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Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Helen: Today’s topic is a beginner Q&A.

Caroline: Hi, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you?

Helen: I’m good. How are you?

Caroline: I am good. I’m caffeined up. I have my coffee with me. It’s the morning. I’m feeling good. I’m really excited to offer some support to all the beginners out there.

Helen: Yes. It’s been a while since we had a beginner sewing episode. We had a whole episode dedicated to beginner sewing which was episode 32. And although it’s an earlier episode, there’s lots of great tips in there. We also recently did a sewing vocabulary episode. That was a lot of fun.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: So if you’re a beginner, check those ones out, too, but we wanted to revisit this topic because we’ve welcomed so many new sewists to our community in the last year. It’s so exciting that people are getting out their machines, they’re making face masks, and then they’re going on to make all sorts of fun things, and rediscovering sewing. So, welcome to the community. Welcome to the podcast. And we can’t wait to answer your questions.

Caroline: Yeah. So, today we’re going to be answering questions that we got when we put a call out on social, and we are so excited to answer these questions. There’s some really good ones. There’s some funny ones. Of course, we’re not able to answer all the questions we received, but we’re going to do our best to get through as many as we can. And we want to thank everyone who sent in your question. If we don’t answer it today and you’re really desperate, maybe shoot us an email…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …and we can help you out over email.

Helen: Definitely. Okay. Let’s start off with questions for the true beginner. @lauralmurphy wants to know, “So I can use the sewing machine if someone else sets it up. But now I have one that’s not threaded, and I have no idea what to do. I don’t know what I need or how to install what I need. Please help.”

Caroline: Okay. This is truly one of the first beginner hurdles. When we don’t understand how sewing machines work or how to thread them, it can be super intimidating. There are so many little bits and bobs and things sticking out everywhere on a sewing machine. Where do you put your thread? Ah, I get it.

Helen: Yes, and our tips are to consult your sewing machine manual, if you have it. This will help to identify how to thread your machine. It might take a few tries. You don’t need to get it right the first time, but consulting that manual, and if you don’t have the manual, you are probably going to be able to look it up online, even if it’s a vintage machine. A lot of vintage manuals are online. You might have to buy it, but if that’s the machine you’re going to be using, it’ll be worth it to have that PDF on your computer.

So, check that out online. There’s also lots of YouTube videos related to specific machines. So search your machine’s, like, number. It should have, like, a, it’s different from the serial number of the, like, model number of the machine, search the number and see if there’s a YouTube video of someone walking through how to thread a machine. That could be really helpful.

But I will say even though machines differ in type and size, and there’s mechanical machines versus computerized machines, and they all look, kind of, different, the general threading process stays the same for most machines. So we’ll link some threading YouTube videos in the show notes that you can check out and hopefully, those will, kind of, cover the bases.

You can always ask a friend, too. Maybe a friend or family member can walk you through it over a Zoom call or something like that. And once you get the hang of it, you’ll be threading with confidence. Don’t give up. You just need to get over this first hurdle.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. Don’t give up. Helen, I wanted to ask you, there is, like, a song or, like, a jingle for threading, sewing machines. And I was trying to find it online when I was reading this question, and I could not find it. Do you remember this song? I feel like it came up in a workshop or maybe one of our sewing days…

Helen: I don’t remember.

Caroline: …but it’s over the mountain into the valley and, like, there’s like a whole thing. And it’s, sort of, like, a catchy song, so you can, kind of, remember the order to do things.

Helen: Oh, yeah! And in the silver, into the silver boat or something like that.

Caroline: Yeah!

Helen: The take-up lever’s the little silver boat.

Caroline: Anyway, if any listeners out there know what we’re talking about…

Helen: …send us a voicemail singing it.

Caroline: Oh yeah. Send us a voicemail. We’ll do a follow-up because I remember when I heard that, I thought it was so cute, and now I can’t find it again. S,o please help.

Okay, our next question is from @judupreez, “I legit just started. I got a sewing machine in July, and I’ve only made masks and the Costa Tote. I’m super nervous to dive into clothes. What would you recommend you start with as a first project and scale from there?”

Helen: Such a good question. Oh my goodness. Everyone who starts sewing has this question. Where do I start?

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. I mean, starting with accessories as your first few projects is a great idea because it gives you a feel for how to use your sewing machine and can help you to learn new techniques along the way, but it doesn’t involve fitting and all of those feelings and that complication that’s wrapped up with fitting clothes to your body. So, kind of, coming in neutral with an accessories project is usually a good call just to get the hang of it.

And then you can maybe start with a beginner sewing pattern that doesn’t require a lot of fitting. So most patterns have a difficulty level labeled on them. So these typically look like beginner, advanced or confident beginner, i[nter]mediate, and expert or advanced. So look out for that and choose a beginner pattern.

A few great beginner patterns are the Donovan Skirt from Helen’s Closet. There’s the Torrens Box Top from Muna and Broad, the Devon Dress by Seamwork. I know Seamwork has quite a few beginner patterns that could definitely work, and they have a really nice subscription model, so you get access to a lot of stuff if you subscribe.

But you definitely want to go with a reputable pattern designer with great instructions so you know you’ll have a good experience. Now, how do you know if a pattern designer is reputable, Helen?

Helen: Well, I think checking out their pattern collection, making sure you see something you like, first of all. And then go and check out the hashtag associated with that pattern and see how many hashtags are there. Are there thousands or are there just, you know, tens? And that doesn’t necessarily mean that the pattern is good or bad, but it does mean that more people have tried the pattern, and there’s more reviews for you to read.

So if there’s tons of different makes on Instagram or Facebook, or just Googling the name of the pattern, people have made blog posts about it. You can read reviews, you can check out what other people had to say about the fit and the instructions. And that will give you a really good sense of whether or not it’s a pattern that will work for you.

Another reason to check out the pattern designer is because they often provide a lot of additional information on their websites, like sewalongs or technique tutorials to help you along the way. So, in addition, to the pattern instruction booklet with all the illustrations, you’re going to get photographs or videos of the actual steps, and that will really help you in your sewing process, especially as a beginner.

Caroline: Yeah. So looking out for patterns that might have that kind of additional support is such a good way to feel like you’re being handheld a little bit through that process of working on your first garment.

Helen: Exactly. And I want to say, too: don’t be shy of that advanced beginner or adventurous beginner, confident beginner category. So many patterns end up in this category because, for a designer, the category of beginner is, like, I just got my machine and I just need a pattern that has a few straight seams like a pillowcase or tote bag or something like that.

And to put a pattern like a shirt in there that maybe has a dart and, like, a neckline binding, doesn’t really feel fair to put that in the beginner category, so that’s how we ended up with this advanced beginner, confident beginner category. And if you’re a beginner and you’ve made a few straight seam projects, or if you’re a beginner and you’re just really game to get going this category is for you. You don’t need to pass a certain amount of projects or make a certain thing in order to graduate to the advanced beginner category. This category is for you, beginners.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. And if you’re looking at fabrics, knits or wovens can both make beginner projects. I think what you really want to look for is the pattern and the rating of the pattern in terms of difficulty level.

