Beginners Sewing for Teens (and Adults): Learn About Basic Sewing, Fabrics and Sustainability

Learning how to sew can be incredibly fulfilling.  If you love fabrics and textiles now is the time to add sewing to your skills set.  Sarah has spent years working in the clothing industry and teaching associated skills.  Join Sarah, founder of https://learnsewing.online as she takes you through the process of setting yourself up for a successful start to your new hobby or possibly career!   This class is perfect for beginners who want to create with a conscience. What you learn here will prepare you for the next step which is to make a simple garment in my Fun Work Or Hobby Apron class.  Even if you don't make an apron what you learn are basic sewing skills for many garments.

In this class you will learn

• tips on setting up your sewing, cutting out and pressing space
• how to use your sewing machine and avoid common problems 
• about different fabric and how to handle them
• sewing with straight stitch and zigzag
• the importance of pressing
• finishing raw edges with a facing and edge stitch

What you will do

• Set up your sewing, cutting out and pressing space
• Find your sewing machine manual or download one and familiarise yourself with the basics of preparing your machine for sewing.  I will point out common problem areas.
• Build your awareness of fabrics by looking at different garments.  Think about what fabric has been chosen and why 
• Consider what impact different fabrics could have on the environment
• Experiment with straight and zigzag stitch on natural and manmade fabrics
• Experiment using edge stitch to finish the raw edge of a fabric
• Sew a small sample facing as a raw edge finish and use edge stitch
• Build up a portfolio of samples and put notes with them to say what worked and what did not.  Your mistakes are an important part of the process!

This is the starting point for making simple garments.  Once you understand your machine and start building up your fabric knowledge you will have the confidence to tackle other sewing project.  Use the skills you gain to go on and learn more complicated sewing techniques.