Many people think that sewing is a dated skill that’s had its day. This couldn’t be further from the case. The truth is, a young, new generation has been introduced to this fabulously creative pastime, and the trend looks set to continue.
Sewing can be a massively useful skill that can help save you money. But that’s not all – sewing shouldn’t be resigned to the practical-but-boring bin, it can actually be great fun. No longer is sewing a skill of the past, it can be a funky and creative way to modernize your wardrobe and add new life to those much loved and over-worn items.
Tips for Sewing Newcomers
If you’re new to sewing, you might want to jump right in at the deep end and create something fabulous straight away. While this might seem like a good idea, especially if you’re normally quite good with this kind of thing, it’s best if you start slowly. Sewing machines can be complicated, and might take some time to get to grips with. It’s a good idea to stay simple with your first couple of projects, so you can master the basics before things get more complicated. Projects with straight lines are excellent for a beginner, and you might want to stay away from complicated stitching patterns.
Knowing what kind of projects to avoid as a beginner can be a good way to avoid stressful mistakes. It’s understandable that many newcomers to sewing might want to fix some buttonholes as a priority, but these can be difficult for beginners. It’s advisable to stay away from complicated items that need fasteners, at least while you master the basics.
Choosing the right fabric for your first few projects can also be imperative. A wonderful tip can be to use patterned fabric. It looks funky and wonderful – but it’s practical too. Any small mistakes you might make will be easily hidden and any imperfect stitching won’t be visible.
Fabulous Sewing Projects
There are so many possibilities with sewing, you can alter old garments or create new items from scratch. No matter what your level of sewing expertise, there are some specially suited projects that are just right for you. As a beginner or a seasoned pro, you can find a wonderful sewing project to try your hands at.
Christmas Sewing
With that time of year fast approaching, sewing can be an excellent way to add seasonal style to your home. There are simply hundreds of Christmas decorations that can be created to add a festive touch to your home.
Many people like to decorate all of their home, inside and out, from head to toe. Christmas Everywhere. The reality is – Christmas is expensive and so are decorations. The right sewing skills can reduce your decoration bill and add creatively customized style to yours or your family’s homes.
Decorating Your Home
Home decorations aren’t just for Christmas, many people love to add those special touches all year long. Cushion covers have become an increasingly popular way to accessorize your living space and they can be a good project for a beginner to try. With hundreds of potential colors, stylish cushion covers can impress your guests with ease. Certain types of covers can be easy for newcomers to sew and don’t require any complicated fasteners.
And it doesn’t just stop at cushion covers, there are simply thousands of potential home decorating options. Any item in your house can be fully customized or given a new and fabulous stylish edge. From hand-crafted duvet covers to sumptuously elegant lampshades, there are countless ways to stylize your home and impress your guests.
Fashionable Sewing
The fashion world is fast moving, and you can’t always afford to keep up with the latest trends. Thankfully, you can stay in vogue by altering existing items and giving them new creative edge. Many trend-setters ignore current fashion advice and alter items how they see fit, and you can too with the right sewing skills. Learning to sew is an important step towards becoming a fashion designer, and it’s a skill all the top ones will have mastered some time ago.
Environmental Conversions
One of the great things about modern sewing projects is that not only are they fun and creative ways to add style to your life – but they can be better for the environment. Old items can be up-cycled or converted into fabulously chic new things. You don’t need to throw everything away, think creatively and add new life to your unloved items.
Hand-crafted shopping bags can be made from old rags you’ve found around the house, or unwanted clothing items. The best thing about hand-crafted shopping bags is that they look great – And they’re better for the environment than those plastic monstrosities.
Making brand new items can be a lot of fun, but you don’t always need to start from the beginning. Existing items can be altered or given new life with the right sewing skills. They can be converted to completely new and unique items, which will impress your friends and help save you money.
A great new trend in the creative world is that of upcyling – its popularity is growing day by day, and it’s easy to see why. Old and unwanted items can be given a new lease of life and converted into exciting (but completely different) items. You could piece together unwanted pieces of fabric to make a funky new quilt or convert an old apron into a hip fabric bag. Upcycling can be a great way to not only save money, but bring some fabulous retro-chic into your life.
Your own creative projects can be a fantastic way to create unique items and really stand out from the crowd. Mass-produced fashion isn’t as popular as it used to be, and you can create items with character and style, whilst staying within budget.
Choose the Right Sewing Project and Get Started
With a vast array of potential first projects, you should get started and get sewing straight away! There are so many guides and tutorials all over the internet, it’s not hard to find the best starter project to suit your needs and skills.
Learning to sew can be wonderfully creative and fun. Jane Elton has been helping beginners for nearly 15 years. You can get loads of great new Sewing Projects online today.
