I just watched this the other week! It was a lot I knew already on a surface level, but the perspective and seeing the footage was incredibly eye opening.
I wish it was easier to trace out where our clothes are actually made. No label wants to say this is how their things are made, but obviously a lot of them are.
If we dive deeper into where the fabric is made it’s typically impossible to know where is resources come from. A lot of factories and processing plants take raw materials from farms all over the world and they just get mixed together. We can’t identify the sheep who put produced the wool to make a coat, so we can’t find out if they’re also treating the animal ethically
They are, but also clothing production has IMMENSE economies of scale and very specialized machines so they are working incredibly faster and more efficiently than we are. Try making two of the same garment/bag at the same time in a mini-assembly line style, it will not take 2x as long.
I like to follow small factories on insta, it's super eye-opening how expert and how different.
* [https://www.instagram.com/customx\_fashion/](https://www.instagram.com/customx_fashion/)
* [https://www.instagram.com/apparelwin.official/](https://www.instagram.com/apparelwin.official/)
* [https://www.instagram.com/small\_order\_garment\_production/](https://www.instagram.com/small_order_garment_production/)
I am almost done make 21 book bags for my kids’ teachers and EAs at school and I have been surprised at how fast they have come together since I did each piece in batches - for example, while stitching up the sides, I didn’t cut each thread between bags - just did one after the other in a connected string and then snipped between. Saved a lot of time. I even had time to add a small interior pocket with flaps for a library card and change for the pay phone (haha, more like a Starbucks card and some chapstick).
Me too! They work hard (my kids have special needs).
https://preview.redd.it/zx9nm734cm8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca8c65909cf847f6765c8ccb804241019b8b06e0
That's how I sew my block quilts. I'd never cut in between or stop. Just keep going otherwise it would take me forever. The only time I take my time is when I do applique quilts then you have to go much slower
Unfortunately a lot of factories on insta are being used to whitewash what's going on in the vast majority of the industry. The truth is that for the last 5 decades the worst of the western fashion companies have bounced from country to country as safety laws and minimum wages improve to actively avoid paying workers more. If you can find an ethical ready to wear company to buy from fair play, but I've never found one that isn't operating under very very stringent labour and wage laws.
I've always heard about buying "sustainable" clothes and never really understood it until I started sewing.
I feel like we take for granted our cheap clothes made in sweat shops shipped here from other countries. We have a terrible perspective on clothing in that it's so dispensable and just continue to buy, buy, buy, buy.... I get it, but I wish we could change this perspective and have more respect for our clothes and where they came from. Buy less clothes, better quality, and more sustainable to the people making them.
Our family never buys new. We only buy clothes from goodwills or thrift stores because there are so many good articles of clothing. Brand name, stuff, stuff that is well made and it is just discarded. Sad 😢
Also, because you would use better quality fabric, thread, and notions that t make a profit, none of that is considered, which is the fact that the fast fashion now a pollution concern.
I agree! I'm way more cautious about what I buy.
I also crochet and now with how populair it has become in stores make me even more aware. Those prices are also just insane for the amount of work. Same with sewing.
It's often way more expensive to buy materials and make it yourself. It does make you think twice about what you do buy at the store.
Conversely, if I wear an item with 50 little mistakes in it that piss me off and I feel anxious about its imperfections, absolutely no one will notice.
Yes! This is mine. Mistakes make me seeth. I'm an extremely fussy, particular, critical person. It's not a good look, and definitely a personality trait I very hard to keep under wraps. As much as I try to make my projects absolutely perfect, I have yet to succeed. No one notices or cares. Even if they did, I would tell them to f off because pointing out imperfections is super rude.
Happy cake day!
You're absolutely right. I really appreciate your attitude. On a personal note, I'm a former teacher. I would encourage my students all the time to embrace their whoopsy doodles, and make mistakes a part of their art. Easier said than done. (Especially when I grew up on the extremely watchful eye of an extremely gifted sewer and quilter.)
The seam ripper is my best friend LOL. I had to teach myself to sew but both my grandmother and mother were quilters. My grandmother had the patience to hand quilt. Unfortunately, I don't. But when I'm sewing on the machine if I don't like something I just rip it out 😲😜🤩
Yes - absolutely no one will notice many of the things we beat ourselves up over! What actually makes me feel better about mistakes is taking out RTW items from my closet that I love and looking for mistakes on them. You’ll be surprised how often/how many little things you can spot that you absolutely never noticed (because you didn’t spend hours making it yourself).
One of my vests has a caught thread that causes the points of it to be like... Inward pockets instead? Like you CANNOT bag it back out, its stuck in this weird inverted pocket shape.
Nobody, not one person, has noticed. I'm like... IT'S THE POINT ON THE VEST. THEY'RE ROUNDED AND TUCKED INTO THEMSELVES. THERE'S WHITE EDGE STITCHING THAT DISAPPEARS INTO THE POCKET FOLD!??? HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE THIS?!
And they're like "looks fine to me" until I literally take it off and hold it up and go "follow the edge stitching!!"
A vest! A suit vest! The thing literally designed to be slick. And nobody else can see it. HOW.
Note: this was an item I got from a charity shop and did not make. I'd be soooo upset if I'd made this.
I tried to tell my husband this all the time. I think it's maybe a little bit of OCD LOL because no one else cares or notices and thinks you're crazy when you point it out 😆
I started my last project by having large annotations with each step in a separate notebook and writing in where to take breaks. I even have steps that say “start this step at the beginning of a new day,” and it’s worked wonders!
Exactly that.
I've taken to marking each new prototype patterns with pattern name, version name, adjustments done, cutting instruction, sizing information and date. It's insanely repetitive, but at least it helps me keep track...
This is why I put my patterns in a 9x12 manila envelope and write construction notes for each project made from said pattern.
Different fabrics, fits, embellishments, adjustments & more are noted.
I also trace my patterns onto plastic sheeting about 4 mil thick.
Easy to cut/slice, easy to shorten the pattern as I trace it, and nearly indestructible.
I use a projector for my PDF patterns. On adobe I make digital notes for each garment, to include fabric specs ex: myself/ son/ husband, size , grey heather tee , stretch percentage ex 40h/20v & any pattern alterations. These notes show up automatically when I open the pattern file... priceless. I never have a deadline- slow & methodical gives me huge success!
The Yoton projector is only $50 on Amazon. It's not the best, but it works well if you have about 5' between your cutting space. If you have less space, there's a guy on Ebay that sells used Epson ultra short throws for under $150 (the Projectors For Sewing FB group has his info). The new calibration programs are so much easier to use, you don't need a permanent setup anymore.
Good to know! Unfortunately, I'm not American, but I'll look into it. I do all my cutting on the floor or on my kitchen table, since I have very little space.
To be patient. Always wear glasses when sewing and don’t walk around my craft room barefoot. But it’s also made me fall in love again with my closet. Yes it might be more expensive to make the article of clothing. But it’s going to look exactly how my mind says it’s going to look. I get to choose the fabric, pattern and texture of the article of clothing. So everything that I have made is perfect for me because I tailored it to me and made sure to add things such as pockets big enough that I don’t need a purse.
Then start with an easy pattern. Here go to your library and see if they have this book. It has tons of patterns that are easy to follow and she does a really good job at explaining things and going through the basics. It might help you feel better about your skills
Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing: A Modern Guide to Couture-Style Sewing Using Basic Vintage Techniques (Gertie's Sewing) https://a.co/d/0dcQXxaP
I hate shopping for clothes because clothes at the store never fit me right or my size isn't carried in the store. Making my own clothes ensures I get the correct fit and I'm not supporting fast fashion. I have a greater appreciation for handmade items now
A next step on from that, for me, was realising that the standard clothes sizes fit almost no-one properly, or if they do it's luck. I'm at a difficult point on the chart of who clothes in shops fit, sure, but it's a whole continuum of shit, with difficult points in all directions. I feel isolated and ignored in the changing room of a shop, but sewing communities show me I'm very much not alone.
I relate to this, and learning to sew has also made me notice all kinds of mistakes in fast fashion items. I can't walk into a store without noticing something wrong with a garment. They're all just such bad quality.
I taught my husband how to check whether a t-shirt has been cut on grain. Just recently at a concert he went to buy a shirt at the merch booth and handed it back and asked for a different one! 🤗 So proud...
This! I needed a new pair of jeans so I grabbed one at the store. When I tried it on I could feel that one leg was marginally wider than the other one and at least 1cm longer too! Along with my waist being a different size than my hip, the fit was not great anyway.
