Resources for learning to sew and make clothes from scratch

March 26, 2023 9:21 AM

I would like to learn to sew and make my own clothes as I think this would be a rewarding alternative to my clothes shopping addiction. I've been watching people "thrift flip" on YouTube and it looks really fun and rewarding. Please do let me know of any resources that you think would be best for a complete novice, including books, Youtube videos etc. Also, what budget sewing machine would be good for a learner? What would you say is the most difficult part about learning this skill and how did you overcome it?
posted by Sunflower88 to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (35 answers total)

Probably a good idea to borrow a sewing machine before you buy one. See if you can get one from a tool lending library or from a friend.

If you are going to want to sew heavy weight stuff, such as work pants, jackets or coats, you will likely be best off with a good reconditioned antique singer - they are the best for going through six layers of denim without breaking needles. If you are going to sew only fast fashion out of the really delicate materials favoured now for most women's clothing, you'll want really fine needles but not need a powerful machine.

Most serious sewers also get a serger for easily finishing seams. If you want to do a really nice job, learn to flat fell the seams instead.

If winding and re threading bobbins leaves you screaming with frustration it is often the fault of the machine, and worth trying again with a different machine. A lot of them end up unable to keep the tension on the bobbin thread a match for the tension on the top thread. Some cheap machines start this way or get there in an absurdly small amount of time.

The year and the model of the machine you buy matters a lot more than the brand name. A lot of good brands had the equity pulled out by shareholders and for a time produced machines that were not up to their reputation.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:52 AM on March 26, 2023

I make a lot of my own clothes and it has definitely reduced the amount of shopping I do as I've become more attentive to construction quality and fit. While I'm not compulsively/mindlessly shopping, I have to say that I'm not really saving money as I spend quite a bit of my hobby budget on fabric/supplies and I've gravitated toward buying more expensive items now that I have higher standards ;) but fewer clothes of better quality is fine with me.

Regarding "thrift flipping" I love making clothes from scratch but hate doing alterations, it feels like a totally different skill set. Definitely try it out but know that if you hate it you might not hate sewing, so I would also try making a basic garment from a pattern and see how you feel about that in comparison. I think this also varies based on what's available in your general size at your local thrift store and how ugly/overpriced it is.

General thrift flip recs would be to start with a woven and non-stretchy garment as your first project as it's hard to figure out settings for knits/stretch sewing as a beginner IMO. Try to grab a big box of decent quality safety pins for fitting on yourself (Wawak is a good source for these and other sewing supplies).

I don't have a particular sewing machine model recommendation - I received a Bernina machine as a gift and have been sewing on it for 8 years with no complaints but I feel like it's too expensive to recommend to a beginner. I think any machine from a well-known brand like Brother/Singer/Janome that isn't the very cheapest will be OK. At minimum, I think you need a straight stitch, a couple zigzag/stretch stitches, and automatic buttonhole is nonnegotiable for me. It helps if it comes with a decent variety of presser feet/accessories.

Basically - this is also my advice for bicycles - avoid anything made by an Amazon word salad brand or any model that's like, only sold at Walmart, made entirely of plastic, or aimed at small children.

(People may tell you to get a mEchAnIcAl ViNtAgE mAcHiNe since they don't make them like they used to and I get it, planned obsolescence is real, but if you are not already a person who is good at/enjoys taking any kind of machine apart to fix, adjust, and oil them, I would not recommend. I learned to sew on one of these and I think I would have had a lot more fun and progressed more quickly without all the troubleshooting. I might be willing to make an exception for a vintage model that's been reconditioned by a dealer and has an included warranty/service plan.)

If you have access to a sewing machine dealer or any friends with sewing machines, I would recommend trying a couple out to see if they feel comfortable/ergonomic/intuitive to you. Also - everything you might need to know is probably on YouTube, from "why is my machine doing x" to seam finish instructions to entire garment sew-alongs - I really wish this had been around when I was learning!
posted by sparkling at 10:07 AM on March 26, 2023 [8 favorites]

Evelyn Wood has a bunch of videos along the lines of what sewing book to get, what is interfacing, what are different kinds of threads for, sewing machines etc.
posted by koahiatamadl at 10:15 AM on March 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

I taught myself to sew during the first two years of lockdown, on a cheap Heavy Duty Singer because I was pretty sure I would break the thing. I did not break it. I have, however, eventually graduated to a Bernina that I love.

