Sewing 101
Today’s post is near and dear to my heart because sewing is everything to me. My mother taught me to sew when I was 10 years old. Prior to that, I remember sewing doll clothes on my toy sewing machine. I am sorry that I no longer have that machine because it was the real deal, turquoise blue and made from cast iron. Maybe that is why I love blue so much and find myself gravitating toward turquoise more and more each day. By the way, if you have a thing for turquoise, you have to check out House of Turquoise. I am always pleasantly surprised with Erin’s, daily finds.
Getting back to sewing though, I made the majority of my clothing including outerwear through my teenage years. It was exciting to buy and coordinate patterns, fabric, trim and notions and whipping up the same outfit in several colors. Ahhh, those were the days. Years later, I got my first job out of college due to my ability to sew more so than my newly earned business degree. I worked as an Editor for Vogue and Butterick Patterns, mostly editing and sometimes writing the instruction sheets found in the patterns. From there, I went into Consumer Services, corresponding with consumers all over the country, helping and guiding them with their sewing endeavors. Lastly, I worked as a website coordinator for the company.
Not only was sewing responsible for raising my self esteem as a young girl, it also helped me to be detailed oriented, to think both logically (a definite plus when it came to math and computer programming) and outside the box and to be resourceful. On top of all that, it provided me with an open door to the creative world and I can’t imagine life without my passion for creativity.
For these reasons, I think sewing, to coin a Martha Stewart phrase, is “a good thing”. Unfortunately, it is rarely passed down from generation to generation and taught in schools anymore. So, I thought I would introduce you to the sewing basics through video. It is a simple skill to learn while the payoff is immense.
The “how-to” videos that follow will teach you basic stitching, stitching seams, hems and pivoting corners- all you need to know in order to make simple pillows, curtains, placemats, table runners etc. Sewing home accessories is easy because it mostly involves straight sewing. I hope I have inspired you to give it a try. If you don’t happen to own a sewing machine, surely you can borrow one from someone you know. And be sure and let me what you think. Is it something you would like to learn? If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Sewing is one of those subjects that I can discuss endlessly. Happy Sewing!
Sewing Basics
How to Stitch a seam
How to Pivot a corner
How to make a hem
My mother-in-law is amazing, she can sew anything without a pattern. You should also check out a non-profit called “Sewing Hope.” I’ll email you the link.
i have a neighbor who love to sew dress thats why i will tell this to her, so she will visit your site for some tutorial.
re: your words at the bottom of the screen – they cover the bottom part of the video, so the viewer cannot see the video there.