I also want to mention, Helen, just to toot your horn a little bit, I know that the Donovan skirt, you spent a lot of time on the instructions in there, and there are lots of tips for beginners and lots of, you know, really detailed explanations in there, so I think that that’s a really great starting point. And I was really excited to see that a lot of people who submitted questions mentioned that they had sewn the Costa Tote…

Helen: Yeah!

Caroline: …so it sounds like the Costa Tote is also such a great first project to try out.

Helen: Yes, it’s one of those straight seam projects, but it’s not just a simple box tote bag because it does have some pockets, and it has some nice details, so you’re going to get to practice a lot of different skills. And we always include lots of beginner tips with our patterns. That’s, kind of, our jam.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Okay. We had a similar question from @blackberryteamakes, “I’m an experienced quilter, but I’ve never made a garment because I’m quite curvy, and I assume that I’m going to need a lot of adjustments. Where should I start?”

Caroline: Yeah, this is a really great question. It would definitely be a good idea to start with a few beginner projects first, but you might find that you can level up faster because of your sewing experience. Even though quilting isn’t garment sewing, you know your way around a sewing machine. You understand the mechanics of putting fabric together and creating something, so I think that’ll give you a bit of a leg up.

In terms of a curvy sewing resource, we love the Curvy Sewing Collective. They have a super active Facebook group. We’ll link it in the show notes. It has over 24,000 members, and it’s a really supportive community. This can be a wonderful resource to understand fitting adjustments for different body types. I know people are posting photos in the Facebook group. You’ll get tons and tons of support and encouragement there. So joining a group like that is a great way to go.

Helen: Yes. And you could try a knit project for your first project, even though you probably haven’t worked with too many knits, being that you’re a quilter. Knits have more of a forgiving fit; they stretch to fit over your body, so it’s a great project for a beginner because you don’t have to worry too much about the fit of the garment. If you didn’t get the size quite right, it’ll probably still fit you.

Another option is to try an elastic waist. Again, that just gives you that wiggle room. So you don’t have to worry too much about the fit. I think starting there and then moving onto something like a fitted pair of jeans or a fit and flare dress or something that you’re dreaming of making, um, and you will get there eventually.

Caroline: Definitely, and you also want to look for pattern designers that cater to your size range. So you might find that you don’t have to make as many pattern adjustments, if you have a good starting point with the pattern. So, for example, patterns offering different cup sizes versus only drafting for a B cup.

We know that Cashmerette offers cup sizing and has a lot of really great patterns, popular patterns they’ve been around for a while, online classes, and resources for curvy sewists. And if you’re on the hunt to find other plus size sewing pattern designers, Megan from the Green Violet has a great list of sewing pattern companies that go to plus sizes. We’ll link it in the show notes. You’ll have ton of options there, and hopefully, you can find something that aligns with your style.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Alright, our next question is from @sewl.kel, “The challenges I face as a novice sewist are understanding new patterns. Sometimes it feels like I’m putting together a puzzle in a new language, and I spend days, if not weeks, just researching and re-reading patterns before I actually make something. I also find it difficult to step up my game and try something a little harder with more skill required, probably out of fear of failure due to my lack of skills.”

Helen: Uh, we totally get this understanding patterns takes time and practice. And I know that’s probably not very comforting in this moment, but we think you have the right idea with reading through patterns and searching those terms that you don’t understand and giving yourself the opportunity to read the instruction booklet in full and just know what to expect before you go in.

This is such a great first step when you’re working with a new pattern. You can even highlight the terms that you don’t know or understand, so you can do a quick Google search or reference terms in your sewing books. Some of the steps might not make sense at first, and that’s totally okay. Sometimes we learn by doing, too. So just understand that it’s okay not to know everything. Your seamer is always close by.

And the steps often compound together, so the first few steps will be easy, typically, like, constructing some shoulder seams or whatever. And then it’s going to get more complicated as the garment starts to come together, so when we’re pre-reading those instruction booklets, sometimes it can feel like overwhelm starts to set in. And it’s okay if you feel that way. And it’s still a good idea to pre-read the instruction booklet, but just know that every step is just one thing. So when you get to that step, I think you will know what to do. And it’s okay that ahead of time, step 27 looks like Greek to you.

Caroline: Oh yeah. It’ll start making sense once things start coming together. And, as we mentioned before, you can check out pattern designers’ blogs and social media to see if they offer support materials because these extras can make a really big difference in the learning process, if you have that visual help through a video or something like that.

And also don’t hesitate to reach out to the sewing community for support. We love Instagram, so you can put a call out there. There’s also community support through Seamwork. They have a great forum, patternreview.com, as well. Sewing Facebook groups. If there’s, like, a specific sewing niche that you’re interested in, um, or even Facebook groups for the pattern designer that you’re working on their pattern.

Sometimes these other options outside of Instagram can be better options if you’re not using IG regularly. Or if you don’t have a sewing specific account. So I know we talk a lot about Instagram on the show, but it’s definitely not the only place to get support. And I know it can feel a little bit like you’re screaming into the void if you are, maybe, just starting out on Instagram, don’t have a lot of followers, so use hashtags and, you know, try your best to connect with people, but there are definitely other ways.

Helen: Yes, and if you just want to have a helping hand, or maybe you need that extra little push just to get going, there are some ways that you can sew without overthinking and avoiding it, like joining a sewing workshop or class, maybe an online version of a class, making a virtual sewing date with some friends or with a family member you know who sews, so you can get a little bit of help along the way. That can be a lot of fun and just give you that extra push that you need.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s definitely helpful for me. I know sometimes I avoid sewing because it feels overwhelming or, like, diving into a new project feels, like, too much, but scheduling it in and making it more intentional, I think helps me to, like, get to that end point that I’m hoping to get to.

Okay. Our next question is from @phillip_the_stripey_cat, “My question is, is it better to get yourself a decent digital sewing machine? Or am I just blaming my rubbish sewing on my machine?”

Helen: I love this, and it really depends. Our best advice here is try another machine. See if you can use a friend or family member’s sewing machine for a day or go to a local workshop that has sewing machines on site or go to a sewing machine store and try out the machines. They’re often really happy for you to go in and try the machines. Of course, they want you to buy one, so that’s part of the process.

And through testing out these other machines, you’re going to be able to understand better whether your machine does need to be upgraded or whether you just need some additional time to better understand how to use your particular machine, or maybe your machine just needs to be serviced. That’s a common issue as well. Take it, get it serviced. It might come back and be a whole newest sewing experience.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. And you used to have a vintage machine, but now you’ve upgraded, hardcore upgrade to a beautiful digital computerized Pfaff machine. So tell me more about that transition and how you found it affected your quality of sewing.

Helen: It was quite a leap because I had been sewing on a machine that was gifted to me. It was a 1966 Sears Kenmore machine, an all metal mechanical machine, and that’s what I learned on cause I learned on a little Singer Featherweight when I was a kid, my mom’s machine. So that vintage machine was familiar to me, and I love that mechanical and vintage machines all of the threading is on the outside of the machine. There’s no computer UI to get used to. It’s usually just all dials. You have a few less options. You know, you don’t have a hundred stitches. You have six or something like that.

