Finally ready to learn to sew? If you’re brand new to making your own clothes, welcome to The Modern Sewing Co. We were all beginners once and remember our early days in front of the sewing machine well. There are patterns to print and decode, fabrics to understand, techniques to master - and no shortage of conflicting advice out there. So, we asked our amazingly supportive community a simple question: what do you wish someone had told you when you started to learn to sew?
From navigating inevitable beginner sewing mistakes to the right mindset for attempting your first projects, here's their advice before you take the first steps towards crafting your hand sewn wardrobe...
How To Decide What To Make
"Make things you actually want to wear. Don't limit yourself to 'easy' beginner patterns." - @maviseratops
"Make things you know you'll love to wear, not just things that are easy." - @judehelen34
"I can stare at fabric for days or weeks trying to figure out my approach. Don't rush." - @thisisjanehart
"There is real pleasure in developing your own style - try not to be seduced by 'viral' patterns!" - @jane_stani
"Buying prints and colours I don't usually wear. Think about your style project before you buy." - @lydstamara
Technical Talk
"A crooked seam is better than no seam at all." - @studio.filippa
"Unpicking is okay. It's part of the process." - @vikstar734583
"Don't skip understitching." - @astrid.emilie.sews
"If you stick with it and don't rush, it slowly gets easier and more fluid. My makes now sometimes take about half the time they used to take." - @thisisjanehart
"Practice button holes on scraps that are the same composition as your garment." - @joserahbek
Top Tips
"Get a small ironing board or an ironing mat to iron seams when sewing." - @dottysewing
"Measure twice, cut once." - @astrid.emilie.sews
"Read the instructions carefully! Over and over if you're confused and use the iron!" - @racheyjo
"Don't skip understitching." - @astrid.emilie.sews
"Don't sew for more than two hours at a time. You'll get tired and start making mistakes." - @cindemo
"Start. Don't overthink. You don't need fancy stuff. Just a machine with a straight and zigzag stitch and the will to fail and try again, to improve." - @june.and.louise
The Last Word
"All you need is the will to fail and try again - that's how you improve." - @june.and.louise "
Don't compare yourself with advanced sewists." - @studio.filippa
Our biggest piece of advice for beginner sewists? Save yourself the trial and error by investing in your learning from day one. We designed our online workshops to show you exactly how to sew high quality clothing from the very start. You'll save yourself so much time and heartache on projects gone wrong (and wasted fabric!), plus you'll slowly and thoughtfully build a hand sewn wardrobe of beautifully made clothes.
Discover our online sewing workshops, with hours of expert-led video tutorials with Hetty, step by step photos and fitting guides - and lifetime access to all patterns and classes. Explore all our workshops here.
Want more?
- Discover more beginner sewing tips from our Founder Hetty here.
- Learn to sew with our getting started videos on everything from choosing and cutting fabric to practising your seams. Watch here.
- Avoid beginner sewing mistakes with our community's favourite, The Art of Shirt Making online sewing workshop. Learn more here.
