What sewing patterns expect YOU to know but DON'T tell you!! (Assumed knowledge of sewing patterns!)

I bet you've quickly realised, or soon will, that sewing patterns don't teach you to sew, they actually assume you already know how to do EVERYTHING!! So what is the best way to use the patterns AND learn what you need to know?

6:05 Basic sewing terminology
6:58 The Golden Rule: Sew a seam. Finish it. Press it. Then you move on to the next step!
8:10 Fabrics, needles, and interfacing
9:48 Sizing

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and even take a free class!
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// LINKS:

* Get my SEWING GUIDES

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT:

How to get started sewing your own clothes from the very start!

7 things to NOT do as a beginner at sewing!

👉 Basic sewing terminology

What is a seam finish? Sewing terms and definitions - Learn sewing terminology!

What is a seam? Sewing Terms - Learn sewing terminology!

What is a Seam Allowance? Sewing Terms - Learn sewing terminology

How to find the right and wrong side of fabric? With lots of examples! Learn Sewing Terminology

What is the grain of fabric? What is the grainline? And how to find and use it! - Sewing Terminology

What is a BACK STITCH in sewing? How to do a back stitch or reverse or strong stitch??? Sewing terms

What is the selvage? How to find the selvage edge of fabric? - Sewing terms and definitions

👉 The Golden Rule: Sew a seam. Finish it. Press it. Then you move on to the next step!

6 PROFESSIONAL SEAM FINISHES you can do without a serger or overlocker! (Try something new!)

WHEN AND WHERE TO DO A SEAM FINISH? (Because your sewing pattern doesn’t tell you when!)

#1 WAY TO MAKE YOUR SEWING LOOK MORE PROFESSIONAL... plus (spoiler!) 3 tips on pressing and ironing!

👉 Fabrics, needles, and interfacing

4 FABRICS ALL SEWING BEGINNERS SHOULD AVOID! (*don't make learning to sew harder than it has to be!)

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FABRIC FOR THE RIGHT SEWING PATTERN! ✂Know what you're ACTUALLY looking for!

What is the bias? How to find the bias grain in fabric? Learn Sewing Terminology

HOW TO TELL IF A FABRIC IS GOING TO BE HARD TO SEW WITH? What you wish someone told you starting!

HOW TO FIND THE GRAINLINE WITH NO SELVAGE? 3 tips to find the grainline on any fabric, even scraps!

PROBLEMS SEWING FACINGS? The 3 main reasons your facings look terrible and how to fix it!

👉 Sizing

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SEWING PATTERN SIZE, when you're in-between sizes?

SEWING PATTERN SIZE Stop guessing & start measuring to choose the right sewing pattern size for YOU!

What's really going on with sewing pattern sizes and why does nothing you make fit?

SEWING PATTERN SIZE DRAMAS! ✂ It doesn't fit me even though the measurements are correct! Why?

HOW TO FIND EASE ON A SEWING PATTERN? The measurements you REALLY need, garment vs body measurements

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR CLOSEST PATTERN SIZE DOESN'T EXIST? 🤔 Do you learn to sew or make patterns?

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[catherinewhite]

I stumbled on the whole concept of "matching plaids" by someone complimenting me on what a good job I'd done on a garment. I was all of 12 and the outfit came out rather well but the idea of having the plaid pattern match at the side seams never occurred to me. They did come out very close and it was entirely by accident! But I've never forgotten it since.

[sonjanordahl]

My grandmother grew up in the 1930's. As long as I can remember she was a great seamstress. I always thought her ironing board set up in her sew area because that was where she did the ironing. Well now I know better.

[LadyDragonbane]

One newbie mistake I'll never stop laughing about is when I sewed a skintight top, expecting it to somehow magically be stretchy (it was made of a somewhat thick duchesse satin)... 😅

P.S. Your intro music always makes me picture a steam train coming into the station, and it makes me very happy!

[elfchild]

That golden rule explains so much. I learned some sewing as a teen, and absolutely no one told me to finish my seams. It left me with clothes that I couldn't run through a washing machine because they'd fray, and I thought all home sewing was like that.

Other things that caught me with patterns include actually cutting out the little tabs (for matching up pattern pieces later), knowing what a grain line is, and noticing when a piece is supposed to be laid on folded fabric, to make the cut piece twice as big.

[donnaschindlbeck]

50 plus years ago when I was taught sewing in home economics my teacher stressed the importance of pressing and finishing seams. As fabrics changed I had no idea about needle sizes and types! Still learning that to this day!🙂 Sewing is a constantly changing craft with new materials and machines.

[vernakg]

My great aunt taught sewing back in the day at my highschool. She expected me to do twice as much and know twice as much as my classmates. You are reminding me of things I forgot over the years.

[ClaudiaArnold]

My biggest glitches came from not trimming and clipping the seam allowances. I had collars with ball-shaped corners and necklines with a visible pull. Part of the reason was that I learned my first stitches at home, on very simple and straight things. Seam and hem allowances were always huge, to be able to let out stuff for growing children. It was a philosophy of my parents (WWII generation) to never cut down the fabric if at all avoidable. Naturally this did not work for anything but the simplest of garments. My poor parents almost suffered a shock when they saw me clip a seam allowance, open up darts and produce leftover scraps when cutting. "You will not be able to remake this!" I said I wasn't growing any longer but it still made them very sad that they had raised such a wasterel.

