Over the past few years, sewing has undergone a transformation, and become a very popular hobby. It’s great for those of us who can already sew, but many people have grown up whilst sewing, and handicrafts generally, have been marginalised. If you are one of those people, you may have wished to join in but would need to learn to sew.
But where do you start, especially if you don’t know anyone else who sews?
The best start is probably by joining a class. Look out for adverts locally, or Google ‘learn to sew’ or ‘sewing classes’, adding your location, and see what comes up. Ask around, because a recommendation is worth a lot, and might throw up a local class which doesn’t feature on Google.
However, you may not be able to get to classes. There may not be any near you, you may be unable to get away at the time of the class, or you may not be able to get to them.
We are so fortunate these days, because you can find what you’re looking for online. Again, Google ‘learn to sew’ or something similar, perhaps adding ‘online’. You will probably be overwhelmed!
Think about how you like to learn. You’ll find everything from blog posts, YouTube videos to courses galore. Many are free, but some will require payment.
Many will be teaching you how to make something particular, or use a particular technique. That’s not very helpful if you barely know one end of a needle from the other! So look for beginners’ classes.
If you want to learn how to make your own clothes, Tilly and the Buttons is a good place to start. Tilly designs her own patterns, available in a huge range of sizes, many aimed at beginners. They’re all clearly labelled with the level of sewing skills needed and come with very clear instructions, including photos – very useful! Most are accompanied by a sew-along on her blog, and some come with paid-for courses. (I’ve noticed that many indie pattern designers tend to design for their own shape. Tilly isn’t very tall, so her patterns suit shorter people very well, but may need a bit adding to the length if you’re taller.)
Craftsy also run courses at all levels. Again, some of these are free, some paid. They’re run by different teachers, so it’s hard to talk about how good they are, or how suitable for you. You need to find a teacher you can ‘get on with’, even online, but you will probably find a suitable one there.
Udemy run a patchwork course, and The Spruce Crafts suggest several good quilting courses.
If you fancy your hand at embroidery, Domestika run beginners’ courses. Craftsy, Udemy and Domestika run courses in all branches of sewing.
And, of course, there’s the Fabric Fun Craft Club. We run sessions on all sorts of fabric-related skills, including some that don’t require any sewing at all. We’re the perfect place to go if you want to try a new craft, but aren’t sure you’ll want to go too deeply into it, or you want a little try-out before you commit yourself to buying all the equipment. Sign up to our newsletter to hear about club nights, and other sewing-related goodies.
Do , please, let me know if you know of any good courses, and I’ll add them to the list. (janet@fabricstash.biz)
