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Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:33 am
by jimskirts
Any suggestions on learning to sew?

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:52 am
by r.m.anderson
My grandma was a seamstess and got me started on simple things and alterations to mens (Ugh) pant$.
Using her pedal operated sewing machine was a challenge.
The modern digital machines are fairly simple and straight forward.
IMHO buying DVD to learn how to sew would be a waste.
Reason I say this is the hands on teaching and learning is lacking on a DVD.
And then there are books in library; bookstore and on ebay.
With a book you do not have to fast forward pause review while looking a CRT while an open book stays on
topic page by page.
Better to just buy a basic machine with say 10-20 different stitches and functions and then take some
clothes that you would most likely trash or give to charity and learn how to sew make simple things and
alterations.
These basic machines start at around 50-60 US $.
Not so fast though you will need bobbins and thread and a basic assortment of needles and a scissors or two.
Your budget should be somewhere around a $100 to get started - but visit a sewing machine store or dry goods
store if you have one close you may find a used machine and supplies for a bargain. Also another source is
estate sales and newspaper ads.
If you have a community college think about signing up for one of their classes.
If that is not possible then buy your machine from a sewing machine shop and find out about lessons.
It is really not all that hard.
Making a skirt from scratch is a great deal easier than the dreaded pant$ or shorts.

But not everbody marches to the same drummer - so- here is link to ebay Sewing DVD:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R4 ... Categories

Check out the items offered balanced against your budget and abilities to sew.

It is awful nice to be able to sew; making your own clothes or altering them to fit better - while saving a dollar or two.
Information and time spent is FREE - wish you well in this endeavor !

"Kilt-On"
rma

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:49 pm
by straightfairy
This ^^^^ and practice. :D

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:41 pm
by allen476
I am self taught and some of the words of wisdom I have found in my journeys........

Buy a good machine upfront. It doesn't have to be the "top of the line" model but a cheap machine will do nothing but frustrate you and in the end you could have applied that money to a better machine. Cheap machines often skip stitches, choke on thicker fabrics, and break easily.

Check Craigslist and Ebay. Don't buy on Ebay unless it is local though. Try out the machine beforehand. Do some scouting on http://sewing.patternreview.com/ if you have a particular machine you want to find info about.

Visit your local sewing machine shop. Some offer free lessons when you purchase a machine. They also might have used machines that were taken in on trade.

Use good thread and needles.

Practice on scrap. The basic way is to be able to sew straight first then inside corners then outside corners. Your first items will look like a drunk monkey sewed them together, that's ok, you will get better with time. Once you get the hang of the basics, then turn your attention to making elastic casings, buttonholes, hemming, darning, zippers, and alterations.

Believe it or not, a skirt is a good first project. Lots of near straight lines and just a simple waistband and hem. Find a good pattern and start there or google "free skirt pattern" and you will find literally thousands of them.

Flannel is cheap enough to use as a muslin and is very forgiving when learning to sew. Don't use the expensive fabrics until you have enough confidence in your abilities. Certain fabrics like knits and satins don't like sewing machines very much and should be considered when you have mastered the sewing machine. Lycra and most stretch fabrics usually only like to be serged. Don't use old t-shirts to practice on when starting out, it will lead to a lot of headaches.

Buy a good seam ripper. You will use it plenty when first starting out. Also a good pair of fabric scissors that you only use on fabric. The cheap scissors will not cut fabric very well.

Visit your local library and check out basic sewing books. You will be able to learn basic stitch selection, needle sizing, fabric terminology, and what proper stitches will look like. DVD's just don't cut it in this regard.

And remember, practice, practice, practice.

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:49 pm
by jimskirts
Thanks for the replies and advice

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:53 pm
by crfriend
allen476 wrote:Buy a good machine upfront. It doesn't have to be the "top of the line" model but a cheap machine will do nothing but frustrate you and in the end you could have applied that money to a better machine. Cheap machines often skip stitches, choke on thicker fabrics, and break easily.
Too, don't overlook the possibility of getting an older (40+ years) machine. What you won't get is one that can do a bazillion different stitches, but what you will get is a machine with all the moving parts made out of steel rather than plastic so the worst thing you're likely to break is needles. Literally the only upkeep that old machines require is basic cleaning and lubrication; for serious matters parts are usually available and those are usually things like belts (most have but one) and a rubber doughnut that forms the clutch for the bobbin-winder. Sapphire has one that's older than I am, and I have seen her work magic with the thing.