So I think from a beginner’s perspective, often those vintage mechanical machines are easier to understand, and they are easier to approach. But that being said, the digital machines offer so many amazing tools like automatic thread cutters or needle in the down position, automatic tension adjustment, things like that, which just make the sewing process a little bit smoother, and there’s less guesswork because a lot of it just happens automatically.

So I think that both are really good options, and it probably just depends a little bit more on your personality and whether, you know, you like to drive standard or you like to drive automatic, right?

Caroline: I like that analogy. Helen, your machine beeps at you when your bobbin thread is almost out, right?

Helen: Yeah, it does. I think a lot of new machines have that feature, and it’s always fun because it beeps, it’s like bobbin threads getting low, and you’re like, I’m just going to keep going and see what happens. It’s thrilling.

Caroline: That’s so thrilling.

Helen: Yeah. I do miss my old machines. Sometimes I get it out to do certain things because I do find that, like, it handles a twin needle better. It does a beautiful straight stitch, which sometimes modern machines, their straight stitch is, like,just slightly angled. Whereas, like, a vintage machine that was designed for straight stitch does just, like, a really nice straight stitch for a top stitch.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: So there’s some advantages to those older machines, for sure.

Caroline: Yeah. Awesome. Thanks for sharing, Helen.

Helen: Yeah, no problem. Okay, our next section is all about seam finishes and sergers. @tigtucker asks, “How do I finish edges on a home sewing machine when instructions tell you to use an overlocker or something else that I haven’t invested in yet? I’m very new, and I’m having trouble making things look neat even if I try my best to follow the instructions.”

Caroline: This is a great question. We actually have a whole episode dedicated to Seam Finishes (Episode 110), and we cover a lot of popular ways to finish seams in this episode. So be sure to go and check it out, but you definitely don’t need a serger or overlocker, especially if you’re new to sewing.

I think that’s something that you can wait to invest in. There are many ways to finish a seam, so don’t worry about that. How you finish seams can depend on the weight and nature of the fabric that you’re using. So, for example, you can do a French seam on more delicate or lightweight fabrics, and French seams are a really beautiful finish where the seam is sewn twice so all the raw edges are enclosed. So you sew once, and then you, kind of, turn it, and sew it again. So that’s a really good option for delicate fabrics.

If you are working with a heavier weight fabric, bias bound seams are a great option. This involves encasing the raw edge with a strip of bias tape. You can also just use a zigzag stitch to finish off edges. This works for most fabrics. I know it can look a little bit messy, but also, remember that’s the inside of your garment. No one’s going to see it, but you, so try to, like, be a little bit easy on yourself if you don’t have a serger and your seams look a little bit messy because you’re a beginner and you’re learning, and I think that clean finish is going to come with time.

Some sewing machines actually have a faux overlock stitch built into the machine. So check out your sewing machine manual because this can actually have a similar effect to overlocked or serged edges.

Helen: Yeah, I like this stitch. Sometimes it’s called, like, an overcast stitch as well, and you can use really any stitch on the seam, like, as long as it’s covering that, it’s helping to prevent it to fray. So if you have, like, a cute little stitch, that’s, like, elephants all in a row, like, go ahead. Why not, right? Like, it doesn’t need to be a zigzag. It’s really just about adding that, like, extra support. I have that stitch.

Caroline: I’m just imagining.

Helen: You’re laughing, but…

Caroline: Cause those stitches take so long to, like…

Helen: I know.

Caroline: …actually forms So I’m just imagining like, okay, I’m going to go finish my seam now. And, like, 20 minutes later, you’re, like, dun dun dun dun. And you’ve got little elephants all…

Helen: And then you run out of the thread, and you’re like, Helen, why did you tell me to do that?

Caroline: Yeah, yeah. Definitely. I mean, and you will go through a lot of thread if you’re finishing your seams with a zigzag or an overcast stitch. Um…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …so do keep that in mind, but what’s your preferred seam finish if you’re not using your overlocker or serger?

Helen: I didn’t have a serger for many years, and I used to do a lot of French seams on everything. So that was my go-to. But lately, when I don’t feel like getting out my serger, I just want that really clean inside finish, I’ve been doing more flat felled seams which is where you trim one edge of the seam allowance down, you wrap the other edge around it, press it to the side, and then you topstitch it. It’s a super, super strong seam. You often see it in, like, jackets and jeans and menswear and it’s just beautiful. I think it really, the fact that the seam gets tacked down in the end, I find really satisfying. And you get, like, a little row of top stitching on the outside which can look really beautiful. So that’s been my go-to these days. And wonder tape is your friend with flat felled seams. Don’t be afraid to use that wonder tape.

Caroline: Oh really?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Cool.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: I don’t do a lot of flat felled seams except in jeans making sometimes. I love a good French seam. I think that French seams are super satisfying, and they do take a little bit longer, but they are pretty strong. And I think that they have worked really well for the types of fabrics that I use, but honestly I love my overlocker.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: I use it for everything, and I rarely don’t use it. So it is worth the investment down the line if you decide that you love sewing…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …and you want to, kind of, up your game a little bit.

Helen: Yeah. We’ll put a link to a serger that we both think is top-notch and is relatively affordable. Sergers don’t have to be thousands of dollars. So we’ll put a link for the one that we like in the show notes.

Caroline: Yeah, and we also received some questions about sewing with knits and whether a serger is needed. And the answer is no, we debunked this myth in a Love to Sew Favorite: Sewing with Knits that aired in January, and the original episode number for that is Episode 62, but you can simply zigzag stitch on your sewing machine, and you’re good to go. Knits don’t fray, so you don’t have to worry about messy insides. You can just sew and go.

Helen: Exactly. Okay. Speaking of sergers and knits, we got this question from @maggyswaggy, “When using a serger, you can use it straight on knits, but you have to sew then serge on wovens – why?”

I love this question, and the main reason why we can’t only serge seams for woven fabrics, is because the seam won’t be strong enough. Serged seams for knits work great because there’s some flexibility and stretch, but this is not the case with most wovens. So when sewing wovens, we need to think about the construction stitch and how we’re going to finish the edges as two separate parts of the sewing process.

Caroline: Yeah. The construction stitch is typically a straight stitch, and then we finish off the edges so they don’t fray with a serger or zigzag stitch, and it doesn’t necessarily have to go in that order. You can finish the edge first, and then, sew the construction stitch. Follow the pattern instructions accordingly. Usually, they’ll, kind of, lay that out for you, but yes, you definitely do have to think about this.

I have to admit that when I first got my serger, which was a long time ago, I used to just sew straight on my serger.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Like, wovens, knits, didn’t matter. I didn’t use my sewing machine if I could avoid it. And I’ve never really had problems, but that’s also because I use a four thread overlock machine.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So you have two rows of stitches and then the overcasting. And I think that does add a little bit of extra strength. If you have a three thread overlock, then I definitely would not just simply use that for sewing wovens.

Helen: That’s a really good point. With a four thread, I think you can get away with it. But one reason why I wouldn’t recommend that, especially to beginners, is because you don’t really want to be going with your project to the serger, with that blade there cutting away. And like, you’re trying to construct your garment, but you have this really intense blade that’s going to be cutting. So, it’s just risky, right?