First thing to learn is that you don’t wear the same size in pattern sizes as you do in store-bought clothing. Find some good videos on measuring yourself and go by those measurements, not what size you think you are in jeans or whatever. Cashmerette was a really good resource for me. Other people swear by Seamwork. Seamwork and Helen’s Closet both have interesting sewing podcasts too.

The Big Four pattern companies (Butterick, McCalls, Vogue, and Simplicity) all have giant seam allowances and often a ton of ease (extra room built into the pattern drafting so that you can, for instance, lift your arms or sit down in a garment) and what fits you in one of their patterns is not going to be the same as what fits you in an independent pattern designer’s line. Every pattern designer makes garments to fit their own block, which is a sort of idealized fake person whose measurements they use. ( Once you learn about this, you realize that garment sizing is completely a fabrication and basing your own self-worth on whether you fit into a size 10 is a pointless waste of time. )

Don’t take shortcuts. Finish your seams, line up your notches, undersew when it calls for it.
Make sure you are putting your pattern pieces down on-grain on the fabric, no matter what the fabric is, before you cut them out.

Pay attention to the needle type and size and buy good thread. The needle and thread can be the difference between getting super frustrated and throwing away your project or having a really nice project at the end of things.

Here’s how I learned:
Youtube and a couple of online sewing courses.

Cashmerette has really good online courses and projects. Some of them are ugly, especially the very beginner ones, but get over it and follow along on cheap cloth. I used bedsheets to make a bunch of Montrose and Springfield tops while I was learning the basics on how to do a seam finish and that sort of thing.

Although I personally find her somewhat annoying/personality cultish, Gertie from Charm Patterns has some really really good instructional videos on Youtube. She also has a Patreon with sew-alongs for patterns each month, very vintage inspired.

Marcy Harriel on Youtube has good instructions and is fun to watch because she really seems to enjoy playing around with fabric.

Sewing Pattern Review is an antique website but it’s still functional and it’s a good place to look up what other people have said about a pattern you’re going to try. For instance, it saved me from trying to make a By Hand London pattern I had been eyeing that is drafted very poorly.
posted by terridrawsstuff at 10:15 AM on March 26, 2023 [4 favorites]

I've had a Viking Sewing Machine model 1030 since 1974. Still working. The 6020 is similar. There are some on ebay. I can't comment on modern machines since the one I have is still working.

Also you can get an old copy of the Vogue Sewing Book which illustrates many techniques.
posted by andreap at 10:16 AM on March 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

I think altering thrifted clothes is more difficult than sewing from patterns but with commercial patterns, the issue is that you won’t know how it fits/comes together until you finish the garment.

The compromise is taking a simple garment that you own, that fits, and carefully unpicking the seams, ironing it flat (having an iron is critical to constructing a garment) and using that for your pattern. You do need to learn the steps of construction, ie do this before doing that, which is what a commercial pattern explains or a how-to-sew book (from the library?).

I learned to sew in home ec in 8th grade and we started with a simple woven cotton shift dress, sleeveless, zipper up the back, but it had bust darts and facings and interfacing around the neck and armholes. That was a good foundation. By the end of the semester, I knew how to set in a sleeve and match plaids (something I’ve never tried since btw).
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:17 AM on March 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

In addition to the pattern reviews, the forums at sewing.patternreview.com are a valuable resource too.
posted by henuani at 10:17 AM on March 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

Give us a rough guess of what kinds of clothes you’d like to sew - I’d divide it into art clothing; slightly tailored clothing, with more fitting seams than we’ve used since the spandex revolution; and replacing clothes you might buy in a mainstream store today, which are mostly either knits or stretch?

Some of my favorite resources are the magazine Threads and the website/forum Pattern Review. Check used bookstores for books on fitting, there’s some great advice in with out of date illustrations - I like the Palmer and Pletsch books on fitting. And of course YouTube! As above, plus maybe Lydia Naomi? See if your favorite thrift flippers recommend anyone.

