We sew from scratch. How to learn to cut: general recommendations

Not every woman can afford to dress in expensive boutiques, and cheap consumer goods do not attract many. And not every girl who has her own individual taste and sense of style will find that exclusive outfit of her dreams on the shelves. It’s not a fact that it’s already been sewn. But you can always find a way out of this situation. A good option will learn to sew and cut things yourself. And you’ll save money and have fun and dress up. Only advantages!

Where to start sewing and cutting?

Your task is to independently learn how to sew and cut from scratch. Don’t be alarmed, you will succeed, but it will take a lot of time, patience and perseverance to achieve mastery in sewing and cutting. Learn the very basics of sewing and cutting, familiarize yourself with machine seams and hand stitches. Find out how products are processed, find out what types of fabrics are available and how to work with each of them.

To start:

You need to purchase sewing supplies. Without quality tools, you won’t be able to do almost anything worthwhile. If your budget is limited, buy only what you need, and over time, buy more as needed. At the first stage of learning to sew and cut, you cannot do without threads, needles, an iron, of course, a sewing machine, scissors and a measuring tape.

Work on the skill of sewing without mistakes, this will help you a lot in the future and cope with tasks. Mistakes when sewing a product can be very disastrous.

Study sewing terminology; this knowledge will help you navigate well in the vastness of books and the Internet in the future.

Learn to take accurate measurements . Initially, this may seem like too simple a task, but it was not so. Errors made during the measurement process can add centimeters to the product or, on the contrary, remove the missing ones, as a result the size will be at least slightly small or large.

Definitely start with simple patterns, so your chances of success increase many times.

Familiarize yourself with the allowances very carefully; they are necessary for properly tailored clothes; if you master this area well, the clothes will always fit your figure well.

Let your first full-fledged product be a skirt!

The easiest thing for beginners in sewing will be to sew a skirt. There are not many nuances, almost everything is clear and understandable. Yes, and you will be able to understand whether this is your business, whether it is worth delving deeper into the essence of sewing and cutting.

We start sewing by taking measurements, this is a fundamental factor, if the measurements are taken, then most likely the finished product will be what you need. Skirts, if the seamstress has the desire, almost always turn out great, even for beginners. You can make the pattern yourself, for the future this is simply an ideal option, but for starters, it’s not a sin to use a ready-made pattern from the Internet.

Additional learning aids

To learn how to sew and cut, you will definitely need outside experience to speed up the process. Of course, you can load yourself up with a bunch of books and leaf through them day and night; this is very labor-intensive, but unfortunately not very effective either.

If you know seamstresses, you can ask for tea and find out the secrets of craftsmanship, and also ask all your questions; in books it is not always possible to find everything incomprehensible when needed.

There are also many online courses on cutting and sewing, both often on a paid basis and on a free basis, which is less common. This will allow you to avoid many tedious moments of poking around in books and will reveal some things in a simpler and more accessible form, which is certainly positive for you.

A few sewing secrets for beginners that will make your path to your goal easier:

Don't neglect the iron!

Be sure to thoroughly steam your product upon completion, every seam, every fold, this will add effect and gloss, and also even out the seam lines. Also, throughout the entire process, do not forget to sometimes use an iron, this will make your work easier.

Use pins!

In almost every training lesson on cutting and sewing you will hear the phrase: “pin with a pin,” this may not seem necessary and not so important. I can say with confidence, it’s better to pin it wherever you need it. This will make your work much easier when you simultaneously need to press the pedal, watch how the needle moves, and you just develop squint if you also need to watch how evenly the fabric lies. And a bias stitch will cause quite a few problems; you will have to waste time on alterations or wear crooked clothes.

A little money can save a lot of time.

Invest in a self-healing cutting mat, a knife with a rounded blade, and a clear edit ruler. These tools are very useful, will save you a lot of time, and figuring out how to use them will not be difficult. These tools will allow you to cut more than one layer of material at a time.

Make your own templates

It's good to use cardboard shoe boxes for templates. Save these boxes and when you come across lessons with patterns, cut them out and save them, you will definitely need them in the future if you are going to continue sewing your own clothes. Don't forget to sign the template, indicate the size, and the name of the product for which it is intended.

Take your time!

At the very beginning, when you sit at the machine and sew for the first time, control how you press the pedal, this should be done smoothly and not too quickly, keep at an average pace. If you drive, everything will go wrong. And besides, in this way you will work on your motor skills, and in the future, without paying attention to this area, everything will go smoothly.

Know where to save!

If there are areas where you can save money, you should not do it in the case of buying threads. Cheap threads often create many problems, poor tension creates knots on the back of the stitch, and some constantly break.