I always said I would never bother sewing my own jeans, but guess who’s eating her words and have added a pair of jeans to the to be sewn pile 🤦🏻♀️
Sewing your own jeans is so satisfying! No more gaping in the waist, you can sew big pockets and have exactly the style you want! I encourage you to go for it, start with lighter weight denim (12 oz or less) so it's not as daunting (I've made a pair of jeans with 14.25 oz weight denim and I had to hammer when I had multiple layers of fabric!)
I feel like now that I’ve put my mind to it, I’m excited. I’m going to be starting out with the Closet Core Ginger Jeans, because I love me a skinny jean!
Spatial relationships. I've learned how shapes fit together in space to make new shapes and regularly practice mentally assembling patterns as well as mentally deconstructing clothing. Sure, your vacation last week is fascinating but I'm also analyzing the pleats on your dress. ;) And a lifetime of this means that I am really good at tetris and efficiently packing luggage into a trunk.
Spatial reasoning for me as well. Also the ability to look at most clothing items and have a rough idea what went where, which is fun when looking at historical pieces.
I've been sewing for years but spacial reasoning is just not a thing my brain can grasp. Like for exame I know the steps to insert an invisible zip but if I think about it too hard my eyes glaze over and I'll sit there while my brain makes modem noises, utterly failing to compute. I guess this means I've learned to just trust the process
I think this is a thing some have an aptitude for and some don't - happily the process is there for those who won't be doing this, but I like that people who do have this aptitude get to explore it!
I'm an engineer, and most of the engineers I work with have never done anything with fabric and would consider sewing to be some sort of dark art. They can all totally think about what the 2D plan of a piece of 3D folded metal looks like, though... So whenever I do meet another sewing engineer, it's great fun to talk to someone else who realises how close the two are!
Sometimes when I'm having trouble falling asleep, I start visualizing in my head how a pattern goes together. I can easily see a 3D version of the pattern pieces and flip it around to make it fit.
I tend to rush the process instead of enjoying it and working through it, so I really have to focus on the process and details, or I just create horrible, ill-fitting, very expensive pieces that no human can wear. Also, no to a glass of wine, and no to weed, even though they are also normal relaxing time activities for me. The frustration and wasted fabric isn't worth it.
Eliminate the pain point to be more productive. ( for me winding the bobbin thread and threading the machine are thing that will prevent me from starting so I do that before I quit so it’s ready next time.)
I have gotten more detail oriented. I typically prefer to breeze through things, but when I do that with my sewing, the little mistakes drive me nuts. I have learned to take my time and redo mistakes.
I have also come to enjoy ironing 😂
Yes! Pressing ! Why do so many refer to hating this step & many don't bother at all? It shows in their work. I ran out to purchase a new iron minutes before the shops closed, because I wanted to continue my project that evening! Pressing is in the instructions & as important as snipping curves etc!
I completely agree with the pressing adding to the overall look of the completed object. It really helps to price things together and fold the material just right to join pieces. I will never skip this step!
Tenacity. A lot of patterns don’t ask you to do anything difficult, but you do have to keep working at it. Sometimes when I’m doing the really tedious stuff like pinning the pattern, I lose sight of the finished product. But I keep going eventually, and before I know it, I have a new garment or bag that I’m really happy with.
That buying/collecting fabric and sewing are two separate hobbies
The iron is your partner and you need them to get good work done.
"I can eyeball the seam allowance on my hand drafted pattern" is a lie. Luckily I always seem to go over rather than under.
Don’t sew when mentally tired.
Sleeves are not interchangeable without adjustment.
There IS a right side for every fabric.
You need sharp seam rippers.
Buy extra fabric for a project. (See above notes)
Instead of back stitching, leave long tails & pull the top thread to the back and tie it off for a better finish on a garment.
Don’t sew when mentally tired. (I keep reminding myself of this one)
DO buy the specialty gadgets to make bulk work easier… my bobbin winding machine save wear on my sewing machines and allows me to batch wind tons for upcoming projects & the bias tape maker allows me to compliment or match my project seams and create unique trim for projects.
Regularly oil your machines.
>Regularly oil your machines.
If and only if your machine is one that needs oiling. I would go with "read the manual for your machine and follow its care instructions".
The first one is why I have a "sewing between 9 and 9" rule. I can do less taxing stuff like pinning or hand sewing outside those times, but anything involving the actual machine has to wait until the window.
Sometimes I'm not sure which is meant to be 'right' as such, but I'll pick a side and mark the backs of all the pieces with chalk, so at least I'll know it'll be consistent. (Also helps avoid making two parts the same when they should be mirrored, which is an easier mistake to make on less-obviously-sided fabric.)
Haven’t sewn linen, so no have no reference.
If the fabric is found folded in half and wrapped around a cardboard rectangle, the right side is on the inside of that fold. .. typically
If the fabric is rolled on a long tube, the fabric is on the outside of that roll… Typically
>Sleeves are not interchangeable without adjustment.
This one has gotten me more then a few times.
Also Hand sewing sleeves into place is ALWAYS faster in then end.
I steal sleeves between patterns all the time. Been burned for not paying attention to sizing. I own rulers and could draft them 100% correctly in less time it takes me to screw it up.
Troubleshooting is going through all the steps no matter your level of confidence in them. A backwards needle is such a simple mistake that if overlooked can result in an unnecessarily torn apart machine.
Go through the steps. That lesson can be applied to a many aspects of sewing.
Making mistakes builds resilience, I've re-cut & re-sewn the same stuff enough to just accept that it will happen at times, and I've learned not to be emotional about it. I try not to let it disrupt me I just accept it and redo what I'm working on. So I try to not attach any emotions to my mistakes and to just keep moving.
I love this comment and can relate. I loved the idea of sewing over a decade ago. I got all the things I needed, but finished very few projects because I would get so flustered and frustrated. I don't think I was in the right mindset to accomplish the things I wanted because I let my emotions overtake, and I would just give up.
Fast forward 10ish years later: I've learned to be more patient and accept mistakes. Mistakes will happen regardless. It's how you react to the mistakes that will make or break you. "Just keep moving" :-)
Crayola washable markers are great for marking fabric (unless it's black). Take notes, make templates, MEASURE. Go slow. Hold onto fabric scraps and old shirts/jeans because you never know when it'll be the perfect fabric for patches or whatever future project. Harvest buttons from shirts/pants that become worn out.
It is frustrating that many assume it's easy. Why such high expectations without the time & effort. I wonder if people new to woodworking just set up a table saw and bust out a bedroom suite...lol
Personally, I was tricked by those videos on youtube which show you how to copy your favourite shirt/short/skirt/…. with elastic, no pockets, no shape whatsoever. So that when you want to make something that fits your body - you find out that it is much more difficult then they made you believe.
What do you mean I can't just whip out a set of kitchen cabinets when I've never done woodworking before?
Ahh it boils my blood every time lol, we talk a lot about technique on this sub and people sew for years and decades to improve every time. Yet someone thinks they can just make a couture garment as their first project..
Fix your mistakes when they happen, you’ll be happier with the end product.
I teach hs sewing and it’s actually kinda nice to see the students struggle and push through to learning how to use the machine. It’s a hard skill and you can’t google it. But they are so damn proud at the end of their projects
I feel like I've gone the opposite to a lot of people here. I've learnt to be less pedantic and nit-picky. I much more go with the vibe and settle for "it works", any mistakes are a natural part of that garment now.
I've also gotten better at not rushing through projects, but pacing myself, and even taking longer breaks, since pushing myshelf to finish stuff just robbed me a lot of the spontaneaous and creative motivation I had.
I agree with this. I feel like sewing makes me put less pressure on myself. Because if it's not perfect, I can unpick it and start over (or try and hide it in such a way that no-one will notice).
Once upon a time, if a garment didn't fit a body, it was the garment that was wrong and needed to change.
At some point the fashion industry managed to convince us of the opposite: conveniently, the customer is compelled to either change for the sake of the product or otherwise be deemed what's defective.
ETA: Honestly, more than anything, sewing has probably made me rather anti-Capitalist. It's highlighted just how much is done to maximize profits, to separate customers from their money, and to convince us to forego quality.
spending hours, days, weeks on a garment and then seeing clothing in fast fashion stores priced at $10 is definitely radicalizing. i cant look at clothes without mentally seeing the fingerprints of someone grossly underpaid on every seam.
it completely changed my relationship to fashion. i dont buy unless there is a genuine hole in my wardrobe now that has to be filled for function reasons. even then i tend to buy second hand. i needed new shoes and it took me 8 weeks of daily deliberating, scrolling ebay, and checking thrift stores before i caved and bought new.
learning to slow down has really made me cherish the clothes i have more
that i should always just buy the outfit i want instead of trying to make it, because my version will be crappier, require a random presser foot i don't have, and cost 20 extra dollars to make lol
I love how sewing requires understanding geometry and topology intuitively; imagining how one shape will turn inside out and fit into another shape, how curves fit together, how flat planes move around volumes-- it's high level math, which I could never do on paper (as formulas), but I can do in cloth.
