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Should i take sewing lessons or just buy a sewing machine and practice?

I am a beginner at sewing and i'd like to start making my own clothes, should i just buy a machine and give it ago?

Public Comments

1. lessons will help you. then experiment.
2. I fink yu shud take a lesson first x I do textiles and at first the machine was like a foreign object x now i love it x please try answer myne -- http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AltKomP4eEl5uGdw3Eq1zCrsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100216051950AAMaPsd
3. You should get lessons, clothing patterns aren't usually very descriptive and you will need to be taught different methods for making clothes and help understanding what different things on patterns mean.
4. As a beginner at sewing I would suggest you enrol at your local college/school for a few dressmaking classes. It will give you access to a sewing machine and be less expensive than the outlay on a machine. They also teach you how to fit the pattern,lay out a pattern, pin, tack and cut, If you have a friend/relative that has a sewing machine perhaps they would help you at first. My suggestion would be to start on something simple - there are plenty of "easy patterns" to buy, eg skirt, dress or trousers.
5. Buy a second hand machine and see if you enjoy it. A decent one will cost £50 or a new one £200+
6. get lessons. just laying out a pattern and reading it is difficult for a beginner. read the posts here. most beginners have trouble with threading the machine.
7. Take sewing lessons AND practice by "giving it a go" lessons are great for learning the basics of operating a machine, such as threading the top, threading the bobbin, how to sew a seam, how to change settings on the machine, how to change presser feet, needles, etc. and also sewing patterns selection and how to choose the correct fabric that will work with the selected pattern Then, at home, apply the basics to some simple projects. Like the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. The more you sew the better you will become. I teach beginners and I do encourage experimenting and practicing at home to reinforce the skills they learn in each lesson. When I give lessons our first projects are a simple pillow and a simple drawstring bag. It's all straight line sewing so it's super simple. We then move onto simple pajama pants with an elastic waist. This introduces measuring the pattern and comparing it to the body, curved seams, and pattern markings. We use Kwik-Start patterns from the Kwik Sew pattern company. We always use commercial patterns and in my opinion beginners should always use commercial patterns when they start. There's a lot of stuff that you don't know and it isn't intuitive from looking at a finished item of clothing. You need to know about grainlines and how they affect fit and the hang of clothes, facings, what they are and what they do, where to add shaping and where not to add shaping, and even basics such as sewing a plain seam and where buttonholes need to go. The more complex a garment the more you need to work from a pattern. What happens if you don't use a commercial pattern? You end up in my "Beginners in Crisis: It looked so simple I thought I could make it without a pattern" class where I see some of the same problems over and over, problems that are completely avoidable if a commercial pattern was used. So do take lessons, and do use what you learn in class at home with projects of your own choosing. Start with small and simple things, and then as you get better try more complext items. With a bit of time, practice and patience you should be able to make whatever you want, from t-shirts to winter coats.
8. Take the lesions a sewing machine cost a lot , and its better to practice on someone else machine.
9. If you have never used a sewing machine, find someone to help you learn how. If you have never used a sewing pattern, find someone to help you learn how. If you have some experience using a sewing machine and sewing patterns, then you can teach yourself. Sewing machine dealers usually have classes and if you buy a sewing machine from them, they will give you at least one free lesson on how to use the machine. Once you get the sewing machine, open the manual and go step-by-step with the manual right next to the machine. This is the best way to learn how to operate the machine and all the features and techniques it is capable of doing. Selecting patterns for garment sewing - you need accurate body measurements and then go by the size given on the back of the pattern envelope according to your measurements. This site - http://www.simplicity.com/t-measure-select.aspx#step1 - has a lot of helpful information and a few free projects. This book is also very helpful - https://www.discountbooksale.com/store/productView.aspx?idProduct=10538&ec=1&ProdId=112&AWTrck=1038713935&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=simplicity's%20simply%20the%20best%20sewing%20book&utm_campaign=acc001-0010&b=GGL_DBS_112_acc001_0010_10538_00_*GeoUSCA*__simplicity's%20simply%20the%20best%20sewing%20book
10. Lessons will really decrease the steepness of the learning curve, particularly at first, and they'll also help you to keep from developing some bad sewing habits like pushing or pulling fabric under the needle (which gives poor results, breaks needles, and can hurt you and the machine). There's just SO much to learn as a newbie that it can be overwhelming. And some things that you just don't pick up easily from books. If you HAVE to teach yourself, then there are beginner books and videos around (one of the best, imho, is Connie Crawford's Studio Sewing Skills, which is basically first term design school sewing), but a good teacher is even better -- someone who can check your pattern layout, correct your cutting, help you choose fabric to match the pattern and interfacing to match the fabric...