I have a modern, bought new Singer Heavy Duty, which I got because mask making was too hard on my (slightly) fancier Pfaff. For anything but slithery cloth the Singer is just as pleasant to sew with.
posted by clew at 10:17 AM on March 26, 2023

One suggestion I have is to use PDF patterns from indie pattern designers, assuming you have a printer at home. When I was learning to sew, I found it really freeing to know that I could easily print it out again if I cut it wrong or chose the wrong size. And that same low-stakes mentality made it easier to start modifying patterns to fit better and hacking them to suit my tastes. Here’s a tutorial on how to assemble a PDF pattern: https://helensclosetpatterns.com/2017/03/15/how-to-put-together-a-pdf-pattern/

Another advantage of PDF patterns is that there are lots of free ones online! Probably better to choose one from a reputable pattern designer with good quality instructions - the accuracy of the illustrations and the thoroughness of the instructions matter a lot when you’re learning. Try the search phrase “indie pattern roundup” and you’ll start to see the same names over and over. You can also search for patterns at The Fold Line: https://thefoldline.com/

I also recommend starting with nice stable, un-stretchy woven fabrics. I find sewing knits endlessly frustrating (some people like them, though!). Learning on easy fabrics will make a world of difference. And, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start by sewing a few things that aren’t clothes, to practice basic sewing techniques before you have to tackle a lot of fussy curves.
posted by somedaycatlady at 10:23 AM on March 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

A possibility that might fit the spirit of the question: Alabama Chanin.
posted by clew at 10:24 AM on March 26, 2023

Great advice above! A couple notes from another self taught person -- your machine really does matter. If it's constantly having tension issues or you're having to re-thread a lot or handcrank your needle backward out of your fabric, it gets really frustrating, and you may think you don't like this hobby. Some machines are just trash! It's them, not you! Go to a fabric store or a sewing/vacuum store and ask them what machine they recommend that's within your budget so that you don't get a lemon and accidentally spend months thinking sewing is all futzing with the machine instead of making stuff. That is exhausting and disappointing and could make this a short-lived experiment. Get a machine that works well and consistently -- often that's an older model with fewer fancy features.

As you get going, you're going to screw up a lot and that's okay. Don't pick early projects that have lots of complexity -- start with super simple/easy patterns and use fabric that you didn't spend a million bucks on. Thrift stores often have discarded project fabric or old sheets for great prices. It's way easier to start with those and then allow yourself to make mistakes, rip out seams, throw things away and start over when you need to. If you're working on something that's really precious, it feels much higher stakes to practice and simply let yourself learn, so start small and with materials that don't break the bank.

And as someone above said, resist the urge to skip steps. If your pattern says to do something and you don't know how, stop, watch a youtube, practice on a sample fabric, and then go back to your piece and do it for real. If you skip it because you don't know how/it doesn't quite make sense, you may still end up with a pair of pants, but they're going to be a little odd and you won't love them as much as if you really put the time in to finish seams, topstitch, iron seams, understitch, etc etc. There are a lot of similar words in sewing, and you can think you can just skim right over stuff, but it really does make a difference to the quality of the finished piece to do stuff the right way.

Good luck and have fun!
posted by luzdeluna at 10:31 AM on March 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

Pattern companies do indicate experience level on the pattern. Start with the very easy ones and work your way up.

It is also good practice to make a toile/mock-up/muslin - basically take an old bed sheet or cheap cotton and have a practice run with the pattern. You figure out what the instructions mean and you can identify and fix fit problems without wasting expensive fabric.

Sewing clothes is very rewarding but unless you stick to very forgiving items such as a wrap skirt (million vids on YT) it is not fast until you have a fair bit experience, have found patterns you like and have adjusted them to your body etc.
posted by koahiatamadl at 10:39 AM on March 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

Th folks in the MYOG (Make Your Own Gear) outdoors community often say that any Singer HD machine is fine.

If you search for that term and the word "beginner" you should find some interesting advice.

That path will also let you start with simpler items (like bags) that have straight lines and few curves.
posted by wenestvedt at 11:13 AM on March 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

I have the Singer 4411 Heavy Duty sewing machine, and it's cheap and easily available if you're in the US, and it's fine. I've sewed all kinds of fabric with it. Because it's a common machine, it's easy to find instructional videos and to get parts. If you have a fabric store near you, they probably offer cheap or free intro to sewing lessons.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:16 AM on March 26, 2023

This video has a lot of good tips for getting your machine set up and how to sew. It's worth it even if you're not making the dress she is: Learn How To Sew, Easy Sewing Class For Beginners.

