How to Learn to Sew
Sewing is a basic skill that anyone who wears clothing should know how to do. There are a vast number of things to learn as you begin to sew, but the basic steps are really easy.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric
- Scissors or shears
- Straight pins
- Lined paper
- Pencil
- Thread
- Sewing machine
Instructions
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1
Gather some basic sewing supplies. You need a pair of sharp scissors or shears to cut fabric, some straight pins and thread to get started.
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2
Learn to sew on the machine without thread. Set a piece of lined paper under the presser foot. Lower the presser foot. Make a row of straight stitches on the paper using the lines on the paper as your guide. Stitch all the lines on the paper.
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3
Make a bunch of curved lines on another piece of paper. Sew along the curved lines. This helps you get a feel for moving the fabric around curved edges.
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4
Thread your sewing machine. Follow the directions that come with the machine. You need to load the bobbin as well as put the thread on the top of the machine. Many new machines have thread guides that show you exactly where the thread goes.
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5
Put two pieces of scrap fabric together with the edges even. Place the fabric under the presser foot and lower the presser foot. Push the reverse button and slowly apply pressure to the foot feed of the sewing machine. Take a few stitches. Release the reverse button and sew forward to the end of the fabric scrap. Sew three backstitches by pushing the reverse button again.
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6
Raise the presser foot. Cut the threads from both ends. You just sewed your first seam. Keep practicing until you are comfortable with your machine, and then you are ready to make a project.
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Comments
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rebeccalopez
Jun 16, 2010
Thank you so much for posting this. I always thought learning to sew would be complicated (which I why I have never pulled out my mother's machine from the closet). I appreciate the simple way you wroote the article so that someone like me would be afraid to try something new. :)