Video lesson for beginners

Bottom line

Remember that everything does not always come at once, and if difficulties and failures arise in learning to sew and cut, do not despair, rest and start all over again or continue further, depending on the situation. And everything will come true and work out for you. Know that nothing is impossible when there is desire and perseverance!

Hand-sewn clothes are original and unique. Home-grown fashion designers and seamstresses invent amazingly beautiful things that are the envy of others. In addition, if you learn how to sew clothes at home, you can save a lot. A experienced craftswomen At the same time, they can also earn money by creating outfits for friends and acquaintances. You can acquire sewing skills and master the basics both in special educational institutions and at home.

How to learn to sew at home?

Ways to learn to sew clothes at home

Of course, in order to learn how to create clothes yourself, you need talent, diligence and attentiveness. Many craftswomen have mastered this business on their own. But you can learn to sew using various methods.

1. Cutting and sewing courses.

These are special master classes that teach the basics and tricks using your own equipment. If you take such a course, you will be taught how to properly take measurements, make patterns and sew clothes.

2. Special literature.

During Soviet times, housewives learned to sew from popular magazines. Now you can also find such literature. It describes the process itself in detail, and can also offer ready-made patterns that are easy to sew on, even if you are not a master.

3. Online services.

Another convenient way to learn how to sew at home. On the Internet you can find a variety of resources that teach sewing. At the same time, you don’t have to go anywhere, and you can learn useful skills in the comfort of your own home. They will help you detailed descriptions and video tutorials.

What you need to learn to sew at home

First of all, in order to learn how to sew, you will need patience and attentiveness. If you take measurements and make calculations incorrectly, complex alterations may be necessary or the product may be completely damaged. Those who are still thinking about how to learn to sew at home will need the following accessories:

Every woman strives to dress in beautiful clothes, which is unique and individual in its own way. Unfortunately, the modern market offers clothing models that are similar to each other. However, do not be upset, because you can sew clothes exclusively according to your own measurements and even according to individual sketches. If you think that you can only order clothes from professional seamstresses or ateliers, then you are mistaken. You can do everything yourself. Today we will talk about how to learn how to sew clothes from scratch at home, and find out what you will need for this.

How to learn to sew yourself at home?

Sewing is an activity that includes many nuances, materials, tools and other accessories. It is very difficult for a beginner to understand the variety of fabrics, threads, needles and necessary equipment. That is why it is worth studying the topic, learning how to select the main material, cutting the product, taking measurements, knowing the main nuances and only then start sewing.

Where does cutting and sewing begin?

If you want to understand the issue in detail and learn how to sew clothes from scratch at home on a machine, then the main condition is a great desire. If you have a goal, then you are able to move mountains. There are several ways to learn cutting and sewing.

Ways to learn cutting and sewing at home:

• Training with the help of special books and magazines. This literature includes not only lectures, but also detailed drawings, instructions and step-by-step pictures for performing each particular manipulation. With the help of such books you will master all the basics, techniques, learn how to cut and understand sewing.

Important! The disadvantage is that if you do not understand any point, you can only find it out in another source.

• Cutting and sewing courses. Each large city has its own courses, which are taught as soon as a group of at least five people is recruited. With this kind of training, everything is clearly told to you and shown with examples. At the same time, all materials and equipment are provided by the school for the duration of the training.

Important! There are also online sewing courses, where you will be individually taught about this specialty and all its basics.

What tools do you need to have to teach sewing at home?

To learn how to sew clothes, you need to stock up starter kit tools and materials. This is necessary for constant practice at home.

To learn sewing from scratch you will need:

• scissors - tailor's, serrated and small;
• a large ruler for drawing straight lines on the canvas;
• a measuring tape intended for taking measurements;
• thimble;
• large set for hand and machine sewing;
• ironing board;
• iron;
• pins;
• copy paper;
• soap or chalk to indicate cutting;
• sewing machine.

Important! These are the basic tools you will need. As you improve your skills, you will be able to additionally buy various materials, tools and equipment.

Place to work

An important factor in training is the workplace, namely its arrangement, lighting and practicality. When working, you should feel comfortable, light and spacious.

The main stages of learning to sew

If you have already prepared everything necessary tools for training, then the question immediately arises: how to learn to sew clothes from scratch at home, at what stage should you start? In fact, the entire activity of cutting and sewing can be divided into three stages.

Cutting and sewing stages:

1. The first stage is preparatory. It involves choosing a particular pattern that you plan to sew and taking measurements.
2. The second stage is transferring the pattern to the fabric and cutting out all the details from the fabric.
3. The final stage includes preliminary basting of parts and subsequent sewing.

Let's take a closer look at each stage and find out what is needed to complete it.

Taking measurements

If you are thinking about how to learn how to sew clothes from scratch at home, then the first step is to learn how to take proper measurements. After all, it is from them that you will make products.

