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How To Sew - Sewing Courses, Sewing Projects, Sewing Tips

by SewingSuccess

Last updated: 04/28/2012
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Do You Want To Learn How To Sew Using Common Sense Sewing And Fitting Techniques?

Discover sewing secrets in common sense basic and couture sewing courses plus a brand new fitting method that leads to your 1st step to sewing success in fitting pants and skirts. Enjoy step-by-step sewing projects and sewing tips to improve your sewing skills. It just makes sense!

Once you have a basic understanding of what sewing is and what the sewing terms, tools and equipment are, you will want to take a sewing course to help you with your sewing project. There is a lot of free sewing information here to help you do that.

Be sure to check out my sewing blogs, Sewing Success Sewing Blog and Sewing Project Tips Sewing Blog. They are incredible resources loaded with sewing tips, techniques and sewing projects. . .all FREE!

Remember that a portion of the proceeds from any sales from the links on this site are donated to cancer research. My husband and I as well as many family members and dear friends have had cancer. Cancer touches all our families in one way or another. Help us make our donation to cancer research significant. Thanks!

PS: Check out my website, 1st Step To Sewing Success and see my sewing courses to help you achieve sewing success. Don't forget to sign up for Sewing Success News It's FREE PLUS you even get a BONUS worth at least 50 cents!

If you love to sew for kids, you will absolutely love the downloadable sewing ebooks you can get here. Check it out! You will have sew much fun and save a ton of money on boutique kids clothing plus a whole lot of other good stuff to make. "You Can Make This!" is one of my favorite how to sew sites.

It just makes sense!

Contents at a Glance

What is Sewing?
General Sewing Methods
Seam Allowances, Techniques And Stitches
Sewing Tools, Accessories, Notions, Clos...
Get Online Sewing Lessons From The Queen...
Get Sewing Success News Delivered Right...

Sewing according to Marian and Wikipedia

I believe God was the first to sew garments when he sewed fig leaves together for Adam and Eve.

This is Wikipedia's Version:

Sewing

Sewing is an ancient craft involving the stitching of cloth, leather, animal skins, furs, or other materials, using needle and thread. Its use is nearly universal among human populations and dates back to Paleolithic times (30,000 BC). Sewing predates the weaving of cloth.

Sewing is used primarily to produce clothing and household furnishings as curtains, bedclothes, upholstery, and table linens. It is also used for sails, bellows, skin boats, banners and other items shaped out of flexible materials such as canvas and leather.

Most sewing in the industrial world is done by machines. Pieces of a garment are often first tacked together. The machine has a complex set of gears and arms which pierces thread through the layers of the cloth and semi-securely interlocks the thread.

Some people sew clothes for themselves and their families. More often home sewers sew to repair clothes, such as mending a torn seam or replacing a loose button. A person who sews for a living is known as a seamstress (or seamster), dressmaker, tailor, or garment worker.

"Plain" sewing is done for functional reasons: making or mending clothing or household linens. "Fancy" sewing is primarily decorative, including techniques such as shirring, smocking, embroidery, or quilting.

Sewing is the foundation for many needle arts and crafts, such as applique, canvas work, and patchwork.

General Sewing Methods

These are some general sewing methods

Hand-sewing is still done to some extent for finishing and repairing garments.

Sergers are becoming more popular for home use, but are not capable of all the functions of a traditional sewing machine. Because of this, people usually purchase a traditional sewing machine first, and purchase a serger at a later date.

Serger prices typically start at two to three times the cost of a traditional sewing machine.

Hand-sewing: using a needle and thread with your hands to produce stitches.

Machine-sewing: using a machine to produce similar effects to hand-sewing, but at a much quicker speed. Sewing machines can be electrically or mechanically operated. Electric machines are by far more common.

Serging: trimming the edge of fabric and overcasting all in one step, sometimes with the option of stitching as well. Also used for creating artistic effects. Serging is ideal for stretchy fabrics or fabrics that should have neat edges. Virtually all commercially-sold clothing is completely made with one or more specialized industrial sergers.

Almost all of these methods can be done by either hand, sewing machine, or a serger; however, the specific techniques used can be quite different.

Some methods are not appropriate for some applications, even though it may be possible to replicate another method. As an extreme, you could technically duplicate serging with hand sewing, but it would take at least several hundred times as long to do the same work.

Furthermore, some techniques are not possible with other methods: making an embroidery stitch called a French knot is easy by hand, but impossible by sewing machine or serger.

Seam Allowances, Techniques And Stitches

Seam Allowances

Seam allowance is the area between the edge and the stitching line on two (or more) pieces of material being stitched together. Seam allowances can range from 1/4 inch wide (6.35 mm) to as much as several inches. Commercial patterns for home sewers have seam allowances ranging from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch.

Sewing industry seam allowances range from 1/4 inch for curved areas (e.g. neck line, armscye) or hidden seams (e.g. facing seams), to one inch or more for areas that require extra fabric for final fitting to the wearer (e.g. center back).

Dressmaking/Tailoring/General Sewing Techniques to create clothing and other textile projects

Mending: using general techniques and specialized methods such as darning to repair textiles.

