10 TIPS (so far) FOR SUCCESS IN SEWING (with no pictures!)

I have been sewing on and off for years.  My earliest recollection was being shown by my grandmother how to sew on a button when I was about six years old.  As a teenager, I was not that interested in sewing or dressmaking.  The 70's and early 80's was an era of change, and anything to do with domesticity was rejected.  Instead, I was a reader of Cosmo, and imagined myself being a career woman!  I dabbled in making clothes in my early 20's, using my Mum's Singer sewing machine, with moderate success.  I even made some Madonna style fingerless gloves!  Only recently, have I taken up sewing more seriously again, since deciding to work part time, and having time for me.

My sewing is a work in progress, and I am learning all the time, still not brave enough to tackle anything like a jacket or coat.  However, I have just submitted a blouse to a local shop - C&H Fabrics, who are running a fun sewing bee competition.  When the results have been published, I will share my project.  It would be lovely to win a prize, but I am not that optimistic, after hearing another lady say that she never used sewing patterns and would make up her own design.  Yikes!! Big gulp!

I thought that it would be useful to share some of the things that I have found helpful, to avoid making some of the mistakes that I have done.

1. Don't be too ambitious to begin with.  I made an expensive mistake back in 2010, when I decided that I would make my own wedding dress!  Far too ambitious.  I ended up buying one two weeks before the big day.

2. Take photographs of the back of the pattern envelope with your phone.  You then have the information you need to buy the right amount of fabric and correct notions!  I came to this idea when I found myself liking a fabric, and then having to leaf through the pattern books to find the pattern and information that I needed.

3. Sign up for lessons if you can.  It is more fun learning with other people who have the same skill level, and you are less likely to make mistakes and become disillusioned.

4. Be patient.  Dressmaking takes time, and sometimes the pattern instructions can be confusing.  I am still amazed when I read blogs that refer to making something in a few hours - it takes me that long just to cut something out!  Anyway, I enjoy the process of making something as much as the satisfaction of seeing the end result.

5.  Don't expect to save much money.  Sewing clothes can be costly, when you consider the cost of a pattern, fabric, and notions.

6.  Look out in charity shops for clothes that have nice fabric and can be converted into something new.  You may also be lucky enough to buy a length of fabric at a knock down price.  I have quite a few lengths of fabric in my "stash", which I paid next to nothing for.

7.  If in doubt about the fit, make a mock up (or toile) in an old bit of fabric such as an old bed sheet.  Also consider inserting a zip as well.   I have found that fitting garments is the most challenging aspect of sewing - patterns vary quite a bit too, and it's quite hard to fit a garment by yourself!  The fabric will also affect the fit.

8.  Study your own "off the peg" clothes.  I have learnt a lot about construction and choosing the right kind of fabric, as well as getting idea's for embellishments.

9.  Don't be put off by plain looking patterns.  They can be given the wow factor by using a dramatic or luxurious fabric.

10.  Warning!  You can become obsessed.  I can find myself lying in bed at night dreaming up what I could make.  Or I can find myself looking at clothes in shops and thinking that I can make it cheaper - this is sort of true, if I had an infinite amount of time and did nothing but sew!

Happy sewing!