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Member since 10/9/05
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Posted on: 4/5/12 8:15 PM ET
I have a friend who thinks she'd like to learn how to sew.

But she's never touched a sewing machine in her life and really doesn't know the first thing about one.

I figure it's important to spend some time learning to thread the machine and wind bobbins and such -- so that could take a half hour or so. But how long do you think it would take someone to practice lining up the edges of the fabric, be able to sew a straight or curved seam, make a uniform seam allowance, not stretch the fabric, break needles, or cause thread nests in the bobbin area? You know, all those things you normally take for granted after you've been sewing for a while.

I learned how to sew when I was pretty young. On a treadle machine. So I really don't remember how long it took me to be a competent enough machine operator to actually sew something.

What do you guys think? How much practice time did you have before you felt confident enough with your machine skills to actually try to sew something?
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Trinity

I probably have too many sewing machines, but how am I supposed to resist when they're either free by the side of the road or people give them to me?

http://thimblesthreadsandneedles.blogspot.com/
  
Member since 3/13/06
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Posted on: 4/5/12 9:41 PM ET
My mother taught me and I started sewing with a real garment. She took me to look through the pattern books, we chose an easy skirt pattern. I'll bet it was cut straight and had an elastic waist. She showed me how to read the back so I could buy the fabric and notions and then, at home, she showed me how to lay it out and cut it. Then she went over the workings of the machine. Then, she started me sewing the skirt!

You can have your friend sew those first seams with a long stitch that's easy to rip out. Then she can sew the seams over again with a shorter stitch.

Pick an easy skirt with straight seams. Start with a cotton woven that won't stretch. For instance, how cute is this skirt...!

  
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Posted on: 4/5/12 10:33 PM ET
It depends on the learning style of your friend. Too slow she may get bored. Too fast she may get overwhelmed. Some people like learning by reading. Some people like learning by watching others first. Others may like to learn by doing. My mom put me on her industrial Juki (she was a factory sewer) and put me "to work" at about 8 years old. I'm a jump in feet first kind of gal, so I had no problems.
  
Member since 11/14/11
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Posted on: 4/5/12 10:49 PM ET
I learned to sew recently. I took a Joann's 101 class which was about 1.5 hrs. We learned the terms, the parts of the machine, how to thread, bobbin, etc. Then we practiced sewing some stitches on scraps of fabric. After that class I was ready to make something and my first project was a cover for the sewing machine I bought that first day! It came out pretty good considering I'd only been sewing for about 2 hours :-)

I recommend starting sewing something pretty quickly after getting to know the machine. There's no better way than hands on to learn. Make sure the fabric is inexpensive and the project easy and just have her go for it! She'll learn and maybe even have something cute to show for it at the end!

PS - I recommend a non clothing project to start off with. Maybe a pot holder or a small bag or a pillow or something.
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Brother 1250D/Janome HD9/Babylock Triumph/Techsew 2750Pro
  
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Posted on: 4/5/12 11:21 PM ET
In reply to NhiHuynh
NhiHuynh, me too! Mom was busy with two toddlers and two teenagers and then there was me, eight years old. I just sat at the machine and got busy.

I think it all depends on learning style.

Trinity, will you be teaching her? I've taught a lot of folks how to sew. Most recently, though, I had three friends who said that really wanted me to teach them to sew; and, they kept telling me that. I got my sewing room set up with an identical model of my old Pfaff to make it easier for us to work together and then, before the first lesson, they were too busy with other things.

All of my closest friends have different learning styles. The only one that sews is a quilter, she would have been happy learning by practicing stitches all day long. Another is very goal oriented, she would have needed a path defined by a pattern immediately with the end goal being a finished simple garment. Another is extremely respectful of the gifts of time and self and would be able to learn however I chose to teach.

The last, I now realize, would have been a terrible student. She reminds us regularly that she must be in control or she is not comfortable. Should she change her mind again and want help learning to sew, our friendship might be best served if I buy her a good 'learn to sew' book!


I haven't lost my enthusiasm, but if approached again, I'll want the potential student to show some initiative before I spend any money or rearrange the sewing area. I might, for instance, suggest that they take some formal lessons if there was anything available locally and offer extra assistance to help with the class as a starting point.

If that wasn't possible, I might suggest that they check the library for reference materials and look through to see which of those materials made the most sense to them and use that as a staring point. I would be encouraged to work with them if they showed any willingness to invest themselves too.


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Each fallen petal reveals a life pollinated by a colony
and nurtured by The Master Gardener.
  
Member since 12/30/11
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Posted on: 4/6/12 1:50 AM ET
I second the previous posts- learning style is key. A self-starter who is unruffled by mess ups can go ahead with you one-one one. However, for many a class with others works better. The individual is less visible and the group pulls everyone along.