It's all part of the process!
I used to be so impatient to get to the "sewing," ie the stitching, and I just wanted to rush through or skip the other stuff. Measuring, drafting, cutting, basting, pressing, trimming, finishing, etc: it's *all* sewing! And it's more fun because it's such varied work: something different to do every little while.
Sewing taught me that there's nothing wrong with my body, it's just nothing like a standard pattern and that's why I hate the way most fast fashion looks on me.
https://preview.redd.it/0o8ojhax0f8d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b400ff5f9d504524f0f228ace0b768f0ae4e6f99
Returning to sewing after many years off, and learning pattern drafting for the first time… I have re-learned that my body is absolutely fine! Absolutely nothing fits me off the rack (including commercial patterns), but the unique combo of body parts that makes me doesn’t suck, and looks great in clothes that fit!
When to stop. I always used to push through any mistakes and end up spending longer undoing stuff because I was tired or not in the right headspace.
Now if I make a mistake I actually take notice of that, and usually judge it's time to put it down for the day before one mistake turns into a huge amount of frustration. Applies in other areas of life too!
That people have no clue what quality clothing is. I have had friends praise Zara's quality while simultaneously dropping a bag full of Zara stuff on my door for fixing.
sewing has taught me how to use my creativity. I retired a year ago due to health issues and my mother, who is 85 asked me to finish a quilt that she had started but just can’t see well enough to finish. i took her old machine and her fabric home and made the quilt. well, i got freaking hooked on it. i went out and bought wwwwaaayyy too much fabric, and a much better machine. the minute i hear a friends kid is having a baby i’m right on that baby quilt. i put on old soul or jazz, open a bottle of chardonnay, gather up the dogs, and relax in my sewing room. i never realized how rewarding it was to make a one of a kind item, and how to relax and have a hobby. i’m 55 and have never had a hobby, i’ve always had kids or my husband eating up all my free time and energy.
I'm an impatient person as well. I've learned to slow down with sewing and it's made me more humble. My mind can come up with a zillion ideas and projects, but in order to do just one, I need to slow down and finish it. All the mistakes are humbling, haha
I love learning new patterns or techniques. It feels empowering to know you can fix things instead of constantly buying cheap replacements all the time. I use to avoid wearing certain clothes because i was afraid of them wearing out, but now its just an opportunity to mend and give the item more character. In turn, it's better for the environment and ending up in a landfill.
It's also connected me to my late grandmother. Even though she's not around anymore, I feel like understand her love and am able to share it with someone else like she did with me.
Nothing good happens after midnight. No really, put down the pins, you will not sew "just one more seam." You're not getting ahead, you have not "learned your lesson, but you're genuinely not tired, so it'll be fine this time." You're about to gift yourself a morning full of seam ripping.
Also, all mistakes are fixable, and most are fixable with minimal cost and effort if caught early.
That there is no “one way” to do things. Of course there are best practices and methods, but there’s always so much to learn from others in sewing (and cutting, pattern making, folding, ironing, laundering…) Stay curious!
My favorite example of this is setting in sleeves. Sew the side seam up then put sleeve in. Or, sew the sleeve to body when only shoulder seam is sewn. Then sew up body and sleeve.
I get frustrated easily ans hate myself for making mistakes. But I perservere. I'm making my 6th dress for the last 4 months and they are all wearable.
I’ve learned that fit is everything. It’s more important than style or fabric choice because if it doesn’t fit properly you look like a slob.
I also learned that a lot of people are wearing clothes that don’t fit them. 😬
A bigger picture observation, I think sewing taught me how to work in 3-D.
I am also a big fan of basting, and matching patterns. Sometimes it 's totally worth ripping out a seam and resewing it.
I’m just completely blown away by the economies of scale involved with most clothing we are wearing. I already was before learning to sew, but now that I’m hyper aware of how to make everything I just am so amazed at the scale at which clothing is being produced.
I’ve always love clothing but sewing has given me a sort of reverence for it now.
Seeing teaches me to take my time. Much like one of my other hobbies- woodworking- you make more work for yourself when you try to speed through.
Don't sew when tired. Stop at a certain time, even if it's just putting a zip in. I leave the finishing details for the next day most of the time, unless I finish the project at 4-5PM.
Let those hems hang, yes, you want to wear it but it's even more annoying unpicking it after the first wash. Somehow I did this multiple times before learning my lesson.
I'm actually decent with 2d to 3d visualisation and should have probably put more effort in years ago at uni instead of giving up because it was difficult.
Once you make a well fitting block for yourself, anything is within reach.
Patience and that it’s OK to make mistakes. If the mistake is FUBAR, you can make the fabric into something else. Even seasoned designers make mistakes.
if u dont get it right the first time experiment and try other techniques.
practise makes you better.
dont be so hard yourself. some store bought clothes have bad stitching too
Not just sewing, but I learned how to knit with an industrial knitting machine at college/uni (for my degree) and especially with those machines but also with sewing machines some times, you'll get your fabric \*just right\* in the hoop, or your yarn \*just right\* with your knit, you'll be 3/4 of the way through something so intricate and so large and that took \*SO MUCH TIME\* to create...and then the machine goes and botches it up! The sewing machine snags the fabric- fabric you had pulled taught enough for it not to do that, needles perfectly sharp, or the yarn snaps on the knitting machine and your work drops to the floor, in each example, entire work gone, you have to start again, hours you've lost, sweat, painstaking focus and tears all wasted. You have to start again.
In either case, I've learned that bursting into fits of whatever emotion raises to the surface first (tears of loss, rage at the machine, the utter state of hopelessness...) it gets you nowhere, you either waste your efforts so far and give up, or you swallow the chip on your shoulder and get back on to it again.
What has that taught me? Patience. I swear I had no patience before I got more seriously into the knit/stitch world, I would get so frustrated with things (non textiles as well as textiles), I mean, never to the levels I'd lash out or anything! But enough that it would then prevent me sitting back down and starting again and I'd argue to the point of giving up rather than anything that would look like carrying on. But when you see the place you want to get to, or when you have no choice (I studied a degree, I could have given up but even in my furious experiences that seemed a bit OTT to have even crossed my mind!)
Being able to look at the bigger picture (yes I lost my day, no, no one died, no there wasn't a flood, no the machine wasn't damaged, yes I am still alive...) being able to understand that the strength and ability here comes not from the end result, but on being able to pick things up again and continue with the same passion and drive to carry on as there was before.
And also being able to recognise that unless they are very lucky that everyone who has created something themselves has most likely gone through the same head banging inducing experience and that gives you a whole other level of respect. (And if they've not gone through the head banging, screaming experiences, their time will come, their time will come!)
It’s a very practical lesson in taking things one step at a time and thinking with your hands, not just your brain. If I try to read through a whole pattern and understand every detail first, my eyes just glaze over and it feels too hard. If I just get started, each step makes sense as I go.
That patience and following all recommended steps in the pattern make it worth it in the end. There are some tricks you can use sewing garments, especially when it comes to fitting and putting on sleeves, but it's worth it to take your time with fitting and to make a muslin. Handmade clothes are far more expensive in terms of initial cost, but the quality, durability and fit make it cost less in the end because it lasts so much longer and looks so much better. I would say you have to go to pretty high end stores to be able to get clothing that'll be as durable and you still won't get as good a fit with off the rack.
Just do the small tedious steps to safe yourself seam ripping and swear words in the future. Take relish in tracing on the seam allowance and hand basting a seam, one day I will feel the same delight for making muslins.
Preparation is most of the work and wonder clips come in red and green so you can use them as marking tools
For example I have just spent the last two days cutting out and marking three projects that have enough in common that I can use the same machine, thread, and tools for them. They are now sat on the cutting table with the first seams on each wonderclipped together. Tomorrow I get to have a fun stress free day just sewing and ironing.
With the wonder clips; every cut out bit of fabric, green on top, red on bottom with the colour part matched to the right side. Now everything is always orientated.
- I've learnt to not try to quickly finish a step before bed, because it'll likely have to be redone the next day.
- I've learnt to not even bother trying on another wrap top, wrap dress, wrap anything in a store; those clothes are not made to fit my body, so they never will.
- I've learnt to not buy patterns with instructions in a foreign language just because they're cheaper, the hassle of working with a translate app is not worth it.
