If Only I'd Known..My Top 5 Sewing Mistakes!

 

   1) Not Enough Markers!

As a beginner, the key to easier sewing for me, is being able to see markings and follow lines. 



 Having spent over an hour trying to find a suitable marker for black satin fabric, I regret not investing earlier in a wider range of marking options which would have saved me valuable time. 

In the end I turned to my make up drawer and found that a silver eyeliner pencil was the perfect marker for satin.  I've subsequently discovered that silver or white crayola crayons are also ideal as chalk and more conventional markers had limited impact on this slippery fabric, seen above.

2) No Mid-Stitch Checking

After lining everything up to sew a zip into my first skirt, it was only when I reached the end that I realised I did not fold over the seam and the zip was at the edge as opposed to being hidden within the seam allowance. Had I sewn a few stitches and then reviewed the right side of the fabric, I would have spotted this and saved myself unpicking and re stitching time.

3) Selecting A Challenging Pattern 

Some pattern brands are easier to follow than others and as luck would have it, my first pattern came from a manufacturer that is not known for providing detailed, logical explanations (for the time being they shall remain nameless), however I only discovered this after I had started. If I were starting again I would choose an easy beginner pattern from a company that is renown for explaining patterns clearly. I also came across a really good blog HERE which helped me understand information on the back of patterns (again, sadly after I had already started).

4) Overoptimistic With Time

 I'm not there yet, but I long for the day when I can say I will create a dress in an hour and actually finish within that allotted time. 
My mistake in the beginning was thinking that projects, which on the face of it appeared simple, could be completed quickly. The time it takes to decipher, pin, mark and cut patterns,reload bobbins, deal with machine jams and thread snaps, review progress vs pattern advice etc all adds up; also I had never heard of darts, interfacing, batting, french curve, bias tape to name a few so each had to be researched, understood and applied first. 

My approach now is to take the time estimated and triple it!

5) Cutting Too Soon

On my first pencil skirt project I was required to cut 2 pieces for the back of the skirt and the pattern cutting guide showed me how to lay out the fabric. What I failed to realise was that the 2 pieces should have been placed with their right sides facing each other but as this was not indicated on the pattern guide I overlooked it and ended up with the left side of the skirt showing the right side of the fabric and the right side of the skirt, the opposite. 

This was in spite of me knowing the adage "measure twice, cut once" but I should have thought ahead how the two pieces needed to fit together and not just followed the cutting guide. 

For me sewing is akin to completing a jigsaw, with only access to part of the picture on the box so going forward I now mark the right sides of all fabric (unless it's obvious) and think of the steps ahead so I can envisage how parts will look together before I cut.

Perhaps some of these stories resonate with you or you may be able to avoid similar pitfalls having read the above;  but in spite of all my sets backs (or learning opportunities as I prefer to view them), I found the challenges quite motivating as they spurred me on to improve, an assessment I hope  you'll agree with as you view my future posts!

Thanks For Reading