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So constructing it first and then going to the serger second, even with knit garments, I like to do that because I just like the control, you know?

Caroline: Yeah, and it won’t always work right, either, to just go straight to your serger because sometimes those seams need to be pressed open, or sometimes, you know, you need to do different things with them. So using your sewing machine is definitely a good call.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Okay. Our next question is from @sewlful_creations, “Do you need different serger needles when serging woven materials versus knits?”

Ooh. Okay. Helen and I, I wouldn’t say we disagree on this, but I think that we do things a little bit differently…

Helen: Yes!

Caroline: …because I do change my serger needles for knits. I make sure that I have, like, ballpoint needles in, for knits, and for wovens, I’ll put in an all-purpose needle, but you don’t, and you’ve never had any issues, right?

Helen: So, yeah, I just keep my universals in my serger, and I haven’t had any issues. And universal needles are intended to be for wovens and knits, in a way. But with a lot of knits, there is still that risk that those pointy universal needles could tear the knit fibers. You might end up with skipped stitches. You might find that the tension’s all wonky. So I think using whatever needle is working for you with your project is the way to go. So if you’re not having any problems, then I think it’s fine.

Caroline: Yeah. I also recommend changing out your serger needles periodically just because they do get dull, and they get used a lot, if you’re, you know, finishing seam edges, those needles are getting a lot of use. So switch them out at least so that you have sharp, clean needles in there once in a while.

And, also, consult your serger manual because some sergers will need specific needles for them. So you can’t just use, like, a Schmitz needle in a serger all the time. Some sergers have, like, a specific requirement, but there’s an interesting article on Sewing Parts Online about using sewing machine needles for your serger that we’ll link in the show notes. So sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Just make sure that you’re following your manual.

Helen: Yeah, totally. Okay. @plaidnotpolkadots wants to know, “What can I skip when it comes to finishing seams, like finishing with a bias or pinking shears or serger, what can I skip with no consequences? Right now I finish everything, but I also get anxious when I need to do things like clip curves when I’ve already serged an edge. I know some fabrics are fine left unfinished, if they don’t fray, but what about seams that wind up fully enclosed in the garment? Am I wasting my time finishing these? And what about those curves? I was actually just searching the archive to see if there was a finishing episode.”

Caroline: This is a great question. We do have a Seam Finishes episode, but I don’t actually know if we touch on what seams you don’t need to finish in the episode.

Helen: It’s true.

Caroline: So maybe we need to do a follow-up on that, but, as a rule, if the seam ends up fully enclosed, you do not need to finish the edges. So when we say fully enclosed, we mean like a pocket bag in a coat or the inside of a lining.

Helen: A neckline that’s finished with a facing, so that once you’ve applied the facing and it flips to the inside of the garment, you have a raw edge inside ther, along your neckline.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And that’s okay, you don’t need to finish that one unless you’re working with, like, a fabric that frays like crazy, and then you probably do want to finish it.

Caroline: Yeah, and remember when you’re, for that, like, neckline example, you’re understitching that facing. So that is adding an extra layer of stitches which is, kind of, like an extra layer of security to prevent the threads from fraying past that stitchline. So that is helping to prevent any potential for things, like, falling apart around the neckline which is probably what you’re worried about, right? With extra washing, the seams just, kind of, deteriorate slowly. So that can be a little bit of an insurance policy that, kind of, understitching or topstitching that you do.

Helen: I like their question about clipping into seams before or after serging, too. And I think, ideally, you don’t want to serge a seam and then clip into it. And if you are clipping into a seam, chances are it’s going to be a fully enclosed seam, so you probably don’t need to finish it at all.

But if you want to, like, say the underarm of a dropped shoulder garment, you want to finish that seam, the side seam that goes into the sleeve, but you also might want to clip into that underarm so that when you turn it right side out, the sleeve is sitting flat. So in that case, I think what works best is to clip before serging and then spread out those little wedges, like spread them open in the way that it will be once it’s garment is finished and then serge all of those little triangles, kind of, together, if that makes any sense.

Caroline: Yeah, no, it definitely makes sense cause that’s just going to, kind of, lock everything in and prevent it from fraying. Whereas if you clip into serging, then that’s, kind of, clipping into all those threads, and they can just unravel, and it sort of defeats the purpose, right?

Helen: Exactly. Yeah.

Caroline: And you can also avoid finishing seams if you’re working with a fabric that doesn’t fray. So knits don’t fray, so you don’t have to worry about finishing those edges. Other fabrics that don’t fray could be a fleece, a velvet, boiled wool, melton, you know, check out your fabric, and if it doesn’t seem to fray, then you don’t have to worry too much about finishing those edges.

Helen: Yeah. Alright, we got a lot of serger and seam finishing questions, so if we didn’t answer your question in the section, we recommend checking out our episodes that cover these topics. Again, 110: Seam Finishes and also Episode 92: Sergers and Overlockers 101.

Caroline: Awesome. Okay. Our next section is all about skills and techniques, and we’re going to kick it off with a voicemail from Allie.

Allie: Hey, Helen and Caroline. My name is Allie, and I’m from Colorado Springs. I’m calling today for your beginner sewer episode. And my question for you is all about bias bindings, facings. I’m honestly so confused by all of that. I started out sewing knits just a few months ago.

Now I’m getting into some wovens, and I just want some advice on which method to use for different projects. If a pattern suggests using one type of method, like a bias binding, can I use a facing instead? Are there any implications there that I’m just not thinking about? Also, just wanted to say thank you so much for this podcast. As a new sewer, it’s really helpful to just learn all the lingo from you, girls, and, um, just get some advice and tips and tricks for getting started with sewing. So, thanks so much.

Caroline: Thanks for your question, Allie. So bias bindings and facings are used for many garments, and they finish off the raw edges like necklines or armholes on a sleepless top. A bias binding uses bias strips of fabrics to finish off the edges. So they can be made in the same fabric or in a contrasting fabric. You can use store-bought bias binding, or you can make your own. Bias binding can sandwich the edge of the fabric and be a decorative finish that’s visible from the outside, or it can be turned into the garment, uh, to the inside and topstitched so it’s not visible. So this finish is very common. What about facings, Helen ?

Helen: Facings mirror the opening of the edge that you’re intending to finish, so it’s a separate pattern piece. It’s typically a tiny bit smaller than the garment piece that you’re working with, and it’s sewn to the inside of the garment, flipped in there, so it’s facing your body and enclosing those areas like the neckline or the sleeveless arm holes.

So, how do you choose when to use bias binding or a facing? It’s really about achieving a different look. So bias binding creates a band look around these openings which can be a style element. If you want to have some decorative stitching or you just like the look of that, like, once you wear it, it starts to, like, weather, and it looks really pretty. Whereas facings create a really clean, smooth edge with no visible stitching on the outside. So this can look a bit more polished and sleek.

Caroline: So you also want to consider the fabric type that you’re using, especially if you’re working with, like, a sheer, delicate, lacy fabric, any of those things, you might want to use a bias binding because the facing would otherwise show through the fabric. And if you do want to use a facing instead of a bias binding, or if you just don’t like the look of bias binding, you could actually extend your facing into a full lining so that it backs completely your sheer fabric or lace so that you don’t have to worry about, like, seeing that line around the facing.

