Hey, everyone! As I sat down to tackle my requested blog posts from you all, one about sewing really stood out to me. If you don’t know, in the past two years, I taught myself how to sew. It’s become a huge passion of mine, and I think sharing what helped me along would be fun.

Who is sewing for?

Everyone! I plan on teaching Phoenix to sew in the next few years (once he can be a little more careful with scissors), and Collin is interested in learning as well.

Why would someone want to sew?

I know many people sew their own clothes or their family’s clothes out of financial need, familial custom, sizing limitations, or just to have a creative outlet.

Another big reason for sewing your own clothes is to minimize the support of sweatshops and fast fashion. What is fast fashion? I have a long blog post about this from 2016:

According to the documentary The True Cost, 1 in 6 people globally are somehow involved in the international textile industry, which is a major shift from 1960, where 95% of our country's clothing was made right here in the US. Nowadays in our consumer economy, 80 million brand new garments are believed to be purchased annually; adversely, 80 pounds of clothing is believed to be thrown away per person each year.

Since fast fashion produces such affordable garments, we must recognize that they are skimping out in other aspects of the production process. In 2013, an 80-story textile factory named Rana Plaza collapsed killing 1,130 workers and injuring an additional 2,500, making it the deadliest modern structure collapse in human history. Despite workers pointing out the cracked foundation and poor conditions of the building structure, the factory owners demanded the workers return day after day, resulting in the eventual collapse. If you think this type of abuse doesn't affect you, be aware that some of the companies that had products being made in the factory were as familiar as Walmart, The Children's Place, Joe Fresh, and others.

What machine should I get?

I personally have the Brother cs6000i which is currently $156 on Amazon. Mine was a hand-me-down from a friend, and i’ve bought some extra needles, foots, and things along the way. There are so many good starter machines out there, and I’m sure you could find one in your local Facebook Marketplace.

Do I need a serger?

Firstly, a serger is a special sewing machine that uses 3 or 4 separate needles and a blade to simultaneously stitch, hem, and trim your fabric. They are very commonly used for fashion sewing, and I bet every piece of clothing you have has been serged.
Short answer — no.

Long answer — it really depends on the fabrics you plan on working with (jersey fabrics are best sewn with a serger), the space you have in your home to store machines, and if you plan on selling pieces. I feel like if you plan on sewing and selling garments, a Serger can streamline the process and cut your time in half. However, they’re a new machine and you must learn how to work them (they’re a bit different than normal sewing machines), they’re really loud (sleeping babies are not a thing when using a serger), and you can make any project work on a normal sewing machine.

I bought a serger this time last year (mainly out of FOMO), used it 5 times and sold it in September. It was taking up space and I literally never used it! I loved the one I bought and learned how to thread it rather easily — so I would definitely recommend it if you really want one. You can also flip off the blade which was great and not all sergers have that feature.

I’ve got my machine. I want to learn! Where do I start?

Make sure you have your machine, extra needles for your specific machine, bobbins, scissors, and fabric! Old sheets make great starting fabric.

Now — Youtube! My first tip is searching on YouTube for “how to thread your specific machine,” and go from there. I could explain how to thread a bobbin and set up a machine, but there are subtle differences for every model.
Another amazing option is taking a class. There should be some amazing classes in your area if you need more hands-on support. I’ve gone in to my local JoAnn and just sat there and asked for help — they’ve been great for troubleshooting in the beginning.
Where should I buy fabric?

I think the best and most sustainable places to find starter fabric is to buy used sheets/curtains at thrift stores. You can also find amazing vintage or overstock fabrics there!
Another option is to support local fabric stores. There will no doubt be higher price tags, but you can meet others in the sewing community!

You can also order fabric online from more sustainable fabric sources like Spoonflower or Blackbird Fabrics (to lightly name a few).

Lastly, you can always hit up JoAnn and grab a few scrap pieces or shop for new fabric.

What about sewing patterns?

There are so many incredible resources for printable or shippable patterns online, or you can go into any store that sells fabric and pick a couple packs of patterns up. Our JoAnn has a lot of vintage patterns and they’re always rated with the level of difficulty so you can get the skill level that’s right for you. I’ll list some of my favorite pattern company IGs below:

I don’t always use patterns, but I have created a few of my own based on my measurements and style preferences. Once you get more comfortable sewing, self-drafting your patterns may be fun for you, too!

Thanks so much for checking out my top tips for getting into sewing! As always, leave a comment below with any questions or recommendations based on your own experience.

Tips for Getting into Sewing