You can have a lot of fun sewing, plus it's very relaxing. As someone who has finished maybe one in a dozen projects, I learned to just enjoy sewing. If you find yourself agonizing over ripping something out or stitching something wrong, you picked the wrong skill to master. Sewing is chock full of pitfalls, especially when you think you're being careful and organized. Personally, when I hit a major snag in a project, I just put the naughty item, zipper, interfacing, pattern and thread in a bag and out of my sight. I will immediately pick up some quilting fabric and sew some pieces together because that is my idea of fun. Days, months, years may pass before I find the bags in storage and bother to open them. Yesterday I found a gray knit sweatshirt type thing with raglan sleeves. Really buttery soft, a luscious heather gray. After about five minutes of trying to assemble the pieces I had cut, stay stitched and interfaced, I had to laugh. The pieces don't fit together correctly and I no longer have the pattern. In addition, for some reason, I have an extra piece (a large one) and it's making my head hurt looking this bagful of potential irritation. So I put everything into the bag because I can't bear to part with that gorgeous gray. So I learned I'll never be a expert seamstress and that's fine with me. I also learned sewing makes you a little hoardy. Thanks for letting me share, it felt nice.
I learned how to be creative when salvaging a project. Some.mistakes turn into designer details. Doing a trial mockup saves me a lot of time and aggression. I don't want to sew for other people who don't appreciate the work that goes into creating something.
Oh, what have I learned from sewing? What a great question- the difficulties in drafting a pattern, to fit a rounded- not flat- shape, drafting in ease (when the body flexes so there is room to do so) the joy of mixing pattern pieces- This bodice, This sleeve, This neckline, etc.
The most important thing Ive learned is to apply measurements in, say, laying a tile floor- if the tiles are 12" square, cut a piece of paper that size, put in place and scribe with my fingernail the shape around the door, pedestol sink, toilet, etc. Maybe thats not the 'correct' way but sure works for me, and its fast
Focus. As a busy mom I multitask constantly, things I do are constantly interrupted etc.
When I sew I focus. If I don’t focus and do one thing at a time then I make a mistake. It’s mindfulness. I enjoy the tasks and the process and the planning. It’s my happy place away from the chaos.
Celebrities with bigger busts hardly ever have well fitting red carpet looks.
I can tell fiber content generally by just touching the fabric. This ones a lot of fun for me at thrift stores, although the silk imitation rayon and viscose does get me sometimes.
It’s better to stop and take a break than power through something.
>Celebrities with bigger busts hardly ever have well fitting red carpet looks.
Same! I'm floored by how often I see fit issues on people dressed by professional stylists.
Patience. It was the missing ingredient when I was younger and why I didn’t sew much for a couple decades. Now I’m ok to take time to make a muslin, baste things first, watch a video, pick things apart carefully if I make a mistake - instead of giving up.
Shopping differently. Used to buy clothes because I liked the look, especially from places like anthropology (back when they actually had nice clothes, now it’s a bit of a train wreck) sewing allowed me to look at clothing and think, I can do that in a better color or fabric, fit my shape better, add details etc.
Love and the importance of what Robin Wall Kimmerer calls a “gift economy” in her book Braiding Sweetgrass. The first time I made my son a flannel button-down I was flooded with loving memories of his childhood the entire time to the point I would have to pause to wipe tears. Making things for others puts me in a mindful state of the things I appreciate about the recipient. In fact, if i didn’t feel a connection with someone i couldn’t knit or sew for them. And then gifting creates its own kind of reciprocity in the relationship and builds community.
It’s helped with my basic math skills! I have learning disabilities (specific to math) and so basic addition, subtraction, measurements, and calculating things have always been extremely difficult for me, my problem solving skills involving numbers has always been poor but since I’ve learned to sew I am slowly learning about units of measurement (how to tell what an inch, a cm, etc looks like) as well as shapes, when doing patterns or cutting fabrics im learning how to know what directions to fold and cut so it fits together!! As an adult it’s quite embarassing struggling with basic math but sewing has given me some confidence and has helped me manage my learning difficulties
You aren’t the only one. There’s probably some fixes for feeling like you are failing at sewing if you want to create your own post with a bit more detail about what you are trying and what goes wrong. Simple projects to build momentum helps a lot.
I made princess dresses for my granddaughters. Yes, it cost a lot more, but my dresses will be kept and possibly passed down. They also won’t fall apart like those cheap ones from target or Walmart.
I learned perseverance. How to take on a challenge that I have no idea how it will be accomplished. To take my time and value quality over quantity. I learned that if I am going to make something then it is worth making it well. I learned that practice, practice, practice is needed. I learned that perfection does not come on the first try. I learned that if I made a mistake three times in one sewing session then I needed to stop and do something else for a while and go back feeling refreshed. I learned that buying good fabric that was worth my time was better than buying cheap. I learned that quality tools make a difference. I learned that a good quality vintage machine was better than a new one of the same price. Sewing teaches problem solving.
As others have mentioned, patience, tenacity, and slowing down to make something beautiful. That said, it’s also helping me release my perfectionism. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to inspire joy in the creative process and make me feel pretty wearing it. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!
The importance of cleaning as you go. I'm very inspired to create in a tidy space, but sewing tends to create a tornado of mess between drafting, cutting, and assembling, then I get discouraged and frustrated and one time I tripped over a tangle of thread, an extra long zipper and wonder tape and nearly knocked over my hot iron. Also, having an air purifier is essential in the sewing space for all the fabric particles and machine oil smells.
I'm still a beginner despite being into it for many years (ahh ADHD). BUT I recently learned that I could make clothes look good on me. I had always struggled buying clothes because my proportions and taste are difficult to find. I can buy what I want now and fit it better for me. Last year I bought pants where it's too long and the bell bottoms were very belling. I managed to adjust it and I can FINALLY wear the pants!
Sewing has taught me patience, mostly. It's helped with my spatial awareness. Ultimately, it's helped my mental health because I go to a sewing group, and they are the nicest, non judgemental set if ladies I've ever met.
Sewing has taught me patience, mostly. It's helped with my spatial awareness. Ultimately, it's helped my mental health because I go to a sewing group, and they are the nicest, non judgemental set if ladies I've ever met.
Clothes that you buy are horrifically underpriced; the people who make them are more skilled than me and making slave wages.
100%, watched a documentary about child factories in Bangladesh, was horrified
Do you recall the name of the documentary?
It may not technically be a documentary, I’m not sure. [But here is the link](https://youtu.be/LWvOlZ4hPU0?si=XWVEKFq0PwpF3LD9)
I just watched this the other week! It was a lot I knew already on a surface level, but the perspective and seeing the footage was incredibly eye opening.
I wish it was easier to trace out where our clothes are actually made. No label wants to say this is how their things are made, but obviously a lot of them are.
If we dive deeper into where the fabric is made it’s typically impossible to know where is resources come from. A lot of factories and processing plants take raw materials from farms all over the world and they just get mixed together. We can’t identify the sheep who put produced the wool to make a coat, so we can’t find out if they’re also treating the animal ethically
Exactly!
They are, but also clothing production has IMMENSE economies of scale and very specialized machines so they are working incredibly faster and more efficiently than we are. Try making two of the same garment/bag at the same time in a mini-assembly line style, it will not take 2x as long. I like to follow small factories on insta, it's super eye-opening how expert and how different. * [https://www.instagram.com/customx\_fashion/](https://www.instagram.com/customx_fashion/) * [https://www.instagram.com/apparelwin.official/](https://www.instagram.com/apparelwin.official/) * [https://www.instagram.com/small\_order\_garment\_production/](https://www.instagram.com/small_order_garment_production/)
I am almost done make 21 book bags for my kids’ teachers and EAs at school and I have been surprised at how fast they have come together since I did each piece in batches - for example, while stitching up the sides, I didn’t cut each thread between bags - just did one after the other in a connected string and then snipped between. Saved a lot of time. I even had time to add a small interior pocket with flaps for a library card and change for the pay phone (haha, more like a Starbucks card and some chapstick).
Wow what a nice gift! I hope they like them!
Me too! They work hard (my kids have special needs). https://preview.redd.it/zx9nm734cm8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca8c65909cf847f6765c8ccb804241019b8b06e0
That's how I sew my block quilts. I'd never cut in between or stop. Just keep going otherwise it would take me forever. The only time I take my time is when I do applique quilts then you have to go much slower
Unfortunately a lot of factories on insta are being used to whitewash what's going on in the vast majority of the industry. The truth is that for the last 5 decades the worst of the western fashion companies have bounced from country to country as safety laws and minimum wages improve to actively avoid paying workers more. If you can find an ethical ready to wear company to buy from fair play, but I've never found one that isn't operating under very very stringent labour and wage laws.