And I agree that bags are a good starting project. Pillowcases, too. You have more leeway to make mistakes on items that don't need to fit your body.

If you can find sewing lessons in your area, that's a great way to get started.
posted by Banknote of the year at 11:59 AM on March 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

Oh, and you also asked about the most difficult part of the hobby. For me, it's been learning how to troubleshoot when things go wrong, and how to do the setup on the machine to prevent trouble in the first place. (I've been doing this off and on for years, and just recently learned that one of my recurring problems is because I've been leaving the tail on the bobbin thread about 1cm too long.)

These skills are often very different YouTube videos than the tutorials of how to make a thing, but they're equally essential.
posted by Banknote of the year at 12:10 PM on March 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

Buy a seam ripper. This will make your life much easier when you make mistakes or when you want to redo thrift store finds.

I agree that reworking thrift store clothing is going to be a lot harder than sewing from a pattern.

I learned to sew in old-time home ec classes, and I think it can be easier if you have someone experienced helping you out. You can make do with online classes, but a lot of fabric stores have in-person sewing classes, and if you have one close to you, I'd check that out.

My sister, who made her own gorgeous wedding dress, once told me she learned to sew by making every mistake possible, so know that's part of the process. The first time I put in a sleeve, at great effort, I found I had attached it to the dress inside out.
posted by FencingGal at 12:44 PM on March 26, 2023 [5 favorites]

I am teaching myself to hand sew stuff, and have been making a series of Dopp kits and zipper pouches: every one of them has a different flaw but that's where you learn. And I try new stuff on each one.

It's going to save me wasting expensive or irreplaceable material when I finally feel ready.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:23 PM on March 26, 2023

Probably I'm right there with you at the start of the journey. I've recently taught myself how to darn using this 1954 darning tutorial https://youtu.be/HXZEV3toMhg and it's very exciting to be able to repair things.

I also have done some embroidery to visibly repair a small (moth?) hole on a coat, which was fun.
posted by freethefeet at 2:41 PM on March 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

Great advice above, but just wanted to add be kind to yourself too. I have decades of sewing experience and still have to rip things apart and fix.
posted by gryphonlover at 3:07 PM on March 26, 2023 [5 favorites]

someone may have covered this, but .. I just want to put it out there - sewing is pretty easy you just have to believe in yourself and not stress.. I guess i'd say think of using a sewing machine like learning to drive a car to get to the grocery store. you're not trying to train for the indy 500 at the beginning you're just trying to stay the middle of the lane and get yourself to the supermarket. I think learning to sew in a straight line is basically the same skill as driving but on a different sort of machine with lower stakes.

look ahead of the fabric, pay attention to the lines on the metal plate under the sewing machine foot. if you find you are not an even distance from the edge of the fabric and the guidelines on the plate aren't cutting put some painters tape on the machine. or make a pencil line with a ruler. or scotch tape. whatever.

just like you were a passenger in a car for a long time before you (possibly) learned to drive, and so had an idea of it, watch that sewing show on PBS kinda mindlessly to get an idea if you didn't grow up around people that casually used sewing machines.

try not to be too precious about it, if that makes sense - it really is just a means to an end, like stapling or gluing or what have you.

get some scrap fabric and practice sewing random straight lines.

if you get stuck winding the bobbin, don't struggle for ages, take the machine to a local strip mall seamstress or repair shop and ask them to show you for a few bucks, or ask a friend who already knows.

like driving or getting a stuck lock to behave for you, you kind of have to relax yourself a little and not be too attached to outcomes, just look at the road ahead (outfeed fabric) and try to pretend you already know how. and then magically you will and it will be muscle memory. bonus, trashed practice pieces are way less dramatic and costly than fender benders so yay.

really really do not be precious about it. it's getting two pieces to stick together in a way that looks tidy. after you got that you can do any of it if you can follow directions/a recipe/ a manual etc.
posted by elgee at 3:34 PM on March 26, 2023 [6 favorites]

How I learned to sew over many years:

Watching Nancy Zieman and Susan Kahlje on TV and learning a little about technique and terminology

In-person garment sewing classes and a quilting class.

