you’re a beginner!), sometimes it helps to ask other people for advice, or their opinions on your work. If you have a family member who’s been sewing for a long time, ask them what they think of your current project, for example, if they would rock that fabulous new leather tote bag you’ve been working on.

This allows you to identify your areas of opportunity. A little constructive criticism goes a long way!

Get out of your comfort zone!

If you’ve been sewing for a while and you’re confident enough, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and take your skills to the next level by branching out to different areas and taking on new projects. Generally speaking, stitchwork like embroidery or textured beading are suitable for more intermediate students, which could be perfect for you to get into.

Want to learn sewing in Melbourne or online? Find a sewing class near you!