Choosing your First Sewing Projects

Learning to sew can be exciting, fun and a bit scary. This is why when you first learn to sew you should keep in mind that you are not here to make a fashion statement ….just yet. You should start with very easy projects and scrap material or material that is not expensive, this way you can get the basic mechanics of sewing without big expectations and or spending a lot of money. 

The easiest thing to start out with is a pillow, this is nothing more than two pieces of fabric sewed together and stuffed. It will give you the opportunity to practice sewing a straight seam as well as how to go around corners when sewing. If you want to sew a piece of clothing a simple sun dress for you or a child may be the best choice. 

You can go to your local fabric store to choose your patterns or you can buy them on the Internet in a variety of places. The great thing about this is that certain sites will allow you to look at the back of the pattern so that you can also buy your fabric and notions at the same time. This means that when your package arrives you will be ready to get started. 

When you look at the back of your pattern you will need to familiarize yourself with the measurements and sizes, this is how you know how much fabric to buy. It is highly recommended that you take measurements since pattern sizes are not always the same as sizes of ready made clothes in the stores.

Once you know your size then you can follow the column down to see how much fabric you need. Keep in mind that there is more than one reading for each size, this is for two reasons, first you need to figure out how wide the fabric is and you need to determine if it has a pattern or nap that needs to be matched. Also keep in mind that there will be more than one color or type of fabric that is used, so keep your eyes open for these details. 

Finally notions will be listed either above or below the charts, keep in mind that you probably will not need all the notions listed, and that description will clearly state which patterns in your pattern set need which notions.