Most fabrics, you can choose either or method. There’s not really, like, a right or wrong. It’s really about what look you want to go for.

Helen: Yeah. And you get to decide, too. Say the pattern includes a bias binding, but it doesn’t offer the facing option, you can actually draft a facing, and you can do a facing instead or vice versa. You don’t need a pattern piece for bias binding. If you want to do a bias bound neckline or leave the collar off of a top and bias bind the neckline instead, you really can decide what you want to do when it comes to your finishing on your garments.

I used to be, like, full team bias binding, and I always found facings to be fiddly, but the more that I pattern design I’m coming around to them. My thing with them is that I don’t like how they flop around, and I don’t like how they, like, come out the armholes and, like, you know, on the, you’re wearing a top and halfway through the day, you realize your facing’s like flopping around on your back.

I don’t like that, but there’s lots of different ways where you can tack these things down. You can tack them in by hand, by tacking them to the side seams or the center back seam of your garment. You can also stitch them down. You’ll have a decorative line of stitching on the outside of the garment, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

On our Gilbert Top, we have a facing that’s turned under on the inside and stitched down, and it just encloses all of those seams, and it’s a really satisfying finish when everything is, like, tucked away and nicely topstitched.

Caroline: Yeah. Your Ashton top has a really cool kind of all-in-one facing as well which I think mitigates some of those issues of facing flipping out, but definitely under stitching makes a big difference. And I’m a big fan of topstitching on top of facing. Um, I think it gives, like, a really nice look.

I personally love bias binding. I love how it fades and wears with washing, especially on fabrics like linen or other natural fibers. I just love that casual look. But everyone has different preferences. So pick what you love and do that.

Helen: Yeah, and if you want to practice these two techniques, our Ashton Top is a great beginner pattern where we offer a facing and a bias binding option. So you can make one with a facing and one with a bias finding, and you can practice both and then you can see which one you like better.

Caroline: Exactly. Okay. Our next question is from @mightybobbin, “Even though I wash my makes on delicate in a delicate bag, I found my bias tape often gets ripped out at certain points on neck and shoulders in the washing machine. Am I not securing it enough? Should I be making wider tape? I sew using a vintage machine and don’t have reverse or zigzag, but I still lock my stitches, so not sure why it isn’t secure enough. My seams always hold up though. Thank you and love the podcast.”

Helen: This is a great question, and this used to happen to me when I started sewing. I would bind my necklines, and then I would run it through the wash a few times, and it would start to fray along that edge. And I think the issue is likely caused by trimming and clipping too close to your seam.

When you apply your bias tape, if you’re, like, grading that seam and you’re getting, you know, at 1/16 of an inch away from your stitchline, that’s too close. You can, you want to be a little further away, same when you’re clipping into your seam so that you can turn it on a curve. You don’t want to go right up to the seam of the stitches because with a fabric like linen, that could fray. It will start to come apart.

And then the other issue with bias binding, specifically, is skipping the understitching part. So the understitching on a bias finish, I think, is key for locking it all together and making sure that even though you grade and clip those seams, it’s all going to stay secure once you sew it all together. So if you’ve been skipping the understitching, try not skipping the understitching.

Caroline: Yeah. Those are really great tips.

Helen: Okay. @sak1978 wants some tips for neat topstitching. Caroline, I think you have it.

Caroline: Oh yeah. I love my edgestitching foot, and I use it all the time for topstitching. It creates a really clean look. The edgestitching foot has, like, a metal or plastic piece down the middle, and you butt your fabric up against it, and then you middle over so that you can get that perfect line, um, in relation to kind of where you’re trying to topstitch next to, and it, kind of, keeps it even the whole time. I just think it’s such a great tool to have.

A few other tips that we have: avoid back stitching. This is going to prevent bulky looking thread at the start and end of your stitchline. So you can simply leave long tails and tie them off on the inside of the garment. Testing and practicing is also key. You can play with varying stitch lengths and tension to get the right look. Use scrap fabric to practice before you give it a go on your final garment.

Another tip we have is to match the thread weight to your fabric. So all-purpose thread works great for topstitching a lot of fabrics, but if you’re working with a heavier weight fabric, like a denim or a canvas, you might want to invest in a thicker thread, such as a topstitching thread.

And you also want to make sure that you’re using the right needle. A microtex needle can work great for topstitching with all-purpose thread. I’ve also just used a universal needle, and I think it works fine for all-purpose thread when you’re doing topstitching. If you’re using topstitching thread, try using a topstitching needle, the thicker thread requires a thicker needle. So keep that in mind.

Helen: Yeah. And when we’re talking about topstitching thread, it only goes on the top. So you’re not putting this heavier weight thread into your bobbin because you’re sewing on the top of your garment. You only need that visible, beautiful topstitching thread on the top. And we want to have that universal all-purpose in the bobbin still.

Caroline: That’s a really great tip that we forgot to include. That’s great.

Helen: @heidi_saffron wants to know, “Tension settings – what are they and why do we need them?”

Okay. Good tension is when the needle thread and the bobbin thread meet in the middle of the fabric, and they have this beautiful marriage, and you can’t even see them because they’re right there in the fabric, joining together in a love fest.

Caroline: I love that description.

Helen: So if you have bad tension, no shame. The stitching might appear too tight or too loose. So if your tension’s too tight on the top, the fabric might appear puckered and the stitches bunched together. And you might even see your bobbin thread appearing on the top side of your fabric. It’s, like, coming up from underneath, and it’s coming on top. It’s, like, crawling over, so we don’t want that.

And if your tension is too tight, you need to loosen it. So lowering the thread tension, the number on your thread tension dial. So consult your sewing machine to figure out how to adjust tension on your specific machine.

Caroline: Consult your sewing machine manual.

Helen: Oh yeah.

Caroline: Consult your sewing machine. Have a meeting. Sit down, talk about your shoes.

Helen: We need to talk.

Caroline: There’s tension.

Helen: There’s tension between us.

Caroline: Oh, but what about if your tension is too loose?

Helen: It will be the opposite. So the stitching might appear too loose on one side or the other. And the needle thread is going to appear on the underside of the fabric. So just like the bobbin thread creeping up on top, the upper thread is going to, like, sink down underneath, and you might see little loops or little bumps.

One of the best ways to see if you’re having tension issues is to put a different color in your bobbin than in your top thread. Do a little test on a scrap fabric and that way you can actually see where the threads are going because if you have matching thread, it’s really hard to see those spots, especially if you struggle with, like, looking at things up close with eyesight issues. So definitely trying out some contrasting thread here to nail that tension.

Caroline: Awesome. And if you have continued tension issues, like, if it keeps coming up, you might want to get your sewing machine serviced and checked out by a professional because it might just be a timing issue or something in the deep depths of your machine that you don’t know exists.

Helen: A screw is loose.

Caroline: A screw is loose. Maybe there’s a buildup in there.

Helen: Yeah, so many things.