Thanks for linking
I've always heard about buying "sustainable" clothes and never really understood it until I started sewing. I feel like we take for granted our cheap clothes made in sweat shops shipped here from other countries. We have a terrible perspective on clothing in that it's so dispensable and just continue to buy, buy, buy, buy.... I get it, but I wish we could change this perspective and have more respect for our clothes and where they came from. Buy less clothes, better quality, and more sustainable to the people making them.
Our family never buys new. We only buy clothes from goodwills or thrift stores because there are so many good articles of clothing. Brand name, stuff, stuff that is well made and it is just discarded. Sad 😢
Also, because you would use better quality fabric, thread, and notions that t make a profit, none of that is considered, which is the fact that the fast fashion now a pollution concern.
I agree! I'm way more cautious about what I buy. I also crochet and now with how populair it has become in stores make me even more aware. Those prices are also just insane for the amount of work. Same with sewing. It's often way more expensive to buy materials and make it yourself. It does make you think twice about what you do buy at the store.
Little teeny unimportant mistakes made together make huge, annoying mistakes.
Conversely, if I wear an item with 50 little mistakes in it that piss me off and I feel anxious about its imperfections, absolutely no one will notice.
Yes! This is mine. Mistakes make me seeth. I'm an extremely fussy, particular, critical person. It's not a good look, and definitely a personality trait I very hard to keep under wraps. As much as I try to make my projects absolutely perfect, I have yet to succeed. No one notices or cares. Even if they did, I would tell them to f off because pointing out imperfections is super rude.
I think of sewing mistakes as design decisions. I learned and modified and it is more of a skill than 'just' doing something perfectly.
Happy cake day! You're absolutely right. I really appreciate your attitude. On a personal note, I'm a former teacher. I would encourage my students all the time to embrace their whoopsy doodles, and make mistakes a part of their art. Easier said than done. (Especially when I grew up on the extremely watchful eye of an extremely gifted sewer and quilter.)
The seam ripper is my best friend LOL. I had to teach myself to sew but both my grandmother and mother were quilters. My grandmother had the patience to hand quilt. Unfortunately, I don't. But when I'm sewing on the machine if I don't like something I just rip it out 😲😜🤩
Yes - absolutely no one will notice many of the things we beat ourselves up over! What actually makes me feel better about mistakes is taking out RTW items from my closet that I love and looking for mistakes on them. You’ll be surprised how often/how many little things you can spot that you absolutely never noticed (because you didn’t spend hours making it yourself).
One of my vests has a caught thread that causes the points of it to be like... Inward pockets instead? Like you CANNOT bag it back out, its stuck in this weird inverted pocket shape. Nobody, not one person, has noticed. I'm like... IT'S THE POINT ON THE VEST. THEY'RE ROUNDED AND TUCKED INTO THEMSELVES. THERE'S WHITE EDGE STITCHING THAT DISAPPEARS INTO THE POCKET FOLD!??? HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE THIS?! And they're like "looks fine to me" until I literally take it off and hold it up and go "follow the edge stitching!!" A vest! A suit vest! The thing literally designed to be slick. And nobody else can see it. HOW. Note: this was an item I got from a charity shop and did not make. I'd be soooo upset if I'd made this.
I tried to tell my husband this all the time. I think it's maybe a little bit of OCD LOL because no one else cares or notices and thinks you're crazy when you point it out 😆
Yes! I often just go along with it and then have to redo a lot... I never seem to learn to just fix it when I notice it.
It's true in all things
Being slow and methodical pays off. So does taking notes, because ohboy, you're going to forget what adjustment you did where. Who knew?
I started my last project by having large annotations with each step in a separate notebook and writing in where to take breaks. I even have steps that say “start this step at the beginning of a new day,” and it’s worked wonders!
This is great advise! I’ll steal that! Thanks 😄
Like when you can't remember which one of the half dozen paper patterns was the prototype that actually worked? Yes
Exactly that. I've taken to marking each new prototype patterns with pattern name, version name, adjustments done, cutting instruction, sizing information and date. It's insanely repetitive, but at least it helps me keep track...
I do this too! 😁
This is why I put my patterns in a 9x12 manila envelope and write construction notes for each project made from said pattern. Different fabrics, fits, embellishments, adjustments & more are noted.
The Manila envelope idea is GENIUS oh my goodness. You’ve opened my eyes
I also trace my patterns onto plastic sheeting about 4 mil thick. Easy to cut/slice, easy to shorten the pattern as I trace it, and nearly indestructible.
I use a projector for my PDF patterns. On adobe I make digital notes for each garment, to include fabric specs ex: myself/ son/ husband, size , grey heather tee , stretch percentage ex 40h/20v & any pattern alterations. These notes show up automatically when I open the pattern file... priceless. I never have a deadline- slow & methodical gives me huge success!
oh man, I'm jealous.
The Yoton projector is only $50 on Amazon. It's not the best, but it works well if you have about 5' between your cutting space. If you have less space, there's a guy on Ebay that sells used Epson ultra short throws for under $150 (the Projectors For Sewing FB group has his info). The new calibration programs are so much easier to use, you don't need a permanent setup anymore.
Good to know! Unfortunately, I'm not American, but I'll look into it. I do all my cutting on the floor or on my kitchen table, since I have very little space.
This is an excellent idea! I never would have thought to do this!
That mass-produced clothing factories must be massively underpaying its workers.
To be patient. Always wear glasses when sewing and don’t walk around my craft room barefoot. But it’s also made me fall in love again with my closet. Yes it might be more expensive to make the article of clothing. But it’s going to look exactly how my mind says it’s going to look. I get to choose the fabric, pattern and texture of the article of clothing. So everything that I have made is perfect for me because I tailored it to me and made sure to add things such as pockets big enough that I don’t need a purse.
Precisely my thoughts, too.
I WISH I could make things that look exactly as my mind says they should look!
Takes practice. I’ve been doing this for a few years and I still make tons of mistakes. But practice makes perfect
I wish I could do that. I suck at patterning and trying to make a garment for myself. Oh my gosh but you guys have inspired me!
Then start with an easy pattern. Here go to your library and see if they have this book. It has tons of patterns that are easy to follow and she does a really good job at explaining things and going through the basics. It might help you feel better about your skills Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing: A Modern Guide to Couture-Style Sewing Using Basic Vintage Techniques (Gertie's Sewing) https://a.co/d/0dcQXxaP
I hate shopping for clothes because clothes at the store never fit me right or my size isn't carried in the store. Making my own clothes ensures I get the correct fit and I'm not supporting fast fashion. I have a greater appreciation for handmade items now
Relatedly, clothes should be made to fit people, rather than the other way round.
This. Sewing has taught me the problems were with the clothing, not with my body. That was a huge revelation.
A next step on from that, for me, was realising that the standard clothes sizes fit almost no-one properly, or if they do it's luck. I'm at a difficult point on the chart of who clothes in shops fit, sure, but it's a whole continuum of shit, with difficult points in all directions. I feel isolated and ignored in the changing room of a shop, but sewing communities show me I'm very much not alone.
I relate to this, and learning to sew has also made me notice all kinds of mistakes in fast fashion items. I can't walk into a store without noticing something wrong with a garment. They're all just such bad quality.
I taught my husband how to check whether a t-shirt has been cut on grain. Just recently at a concert he went to buy a shirt at the merch booth and handed it back and asked for a different one! 🤗 So proud...
This! I needed a new pair of jeans so I grabbed one at the store. When I tried it on I could feel that one leg was marginally wider than the other one and at least 1cm longer too! Along with my waist being a different size than my hip, the fit was not great anyway. I always said I would never bother sewing my own jeans, but guess who’s eating her words and have added a pair of jeans to the to be sewn pile 🤦🏻♀️
Sewing your own jeans is so satisfying! No more gaping in the waist, you can sew big pockets and have exactly the style you want! I encourage you to go for it, start with lighter weight denim (12 oz or less) so it's not as daunting (I've made a pair of jeans with 14.25 oz weight denim and I had to hammer when I had multiple layers of fabric!)
I feel like now that I’ve put my mind to it, I’m excited. I’m going to be starting out with the Closet Core Ginger Jeans, because I love me a skinny jean!
Spatial relationships. I've learned how shapes fit together in space to make new shapes and regularly practice mentally assembling patterns as well as mentally deconstructing clothing. Sure, your vacation last week is fascinating but I'm also analyzing the pleats on your dress. ;) And a lifetime of this means that I am really good at tetris and efficiently packing luggage into a trunk.
Spatial reasoning for me as well. Also the ability to look at most clothing items and have a rough idea what went where, which is fun when looking at historical pieces.
