How to Sew

So I think I have at least a few friends who read this blog who are just starting to sew or are thinking about learning. Well, obviously,  I think you should DO IT.

I just started a couple of years ago because I wanted curtains for our very tall windows and couldn't find any that I liked. So I bought fabric I liked and had my mom show me how to use her old machine. I remember her sewing and making things my whole life, but for some reason I never showed any interest in it before.

Then, two Decembers ago, my parents bought me a very nice new Singer machine. I was pregnant at the time, so my need to make things for my baby suddenly kicked into overdrive, and now I had a fancy machine to oblige. Now I spend a little time sewing or creating at least every day or two. I think I would go insane without it.

Anyway, once I learned to use a machine, the internet taught me to sew. I discovered the vast black hole that is craft and sewing blogs, and I decided to just try stuff. That is still how I'm learning to sew. And if you are interested in doing the same, here are some amazing resources for you: (If you already sew a lot, then you can tune out now, because you probably know about these.)

• The Sew Basic series at Ruffles and Stuff. This is really a great place to start- supplies, fabric, winding a bobbin, even just sewing a straight line. Really clear to understand and accompanied by great photos. Also, if you have a little girl, she has the absolute cutest tutorials for girly girl stuff.

• Make it and Love it also has a series on sewing tips. This is next step stuff, like how to finish seams, use interfacing, use patterns, things like that. But also check out all her great tutorials because she also has great pictures that make it easy to follow.

• Need more than pictures? There is a series of four sewing basics videos here. Also, I love watching the videos at ThreadBanger.  They're especially helpful if you want to get into making and altering your own clothes. And I haven't checked youtube, but I'm sure there are a slew of video how-to's there.

• I was very excited to see that Design Sponge, the best design site ever, seems to be starting a sewing 101 series as well. The first installment is my starter project, making curtains. 

• And if you haven't figured this out yet, become very good friends with One Pretty Thing. Using the search box, you can literally find out how to make ANYTHING. I love it- it's the Dewey Decimal system of making. 

Ok, that should be enough to get you started. You will mess things up a lot, so buy a seam ripper.