• Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • START HERE
  • Tops
    • Butterick
    • Simplicity
    • Seamwork Magazine
    • Patterns by Gertie
    • View All
  • Dresses
    • Butterick
    • McCall’s
    • Vintage Vogue
    • Simplicity
    • Colette Patterns
    • Patterns by Gertie
    • View All
  • Skirts
    • Tribe Patterns
    • Self Drafted
    • View All
  • Outerwear
    • Butterick
    • Seamwork Magazine
    • Papercut
    • View All
  • Lingerie
    • Seamwork Magazine
    • Vintage Pattern Selector
    • View All
  • Accessories
    • McCall’s
    • Self Drafted
    • View All
  • Bust Adjustments
    • Darts
    • Gathers
    • Princess Seams
    • View All
  • Techniques & Tips
    • Pattern Drafting
    • Machine Techniques
    • Hand Sewing
    • Other Tips
    • Resource Lists
    • Tools
    • View All

Vintage on Tap

  • START HERE
  • Tops
    • Butterick
    • Simplicity
    • Seamwork Magazine
    • Patterns by Gertie
    • View All
  • Dresses
    • Butterick
    • McCall’s
    • Vintage Vogue
    • Simplicity
    • Colette Patterns
    • Patterns by Gertie
    • View All
  • Skirts
    • Tribe Patterns
    • Self Drafted
    • View All
  • Outerwear
    • Butterick
    • Seamwork Magazine
    • Papercut
    • View All
  • Lingerie
    • Seamwork Magazine
    • Vintage Pattern Selector
    • View All
  • Accessories
    • McCall’s
    • Self Drafted
    • View All
  • Bust Adjustments
    • Darts
    • Gathers
    • Princess Seams
    • View All
  • Techniques & Tips
    • Pattern Drafting
    • Machine Techniques
    • Hand Sewing
    • Other Tips
    • Resource Lists
    • Tools
    • View All
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

The Top 5 Sewing Beginner Problems

February 27, 2021

What was the first mistake you made when you first started sewing? Let's talk about it.

You’re a sewing beginner, excited to make your first dress (or top, or skirt!) You have the most gorgeous fabric painstakingly picked out. You have a brand new sewing machine. A vision of what you want it to look like… and you’re ready to go.

But after that first snip into the fabric… it’s a disaster.

The garment fits like a giant sack, the stitch lines are wobbly and crooked. As you try and take it apart to start again, an accidental cut into the fabric! The whole thing ends up in the trash. 

Sound familiar? 

As sewing beginners, we have ALL been there.

For me, it was a 1930s-style dress I was making for Halloween when I was a young teenager. Dark green, black fringe, and when I took the scissors to it, it went downhill.

The dress was atrocious and a waste of money. I’d cut into the center front seam, the fabric was bedsheet quality, and the seams puckered and didn’t lay flat. Not knowing what I was doing, my Beginner energy was crushed. 

I knew I wasn’t the only one who had gone through these learning woes as a sewing beginner. So I posed the question to my fellow Vintagettes on Instagram, to learn more about their early sewing days. 

I wanted to know…

  • What were the range of problems people experienced?
  • What was their approach to sewing?
  • Where did their Beginner Enthusiasm run into problems?

From those conversations, I distilled the following list, to support your sewing journey.

THE TOP 5 PROBLEMS YOU’LL FACE AS A SEWING BEGINNER

Expecting perfection from your sewing problems is expected, but not always helpful. Even life's little adventures (like a cat jumping onto your workspace) can impact your sewing projects as a sewing beginner.

Problem #5: Expecting perfection… from the jump!

Sewing is a practice in which skills build on each other. It’s difficult to make successful garments which don’t acknowledge that learning one or two things just isn’t enough.

Sewing skills compound.

Expect and account for your first several pieces to be straight garbage as you learn. And that’s ok. 

Each piece is a learning experience, and even after 20+ years sewing, no garment is perfect. Even with hundreds of skills under my belt.

The stress and heartache from early-stage learning can be enough to turn a lot of people off from sewing. I recommend not planning for the first few garments being worn to a party or to a special event.

It’s important to get your feet wet in a way that makes the learning experience fun. Putting undue pressure on yourself to make a PERFECT _(insert garment)_ here is not going to do that for you.

Expect imperfection and lean into it!

Not coming through the instructions in a sewing pattern or your sewing machine manual can cause problems as you're learning how to sew.

Problem #4: Not combing through and analyzing the pattern directions or learning your sewing machine.

Sounds straightforward… but something easily overlooked and dismissed!

Take time to look through every diagram in the sewing pattern . Do Google searches for phrases you don’t know.

Similarly, spend time learning your sewing machine. Each machine has its own quirks. This includes how its threaded, how the bobbin is loaded, and where buttons live (or don’t live!) on the machine.