Caroline: Yeah. Our next question is from @zoestyron, “How do I buy appropriate fabric for a pattern when I don’t know what a type of fabric is? Example a ponte or a French Terry versus a sweatshirt. I don’t have a local store to check out different fabric types, and I’ve wasted a lot of money buying fabrics online which turned out to be way different from what I expected. I love that Blackbird suggests patterns for their fabrics, but I wish more designers gave specific recommendations for their patterns.”

So this is interesting because we do give patterns suggestions with our fabrics. And I do think pattern designers usually will have a general guideline of the types of fabrics, but they’re not necessarily always, like, linking to stores so that you can actually see, like, a specific fabric that you can then go and buy.

You have to sort of do your own research and, kind of, try to match what they’re suggesting with what you’re finding online which can totally be challenging for a beginner. I definitely get that. I want to say fabric knowledge is going to grow with you and your sewing practice. As you become a more experienced sewist and you buy more fabrics and you sew with more fabrics, you’re going to start understanding more, but as a beginner, we totally understand that it can be confusing.

So my first tip for you is: because you don’t have a local store where you can go and check out different fabric types, pretty much your only option is to order swatches online, and I highly recommend doing that. Some fabric stores offer them for free. Some fabric stores charge for them. Some if you’re ordering, like, a really large quantity and you know, it’s, like, just for research, you might want to offer to pay for them because you know, it still takes, obviously I’m speaking from the perspective of a fabric store, it does take work to put together these swatches. So if you know, you’re not going to then purchase a fabric, then you know, it’s always good to, to pay for them.

But I think that this is such a great tool for you to be able to see the fabric in person, touch it, feel the weight, and make sure that you actually like the type of fabric that the pattern designer’s recommending and that it’s, like, the right weight.

I think weight is a really important thing to consider because not all French Terrys are created equally. You know, not all denims are created equally. So it’s not necessarily, you’re just looking at a fabric type, you also need to look at a fabric weight, and then you can also consider personally what fibers you like. You might know that you really don’t love the feel of wool against your skin, or you might realize that certain fabrics just don’t do well with you, like, in terms of washing regimens or something like that. So ordering swatches and, kind of, exploring different fabric types are going to help you to know what you like and you don’t like.

If you do get the opportunity to go into a fabric store, we always recommend exploring different fabric types. This is another way that you can understand different weights and types of fabrics in person: touching and feeling those bolts of fabric, looking at the labels, kind of, trying to do a little bit of your own recon, and don’t hesitate to reach out to shops, to ask if a specific fabric would be a good choice for a pattern. This is so much of the emails that we get at Blackbird are people saying, is this fabric good for this pattern? We love answering those questions. We’re sewists ourselves, so we have lots of thoughts about that kind of thing. And it’s not always so obvious, so most fabric shop owners are happy to help with this kind of thing. Um, so definitely don’t be shy to reach out.

We’ve also recommended, um, some books on the show in the past which we think are really great fabric guides. So Fabrics A to Z by Dana Willard and Claire Shaeffer’s Fabric Sewing Guide are two books that are great to have in your library as a new sewist. Fabrics A to Z is a little bit harder to find, but Claire Schaeffer’s book is more easily accessible. So if you have trouble finding one, look out for the other.

And of course, I want to direct you to all of our fabric episodes which we love putting together these episodes. So Episode 27 is Fabrics 101, Episode 103 is a Q&A all about fabrics. We have Episode 155 all about fabric shopping online. And of course, we have deep dives. So wool is Episode 164. Linen is Episode 152. Cotton is Episode 128. And we are working on more deep dives as we speak, so I’m excited to dive into some other fabrics in the future.

Helen: Yes, and I want to thank this listener for, also, the suggestion for me, as a pattern designer, to be more clear with those fabric recommendations. In the pattern instruction booklet, we, kind of, are vague. We’re like cotton, like cotton lawn, cotton batiste, and linen, like any linen. And it’s not the same as shopping in a fabric store when everything has a specific name. So I think with supplementary content on social and blog and stuff, we can help people to find more fabrics or even just listing the exact fabrics used on the product listing so that if people want to just recreate the one that the model is wearing, they can do that. I think that is super valuable. So I’m going to take that tip for my next patterns, and I appreciate it.

Caroline: Okay. Our next section is all about tips to get the right fit. And our first question is from @katkataboo, “Full bust adjustments feel scary and overwhelming.”

I guess that’s not really a question. It’s a statement that I agree with. They are overwhelming, but we want to tell you that you got this, and we got you because there are lots of resources online for full bust adjustments. We love the Curvy Sewing Collective Beginner’s Guide to a Full Bust Adjustment. We’ll link it in the show notes. It’s super detailed and has lots of great photos to help you along the way.

We also want to recommend that you use muslin or an old bed sheet or something low pressure so that you can just experiment first. Don’t do a full bust adjustment for the first time and then cut into a precious fabric and just, like, cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Helen: Yeah!

Caroline: You have to do some tests to get a feel for it and make sure that you’re doing it correctly for your body. But remember fitting is an extension of sewing. It’s easy to get swept away in hoping to sew a garment in, like, a day or two. I definitely fall prey to this. I love that, like, instant gratification, but I think that you’re going to realize that there are many components to this sewing practice that don’t involve sewing itself. And you, kind of, have to try your best to embrace each part of that process and see it as a learning opportunity.

And remember that you’re not trying to make yourself fit the clothes. You’re trying to get the clothes to fit you. So, work on that, spend some time learning about these adjustments, because in the end, you’re going to end up with clothes that you’re going to love more, that you’re going to want to wear more, that are more custom to you.And that’s really the goal with sewing, right?

Helen: Yeah. And I think compartmentalizing these different steps is really helpful because really making a full bust adjustment on a pattern, you’re just cutting up paper. You’re just cutting and taping paper. And, like, if it doesn’t work out, you just scrunch it up and throw it in the trash. Like, you’re not even at the fabric point yet. So it might feel scary, but all you’re doing is just getting the scissors and cutting some paper. And I think you can do that. And then the next step you can worry about later.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely.

Helen: Okay, @alexis_vancil wants to know, “Everything about muslins, how to make one, what fabric to use, where you find it, how to translate adjustments made on the muslin to your pattern when you’re making the garment for real, and when you make one versus when you don’t.”

We got actually a lot of questions about muslins, so you’re totally not alone. And if you call this process toiling or prototyping, there’s lots of different words for this, but a muslin is usually made in muslin fabric, which is a tightly woven cotton fabric, um, it’s pretty affordable fabric, and it is a nice woven without any stretch. So it gives you a good example of how woven garments are going to fit.

But you don’t have to use cotton muslin. You can use old bedsheets. You can use any other fabric. You can go to the discount section of your local fabric store and pick up, like, wacky printed rayons that didn’t sell very well and use those for your muslins. I do that all the time because sometimes it’s better to make your muslin of your finished garment out of something that’s more close to the actual fabric that you’re going to be using. So if you’re making jeans, you probably don’t want to muslin those in muslin, although you can. It would be better to muslin those in a similar weight denim to really give you a sense of how the, that muslin is going to fit.

And when it comes to making a muslin, you don’t need to worry about completing all the steps indicated in the pattern. You can, and that’s a good way to practice the pattern if you want to do that. But we’re typically muslin-ing to assess the fit. So focus on those primary steps that are going to help you to try on the garment. So you can baste your muslin together so it will come together even quicker, and then you can take it apart and make fitting adjustments.