If at all possible, try the machine before buying it. One of the highest forms of praise for any device is "that it runs like a sewing-machine". Unless it's an industrial-grade device, it should run almost silently (a soft whir is about all one should hear) and when turned by hand should have no hesitation or binding in it.
Practice on scrap. The basic way is to be able to sew straight first then inside corners then outside corners. Your first items will look like a drunk monkey sewed them together, that's ok, you will get better with time. Once you get the hang of the basics, then turn your attention to making elastic casings, buttonholes, hemming, darning, zippers, and alterations.
That is very sage advice, indeed.
Believe it or not, a skirt is a good first project. Lots of near straight lines and just a simple waistband and hem. Find a good pattern and start there or google "free skirt pattern" and you will find literally thousands of them.
Basic skirts are by far the easiest to make garments going -- a very good starting-point.

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:16 pm
by Since1982
Wow...just a bit pricey there for ONE dvd. I can buy a new copy of Gone With The Wind or Lawrance of Arabia for 10 bucks. I'm positive if I look I can find sewing dvds online for less than 10 beans. I'd say that dvd is not an original and a pirate making lots of copies who doesn't know whatever the going rate is and is getting greedy. Of course this is my opinion as it says at the bottom of the page. :alien: :bom: :alien:
Basic skirts are by far the easiest to make garments going
That's true, I think the cavemen figured that out a while back. If the Spanish had never brought horses to the American continent we'd still be in skirts as a normal thing. :faint:

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:23 pm
by jimskirts
Youtube has some useful stuff

And free

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:34 pm
by pleated
You may also pick up a few tips at
http://www.thesewingforum.co.uk/

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 11:15 pm
by allen476
Lv jim wrote:Youtube has some useful stuff

And free
The problem with videos is that rarely they are explanatory. For example.......

Do they show what the stitches should look like and give examples of what they shouldn't look like? What about explaining what could cause bad stitches and how to correct them?

What about needle and thread selection and understanding what you should use when?

The list is endless. I really recommend a book for learning about sewing.

The videos never show how to properly alter the pattern, sizing the item, or even planning everything out. All they show is sewing it together. Sewing is the easy part, it is everything leading up to sewing it together that is the tough part and that part is never shown on video.

I know that it seems like there is a lot of info to absorb, but with practice, patience, and asking a lot of questions, you can become proficient at it.

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:10 am
by crfriend
allen476 wrote:I really recommend a book for learning about sewing.
Again, I second Allen's assertion that a book is better than a DVD (or any other on-line medium for that matter). Books allow one to read, and if need be, re-read portions. The photographs in books -- and the textual descriptions -- tend be vastly better than what can be had in video, and a book is the quintesential "random-access storage medium": flip to the page and there you are -- with 100% certainty!

Sewing is not a new art; not by a long shot. Typically, it's been passed from mother to daughter (save for families of tailors where the art would be passed from father to son to perpetuate the business), and it's been done so through the ages without "modern technology". Books are the next-best thing to ancestors; find a good one and the sky is likely the limit. I'd, for one, hate to try to discern whether I had the tension set correctly on a sewing-machine if I had to rely on something on a TV (or computer) screen. I have several gals to thank for making me know how to do that -- my grandmother, my aunt, and my wife (I'm a slow learner). It was Sapphire that allowed me to make the jump from simple machine settings into engineering (and how to fix the things).

Do not eschew "low-tech" when it comes to learning "low-tech" things -- or even "high-tech" ones. The local public library is your friend.

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:18 am
by jimskirts
Unlv has some classes through continuing ed,
hands on with instruction will be good.
Two classes about 30 hrs each.

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:12 am
by Sarongman
I'll second Carl regarding older machines. In the late 50s my Mother bought an Elna machine which had a solid steel body and everything was built much heavier than the current plastic, computerised therefore not, in my book, to be trusted to endure the half century that this has. One of my sisters inherited that one. I have a Victorian era Singer with the shuttle bobbin. The machine is so old that the cabinetry had to go back ezactly wnere it came from, meaning it must have been handmade.

I haven't tried sewing a skirt yet, but I'll have to get a similar machine to my Mother's, as the antique is too hard to sew with and I have 2 old LL Bean favourites which I want to replicate. I did once ask a professional seamstress and left feeling rather sick at the cost of the quote. (Don't ask, some things are best forgotten!)

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 6:15 pm
by jimskirts
The class was pretty good.
Learned one two mashines, regular and serger.
One basic skirt,shirt and pants. None are anything
I would wear but its a start, never made clothes
before, next month is alterations.

Re: Sewing dvd's

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:57 am
by dawn-uk
Just go onto utube lots of sewing tips and patterns :D