Today’s question is…
How did you learn to sew?
What kind of sewing machine do you use?
I remember very clearly, when I was in school, there was talk of adding a Home Ec class.
Being the tomboy I was, I told my mom, I REFUSE to take Home Ec. I will NOT learn to sew. Gross! I’d rather take Shop Class!
My, how the mighty have fallen!
I was very lucky to have a very, very skilled grandmother who sewed, and she helped my mom and I fumble our way through my first couple of costumes.
After that, mom and I got our own sewing machine. She’s a much better seamstress than I, and I still go to her for help when I can’t figure out how to do something.
So, when I moved out, mom let me have that sewing machine. (She got herself a new fancy one!) Here it is, old faithful:
This is Sulu, my EuroPro Denim & Silk. It is a workhorse. It’s 12 years old now, and it’s sassy sometimes, but it is a great machine and I love it.
And for the other machines in my menagerie…
This is my serger, a Bernina 2000DE. I got this in 2005. I’ve used it a handful of times, but it’s such a pain in the butt to thread (and for a long time I didn’t have the manual – I finally found one online a couple of years ago), that I mostly just stick with my regular machine. Been trying to use it more.
And finally, the guest in the house – this one isn’t mine, it belongs to my aunt – she’s just letting it live at my house for a while.
A Babylock Elizabeth. My aunt loaned me this one last year when I was thinking of buying a new machine (since sadly I know EuroPro isn’t going to last forever…), just so I could get an idea of what other, newer machines are like! I’ve had a lot of fun playing with it although when I’m in a rush I go straight back to the EuroPro.
Learning to Sew…
Now there are a lot of books out there about beginning sewing – I have Simplicity’s Simply the Best Sewing Book, which is a nice guide to just have around. If you’re new to sewing I’d suggest picking one of these up, just to have some reference material other than the internet. But outside of that, the number #1 thing to do is to play with it. Buy some cheap fabric and mess around. Buy some of those “easy beginner” patterns and make a few things.
(As an aside – I have a hard time understanding pattern directions a lot of times – part of being a “visual” learner I guess, I don’t read instructions well. If you’re like me, and get stuck at a direction, google around and see if you can find someone else talking about it – odds are someone else may have had the same problem. There are also Customer Service phone numbers on all major patterns – I’ve never called one, but I guess they are there for a reason!)
There are also a wealth of tutorials on pinterest and youtube that can give you some tips on getting started!
Should you buy a sewing machine?
If you want to costume without buying a sewing machine – well, that’s hard. I do know quite a few people who CRAFT – they make props and armor, and buy or modify existing clothes to go around it, or commission soft parts from seamstresses. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But, if you’re wanting to do it yourself, and no one you know owns one you can borrow or use, I do recommend buying a machine, just since learning sewing is a great skill to have, whether you continue costuming or not. It’s always useful to be able to mend your own clothes, or alter them, or make your own curtains, etc. You can pick up a cheap or used one, you don’t have to go for the high end machines – you can get a simple starter machine for a decent price. Check places like “Sewing and Vacuum Repair” or similar – I got my serger there, refurbed, for a really great price. You can get a good machine that way without paying top dollar, Target or Walmart both carry cheap sewing machines that are a good place to start. You can always upgrade if it’s something you want to continue doing š
And, if you want to start sewing without a sewing machine, grab a needle and thread and some Heat n’Bond and start making. Everybody starts somewhere.