I'm a long-time teacher and now I teach handwork to 8th graders learning machine sewing. There's a very brief introduction- setting up, getting a supply bin together, threading, getting the bobbin in, and a little practice on cotton scraps that are fairly long. We have a starter project- a flannel pillow case made with 2 coordinating prints and a solid flange. They cut out to measurements, no pattern and it's quickly done. Very satisfying. Then on to the big project- PJ pants. The fit is very forgiving and the flannel fabric behaves. Joann's has a huge selection of flannel prints so the fabric shopping is fun and focused.

The students like simple ways to customize. They try on to fit the elastic and can decide to trim down the waist to have the PJs sit below the belly button. They can put a contrast band at the bottom hem or add a patch back pocket. I think by engaging creativity in choosing fabric and in small adjustments it inspires people to sew.
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Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. Andy Rooney

Pfonzie- my honey Pfaff Creative Performance and Pfaff Passport, Bernina 930 and 830, Evolution and Enlighten sergers
  
Member since 6/6/06
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Posted on: 4/6/12 7:45 AM ET
I remember jumping right into sewing. I don't think a lot of time was given to actually threading the machine. And if I were teaching someone, I wouldn't do a lot of focusing on that. Different machines thread differently. And nowadays, you can pull up a Youtube video and learn to thread your machine that way. I'm really, REALLY impatient. And if I wanted to learn to sew, I'd want to jump in head first with the actual sewing.
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Erica Bunker
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Member since 6/24/06
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Posted on: 4/6/12 8:35 AM ET
When I learned to sew on a machine I took a class in school. There were about 20 kids and my first project was a skirt with attached elastic. I had the benefit/acess to a machine at home so worked on refashion projects at home. My second project was a lined velvet jacket for prom.

I would show her the basics on a machine and make sure she can thread it, hold onto thread tails at the start of seam and the reverse. When I teach begginer classes we spend about 15 minutes getting acquanted with the machine and sewing on scraps of fabric. A pair of PJ pants from flannel fabric is always good. One of my students (11 yrs old) brought shinny flannel backed satin with cartoon characters that had to be cut with nap. She worked carefully and wore them home on the last class.
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Janome10001, Babylock ESG3, Brother ULT 2001, White 634D serger, Pfaff 1472, Singer featherweight, Singer 14T957Dc, Bernina FunLock 009DCC coverlock, Brother PQ1500S, Janome CP900.
  
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Posted on: 4/6/12 10:16 AM ET
Wow. Thanks for all the responses.

7yr: Yes, it would be me teaching. And I've had the experience of people thinking they want to learn, but when it comes right down to doing it, they're really not that interested. I'm thinking I won't set up the sewing room 'til the doorbell rings ;)

I think the other thing is this: More than once I've had people say "Can you teach me to make [insert project requiring more than beginning skills here]?" It's usually something a little on the complicated side that's going to take some time and practice. So my response has been "Sure, but you'll want to do a couple practice projects first." That's usually the last I hear about it. I guess it's because they're not really that excited about learning to sew. They want that thing that they think they can just sit down at a machine and make, without ever having to learn much about how that happens.


-- Edited on 4/6/12 10:22 AM --
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Trinity

I probably have too many sewing machines, but how am I supposed to resist when they're either free by the side of the road or people give them to me?

http://thimblesthreadsandneedles.blogspot.com/
  
Member since 6/8/09
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Posted on: 4/6/12 3:18 PM ET
In reply to Trinity.
Quote: Trinity.
Wow. Thanks for all the responses.



7yr: Yes, it would be me teaching. And I've had the experience of people thinking they want to learn, but when it comes right down to doing it, they're really not that interested. I'm thinking I won't set up the sewing room 'til the doorbell rings ;)



I think the other thing is this: More than once I've had people say "Can you teach me to make [insert project requiring more than beginning skills here]?" It's usually something a little on the complicated side that's going to take some time and practice. So my response has been "Sure, but you'll want to do a couple practice projects first." That's usually the last I hear about it. I guess it's because they're not really that excited about learning to sew. They want that thing that they think they can just sit down at a machine and make, without ever having to learn much about how that happens.




-- Edited on 4/6/12 10:22 AM --

If someone had told me I coulnd't do what I wanted, but had to do busy work instead, I doubt I'd ask them for additional help.

That may, or may not be a fair comparison, but it's certainly how your friend sees it.

I know lots of people -- almost all adult men -- who decided that they wanted to make something, and ignored the people that said that's too hard. Some succeeded in doing what they were trying to do, others didn't. They all had a better experience than they would have if they'd been told "installing a zipper is hard, why don't you make a pillowcase" or something like that.
  
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