Burda Style For people who sew
Hi,
I want to start sewing, and need some advice to start off. I have some past experience – my mother was a designer in South Africa, and so I have some basic knowledge of how to use a machine, cut, tack, even make darts. But I haven’t done any sewing for about 7 years.
I was wondering if I could get some advice, particularly about getting a machine, and if you can purchase fabric online (I can’t seem to find a fabric store anywhere near me).
Thanks!
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Feb 8, 2013, 08.27 PMby sewingfan1
It’s certainly easy to buy fabric online in the UK and i’d have thought it’d be the same in SA but if you type fabric south africa or something similar in google you should come up with a few. Some sites are better than others in how good an idea they give you of what the actual fabric is like, because of course you don’t have the benefit of feeling or seeing the drape of it well over the internet, though you can usually order samples before committing to buying full metres. Ebay is usually good for fabric too.
Sewing machines it’s usually best to get the best you can afford and be realistic as to how many features you’re likely to make use of. It’s not worth paying a lot extra for super duper features that you would never use. An overlocker is a really useful thing to have if you can afford one in addition to the sewing machine and plan to make things regularly, i love mine but saying that, i did manage without one for a long time while learning the basics of sewing. They do give a professional finished look to garments though and are brilliant for sewing stretchy fabrics like tshirts.
One tip i always couldn’t be bothered with until relatively recently is the iron all the seams when you’ve done them tip. I just thought it created extra unnecessary work but it actually makes things a lot easier!
I’d get a good sewing tutorial book as a reference guide and start yourself off with a few simple projects. Enjoy!