And don’t bother with, like, bias binding and facings, unless you really want to practice those things because they’re just going to take up a lot of time and sewing with that cotton muslin that can be super stiff is frustrating. So you’re probably not going to enjoy that very much so I wouldn’t bother.

And when you go to try on the muslin, you’re looking for indicators of where the fit isn’t quite right. So maybe it’s feeling too tight in the bust, too loose in the hips. There’s unwanted draglines coming off of your shoulders, or there’s pooling at your lower back. Pay close attention to those areas that you might want to fix and start identifying the adjustments that you need to do in order to make those changes.

And I know that this is the hardest part, because what if you have all of those things. What if it’s too tight here, too loose there, pooling here, draglines here. Where do you start? There is really no answer to this. You need to just take it one step at a time. So identify the issue that’s bothering you the most and start there. Researching, what do I do if it’s too tight around the chest? Oh, I need an FBA. Make that adjustment. Try another muslin and then see where all those other lines are at because you cannot fix everything at once. And if you try to fix everything at once, you’re not going to know what adjustment had what effect. So you’re essentially undoing all of that hard work.

So one thing at a time, every adjustment you make is going to change the fit. And just keep in mind too, that cotton muslin, if you’re using it, is a super stiff and unforgiving. It has no give. It often looks way worse than a fashion fabric would look on you. Things kind of tent over the bust and you might see draglines there that seem like a fit issue. But then if you were to make it in like a rayon or a linen, it would actually hang better off the body and you wouldn’t be as bothered. So that’s another point in favor of using fashion fabric when you’re making a muslin, in my opinion.

Caroline: So if you want to tackle those fitting changes one-by-one, you can consult a fitting guide. So Palmer/Pletsch has the Complete Guide to Fitting. It’s a book that a lot of people like in the sewing community. This is the same authors as the Fit for Real People book. This is just an updated version.

And we also have an interview with Melissa Watson who helps to put that book together. It’s Episode 36, all about tissue fitting. So if you’re working with big four patterns, um, tissue fitting could be a great method. We also have an episode with Linda Lee, all about fitting solo, which could be a great starting point for you. That’s Episode123.

Google is your friend Googling whatever’s happening in your garment and seeing what comes up is a great starting point as well. And then engaging with the online sewing community on Instagram or through Facebook groups. Those forums that we mentioned earlier are a great place. A lot of Facebook groups, too, you can literally just post pictures and people will come to your rescue. I’ve seen it happen. It’s really great to be a part of an active Facebook community for sewing.

Helen: Yeah. And it’s important to note here, too, that it’s great to give people fitting advice if they’re asking for it. And it’s not so hot to give fitting advice to people, if they’re not asking for it. So keep that in mind when you’re in these groups.

But I want to talk about the process because this person’s asking about what to do once you have decided you want to make an adjustment. Do you make it on the muslin? Do you make a new version? Like, how does that process go?

So you do want to apply the changes that you want to make to your muslin, if you can, to test it out and then apply it to the final pattern pieces for the garment. In some cases, you’re going to be able to try things out on the muslin that you just made, things like letting out a seam allowance or taking things in or maybe to take the shoulders up to lift everything up. You can make those changes and then measure what you did and recreate them on your pattern pieces.

Other times you can actually cut into your muslin and then pin more fabric in its place. So just like if you’re making a full bust adjustment, you would make several cuts into the pattern piece, you can make those same cuts into the actual muslin that you’ve made and then pin or sew in fabric to fill in those gaps, and then you can try it on again. Yes, it is very finicky, and it can be a little challenging to wrap your head around, but it’s worth experimenting with because you never know what you might find. And then you don’t have to go through the process of cutting and sewing another muslin with the changes already on it.

Caroline, I know you did this when you were trying to figure out the fit on your Yates Coat. You, like, cut open the sides and added a little wedge panel in there in muslin, and it worked out great, right?

Caroline: Yeah. That was really helpful for me to be able to, kind of, visualize what I wanted. And then you can really know exactly how much you need to add. It doesn’t always have to involve putting fabric behind, too. Even just, like, if you’re finding you don’t have enough room in the bust, cutting into the fabric and then just seeing how much the fabric separates and, like, measuring that amount will tell you how much you need to add to that bust measurement on your pattern when you’re making that full bust adjustment. So utilizing, like, your scissors and pins and extra fabric when you’re fitting is, is really helpful for then taking that information and putting it into the pattern.

Helen: That’s so true. And sometimes the best way to proceed is to make changes to the pattern piece based on what you’ve researched, and then sew another muslin. And you can make as many muslins as you want and need to make. It’s completely up to you, but this is nice because you have the original to compare it to. So if you don’t make any adjustments to your first muslin, then you make a change. You make a second muslin. You can try both those garments on, and you can see, this is how it was before. This is how it was after.

That can be really helpful. If you’re making changes to the actual muslin that you just sewed, one thing you can do to have that before and after is take pictures or get someone else to take pictures so that you can then look at those pictures and be like, did it make a difference? Did it improve? Cause if you start cutting it up, then you no longer have that muslin to evaluate.

Caroline: It’s so true. Yeah. Keeping track of those changes and, kind of, taking photos along the way is super, super helpful.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Alright, we’re going to wrap up this episode with a little “Ask Helen and Caroline” section. I mean, isn’t this whole episode Ask Helen and Caroline? It, kind of, is.

Helen: Basically.

Caroline: Um, but this is more of an advice column section. And our first question is from @whataboutelevenses, “A big challenge I have is that I often have little, very specific questions that pop up during the course of a project, but have nowhere to go with them. They’re the kind of questions I would love to throw at another friend who’s a sewist, but I don’t have any friends who are into garment sewing. While Instagram and YouTube provide plenty of tips and tricks, I’m looking for a forum with other garment sewists where I could post some of these little questions versus spending hours looking for the right tutorial.”

Okay, so we did touch on this already in this episode, but if you’re someone who doesn’t have sewing friends nearby, consider checking out Instagram, other forums, Facebook groups, find a community that you can ask these questions to. For example, if you are looking for a Facebook group, maybe if you’re working on a specific pattern, look for the Facebook group for that pattern designer, the Bra Making Forum is a great place if you’re doing bra making. So there’s a lot of, like, niche groups that you can find to ask these questions to. Aside from that, I feel like you can, maybe, make a sewing friend that you can ask questions to.

Helen: Yeah! You totally can. You can try to find people online, obviously, all over the world. That’s wonderful about the sewing community is it is global, but you can also try to find people locally, and then hopefully, you’ll be able to make an IRL friend in the process. You can use a city sews as a hashtag. So #vancouversews, #newyorksews, #coloradosews. You can do more regional areas or even the country. See what you can find on Instagram, and see if you can connect with your local community.

Maybe there’s a Facebook group for your local sewing community as well. We have the Vancouver Garment Sewist Facebook group, um, and that’s a great way to connect with people that are in your area that will have the same access to the same fabric stores and stuff as you. Also, I want to mention taking your sewing project and your question to your local sewing studio. I think that a lot of people that run local sewing shops and run workshops are so happy to help, and they love getting sewing questions.