Read lots of sewing books, such as the Readers Digest Sewing manual.

Asking questions on the forum and taking classes on PatternReview.com.

Blogs, sew-a-longs on YouTube, and YouTube tutorials.

You might like Made to Sew on YouTube. The videos are very thorough. Beginners Sewing Course.
posted by loveandhappiness at 3:48 PM on March 26, 2023

If there are local sewing machine shops you might check in there just to see what they have and what pricing is like. They might have used models for less. Also some places will do basic classes on how to set up and run your machine. Some in person lessons when you start are super helpful and then you can figure out more form books and videos.

Vintage sewing machines are nice but like a separate hobby and I've seen weird claims about how you can run anything through them as long as the machine is metal which is not true.
posted by oneear at 5:02 PM on March 26, 2023

My local sewing school has a great trio of blog posts that I find myself referring to:

What to look for in a sewing machine
Beginner projects
Sewing Pattern Recommendations

For browsing patterns I like The Foldline. I set it confident beginner and browse. I personally buy pdf patterns and get them printed a0 size at my local print shop.
posted by poxandplague at 1:16 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

watch that sewing show on PBS

I'm not sure if that means The Great British Sewing Bee, but that is a good show with an emphasis both on sewing from patterns and remaking existing clothes.

Just wanted to add that there have been a few mentions of Singer as a brand, and while the HD ("heavy duty") series has relatively good reviews, just keep in mind that pretty much all other Singer machines at the affordable end of the spectrum have had a terrible reputation for a very long time. (I think their sergers might be okay, though.)

One nice thing about the HD machines is they (all?) let you adjust pressure foot pressure, which can help a lot with some fabrics, especially stretchy ones. Most beginner machines don't have that, although I think the basic Elnas and a few others do.

Unless you have some definite ideas for what you want to do with them, don't buy a machine based on how many fancy stitches it has. Just ignore them. If you have a straight stitch and a zigzag that's enough for pretty much anything, including overlocking and sewing stretch fabrics.

If you're daunted by patterns or they're just not your thing, no worries: there are other ways to sew. You can learn to copy existing clothes you have that you like, and then start experimenting with making changes, and you can also learn how to drape on a dress form or how to cut directly based on your measurements. It's probably easiest to start with patterns, but not everybody enjoys using them and that's fine.

I nth the advice to start with something besides clothing, though. A tote bag is a good option - it's mostly sewing straight lines, you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want (adding pockets and compartments, for example) and it's actually useful.

One really basic tip: a lot of sewing can be start-stop, where you sew a few stitches, maybe make some adjustments, sew a bit more, and so on. When you're just getting started you might feel like you're supposed to just press the pedal and keep going full steam ahead until the end of the seam, but you absolutely don't have to do that. Sewing slowly can also be really helpful, so whatever machine you get, make sure you can control the speed comfortably.

That said, if budget is an issue and you're not in a hurry, keep an eye on local freecycle/buy nothing-type groups. Sometimes people give away great machines. Sometimes the machines are less great, but can be a good starting point and help you figure out what kind of machine you actually need.
posted by trig at 2:51 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

I absolutely love The Closet Historian's pattern drafting videos. I find them helpful for understanding how clothes are patterned and constructed, even though I don't wear the type of clothes that she does. She also has a lot of videos that are helpful for beginners, like how to put in a zipper or determine what kind of fabric to use for a particular project.
posted by little king trashmouth at 6:32 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

trig: Unless you have some definite ideas for what you want to do with them, don't buy a machine based on how many fancy stitches it has.

On a recent RBTR podcast about women in the MYOG community (or possibly one of the older "How to MYOG" episodes in their archives), they make exactly this point: every cheap machine now has a hundred stitches programmed into it, but there's no substitute for using strong materials and smart design in the machine.

And that linked podcast episode is interesting because all three women and the host talk about how they got started sewing.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:47 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

If you want to tailor fitted clothing for yourself you are going to need help, or a dress-form with your exact measurements. It's too hard to get the pins in the right place when you also have to stand tall with good posture while not twisting.
posted by Jane the Brown at 12:11 PM on March 27, 2023

Seconding the suggestion to find a sewing machine dealer/repair place. You can get a better refurbished machine for what you might spend on a newer, cheaper machine. Plus the dealer/repair place will know how to fix your machine, in the event that you have a problem. Also, they may offer "getting to know your machine" classes, as mentioned upthread.