Tips for taking measurements correctly:

• For sewing basic clothing, measurements are taken from a person dressed only in underwear.
• If you are planning to sew outerwear, then taking measurements occurs when the client is dressed in basic clothing.
• Make sure that the person does not suck in their stomach or try to change the actual size of their clothing.
• Measuring the hips and chest must be done from the back.
• If you plan to sew a product for yourself, then ask someone else to take measurements. It is impossible to do this on your own, as there will be a huge error.

Important! All obtained dimensions should be entered into a working notebook. It is best to double-check the measurements several times, because it is not for nothing that the proverb says that before cutting, you should measure seven times.

Learning to cut fabric correctly

If you are just learning how to sew clothes, then it is best for you to take ready-made patterns that are available in magazines, books, and on the Internet. In this case, you can adjust the pattern to your size and sew high-quality, good clothes.

1. At the first stage you need to draw all the details on separate sheets tracing paper that should be cut along the contour.
2. Then you should transfer these images to the fabric, while we draw your attention to the fact that it is worth adding 2 cm on each side for the allowance.
3. When transferring the pattern, you should pay attention so that the fabric does not fidget, change its size or become deformed.
4. After transferring the pattern, you should once again double-check the accuracy of the drawing with the original one, and only then start cutting out individual parts.

Product assembly

After you have cut out all the parts in the previous step, you can begin assembling the product. For this:

1. All blanks are folded and attached to each other using safety pins.
2. Then, for more convenient subsequent sewing, all products are basted by hand.
3. After this, of course, it is recommended to pre-fit the product on a person, and if there are any nuances, you need to write them down in your work notebook and immediately eliminate them.

Now you should move on to sewing the product on a sewing machine.

When deciding to learn how to sew clothes from scratch at home, a sewing machine is one of the mandatory tools that a future seamstress should have.

Important! Sewing on a sewing machine requires experience and a little skill. So, if you have never sat at this unit before, it is recommended to first leave it on the “rough” material. Work on the seams, their evenness and execution.

All the seams that you make during the sewing process should be perfectly smooth and beautiful. For achievement best result The fabric should be slowly “feeded” under the needle, without pulling it or rushing.

Sewing machine for beginners

In fact, any model from the most different fabrics You can sew it on your grandmother’s old sewing machine, like the Podolskaya one. It is perfect for those needlewomen who are just beginning their journey of advancement in the art of sewing. It is characterized by reliability, it is difficult to damage or fail to adjust.

Important! Special attention It deserves that it can be used to make leather or denim products. Of course, she can only do one type of stitch - straight. A “Seagull” sewing machine is suitable for making a zigzag stitch. Even if you don’t own such a machine, you can buy it very cheaply, but used.

If you plan for sewing to become your favorite activity and possibly earn additional income, then you should purchase a modern unit. The market offers a huge number of models in a wide range of price categories. However, before purchasing such expensive equipment, you should learn to sew very well on any sewing machine, because the quality of sewing does not depend on the price and functions of the device.

Explore information about various instruments that you may need. Sewing clothes requires a ton of different tools for sewing, for making patterns, and for measuring samples to make sure they will fit you. You will need to learn each type of tool and know how to use it. In the beginning you will feel uncomfortable with all these tools, but the more you practice, the easier you will feel.

• Iron and ironing board. It's fine to use one you already own as an iron, but you'll probably want to invest in a higher quality iron. You will use it as a press when you sew as this will ensure that the seams settle properly.
• Seam ripper. You'll use it when you get stitches wrong and need to rip them out.
• Chalk for marking fabric so you know where to sew and cut.
• You will need really good, sharp scissors that are designed for cutting fabric only, otherwise the scissors will quickly become dull and this can lead to damage or fraying of the fabric.
• Tracing paper for developing patterns and changing models.
• Rulers for measuring as you create your design (both during the design stage and while sewing).
• Measuring tape, especially a flexible tape measure. You will use it to take measurements and make appropriate adjustments if necessary.
• Pins to hold the fabric in place before you begin sewing. Pins should be used sparingly as they can damage the fabric you are working with.

Sewing is wonderful even because it gives you the opportunity to dress the way you want, and for what woman is this not a plus? How many times has a trip to a clothing store turned into a sad mood, when: it’s beautiful - but expensive, cheap and affordable - but ugly, here it’s too small, there it’s too big, and here the color is not the right one, or is it even difficult to find the right style? If you learn to sew, then you can completely forget about problems of this nature. You will come up with styles yourself, you will be able to create things that you once saw on someone, purchase fabrics of the desired textures and colors. There are no limits to this, and what’s even nicer is the cost of the sewn item with my own hands ten times cheaper than store bought.