I’m thinking about my local sewing shop and Nicole who runs it. And she would be thrilled if you came in with a sewing question, it would make her day. So try that out, too, if you’re able to. That could be a really great resource for you.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Okay. Next step. We have a question from @sewingpoet, “My name is Marcella, and I’m just finishing my first garment. It’s a Seamwork Adria Top made of cotton lawn. And I have previously made a Costa Tote which I completely love. I struggled with getting things just right, making the darts even, getting the sleeves in. Do the two of you have any tips on how to decide if something’s “good enough,” or can you unpick and resew things too many times? Is that possible? I know some of these things just take some practice and getting things wrong, but I’m having trouble letting things not be perfect.”

Caroline: I hope that there isn’t a limit to how many times you can unpick and resew things because I would be, like, kicked out of sewing if that were the case. I want to say to Marcella that it’s okay to make mistakes and have to redo them again and again and again, and even, like, advanced sewists, like, this happens to them.

Like, I can’t even count the number of times that I’ve, like, put in a sleeve the wrong way, like, inside out multiple times and had to unpick it. Like, sometimes you just, sort of, hit that wall in sewing, and you just make the same mistake again and again, and that’s totally fine, but we do have some tips for, kind of, deciding if something is good enough.

And I think a lot of it is, sort of, personal choice, but one that I love is to take a few steps back and see if you notice the mistake. Because if you can’t see it from that far away, chances are nobody else will notice. And I think that as sewists, we notice and point out our mistakes way more than anyone else would. So try to, kind of, like, reprogram your brain and think if I can’t see it from a few feet away, maybe it doesn’t matter.

Helen: Yeah. I love this tip. We use it in our workshops all the time because people come up to the front of the class with, like, basically holding it up three inches from their eyeballs saying, look at the top stitching here. It doesn’t look right. The, you can’t see it if you take a few steps back, and no one’s looking at clothes that closely.

Or mistakes on the inside of a garment, if you get your seam allowance pointing the wrong way, it’s different than what the instructions recommended, that’s totally fine. It’s just, like, the instructions are this ideal world where if you did it all this way, it would all, like, line up and be amazing. But if it’s all facing a different way, that’s fine too. It’s really no biggie.

So if you find yourself in a moment of frustration or not knowing if it’s worth it to rip a seam out, my best tip is to just take a break and come back to it an hour later, the next day, next week, if you’re really frustrated, come back with some clarity when you’ve not been immersed in the project for hours and you’re not super frustrated with yourself, and you’ll probably have a bit more grace when you come back, and you’ll say, oh, that’s not so bad.

Caroline: It’s so true, and remember the handmade items come with unique flaws. In our recent pep talk episode, Brooks Ann Camper mentioned that she’s always embracing problems and mistakes, and she is a couture custom wedding dress designer. And she, nevertheless, embraces the handmade flaws that come up in her work. So if Brooks Ann Camper can embrace flaws, you can, too.

Helen: Yes. @wobbly.stitches wants to know, “What do you do when a project totally fails and you know you don’t want to wear the garment? It feels wasteful to make clothes and not wear them, but I can’t seem to get better without making more. Should I be recycling these garments? Not making garments? Help!”

Oh, we’ve all been there.

Caroline: Yeah, we definitely have. And although it can be disappointing, there are ways in which you can find this garment a good home, or, as you mentioned, upcycle it in creative ways to give it new life. So if it’s wearable, but maybe just not your size or you decided that it’s not your style, you could consider giving the garment to a family member or friend.

You can also maybe think about selling it on @buyselltradehandmade. That’s an Instagram account where they do, like, reselling of handmade items. And can also just do that through your personal social media accounts. You could also sell it to a curated consignment shops. Consignment shops don’t always accept handmade garments, but sometimes they do. So you could try to find one.

And then there’s also many, many ways that you can upcycle a garment. You could turn it into something completely new. We share a lot of great small project ideas in our Scrapbusting episode, which is Episode 98, and our Sewing Accessories episode, Episode 170. And you can also try to update the garment to make it more wearable.

So maybe you want to make it sleeveless or add ruffles or add embroidery, or, you know, make it your own, make it something that you actually do want to wear. Maybe you’re going to refashion the whole garment. We have an episode about that Episode 113, if that’s of interest to you. I also think, like, I use some of my muslins are, like, projects that don’t work out as, like, stuffing for poofs and things. If I really don’t know how to, how to use them, it is, kind of, sad to get rid of those things, so do try to find it a new home, if you can.

Helen: I think from a sustainability standpoint, it’s great to think about the fact that it is, it’s disappointing to make clothes and not wear them. And you feel like you’re participating in this cycle of waste. And one way that you can mitigate that is by choosing sustainable fabrics from the get-go. So using deadstock fabrics, or just using, like we’ve mentioned it so many times in this episode, like an old cotton sheet or something, if you’re just getting started sewing. You’re just using things that are already there.

You’re not using virgin goods, so you’re not diving so far into that cycle. And then if it doesn’t work out, you really haven’t added to the waste, and that can be comforting. And also, I think it’s okay if you are starting out sewing and you’re trying to learn how to make your own clothes because you don’t want to participate in fast fashion anymore and you want to have control of your wardrobe and you want to be able to make sustainable garments that you’re actually going to love and wear for a long time that are high quality, there’s going to be some projects along the way that are going to not work out, and you’re not going to be able to wear them or even give them to a friend. And hopefully, you can find another place for that. But I think, in the end, the decision that you’ve made to, to opt out of fast fashion and to make your own clothes is a huge one. It’s a huge, huge win. So continue to celebrate that, and try not to get too upset about these projects that don’t work out. You certainly should not stop sewing.

I actually have kept a lot of projects that I’ve made in the past that didn’t work out or when I was a beginner. Maybe I don’t want to wear them anymore because they don’t fit me, or I am just not as happy with the sewing, but they’re such a great representation of where I was when I started. So I have a little bin of projects that I might upcycle one day, but they’re also just there as a little reminder. It’s, like, my sewing journal, you know? So you can keep that stuff if you have room for it, too.

Caroline: Oh, that’s such a sweet sentiment. I like that. Keep those garments and then look back on them.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Well, thank you all again so much for submitting your beginner questions. Let us know if we missed any topics that you’re hoping we could cover in a future episode, we’re always game to hear your suggestions. So reach out to us at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.

And if you’re a beginner out there, tag us in what you’re making this week on social. We want to see it. We want to share it. We want to encourage you, so never hesitate to tag us. We always love seeing that stuff coming in.

Caroline: Yeah.

That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com.

Helen: We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, and you can get in touch with us and get links for everything we talked about in this episode at lovetosewpodcast.com.

Caroline: And if you’re loving the show and you want to help us out, you can support us on Patreon. Contribute $5 or more a month, and you’ll get access to our monthly bonus episode. Contribute $10 or more a month and get a 15% off discount code for both of our shops and a bonus mini episode. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. And thank you all so much for listening and sending in your questions. We will talk to you next week.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: We love the Carissa Look… We love the Curry Sewing Collective.

Helen: You said Curly Salon.

Caroline: I said Curry Sewing Collective. Oh my gosh.

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