Folks who are into #sewing and #fashion
Where should an amateur with few material limitations start?
I'd love to hem jeans, build clothing from scratch. I suppose I should tag the person whose sharing originally planted these seeds, @tikaro
Recs for ideal machines or resources for patterns are all welcome! To get something to stick I like to do something small and satisfying and then aim for something bigger.
@ryan My biggest piece of advice is INVEST IN TOOLS. Do you want your hobby to be "sewing", or do you want your hobby to be "pouring time and money into interesting opinionated machines that don't work predictably"? Both are noble hobbies, but I bet you want the first one.
1) The machine that has been languishing a family member's closet for thirty years is in that closet for a reason. Pulling it out, plugging it in, and expecting to get sewing is almost guaranteed to disappoint 1/n
2) That makerspace machine has been the victim of everybody's newbie mistakes. The bobbin-case tension is _off_. The timing is _off_. The feed dogs are _off_. An EXPERT knows enough to make that machine walk, talk, and sing, but for a beginner it's an exercise in frustration (again, is your hobby 'sewing' or is your hobby 'wrenching on machines'?) 2/n
So my recommendation is FIRST to find a mechanic. I use Hayes Sewing Machine Company in Wilmington, they are amazing and well worth it as a home base. Fleishman, Jack B, Baldwin, and Approved Textiles in Philly are all worth a look. Go at a slow time and ask around. Then, whomp up a couple hundred bucks, darken their door, and ask for their recommendation for a machine. You want a machine that has been recently serviced and is in "known good" condition. THIS IS CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS. 3/n
Next, sign up for whichever beginner class they offer. They will teach you to thread the machine, wind a bobbin, and the basics of setting tension.
Now you are ready for EASY PROJECTS. Hem pants! Mend a tear! Make the EASIEST DRAWSTRING BAG PATTERN YOU CAN FIND! This is important, because at this point, getting in over your head will leave you high and dry and frustrated. Save anything-with-a-zipper for your sixth project, when you know how to use a zipper foot 4/n
Sewing machines are not forgiving for new sewers -- when they fail, they fail fast and and stuff gets un-fun quickly. So be prepared by doing easy stuff first, and keeping it easy for a little while until you feel confident.
Oh, and if you can stick to this advice, you'll be doing better than me: when the machine starts to sound different than usual, STOP IMMEDIATELY AND CLEAN THE CRY HOLE (the whole bobbin-case area)
That's it, that's the advice, have fun, can't wait to see what you sew!