Quilting: sewing together layers of fabric and/or fibrefill to make warm blankets and clothing, or used for effect. Machine quilting is most common, but quilting "purists" and traditionalists do all quilting by hand.

Serging: uses multiple threads to produce a stretchy and secure edge finish or seam that keeps raw edges of fabric neat. The term "serging" is commonly used to refer both to the act of sewing with a serger, and the type of effect the serger produces.

Embroidery or machine embroidery: artistic embellishment.

List Of Stitches:

back tack
backstitch
basting stitch (or tacking) - for temporary fixing
blanket stitch
blind stitch (or hem stitch)
buttonhole stitch
chain stitch
cross-stitch
darning stitch
embroidery stitch
feather stitch
hemming stitch
lockstitch
overlock
padding stitch
running stitch - for seams and gathering
sailmakers stitch
slip stitch - for fastening a folded edge to a flat piece of fabric, or to another folded edge
stretch stitch
straight stitch
topstitch
whipstitch (or oversewing stitch) - for protecting edges
zig-zag stitch

Sewing Tools, Accessories, Notions, Closures

Sewing Tools and Accessories

awl
bobbin
bodkin
dress form
dressmaker's or tailor's shears
measuring tape
needle
pattern
pattern weights
pin
pincushion
rotary cutter
scissors
seam ripper
sewing table
tailor's chalk
thimble
thread
tracing paper
tracing wheel
wax, often beeswax

Notions (objects sewn into garments or soft goods)

Closures

buckle
button (buttons can be sew-through or have shanks.)
toggle
chinese frog
eye
hook
hook-and-loop tape (often known by brand name Velcro)
snap
zipper

Finishing and Embellishment

elastic
eyelet
grommet
heading
interfacing
rivet
trims (fringe, beaded fringe, ribbons, lace, sequin tape)

Get Online Sewing Lessons From The Queen Of Sewing!

Sandra Betzina is one of the best!

Check out Sandra Betzina's Power Sewing here:

Power Sewing WebTV Show

Power Sewing Toolbox

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It just makes sense!

Sewing Info From Sewing Success Sewing Blog

Links to more sewing projects and tips

Sewing Success Sewing Blog is for all sewing enthuasists to discover how to sew using common sense sewing techniques. Discover the sewing secrets, sewing projects, sewing tips, sewing lessons and fitting tips to help take your 1st step to sewing success.

Download Sewing and Quilting eBooks Now!

It's easy!

There are lots of "how to" courses here that you can download in a few minutes even if it's 2 AM.

Discover the easiest way to improve your skills at your own pace, in your own space. You don't have to worry about missing a class or keeping up or taking notes. Get a sewing course eBook now! It just makes sense!

Common Sense Fitting Method For Hard-To-Fit Sewing Folks Who Want Great Fitting Skirts And Pants

Sew A Tee Pee And Accessories For Your Tribe Of Kids - A fun basic sewing course that is not just tee pees.

How To Sew A Classy Designer Straight Skirt - A couture sewing course

Sew A Sewing Mat Tote Bag Basic Sewing Course

Sewing Project Tips Sewing Course It's like having multiple sewing courses in one with more than 60 sewing projects, tips and techniques.

Tee Hoodies Sewing Course Discover how to makeover your favorite tee shirt into a hoodie. Great gifts for your friends and family. Have fun recycling tees into hoodies.

How To Repair Your Sewing Machine. Sewing Machine Repair As A Home Business Or For Your Self

Sewing Roman Shades. How To Easily Sew Roman Shades. Step-by-step Roadmap To Professional Window Shades

Sew More For U. A Diy Sewing Companion, More Than A How To Sew Book

Sewing 101. A Step By Step Guide To Sewing Basics

Home Sewing Secrets. Step-by-step Guide To Creating Comfortable, Stylish Clothing For A Fraction Of The Cost All From The Comfort Of Your Home

How To Start Your Own Quilt Shop. Comprehensive Business Guide Shows You How To Start, Run, And Market A Successful Quilt Shop

201 Patchwork Quilt Patterns. The Famous Ruby McKim Book Plus A Bonus Of 102 Vintage Patterns

Enjoy Some Great Sewing Projects And Tips

Sewing Sites

Add to this growing list of sewing content sites offering good sewing tips and techniques. Then vote for your favorites by clicking the arrows to the left.

How To Sew - Sewing Courses, Sewing Projects, Sewing Tips

Do You Want To Learn How To Sew Using Common Sense Sewing And Fitting Techniques?

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

What is Sewing?

Sewing according to Marian and Wikipedia

General Sewing Methods

These are some general sewing methods

Seam Allowances, Techniques And Stitches

Sewing Tools, Accessories, Notions, Closures

Get Online Sewing Lessons From The Queen Of Sewing!

Sandra Betzina is one of the best!

Get Sewing Success News Delivered Right To Your Inbox

Sign up and receive a bonus tip worth at least 50 cents!

Sewing Info From Sewing Success Sewing Blog

Links to more sewing projects and tips

Download Sewing and Quilting eBooks Now!

It's easy!

Enjoy Some Great Sewing Projects And Tips

Sewing Sites

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