Doing this simple review will save you a lot of frustration as a beginner. 

Spending time up front is important. Do Google searches for specific techniques mentioned in the instructions. Read the sewing machine manual. All this decreases the amount of simple errors you can run into as a sewing beginner.

Learn how to sew with Vintage on Tap Youtube videos! Full tutorial walkthroughs to make a wardrobe at home! | Vintage on Tap

Problem #3: Underestimating the Power of the Iron

Shouting this one from the rooftops:

An iron in the sewing world is NOT OPTIONAL. 

Most of us live comfortably in knitwear or wrinkle-proof clothes, the Power of the Iron is REAL.

With heat, pressure, and steam, irons are an invaluable tool to manipulate individual fibers in fabric. They coax fabric to mold around a curve, lay flat, and encourage thread to meld into fabric.

It’s easy to be distracted by the sewing machine, with all its stitches, bells and whistles… and completely ignore the iron. 

Prioritize your iron!

Pressing seams open and using steam and a tailor’s ham go a long way towards elevating your sewing. Lining things up as you sew them, encouraging seams to lay flat against the form makes your garment look professional. 

Learn about how to pick fabric for clothes in this video tutorial, walking you through the steps. | Vintage on Tap, Pinup Sewing Blog

Problem #2: Not Understanding Fabrics  and Choosing the Wrong Fabric for the Job

Knowing and understanding fabrics is absolutely critical, but also one of the more challenging skills to learn with sewing. For a lot of people, this skill comes with time and experience.

It’s one of the biggest reasons I’m such a proponent of starting your own fabric swatch book as a beginner. Understanding the different fabrics on the market and how they compare to application, especially in relation to ready-to-wear is vital.

Looking at as much fabric as possible, feeling it and observing how its used out in the real world. It makes it easier and easier to see what fabrics are more appropriate for what purpose. 

A pretty floral print might look gorgeous, but is it printed on fabric good enough for what you want to make?

Fabric Swatch Book, Free Download | Vintage on Tap

I’ve created a free swatch book template to start building your fabric swatch collection. A swatch book is an important part of the learning process. 

FREE Fabric Swatch Printable!

Get this FREE printable swatch sheet in your inbox!

Awesome! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Print out a few pages of the free template and start collecting and noting fabric information. This practice develops a solid understanding of how to pick out material.

By doing this, your skills as a sewing beginner will be more fine tuned towards making more beautiful garments!

Fabric Swatch Book, Tutorial | Vintage on Tap

Click to learn more about how (and why!) to set up a swatch book!

Fitting The Vegas Top, B5895 | @vintageontap

Problem #1: Ready to Wear Sizing =/= Sewing Sizing

The sad fact is, Ready to Wear clothing sizes are completely different than Sewing Pattern Sizes! A Size 8 from your favorite dress brand will be completely different from Size 8 in a sewing pattern.

Why is that? Each brand uses their own “block” or average measurements for their audience, which influences the fit for their brand. This also extends into sewing pattern companies, who also develop their own sizing matrix.

Also, sewing patterns tend to have more ease (or extra “space”) in their measurements, usually based on the design itself.

The main lesson is that your real-life measurements (when you wrap a measuring tape around your waist, etc.) should be the basis of what size you pick from the sewing pattern envelope. Not what you buy off the rack in a store.

Using your own measurements as the source of truth– not the number on your clothing label– will lead you to picking sizes which work better for you.

Video tutorial for how to understand a full bust adjustment! | Vintage on Tap, Retro and Sewing Youtube Channel

You *will* run into problems as a sewing beginner and that’s totally normal and ok! 

“[Babies] ability to be bad [at walking] and have everyone be ok with it is how they get good.”

Tom Vanderbilt, Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning

A positive, self-accepting Beginner Mentality (like babies learning how to walk) will do wonders in accepting the ups and downs of sewing.

Being OK with being bad at sewing and trusting that the more you sew the better you get will lift undue pressure from the process.

Leave me a comment down below, letting me know how long did it take for you to feel like you were a confident beginner sewing?

What “clicked” for you to feel more comfortable in the learning process? When did you no longer feel like a Sewing Beginner?

The Top 5 Problems you'll encounter as a sewing beginner and how to overcome them.

Filed Under: Other Tips, Techniques & Tips Tagged With: basics, free download

You might also love

  • Spring Fabric You’ll be Excited to Sew With!
  • Fabric Swatch Book, Free Download | Vintage on TapHow (and Why!) to Set Up a Fabric Swatch Book!
  • How to Sew a Kickpleat, Completed Kickpleat| @vintageontapHow to Sew a Kickpleat
  • Shopping in the LA Garment District, A Guide | @vintageontap5 Tips for Shopping in the LA Garment District
How to Sew a Beautiful Vintage 1950s Peplum »
« Spring Fabric You’ll be Excited to Sew With!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

My name is Bianca, I'm 34 years old, and a California girl through and through 🏖

I inspire people to sew, to feel comfortable and confident in their bodies, and am an avid lover of tiki culture and Vintage Style Not Vintage Values!

