sewing is difficult :(

[misspeterson]

So, I'm starting to learn to sew... but it's so difficult! I did a little sewing when I was in grade school but it was all REALLY simple. I've recently been trying to make this apron that said it was easy but it's just horrible and I don't understand anything that any of the patterns say!!! How am I supposed to learn this stuff when even the easy things are incomprehensible? How did you all learn?

[cosmoblue]

I learned in school(university). It is pretty easy to learn. I recommend getting a sewing book which will explain so much of what seems confusing at first which is how I was taught. I like the readers digest Complete Guide to Sewing

www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Sewing-Readers-Digest/dp/0762104201

Also you can look up things on Youtube or go to sewing forums like Burdastyle
www.burdastyle.com/

You Can Do it!

[dawnluckham]

Sewing is something you learn by doing. And yes, the first few attempts can be very frustrating if you don’t have a mentor by your side to guide you through some of the very basic steps. Just learning to read a commercial pattern is a big accomplishment.

I second Cosmo’s suggestion of “The Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing”. It’s an excellent beginners guide and one I return to time and again even though I’m no longer a beginner. Excellent instruction and lots of illustration. I don’t know how the newer versions stack up against the older versions. I LOVE my older book:

cgi.ebay.com/COMPLETE-GUIDE-TO-SEWING-READERS-DIGEST_W0QQitemZ110428810367QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Nonfiction_Book?hash=item19b611ec7f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

You can see that it’s not a huge monetary investment to acquire this manual. It’s well worth obtaining!

Second suggestion: “Sewing For Dummies”. Simplicity patterns used to have a “Sewing For Dummies” series of easy patterns. I can’t find them on the site any more, but they were even graded levels 1-4 so you could choose a pattern to learn step by step as you increased your knowledge. Level one may teach you to read the pattern where as level 4 may have you installing a zipper. Levels two and three may teach you about bias tape binding and setting a sleeve.

This is the kind of “Easy” or “Simple” pattern system you need to follow.

I was able to find a “Sewing for Dummies” book: www.amazon.ca/Sewing-Dummies-Janice-Saunders-Maresh/dp/0764568477

You’re on the right track with starting with projects like apron’s, pillows, tote bags and the like…You may even want to try pajamas – one of my favorite teaching to sew projects because even if the seams are a little wobbly or the techniques used to finish are less than polished looking, you learn a ton by making PJ’s and you can still wear them when you’re finished. Nobody cares that they have rippled seams when they go to bed.

You can do this!!! It’s a challenge at first but like anything, practice improves the result. DO consider picking up the books suggested. You might be able to pick up the “Dummies” book on eBay for less than the link I’ve given you.

Good luck! And don’t forget that you can always ask sewing questions on any number of forums (including this one) where you’ll get good advice and help.

[artemisiajolie]

I think my sewing background would be similar to yours misspeterson. I took 6th grade home ec, and 20 yrs later all I had practiced with were some curtains, pillows etc. When I decided to make a gown and stay, I asked a lot of questions and was online defining all of the pattern terms. My first dress was wearable, I've altered it a tiny bit since then. My stay is wearable, and no one sees the mistakes anyway! I'm ready to try another gown. I think one of the things I did to make myself more comfortable was practicing different stitching on scrap fabric, but especially on scraps of the same fabric I was making the gown, etc out of, since every piece of material will respond slightly different as far as stretchiness or snagging.
Cosmo and Dawn are much more advanced than I, so I would certainly take their advice on the sewing guides. And know that the seam ripper is your best friend!

[Mme de Beaufort]

Artemesia is right! The seam ripper is your best friend. My background in sewing is home-ec apron and button-down shirt in seventh grade and then barbie-clothes on my mother's machine (made from fabrics cut right out of the folds of my mother's fabric stash which was an issue of much anger on my mother's part t this day. She still laments about the holes cut in the center of her fabrics... heh heh)...

I am confessing that I am a hurried and impatient sewer who rarely follows directions or cuts the little pips and such in the pattern.... I sort of sew by the seat of my pants, and wing it. If the pattern is intuitive, I'm usually okay, if it's not, I end up having to fix things more often than not, and double or triple the time it would take if I'd slowed down and paid attention to the instructions. I think the ONE benefit from that is that I've learned SO much about construction and shape just by this trial-by-fire sewing.

[amandamoose]

Misspeterson, I'm knew to it too and having trouble every now and then. We'll get through it though. Good luck and keep it up!!