Also seconding the comment that restyling thrift pieces and sewing from scratch are two different animals. I've been sewing my own clothes for years (started with home ec and a couple of classes, then just figured things out as I went along) and refashioning thrifted items seems more troublesome than I want to fool with. That being said, you do you.
posted by sarajane at 12:26 PM on March 27, 2023

sarajane: Plus the dealer/repair place will know how to fix your machine, in the event that you have a problem.

This is the core idea, and it's important. I work in IT, and get asked what computer to buy. My 90% answer is, "What is preferred by the person you will ask for help when you get stuck"?

Similarly, find a sewing machine repair store, ask their advice, and trust that they will know what they were talking about. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 12:36 PM on March 27, 2023

(At the same time there are a lot of horror stories about sewing machine places that try hard to convince you to buy a new machine from them instead of repairing the old one, and a lot of the affordable machines today sometimes cost almost as much to repair as to buy, so I'm not sure that always applies. If you go to a sewing machine place try to find one that has good feedback along those lines.)

The Patternreview site, linked above, is also a good resource for sewing machine reviews.
posted by trig at 2:08 PM on March 27, 2023

That is a fair point -- so I would encourage shoppers to look for a store that has plenty of dust bunnies and old gear visible. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 4:07 PM on March 27, 2023

Here’s a quiet little video on making sewing *tools*. (I find the standard ironing board really vexing because it’s not even as wide as 45" material and the triangle end makes the ironed material fall funny. Have to remember to move around until I have another table or couch back or something as outfeed support.)
posted by clew at 10:27 AM on March 29, 2023

Closet Core's Learn to Sew Clothing Class is really an ideal place to start, I think, once you have a machine. The patterns are so well written, and the course really holds your hand in making them.
posted by MeadowlarkMaude at 5:30 PM on March 30, 2023

A lot of comments above have already covered a good list of free resources. A few more paid resources are Seamwork’s “learn to sew” course (I haven’t taken it). They also have a yearly membership model that includes a forum, patterns, how-to videos, and sew-a-long courses for some of their patterns that might help you immerse yourself in sewing. Tilly and the Button’s online workshops. There’s lots of online courses (free and paid), but don’t overlook in person classes if there’s a local shop you like.

I started sewing when I was a kid fooling around and breaking my mom’s machine. I’ve taken in person classes (as a kid and then in pattern making in college) but mostly fooled around and taught myself from a combination of asking my mom and looking at books. As with most things I life, I believe you learn by doing. Sewing is good for this because you can start with a beginner project with no closures and eventually pick a project with a zipper, then button holes, etc. You naturally learn new skills as you choose to undertake more intermediate projects. The type of way you learn (reading, watching videos for a specific skill, following a structures course, or in person) really depends on your preferred learning style. It will probably be a combination of different modes of learning.

What is most difficult for me is taking things slow and patiently sewing a project especially when learning a new skill. Fitting is also really hard! Just like clothes in shops, unless you are the same proportions as their fit model you have to make changes. As an intermediate sewist I wish I had finally bought a nice machine before I did, because the problems I had with my cheap machine stopped me from enjoying sewing and I didn’t sew for many years. However, I do think if you have never sewn before you should start with either a borrowed machine, a $100 big box one (knowing it’s not a forever machine). I think when you’re new, finding a used good machine can be too overwhelming unless you’re going through a local shop and working with them in person. If you tell us your location we might be able to suggest a local shop. I sewed on my friend’s big box Kenmore machine this morning and it’s fine! She’s just learning so it makes sense. As you gain skill and interest you can see if and when it’s worth it to you to invest in a more advanced (and expensive) machine.

Something to watch out for is that you don’t turn your clothes shopping addiction into a fabric or sewing tools buying addiction. Most sewists have a “stash” of fabric. My stash fills four large plastic tubs, yikes. Once you find indie, online, and local shops that carry high quality garment fabric (rather than just quilting cotton) it can be easy to get caught up in buying the newest release of fabric before it’s gone or when it’s on sale. It’s okay to start with cheaper stuff and buy nicer things as you gain skill.
posted by Bunglegirl at 10:03 AM on April 1, 2023 [2 favorites]