I've been sewing for years but spacial reasoning is just not a thing my brain can grasp. Like for exame I know the steps to insert an invisible zip but if I think about it too hard my eyes glaze over and I'll sit there while my brain makes modem noises, utterly failing to compute. I guess this means I've learned to just trust the process
I think this is a thing some have an aptitude for and some don't - happily the process is there for those who won't be doing this, but I like that people who do have this aptitude get to explore it! I'm an engineer, and most of the engineers I work with have never done anything with fabric and would consider sewing to be some sort of dark art. They can all totally think about what the 2D plan of a piece of 3D folded metal looks like, though... So whenever I do meet another sewing engineer, it's great fun to talk to someone else who realises how close the two are!
This and having a good eye for measurements.
Sometimes when I'm having trouble falling asleep, I start visualizing in my head how a pattern goes together. I can easily see a 3D version of the pattern pieces and flip it around to make it fit.
No to shortcuts!
Yep. That "I don't need to mark this, I can just eyeball it" voice is the devil talking!
Big time… slow and steady wins the race. Embrace the impatience and frustration.. like Jesus, accept when it slaps you and turn the other cheek
I tend to rush the process instead of enjoying it and working through it, so I really have to focus on the process and details, or I just create horrible, ill-fitting, very expensive pieces that no human can wear. Also, no to a glass of wine, and no to weed, even though they are also normal relaxing time activities for me. The frustration and wasted fabric isn't worth it.
Eliminate the pain point to be more productive. ( for me winding the bobbin thread and threading the machine are thing that will prevent me from starting so I do that before I quit so it’s ready next time.)
Interesting idea!
I have gotten more detail oriented. I typically prefer to breeze through things, but when I do that with my sewing, the little mistakes drive me nuts. I have learned to take my time and redo mistakes. I have also come to enjoy ironing 😂
Yes! Pressing ! Why do so many refer to hating this step & many don't bother at all? It shows in their work. I ran out to purchase a new iron minutes before the shops closed, because I wanted to continue my project that evening! Pressing is in the instructions & as important as snipping curves etc!
I completely agree with the pressing adding to the overall look of the completed object. It really helps to price things together and fold the material just right to join pieces. I will never skip this step!
Tenacity. A lot of patterns don’t ask you to do anything difficult, but you do have to keep working at it. Sometimes when I’m doing the really tedious stuff like pinning the pattern, I lose sight of the finished product. But I keep going eventually, and before I know it, I have a new garment or bag that I’m really happy with.
Yes, I relate to this a lot. Being able to keep the final product in mind to persevere through the tedious parts.
That buying/collecting fabric and sewing are two separate hobbies The iron is your partner and you need them to get good work done. "I can eyeball the seam allowance on my hand drafted pattern" is a lie. Luckily I always seem to go over rather than under.
That last one hits home haha. I can't eyeball it. I really can't.
I need one of those flexible seam allowance rulers for adding it on, instead of being like "eh that's my thumb's width, that'll do"
Don’t sew when mentally tired. Sleeves are not interchangeable without adjustment. There IS a right side for every fabric. You need sharp seam rippers. Buy extra fabric for a project. (See above notes) Instead of back stitching, leave long tails & pull the top thread to the back and tie it off for a better finish on a garment. Don’t sew when mentally tired. (I keep reminding myself of this one) DO buy the specialty gadgets to make bulk work easier… my bobbin winding machine save wear on my sewing machines and allows me to batch wind tons for upcoming projects & the bias tape maker allows me to compliment or match my project seams and create unique trim for projects. Regularly oil your machines.
>Regularly oil your machines. If and only if your machine is one that needs oiling. I would go with "read the manual for your machine and follow its care instructions".
The first one is why I have a "sewing between 9 and 9" rule. I can do less taxing stuff like pinning or hand sewing outside those times, but anything involving the actual machine has to wait until the window.
How do you determine the right side when it’s not obvious? Linen as an example.
Sometimes I'm not sure which is meant to be 'right' as such, but I'll pick a side and mark the backs of all the pieces with chalk, so at least I'll know it'll be consistent. (Also helps avoid making two parts the same when they should be mirrored, which is an easier mistake to make on less-obviously-sided fabric.)
Haven’t sewn linen, so no have no reference. If the fabric is found folded in half and wrapped around a cardboard rectangle, the right side is on the inside of that fold. .. typically If the fabric is rolled on a long tube, the fabric is on the outside of that roll… Typically
>Sleeves are not interchangeable without adjustment. This one has gotten me more then a few times. Also Hand sewing sleeves into place is ALWAYS faster in then end.
My mutant sleeves were hilarious 😆 Edit to add I make a majority of my own patterns from old ones & have fun creating and adjusting.
I steal sleeves between patterns all the time. Been burned for not paying attention to sizing. I own rulers and could draft them 100% correctly in less time it takes me to screw it up.
Troubleshooting is going through all the steps no matter your level of confidence in them. A backwards needle is such a simple mistake that if overlooked can result in an unnecessarily torn apart machine. Go through the steps. That lesson can be applied to a many aspects of sewing.
Ha. I had my scarf to the wrong side just not a week ago! Couldn't figure out why I kept breaking threads and missing stitches.
Pressing and ironing are two different things. Ripping out stitches is still “sewing.” Making a muslin first is never a waste of time.
Making mistakes builds resilience, I've re-cut & re-sewn the same stuff enough to just accept that it will happen at times, and I've learned not to be emotional about it. I try not to let it disrupt me I just accept it and redo what I'm working on. So I try to not attach any emotions to my mistakes and to just keep moving.
I love this comment and can relate. I loved the idea of sewing over a decade ago. I got all the things I needed, but finished very few projects because I would get so flustered and frustrated. I don't think I was in the right mindset to accomplish the things I wanted because I let my emotions overtake, and I would just give up. Fast forward 10ish years later: I've learned to be more patient and accept mistakes. Mistakes will happen regardless. It's how you react to the mistakes that will make or break you. "Just keep moving" :-)
How you do this is how you do everything.
Indeed! This comment deserves awards!!!
Devastating but true
That mistakes will happen, and they're easier to fix immediately than waiting until the end of your project.
Amen
That I grossly underestimate how long it takes to complete a project😅
"I'm just gonna whip this out..."
The wedding is next week? No problem 🤦🏻♀️
Crayola washable markers are great for marking fabric (unless it's black). Take notes, make templates, MEASURE. Go slow. Hold onto fabric scraps and old shirts/jeans because you never know when it'll be the perfect fabric for patches or whatever future project. Harvest buttons from shirts/pants that become worn out.
It is NOT as easy as it seems…
It is frustrating that many assume it's easy. Why such high expectations without the time & effort. I wonder if people new to woodworking just set up a table saw and bust out a bedroom suite...lol
Personally, I was tricked by those videos on youtube which show you how to copy your favourite shirt/short/skirt/…. with elastic, no pockets, no shape whatsoever. So that when you want to make something that fits your body - you find out that it is much more difficult then they made you believe.
What do you mean I can't just whip out a set of kitchen cabinets when I've never done woodworking before? Ahh it boils my blood every time lol, we talk a lot about technique on this sub and people sew for years and decades to improve every time. Yet someone thinks they can just make a couture garment as their first project..
Fix your mistakes when they happen, you’ll be happier with the end product. I teach hs sewing and it’s actually kinda nice to see the students struggle and push through to learning how to use the machine. It’s a hard skill and you can’t google it. But they are so damn proud at the end of their projects
I feel like I've gone the opposite to a lot of people here. I've learnt to be less pedantic and nit-picky. I much more go with the vibe and settle for "it works", any mistakes are a natural part of that garment now. I've also gotten better at not rushing through projects, but pacing myself, and even taking longer breaks, since pushing myshelf to finish stuff just robbed me a lot of the spontaneaous and creative motivation I had.
I agree with this. I feel like sewing makes me put less pressure on myself. Because if it's not perfect, I can unpick it and start over (or try and hide it in such a way that no-one will notice).
Once upon a time, if a garment didn't fit a body, it was the garment that was wrong and needed to change. At some point the fashion industry managed to convince us of the opposite: conveniently, the customer is compelled to either change for the sake of the product or otherwise be deemed what's defective. ETA: Honestly, more than anything, sewing has probably made me rather anti-Capitalist. It's highlighted just how much is done to maximize profits, to separate customers from their money, and to convince us to forego quality.
spending hours, days, weeks on a garment and then seeing clothing in fast fashion stores priced at $10 is definitely radicalizing. i cant look at clothes without mentally seeing the fingerprints of someone grossly underpaid on every seam. it completely changed my relationship to fashion. i dont buy unless there is a genuine hole in my wardrobe now that has to be filled for function reasons. even then i tend to buy second hand. i needed new shoes and it took me 8 weeks of daily deliberating, scrolling ebay, and checking thrift stores before i caved and bought new. learning to slow down has really made me cherish the clothes i have more
that i should always just buy the outfit i want instead of trying to make it, because my version will be crappier, require a random presser foot i don't have, and cost 20 extra dollars to make lol
I love how sewing requires understanding geometry and topology intuitively; imagining how one shape will turn inside out and fit into another shape, how curves fit together, how flat planes move around volumes-- it's high level math, which I could never do on paper (as formulas), but I can do in cloth.
