I started sewing in July 2023, the day before my 45th birthday. Before that, I’d been feeling dissatisfied and restless and wondering if there was anything more out there. But one thought kept popping into my head. Sewing. Especially the old fashioned stuff. For years, all I could think about was how cool it would be to make vintage and historic clothes. But people like me didn’t do stuff like that…did they? I don’t exactly know what ‘people like me’ was meant to mean, but owning a sewing machine and creating beautiful clothes wasn’t really on my radar. Sewing machines were big and intimidating and temperamental. Home economics class at school taught me that.

It was with some nervousness and an air of ‘fuck it, I’m going give this a shot’ that I picked up the cheapest sewing machine I could find in my local Joann store, along with some pretty fabric, matching thread and the usual basics like pins, a ruler and tailors’ chalk. I had to go back later that day for tracing paper, interfacing and a zip. From then on I was hooked, and my bank balance has never been the same again. It’s been the best birthday present to myself ever!

Eighteen months later and I’m still hooked.

Here’s what I wish I knew about sewing when I first started.

1. Get the best sewing machine you can afford…

…Or at the very least, get a decent steady starter machine. Unlike me. I got the cheapest Brother machine in the shop, because I’m one of those who burns through millions of hobbies and never goes back to them. I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a sewing machine then never use it. That was a big mistake. My cheapy machine couldn’t hold tension for very long and was a real misery to work with, confirming everything bad I thought about sewing machines. It constantly chewed up the thread and fabric, no matter how much I adjusted it.

Lots of tears were wept over that thing, thinking I was a failure. I nearly quit, but by then I knew I really wanted to sew. In early 2024 I plonked down an eye-watering amount of money and bought a Babylock Presto II. It was a game-changer. The Babylock is a real workhorse and a delight to work with. Zero tension problems. It just runs on and on!

I wish I’d bought a better machine to start with. In the end I spent more because my first machine didn’t work out.

2. It’s a journey, not a destination.

When I first started out, I tried my hardest to finish each project in a day. Yeah, that was a recipe for burnout! Now I’m trying to be more ‘in the moment’ and enjoying the process. It’ll take however long it takes. For someone like me who wants everything now now now, it’s been a tough lesson to learn.

3. It’s only fabric.

I still get anxious before I start a new project. The thought of mucking up and wasting all that lovely uncut fabric - and believe me, I’ve mucked up more projects than I want to admit! It isn’t the end of the world if things go wrong and you decided to abandon your project. It’s only fabric. There will always be more fabric to buy. I bought cheap fabric when I was starting out and graduated to nicer fabrics when I felt more sure of my skills. This leads on to…

4. Don’t beat yourself up if a project doesn’t work out.

You are going to fail. Your project won’t go the way you want it to. The creation you were so excited about doesn’t fit. Your machine craps up the button holes and you’re screwed. Sometimes sewing sucks.

I used to beat myself up so badly when things went wrong. The last victorian blouse I tried, I sewed the big puffy sleeve on the wrong side. Not once, but THREE times. Three. Whole. Times. You’d think I’d learned my lesson after the first time, but nope.

Don’t beat yourself up. It’s not nice and it isn’t worth it. Try and laugh about it, and move on to the next thing.

5. Seam allowances are actually important.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but I didn’t really get how important seam allowances were until fairly recently. I know, I know! I started off using a 1 inch seam allowance as standard, then wondered why nothing I made ever fitted me. Those wee lines on the sewing machine next to the presser foot are there for a reason! When that clicked, my stuff fitted me much better and it was easier to sew more precisely.

6. It would take me ages to learn to sew in a straight line.

This leads on from the previous one. When I got my seam allowances right, sewing in a straight line suddenly clicked in to place. But it took me well over a year of sewing before my lines stopped looking like erratic ant trails.

7. You will get addicted to buying cute fabrics.

A fabric-buying addiction is real. I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets a shiver of excitement when they wander up and down the aisles of their local fabric shop. The whiff of potential projects and creativity is alluring. I love picking out a new fabric for a future project…but by the time I get home, the sheen has worn off and the fabric sits in my drawer for months, unused.

Nowadays I give myself a budget of $50 a month (or $100 if there’s a specific large project coming up) to spend as I want. But I’ve been really trying to cut down on buying new fabrics until more of my stash is used up.

8. Being perfectionistic will ruin it for you.

To this day, starting a new sewing project makes me nervous. There’s a paralysis that sets in beforehand, and instead of getting excited by sewing, I procrastinate to the point of cleaning out my cat’s litter tray and vacuuming out my car. It’s so weird, as once I get going, I absolutely love sewing and don’t want to stop.

The feeling of having to be perfect and not mucking up can paralyse you and prevent you getting started at all. Last time, when I told my husband how I was feeling, he took me by the hand and literally walked me to the sewing machine and sat me down. After that it was ok.

Things I tell myself are:

JUST DO IT.
IT’S ONLY FABRIC.
IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL.
GOOD ENOUGH, IS GOOD ENOUGH.
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT.

9. Don’t compare yourself to others.

Youtube has been an amazing resource for learning to sew. But the downside, at least for me, is seeing those perfectly finished projects and me not measuring up. It makes me feel inadequate, and very occasionally, it makes me feel like giving up.

That’s partly why I started this blog. Yes, it’s my own personal diary to document my sewing journey and the projects I make. But I’ll also be showing you the failures, (lots of them), and not just the pretty end result.

How many takes did that Youtube person have to do before they got the shot they wanted? What mistakes did they make? Probably more than they’re letting on.

Don’t compare yourself to others. Its takes the joy out of sewing. You are where you are, and you’re getting better all the time.

10. Sewing is the thing you’ve been looking for.

Life was pretty empty before I found sewing. I live with chronic illness which leaves me not working and having to stay close to home. There’s so many things I’ve had to give up because of physical limitations.

If I’m careful with my energy, I can manage sewing. More on this another time.

Since sewing came into my life, I’ve found a new purpose. There’s always another project on the horizon. It just feels ‘right’, like there’s been a piece missing from the puzzle. Now I can’t really remember life before my sewing machine appeared on the scene.

I’m glad I took the risk and went for it. It’s totally been worth it.

10 Things I wish I knew before I started sewing.

Rosery Apparel Clover Skirt review.