Any sewing wizards out there?

Hi,

I got a lovely sewing machine for Christmas, as it has been a goal of mine for many years to learn how to sew.

However, since I have figured out that I am absolutley clueless about sewing, my excitement is starting to wane.I don't have time to take a class, and the books I have gotten aren't helpful to me, because I don't really understand them. My long-term goal is the learn how to quilt, but right now I am having a hard time stitching 2 pieces of fabric together.

Do you have any insight or words of wisdom for a  sewing novice? 

keep trying, and don't worry about getting it perfect from the beginning. All those little imperfections are lessons. I think about the Dyson guy and his add on US TV. He talks about the many prototypes before having the final design and how he gets as excited by failures as he does things that work. Because, each failure is a lesson in how not to do it.

Keep going, and don't give up. You'll get it

practice practice practice.  When I got my sewing machine last year I had to keep rereading the manual and just kept sewing fabric together. I would take old clothes and cut then up for practice sewing.  Fiddle with the tension and the bits and bobs.  It will happen eventually.  cut out a free form animal (i did a bowling pin shape w/ bunny ears) as a practice piece.  It looked a bit odd but Squidge plays with it all the time- so a success in my book!

When my mother was teaching me to sew, she had me practice on something with stripes, like a old shirt or something. Just to help you run straight lines that were actually straight. You could see if you pulled the fabric it distorted things etc, and helped me keep a gentle grip on things. Practice, practice, practice.

Also, a post it note in a bright colour stuck to where your seam width should be is a lot easier to keep your eye on when sewing than the little line in the plate.

When I was teaching my daughter to sew, she made loads of blankets/pillows and cases for her dolls, or beanie baby 'sleeping bags' and things like that which were all straight seams. I would iron the seams for her if it was something to be folded down like a hem, or draw it on with chalk if she was seaming 2 pieces together.

Cloth napkins are also a good project to practice.

What kind of machine do you guys have?  I was thinking about getting one, but I'm clueless on what a good first machine is. 

My first machine was a Singer which would do zig-zag and straight and a few built in decorative stitches but nothing fancy. Used it for years and kept it for my daughter to learn on since I knew she couldn't do it any damage. It was super easy to maintain and do basic repairs myself, and I took it in occasionally for a turn up at a professional sewing shop but I used it a LOT, made clothes and quilted with it.

About 6-7 years ago I decided to treat myself to a fancy Janome machine that would do embroidery and accept designs either from cards or pictures you'd scanned yourself. I LOVE that machine to bits and it is still in the US waiting for me to go back to it. While it is fun to use, other than the embroidery bits, I could make nearly anything on that old Singer that I can make on the Janome. The Janome is just more high tech and had a touch screen that was really easy to use.

Those were both purchased in the US so I'm not sure if that's any help.

Actually, it is!  I think I'd just want to use it for making clothes and small crafts, and some clothing repair/alteration, so the fancy stuff doesn't matter so much.  Maybe I'll go for a simple model then.  Singer or Bernina, are they the best makes?

I have a Jenome I bought a year ago this past Christmas.  It doesn't do any fancy embroidery (no computer) and I love it.  Of course the more I get into sewing the more I think one of those fancy dancy ones would be nice- maybe in a few years when we have a bigger house and I have a craft room/office!

Thanks!

My mum started teaching me how to sew when I was a little kid and I've been making clothes for myself and others since I was around ten, but I didn't have my own machine until about a year ago when DH bought me one as a wedding gift. It's a reeeally old Singer- doesn't do much fancy stuff, but I love it ^_^ A big part of sewing is understanding how garments are made. Dig out stuff that your don't wear anymore or go through charity shops and find stuff on the cheap. Take it apart and study how it all fits together, then try and sew it back. Start off with simple stuff (t-shirts are great for starting out) and then move on to more complex garments as you get better. And don't be afraid to make mistakes- in sewing, you pretty much always have a second (or third) chance! All the little tricks and shortcuts I've learned have come from messing up. And I still make mistakes all the time, haha! You'll be sewing like a pro in no time!