How to learn to sew from scratch

You can start by purchasing a special magazine, for example “Burda”. It clearly shows the models, each has a special note about the complexity of the work, making it convenient to immediately decide on suitable models, and ready-made patterns are attached. However, such a step can only be considered as an option, because despite all its attractiveness, “magazine” tailoring has some serious disadvantages. Firstly, women do not always like the models presented in the magazine, because they often start sewing precisely because they want something unusual. Secondly, the patterns presented there will not give a good fit on all figures, even if the size is exactly the same, which means that you can waste your time. This method also has advantages. So, for example, there is no need to calculate the amount of material, because everything is written in the magazine, the layout of the patterns is also shown there and the sewing process is described. Weigh all the pros and cons, if you are satisfied, then you can try, but in order to learn to sew for real, sooner or later you will have to give up on them and act differently...

If you plan to sew seriously, and perhaps in the future, then you need to approach learning thoroughly and seriously. It is only in appearance that the sewing process looks complicated and incomprehensible, and looking at some complex dress it seems that only a professional could create it. Yes, of course, you will have to develop skills, but more of a technical nature - straight stitches, skills in working with a machine and overlocker, etc. But modeling is a purely creative process. Any, absolutely any dress that you see in everyday life or in stores is built according to one single pattern! It's hard to believe, but it's true. The same can be said about trousers, shorts, and skirts. You need to understand how trousers and trousers are built, and then turn on your imagination and voila!

To learn to sew, you need desire, and in order not to be discouraged by sad experience, you first need to take on simple things. Initially, it is better to practice making even stitches on unnecessary scraps, and only then start sewing. Start with skirts. This is the simplest thing you can think of. The very first one is possible, it doesn’t require a serious pattern at all. Then practice on other styles, more complex ones. As soon as the skirts start to turn out well, move on to sweaters and blouses, dresses and trousers. Learn everything gradually, don’t rush anywhere.

If possible, sign up for cutting and sewing courses. To avoid wasting time, read the reviews of those who have already completed the training. If it is not possible to attend courses, you can purchase them. The cost of such lessons is much lower, especially since their authors offer follow-up support to students for purchase, which means that all issues can be resolved online. If you wish, you can learn, with a teacher or on your own, by reading books. But learning from the experience of others will allow you to avoid many mistakes, save hundreds of meters of material, not lose valuable time and not lose self-confidence.

Below are some tips that may be useful for those who want to learn to sew.

Where to start sewing for beginners

First you need to purchase everything you need for sewing: a sewing machine, an overlocker, good scissors, patterns, needles, etc. Don't skimp on tools, but don't throw money away either. For example, as practice shows, it makes no sense to buy a sewing machine with an embroidery function, or one with 60-90 lines. For a beginning seamstress, a standard set will be enough. Before purchasing, be sure to read the reviews; this is a serious purchase that will affect the quality of the items. It is better to give preference to brands that have long proven themselves on the positive side. There are a lot of opinions about overlocking, is it necessary at the very beginning? The answer is yes! Without an overlocker, the sewn items will not be of high quality, threads will stick out from them, and they can quickly unravel. And in general, a well-tailored thing is one that you are not ashamed to turn out. No matter what they tell you, a machine, even with its overlock stitch, will never replace an overlocker!

Learn the slang and definitions used in sewing. This will greatly facilitate the process of understanding the craft, and reading books and textbooks will no longer be so laborious. Plus, if a question comes up, you can explain yourself clearly and get quality consultation and advice.

In order for a sewn item to fit like a glove, you need to correctly create a pattern, and to do this, you need to take the measurements correctly. It only seems simple at first glance; in fact, a slight mistake and an incorrectly applied centimeter will result in an extra couple of centimeters on the pattern, and this is an unattractively fitting outfit. Therefore, study the process of taking measurements thoroughly.

Try to make your own patterns from the very beginning, don’t be lazy. Firstly, in this way you will sew something that will really suit your figure, and secondly, in this way and only in this way you will fully understand the process of sewing and subsequently learn how to model outfits. Start with the simplest, gradually complicating the task.

Watch master classes from professionals. Now there are a lot of them, most of them are freely available and provided free of charge. Their authors try to explain the process in as much detail as possible and tell what, how and why is being done.

In order not to be afraid and not to spend a lot, first buy inexpensive fabrics that you won’t mind spoiling. Do not try to work with complex materials such as viscose, silk, chiffon, etc. leave it for later, but you need to start reading from the more obedient and pliable ones: linen, chintz, etc.

It would be a good idea to register on forums where seamstress communities exist. At them you can always discuss the sewing process, ask for advice, learn something new, get acquainted with the experience of others and learn a lot of interesting things.

When you have the desire to sew, the main thing is to understand that it will not work out right away; for sure, dozens of meters of material will be ruined, but it is with mistakes that the most valuable experience will come. Day after day, week after week, it will get better and better each time, just don’t give up and keep creating!

How to learn to sew: video