Pearl of Wisdom: Sewing 101

The Absolootely's 101 series has thus far covered the basics of certain forms of shopping. We've covered Etsy, Aliexpress, eBay and Opshopping. Now, things take a bit of a turn and I'm going to focus on a more DIY approach.


Being able to make your own possessions is undoubtedly an awesome skill to have in your consumer toolkit. Everyone should learn the absolute basics of sewing, because sometimes you'll need to fix things and you'll probably want to make something at some point. It's ridiculously satisfying when people ask "Where did you buy that?" and you get to say "Well, I actually made it!" Also, having an individual item tailor-made for you is pretty stellar. And it's even better when you share that with someone else by gifting them a handsewn creation.


Here are Absolootely's top tips for learning to sew and doing it economically:

-First, you need a sewing machine. A basic, second-hand one shouldn't be too expensive, like, under $50. Ask around before buying, as you'll find that your Baby Boomer relatives may have one lying around that they're not using. My mum has three I only learned about recently. People just tend to have sewing machines, it's weird.

My old Bernina Nova.

-If you're not confident, attend a course or, better yet, ask a friend for help. I've started teaching two of my good friends to sew, and it's a really fun group activity. Picking fabrics together, working out how to fix tricky mistakes, planning new projects...

-Basic sewing kits are really easy to find, but be careful, as the cheaps ones tend to be diffuclt to use. Things you'll definitely need, for hand-sewing, are hand-sewing needles, thread, some spare buttons are always useful, an easy fabric such as cotton, fabric scissors, an unpicker and pins. For machine sewing, you'll also need spare needles for your machine, a couple of empty bobbin spools for using different threads, a good sturdy desk, a rubbish bin by your machine for useless cut offs and threads, your machine's manual (if it has one) and extra parts (such as additional presser feet).

-For tutorials, there's this thing called The Internet. I won't take you step-by-step through how to thread a sewing machine and do button holes in this post, because there are heaps of tutorials available online that would do a better job!

-The best place to find pattern pieces (which are the sets of instructions and templates used to make clothing, etc) is at your local Spotlight/fabric store or at opshops. Always check the Bust-Waist-Hip measurements on the packets, same with buying clothes. Pattern pieces will let you know how much fabric you'll need, plus the details of embellishments and fastenings, on the packaging. They're really easy to use!

On older pattern pieces, the sizing charts are totally different. Be careful!

-There are two really useful 'fabrics' you'll want to become acquinted with: Interfacing and Vliesofix. Interfacing is an Iron-On (it comes in other varieties, but stick with Iron-On) fabric used to add strength and structure to other fabrics. If you're following a pattern piece, it will almost certainly require you to use Interfacing. Vliesofix is like double-sided tape. You peel off a layer, iron it onto a piece of fabric, peel off another layer, then iron that fabric + adhered Vliesoflix to another piece of fabric. Bam, two pieces of fabric stuck together, with one piece of Vliesoflix inbetween. Vliesofix is almost always used for applique. It's really useful.

-80% of the time I commit to working on a sewing project is spent ironing and pinning/cutting fabric. Sewing without ironing is foolhardy, trust me, I used to do it. Never hem without ironing first. NEVER. And get prepared to wear out your fabric scissors.

So. Much. Cutting.

-The fastest way to ruin a sewing project and waste your time/energy/money is, ironically, to go too fast. I know, you want to get it done ASAP, but this ain't Project Runway. Take your time, have loads of breaks, make sure you're eating well, keep track of the time. Don't rush. Unless you're on Project Runway, or have a deadline. Then, you are excused.

-The best way to get into sewing is to start with little projects. I spent my summer holidays just making plushies when I was a young lass, both by hand and with a machine. It's best to learn by doing. Namely, you'll make a million mistakes and learn how to fix them, so you'll be ready when you're doing a project that has higher stakes. Plushies and pencil cases are where most people start sewing. They teach you about zips, buttons, buttonholes, hems, seams, patterning and many other basics.

-Before you throw out that ugly old dress, stop and check it over. Could you use the fabric for something else? Are there any zippers or buttons you could scavenge? Is there a way you could improve the garment?

I hope this helped get you into the spirit of sewing! It's a fantastic hobby that no one has ever regretted learning. If you're currently in the middle of a project or about to start one, let us know in the comment section!