How to learn to sew on a budget
If you started out sewing on little to no budget like me, here are a few things that helped me begin learning.
Find a sewing machine
Buying a machine secondhand first was my way of testing it out to see if it was for me. I paid $25 at a thrift store for a 1975 singer fashion mate and I chose it because it came with a binder of the machine and how to use it with a box of supplies.
Try out facebook marketplace and local thrift stores or estate sales to find your first machine! Otherwise Walmart has a few reliable beginner machines (which I eventually went on to buy next)
I am not guaranteeing you will find one reliable and at that price point that I did, I got lucky. Make sure the machine is tested before purchasing secondhand!
Self Taught Method
The internet is a great place to learn without leaving your home or transporting your machine to lessons.
Joann does offer sewing classes if you prefer to try it that way. I’m just telling you how my broke self did it
Although my machine came with instructions, I quickly realized that I am a visual learner, so Youtube University….here I come!
I found success in my sewing techniques after serious research and an insane amount of Youtube videos.
A resource available to you is the Brother or Singer website and hotlines. You can enter the model number and it provides you video and other help.
If you stumble on a issue, there is someone there to help you through it step by step and they are pros at troubleshooting.
You could even make use of sewing facebook groups or instagram ‘how to’ accounts for help!
USE YOUR RESOURCES
Sewforless.com is a great place to get thread from home and is very affordable.
Nava Rose is one of my favorite sewing channels to watch. I recommend watching a few of her videos to really get an insight into the process. Heres the link: Nava Rose - YouTube
Or click the link below where I put together a short video of me deconstructing the sleeve of a hoodie and sewing it back together.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVfnaO2leTp/
Decide what you want to learn to sew/why did you get the machine?
Did you want to learn to sew because you want to be able to fix minor flaws in garments you’ve held onto to EVENTUALLY fix?
Or are you wanted to learn to sew something wearable from scratch?
My goals were to master the basics and to transform the clothes I already had. Once I achieved those goals I set more.
Once you’ve answered that question it will make it easier to create your own at home lesson plan.
AVOID FRUSTRATION WITH THESE FEW TIPS:
- I would recommend beginning to learn with a non-stretch fabric and begin with straight lines with focus on UNDERSTANDING the tension settings.
Tension settings was the hardest concept for me to grasp so learn to adjust the settings on material you don’t care about before attempting the project.
OR allow enough fabric for testing what stitch to choose.
- BE PATIENT! This is a tough skill to learn. But is so worth learning and can be such a dope journey.
Where are you at in your sewing journey?