If you’re interested in learning how to sew by hand, as a new hobby you want to get into or as a career shift, then you’re in the right place. We’re going to give you a list of basic skills you need to start learning this craft.
Originally, sewing required a thick thread and needle to make holes in materials. This meant that the basic essentials were a sturdy needle, strong thread and two pieces of fabric.
Here the architecture designs explore some things you need to know about before starting your sewing journey.
Threading Your Needle
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The traditional method is to tie one end of the thread around the eye of the needle while leaving enough space between the knot and the eye so that it doesn’t get stuck when you push it through your material.
Picking Up Your Stitches
There are two methods for this. The first method is to use your needle to pull it out from under one stitch, then go down into another stitch above, lift it up over the thread, and pull the needle all the way through. If you want a more secure stitch (like with heavy fabrics like denim or leather), try passing the needle back under several stitches before pulling it tightly.
Restoring Your Thread Tension
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When you sew by hand, you may find at times that your stitches come out too tight or too loose for what you’re trying to do. If you get too many tight stitches, it will bunch up and warp your material. If you get too many loose stitches, the seam will start to unravel.
To correct this, all you need to do is pull gently at the end of your thread about an inch after the knot. With your other hand grab your needle and pull it until both sides of your thread are even and parallel with each other (no more twist).
Then continue sewing like normal and pay attention to see if the problem repeats itself.
Back-Stitching
This method is used when you want a very sturdy seam for thick fabrics like denim or leather. It’s done by making several reverse stitches on top of where you just sewed into one another. This completely negates the need to backstitch at the beginning and end of your seams.
Tracing Your Pattern Onto Your Material
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When it comes to patterns, start with an easy one. There are designs you can buy online. Butterick patterns, for example, offer patterns for tops, blouses, pants, coats, pullovers and jackets that beginners could use as a guide.
After deciding what pattern you want to use and buying your fabric, next comes marking where on your material you will be cutting out holes for each individual piece of the pattern.
To do this, fold up your material with its wrong side facing outward. Take a measuring tape or ruler and measure an arm’s length in from one corner, mark it down onto the material with a pencil.
Then take another measurement halfway between that line and the opposite corner until they are all marked down. Lift half of the material underneath so that only one single layer remains folded together, then slide your hand into it, keeping its original crease.
Tracing up from the bottom fold of material, use a pencil to connect the dots you made earlier.
Repeat this process with overlapping folds until you’ve covered your whole piece of material without lifting it back up again.
Cutting Out Your Pattern
After transferring your markings from your pattern onto your fabric, layout all the pieces flat on top of each other and make sure they line up nicely together before you start cutting them out.
Make sure that both sides match, including any lining pieces if there are any.
Using sharp scissors, cut around each individual piece carefully avoiding snipping any unnecessary holes in your clothes or accidentally cutting through to another layer underneath (it will happen).
Choosing Your Hand-Sewing Needles
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There are many types of needles for doing things like hand-sewing, repair work, and embroidery.
Whatever you do choose to buy though, make sure they have a sharp point so that they don’t damage your fabric when going through it.
Also, hand-sewing needles should be long enough to have plenty of room for maneuvering inside the eye where you’ll be threading them with the end of your thread before sewing with them.
Start Stitching
With the right knowledge, you can take on any sewing project with ease. Make sure to watch tutorials or have someone who will guide you through the stitching process.
We hope that this article has given you some insights into the basics. Sewing can be frustrating at times, but with these tips, you’ll find that hand-sewing is much easier than it seems. Happy stitching.
