Real Quick and Simple Sewing is the Order of the Day

Real Quick and Simple Sewing is the Order of the Day

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of sewing complex projects and using difficult patterns to impress folks.  After all, in school and college that’s how we’re taught. Every assignment we were given was made to sound complicated, and teachers would criticize your work if it didn’t sound “clever”.

But, we’re not in college anymore; we’re in the real world.  And in the real world, quick and simple wins, especially online.

Here’s why:

People are BUSY. You don’t have time to decipher complicated patterns or look up sewing terms you don’t know.  You need to get your project done, fast, and the best way to fast is with SIMPLE sewing. Everyone wants to start making their own clothes today, but not sure where to start.    The key is to start with a very simple skirt, top or dress pattern that gives you a chance to practice basic straignt, but flattering seams made in a woven print fabric.  The fewer pieces to put together, the better.

Sounds easy enough, right?  Your question is, “How do I do that?’

First, think about the part of your body that is easiest to fit.  When you go shopping for ready-to-wear,  what items do you leave the store with that fit your body?  Are you finding skirts and pants to cover the bottom part of your body, but struggle to find button-down blouses, jackets or tops without stretch marks and gaps to cover the upper part of your body?  Or, is it the reverse?  You find great fitting tops, button-down blouses or jackets, but hips, thighs and butt put a strain on skirts and pants?

Next, look for an accommodating pattern, depending on the easiest fit.  But you’ll want to look in the easy department, which appears to be slightly difficult to find using the pattern companies like Vogue, McCalls, Butterick and Simplicty’s online catalogs.

In order to get to the easy section, first select the catagory of clothing you want to sew.  Then scroll down on the left under the Coordinates or Collections tab for the items checked in red below.

Most of the commercial pattern companies also provide a level of difficulty category in the same area as shown abov.   Plus a detailed description of each individual design is on the pattern envelope and the level of difficulty in terms like “Easy”, “Average” or “Advanced.”  Within the description, look for the number of pattern pieces required to make a specific design.  The fewer the pieces, the quicker and easier the construction.

Anyway, just something to keep in mind when you’re learning to sew… keep it simple!  Don’t make it complicated.  Sew for easy part of your body first, then work on the area that may need pattern adjusting later after you’ve perfected the basics.

Get help from tutorials and familiar teachers (just like me) if you feel you need a little extra guidance, or for more advanced sewing skills.

But overall, really quick and simple sewing is the order of the day.