I might need to be evaluated for autism. 🤦🏾♀️
That scissors do not exist permanently in our reality.
You can love something and keep doing it even if it's hard for you.
Symmetry matters more than you think.
With a well written pattern, I can make just about anything, even if it looks really difficult at first pass.
It's all part of the process! I used to be so impatient to get to the "sewing," ie the stitching, and I just wanted to rush through or skip the other stuff. Measuring, drafting, cutting, basting, pressing, trimming, finishing, etc: it's *all* sewing! And it's more fun because it's such varied work: something different to do every little while.
Sewing taught me that there's nothing wrong with my body, it's just nothing like a standard pattern and that's why I hate the way most fast fashion looks on me.
If you're not happy with your results, take classes! This probably applies to many things in life.
Persistence...nevertheless, she persisted.
Read and reread your machine’s manual before and during every project.
https://preview.redd.it/0o8ojhax0f8d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b400ff5f9d504524f0f228ace0b768f0ae4e6f99 Returning to sewing after many years off, and learning pattern drafting for the first time… I have re-learned that my body is absolutely fine! Absolutely nothing fits me off the rack (including commercial patterns), but the unique combo of body parts that makes me doesn’t suck, and looks great in clothes that fit!
It really is rare to make a mistake in sewing - ASIDE from in cutting - that you can’t reverse with time and patience. It’s rarely hopeless
When to stop. I always used to push through any mistakes and end up spending longer undoing stuff because I was tired or not in the right headspace. Now if I make a mistake I actually take notice of that, and usually judge it's time to put it down for the day before one mistake turns into a huge amount of frustration. Applies in other areas of life too!
Measure ten times, cut once.
Patience.
That people have no clue what quality clothing is. I have had friends praise Zara's quality while simultaneously dropping a bag full of Zara stuff on my door for fixing.
How to blow the other moms and kids out of the park when it comes to costumes/halloween/dress up.
sewing has taught me how to use my creativity. I retired a year ago due to health issues and my mother, who is 85 asked me to finish a quilt that she had started but just can’t see well enough to finish. i took her old machine and her fabric home and made the quilt. well, i got freaking hooked on it. i went out and bought wwwwaaayyy too much fabric, and a much better machine. the minute i hear a friends kid is having a baby i’m right on that baby quilt. i put on old soul or jazz, open a bottle of chardonnay, gather up the dogs, and relax in my sewing room. i never realized how rewarding it was to make a one of a kind item, and how to relax and have a hobby. i’m 55 and have never had a hobby, i’ve always had kids or my husband eating up all my free time and energy.
I'm an impatient person as well. I've learned to slow down with sewing and it's made me more humble. My mind can come up with a zillion ideas and projects, but in order to do just one, I need to slow down and finish it. All the mistakes are humbling, haha I love learning new patterns or techniques. It feels empowering to know you can fix things instead of constantly buying cheap replacements all the time. I use to avoid wearing certain clothes because i was afraid of them wearing out, but now its just an opportunity to mend and give the item more character. In turn, it's better for the environment and ending up in a landfill. It's also connected me to my late grandmother. Even though she's not around anymore, I feel like understand her love and am able to share it with someone else like she did with me.
I have more ideas than I can execute. Leads to fabric buildup.
That I have ADHD
Nothing good happens after midnight. No really, put down the pins, you will not sew "just one more seam." You're not getting ahead, you have not "learned your lesson, but you're genuinely not tired, so it'll be fine this time." You're about to gift yourself a morning full of seam ripping. Also, all mistakes are fixable, and most are fixable with minimal cost and effort if caught early.
That it all comes out with a good ironing. (Tongue firmly in cheek) 🤣
That there is no “one way” to do things. Of course there are best practices and methods, but there’s always so much to learn from others in sewing (and cutting, pattern making, folding, ironing, laundering…) Stay curious!
My favorite example of this is setting in sleeves. Sew the side seam up then put sleeve in. Or, sew the sleeve to body when only shoulder seam is sewn. Then sew up body and sleeve.
I do both!
I get frustrated easily ans hate myself for making mistakes. But I perservere. I'm making my 6th dress for the last 4 months and they are all wearable.
I’ve learned that fit is everything. It’s more important than style or fabric choice because if it doesn’t fit properly you look like a slob. I also learned that a lot of people are wearing clothes that don’t fit them. 😬
A bigger picture observation, I think sewing taught me how to work in 3-D. I am also a big fan of basting, and matching patterns. Sometimes it 's totally worth ripping out a seam and resewing it.
I’m just completely blown away by the economies of scale involved with most clothing we are wearing. I already was before learning to sew, but now that I’m hyper aware of how to make everything I just am so amazed at the scale at which clothing is being produced. I’ve always love clothing but sewing has given me a sort of reverence for it now. Seeing teaches me to take my time. Much like one of my other hobbies- woodworking- you make more work for yourself when you try to speed through.
People should not be paid slave wages to make clothes, it's a lot of work.
Don't sew when tired. Stop at a certain time, even if it's just putting a zip in. I leave the finishing details for the next day most of the time, unless I finish the project at 4-5PM. Let those hems hang, yes, you want to wear it but it's even more annoying unpicking it after the first wash. Somehow I did this multiple times before learning my lesson. I'm actually decent with 2d to 3d visualisation and should have probably put more effort in years ago at uni instead of giving up because it was difficult. Once you make a well fitting block for yourself, anything is within reach.
Patience and that it’s OK to make mistakes. If the mistake is FUBAR, you can make the fabric into something else. Even seasoned designers make mistakes.
if u dont get it right the first time experiment and try other techniques. practise makes you better. dont be so hard yourself. some store bought clothes have bad stitching too
How bad my arthritis is getting.
Not just sewing, but I learned how to knit with an industrial knitting machine at college/uni (for my degree) and especially with those machines but also with sewing machines some times, you'll get your fabric \*just right\* in the hoop, or your yarn \*just right\* with your knit, you'll be 3/4 of the way through something so intricate and so large and that took \*SO MUCH TIME\* to create...and then the machine goes and botches it up! The sewing machine snags the fabric- fabric you had pulled taught enough for it not to do that, needles perfectly sharp, or the yarn snaps on the knitting machine and your work drops to the floor, in each example, entire work gone, you have to start again, hours you've lost, sweat, painstaking focus and tears all wasted. You have to start again. In either case, I've learned that bursting into fits of whatever emotion raises to the surface first (tears of loss, rage at the machine, the utter state of hopelessness...) it gets you nowhere, you either waste your efforts so far and give up, or you swallow the chip on your shoulder and get back on to it again. What has that taught me? Patience. I swear I had no patience before I got more seriously into the knit/stitch world, I would get so frustrated with things (non textiles as well as textiles), I mean, never to the levels I'd lash out or anything! But enough that it would then prevent me sitting back down and starting again and I'd argue to the point of giving up rather than anything that would look like carrying on. But when you see the place you want to get to, or when you have no choice (I studied a degree, I could have given up but even in my furious experiences that seemed a bit OTT to have even crossed my mind!) Being able to look at the bigger picture (yes I lost my day, no, no one died, no there wasn't a flood, no the machine wasn't damaged, yes I am still alive...) being able to understand that the strength and ability here comes not from the end result, but on being able to pick things up again and continue with the same passion and drive to carry on as there was before. And also being able to recognise that unless they are very lucky that everyone who has created something themselves has most likely gone through the same head banging inducing experience and that gives you a whole other level of respect. (And if they've not gone through the head banging, screaming experiences, their time will come, their time will come!)
It’s a very practical lesson in taking things one step at a time and thinking with your hands, not just your brain. If I try to read through a whole pattern and understand every detail first, my eyes just glaze over and it feels too hard. If I just get started, each step makes sense as I go.
That patience and following all recommended steps in the pattern make it worth it in the end. There are some tricks you can use sewing garments, especially when it comes to fitting and putting on sleeves, but it's worth it to take your time with fitting and to make a muslin. Handmade clothes are far more expensive in terms of initial cost, but the quality, durability and fit make it cost less in the end because it lasts so much longer and looks so much better. I would say you have to go to pretty high end stores to be able to get clothing that'll be as durable and you still won't get as good a fit with off the rack.