[marybogar]

Thank you for the series. When I was a teen I made all my clothes. We were able to take sewing lessons in school but my greatest lessons came from a friend's mom. She taught me how to take my finishes to the next level. I am so grateful to her. Your videos are so good to refresh and point out things that I may have forgotten or need to do. We are always learning and it is good to stay relevant. Thank you again for your hard work.

[isabellahodge]

Back in my day (70's) it was assumed you'd either be taught sewing at school (me) or by a relative (definitely not my relatives) or, if neither, you bought a mighty and comprehensive manual on all the different techniques, like Vogue Sewing (me) or one of the similar manuals of sewing by Simplicity, Style, Butterick etc, or even the Readers Digest. I teach sewing these days and I very much recommend any of these older sewing manuals, none of the modern ones by celebrity sewers come anywhere close to the detail included in the older sewing books which, more often than not, were the only handy source of information and technique a home sewer had available. So look out for them in the charity shops.

[mz]

Dear ms Wood and fellow members of VSS, I have decide to become a paid member. I tried the free trial and I am sold on Evelyn as my first sewing teacher. I just ordered the basic sewing equipment and cannot wait to get started! xx

[vintagelady]

I collect vintage patterns---one of my favorite instruction sheets is pretty much as follows: "Cut out the pieces. Sew up the jacket. Sew up the lining. Put them together." The farther back you go, the fewer instructions b/c, as you point out, most women knew how to sew. My oldest pattern is from 1909 & it's just outlines of pieces, a few perforations to match up. No instructions. The other thing I notice, tho, is how easily adjustable garments were---people making their own clothing couldn't afford to throw anything away, so everything was relatively easy to cut down, "turn" inside out, re-purpose. Good lesson for today!

[katieg]

Aside from my mom getting me started when I was very young, I’m mostly self-taught - which means I used patterns to learn because that’s what was available at the time. I don’t recommend it. In the 70s, there were some “learn to sew” patterns that were helpful. Later, I joined a 4H sewing group and took a home ec class in high school. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned watching you and other YouTubers as I return to sewing. I truly appreciate it!

[Marina-cttv]

For my first blouse, I picked a lovely viscose woven fabric. I selected size 22 as per my bust measurements. The top I sew would have fitted the shoulder of an American footballer and the belly of 7 months pregnant mother-to-be. I did not know patterns were designed for a B cup!!!

[dbdesignsandsewingaustrali]

I think in the old days (early 70’s), they did not tell you to understitch, my mother taught me that. Great series, thank you 🧵🪡💕

[Teverell]

I have that Complete Guide to Sewing and can confirm: It is a really amazing resource for someone who hasn't a clue!! I'm still a beginner but the first garment I made for myself was a historical shirt, using a recreated pattern that, again, expects you to know a whole bunch of things - and that book saved the shirt from becoming a UFO because it explains So. Much. Stuff that I desperately needed to know.

(Also it's a nice book to look through when you have a cold and feel like your head's stuffed full of cotton wool, because it's got pictures on every single page and all the text is broken down into nice short manageable paragraphs.)

I sewed my very first ever project on a hand-turned Singer sewing machine that didn't have a backstitch (or at least, I don't recall that it did) - I remember being taught to put the needle down, turn the fabric 180 degrees, stitch over the first few stitches, turn the fabric again and continue. A bit of a pain on something really big, admittedly, but I was only making a small bag and it wasn't that fiddly. Of course it's so much easier on a modern machine that can backstitch!

[lindapearson]

I had been sewing for years, 30+. When I bought my last sewing machine, I took their feee sewing class. Boy, did I learn A LOT!! I was amazed. I still am not a great seamstress. I do more quilting, than garment sewing, now. Really enjoy your videos! I learn so much! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[helenlane]

My aunt and uncle bought me that copy of the readers digest and she died quite recently and l treasure that book, they gave it to me for Christmas when I was doing needlework at school. Honesty even though l have more recent books, the readers digest maybe dates in the clothes styles but the way things are made is pretty much done the same way.

[argheimrobb]

I learned a LOT when, unknown of these notions, I started to sew a velvet stretch fabric...with an universal needle and a straight stitch...you can imagine the nightmare 😭

[victorialaur]

I have two vintage sewing books, kind of manuals on learning to sew, a Vogue and a Simplicity circa 1960’s. They are really the reference books a new sewer needs to have in order to learn how to do things for example, “ease stitch” “grade seams” “under stitch” and dozens more essential steps and techniques necessary to know when sewing. I think they both were purchased from EBay.

[vicki]

Thank you for your videos. When I tried to sew decades ago, I thought I could pick a pattern size that was my ready made dress size and it would fit. In my case everything was too small. Then when I got a tape measure and compared my measurements to the pattern sizes I was very confused and gave up. As a plus size woman, I am amazed at the number of patterns in my size, and I am fascinated that I can change the size of the pattern slightly if I need it to go up one size. I am thrilled at the prospect of having clothes that fit instead of being too long, sleeves too long, bust gaping, shoulders too big to accommodate my bust, and waist too big to get my hips to fit!