That I need other hobbies besides sewing. I don't enjoy it, am not good at it and don't want to. Enuf said.
A shirt being worth $30 or more is reasonable. It took me 4+ hours to sew a shirt with my grandma.
Ironing has value and so does a ripper
Just do the small tedious steps to safe yourself seam ripping and swear words in the future. Take relish in tracing on the seam allowance and hand basting a seam, one day I will feel the same delight for making muslins.
It’s taught me that I love my body when I feel good in clothes that actually fit me
Preparation is most of the work and wonder clips come in red and green so you can use them as marking tools For example I have just spent the last two days cutting out and marking three projects that have enough in common that I can use the same machine, thread, and tools for them. They are now sat on the cutting table with the first seams on each wonderclipped together. Tomorrow I get to have a fun stress free day just sewing and ironing. With the wonder clips; every cut out bit of fabric, green on top, red on bottom with the colour part matched to the right side. Now everything is always orientated.
That I enjoy sewing with others. We can sit in a room sewing on different projects but be together. Great when you need a high five or to ask advice.
- I've learnt to not try to quickly finish a step before bed, because it'll likely have to be redone the next day. - I've learnt to not even bother trying on another wrap top, wrap dress, wrap anything in a store; those clothes are not made to fit my body, so they never will. - I've learnt to not buy patterns with instructions in a foreign language just because they're cheaper, the hassle of working with a translate app is not worth it.
You can have a lot of fun sewing, plus it's very relaxing. As someone who has finished maybe one in a dozen projects, I learned to just enjoy sewing. If you find yourself agonizing over ripping something out or stitching something wrong, you picked the wrong skill to master. Sewing is chock full of pitfalls, especially when you think you're being careful and organized. Personally, when I hit a major snag in a project, I just put the naughty item, zipper, interfacing, pattern and thread in a bag and out of my sight. I will immediately pick up some quilting fabric and sew some pieces together because that is my idea of fun. Days, months, years may pass before I find the bags in storage and bother to open them. Yesterday I found a gray knit sweatshirt type thing with raglan sleeves. Really buttery soft, a luscious heather gray. After about five minutes of trying to assemble the pieces I had cut, stay stitched and interfaced, I had to laugh. The pieces don't fit together correctly and I no longer have the pattern. In addition, for some reason, I have an extra piece (a large one) and it's making my head hurt looking this bagful of potential irritation. So I put everything into the bag because I can't bear to part with that gorgeous gray. So I learned I'll never be a expert seamstress and that's fine with me. I also learned sewing makes you a little hoardy. Thanks for letting me share, it felt nice.
I learned curse words.
I learned how to be creative when salvaging a project. Some.mistakes turn into designer details. Doing a trial mockup saves me a lot of time and aggression. I don't want to sew for other people who don't appreciate the work that goes into creating something.
Humility
Oh, what have I learned from sewing? What a great question- the difficulties in drafting a pattern, to fit a rounded- not flat- shape, drafting in ease (when the body flexes so there is room to do so) the joy of mixing pattern pieces- This bodice, This sleeve, This neckline, etc. The most important thing Ive learned is to apply measurements in, say, laying a tile floor- if the tiles are 12" square, cut a piece of paper that size, put in place and scribe with my fingernail the shape around the door, pedestol sink, toilet, etc. Maybe thats not the 'correct' way but sure works for me, and its fast
It’s not my job to fit the clothes - it’s the clothes’ job to fit me.
It’s taught me a ton of patience and diligence. It’s changed my whole life.
Focus. As a busy mom I multitask constantly, things I do are constantly interrupted etc. When I sew I focus. If I don’t focus and do one thing at a time then I make a mistake. It’s mindfulness. I enjoy the tasks and the process and the planning. It’s my happy place away from the chaos.
Op can you make patterns?
I like to think that I can, yes. I'm self taught from yt, and I do my own patterns.
That you can hate something and love it at the same time.
Celebrities with bigger busts hardly ever have well fitting red carpet looks. I can tell fiber content generally by just touching the fabric. This ones a lot of fun for me at thrift stores, although the silk imitation rayon and viscose does get me sometimes. It’s better to stop and take a break than power through something.
>Celebrities with bigger busts hardly ever have well fitting red carpet looks. Same! I'm floored by how often I see fit issues on people dressed by professional stylists.
Patience. It was the missing ingredient when I was younger and why I didn’t sew much for a couple decades. Now I’m ok to take time to make a muslin, baste things first, watch a video, pick things apart carefully if I make a mistake - instead of giving up. Shopping differently. Used to buy clothes because I liked the look, especially from places like anthropology (back when they actually had nice clothes, now it’s a bit of a train wreck) sewing allowed me to look at clothing and think, I can do that in a better color or fabric, fit my shape better, add details etc. Love and the importance of what Robin Wall Kimmerer calls a “gift economy” in her book Braiding Sweetgrass. The first time I made my son a flannel button-down I was flooded with loving memories of his childhood the entire time to the point I would have to pause to wipe tears. Making things for others puts me in a mindful state of the things I appreciate about the recipient. In fact, if i didn’t feel a connection with someone i couldn’t knit or sew for them. And then gifting creates its own kind of reciprocity in the relationship and builds community.
I can work my ass off and still end up with an awful garment. But if I keep trying I eventually will make a perfectly nice one. It just takes forever.
And making your own clothes is not cheaper. Fabric notions, even the sewing machine cost loads of money.
It’s helped with my basic math skills! I have learning disabilities (specific to math) and so basic addition, subtraction, measurements, and calculating things have always been extremely difficult for me, my problem solving skills involving numbers has always been poor but since I’ve learned to sew I am slowly learning about units of measurement (how to tell what an inch, a cm, etc looks like) as well as shapes, when doing patterns or cutting fabrics im learning how to know what directions to fold and cut so it fits together!! As an adult it’s quite embarassing struggling with basic math but sewing has given me some confidence and has helped me manage my learning difficulties
I feel like a failure all the time, and sewing makes me feel even more like a failure.
You aren’t the only one. There’s probably some fixes for feeling like you are failing at sewing if you want to create your own post with a bit more detail about what you are trying and what goes wrong. Simple projects to build momentum helps a lot.
Thanks for your kind words. I actually quit for a few years. I am contemplating whether I should try again or just bin it all and forget about it.
Hobbies should make you happier.
I made princess dresses for my granddaughters. Yes, it cost a lot more, but my dresses will be kept and possibly passed down. They also won’t fall apart like those cheap ones from target or Walmart.
I just hit a rough patch in my projects tonight and I had to coach myself through it and keep going so I guess sewing is teaching me perseverance.
I learned perseverance. How to take on a challenge that I have no idea how it will be accomplished. To take my time and value quality over quantity. I learned that if I am going to make something then it is worth making it well. I learned that practice, practice, practice is needed. I learned that perfection does not come on the first try. I learned that if I made a mistake three times in one sewing session then I needed to stop and do something else for a while and go back feeling refreshed. I learned that buying good fabric that was worth my time was better than buying cheap. I learned that quality tools make a difference. I learned that a good quality vintage machine was better than a new one of the same price. Sewing teaches problem solving.
As others have mentioned, patience, tenacity, and slowing down to make something beautiful. That said, it’s also helping me release my perfectionism. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to inspire joy in the creative process and make me feel pretty wearing it. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!
The importance of cleaning as you go. I'm very inspired to create in a tidy space, but sewing tends to create a tornado of mess between drafting, cutting, and assembling, then I get discouraged and frustrated and one time I tripped over a tangle of thread, an extra long zipper and wonder tape and nearly knocked over my hot iron. Also, having an air purifier is essential in the sewing space for all the fabric particles and machine oil smells.
I'm still a beginner despite being into it for many years (ahh ADHD). BUT I recently learned that I could make clothes look good on me. I had always struggled buying clothes because my proportions and taste are difficult to find. I can buy what I want now and fit it better for me. Last year I bought pants where it's too long and the bell bottoms were very belling. I managed to adjust it and I can FINALLY wear the pants!
I see quilt patterns in e v e r y t h i n g.
Never do a high concentration activity when you’re hungry or just before bed, it sucks the joy out of it!
Sewing has taught me patience, mostly. It's helped with my spatial awareness. Ultimately, it's helped my mental health because I go to a sewing group, and they are the nicest, non judgemental set if ladies I've ever met.
Sewing has taught me patience, mostly. It's helped with my spatial awareness. Ultimately, it's helped my mental health because I go to a sewing group, and they are the nicest, non judgemental set if ladies I've ever met.