Discover More Vintage Sewing

Butterick B5821, Lining a Coat Using Vintage Techniques | Vintage on Tap
Sewing Vintage Linings, Butterick B5824 [Collab + Video]
Learn how to pick fabric for clothes with this video tutorial, explaining how to approach your fabric search! | Vintage on Tap, Pinup Sewing Blog
Picking Fabric for Sewing: Essential Tips!
Anatomy of an FBA, How it works and how to perform the adjustment | Vintage on Tap, Pinup and Sewing Blog
How it Works: Anatomy of a Full Bust Adjustment

How to Sew a Bias Facing, video tutorial | Vintage on Tap
How Sew a Bias Facing, Video Tutorial
Invest in These Sewing Tools for Better Projects
How to Sew Bound Buttonholes through a facing or lining, video tutorial | Vintage on Tap
Bound Buttonholes Through a Lining or Facing, Video Tutorial

ARCHIVES

CATEGORIES

POPULAR POSTS

This is the Colette Rue dress made with supplies purchased at Mood Fabrics | @vintageontap

The Colette Rue Dress

Rago Shapewear Girdle, Pinup Weightloss as a Seamstress | @vintageontap

Weightloss as a Seamstress, Revisted

Organizing your sewing patterns, digitally and storing correctly | @vintageontap

Organizing your Sewing Patterns, How to Video

How to Sew a Kickpleat, Completed Kickpleat| @vintageontap

How to Sew a Kickpleat

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · LBD Pro V on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

To those who eat the Turkey, hope you have a good To those who eat the Turkey, hope you have a good one 🦃 To those who rage against the Turkey, that too 🕊️⁠
⁠
Spending today at home recovering from illness and rage watching the World Cup. Typical us. ⁠
⁠
From our house to yours 💝
Oh hey. I made a Reel! (This is what happens when Oh hey. I made a Reel! (This is what happens when I’m stuck in bed sick 😷!)⁠
⁠
Last week I posted this trench coat on my channel and I’m still OBSESSED. Fits like a glove, makes me feel my 1940s fantasy, and sooooo warm and cozy. ⁠
⁠
Check it out, if you’re subscribed to the channel.⁠
⁠
And in the mean time, I will continue to debate whether or not I want to commit to a “IG Reels Strategy” as the internet keeps telling me I should do 🫡 ⁠
⁠
⁠
#falloutfit #1940sfashion #madewithmood #vintagesewing
Oh hey. There's a new video on the channel this pa Oh hey. There's a new video on the channel this past week about me making this hat, my last summer project of the year 😎⁠
⁠
If you wanna see my adventures trying to figure out how the heck snaps work, it's on the 'tube 😬!!⁠
⁠
#seamworkmeg #marysunhat #sewingblogger
We out here in these streets, sewing pretty clothe We out here in these streets, sewing pretty clothes and attempting to not fall mid-chola pose 🙏🏻⁠
⁠
👗 I made a @seamwork Meg dress with blue/white gingham shirting material which was perfect for a late summer look~ ⁠
⁠
Simple to sew and no fitting adjustments!! Forever appreciative that Seamwork's curvy pattern block nearly always fits me perfectly! ⁠
⁠
Might make a second for my birthday next month- we'll see 😉⁠
⁠
#sewingblogger ⁠
Six years on YouTube. Thousands of views and a hun Six years on YouTube. Thousands of views and a hundred videos... but still trying, still learning. Still full of excitement that I get to do this ❤️⁠
⁠
And insanely grateful that you're along for the ride 😎⁠
⁠
Thanks everyone for all your support viewing and commenting on my latest video- especially after 365 days since my last published tutorial, it's just amazing how much y'all are turning out to view it! ⁠
⁠
Did I answer all your no-dart FBA questions? Are you still curious to learn more? Does this video need... a follow up 😮?!⁠
⁠
Let me know down below!⁠ (and if you wanna watch the video, it's linked in my bio~)⁠
⁠
#smallyoutuber #sewingblogger #jefamoves #selfdiscoveryjourney #knowyourpower
Back to back meetings, coffee in my mug, but embra Back to back meetings, coffee in my mug, but embracing those 60s vibes 🌊⁠
⁠
New sewing video coming out this weekend and SO EXCITED for it. Been working super hard to get my old videos ready for publishing again. ⁠
⁠
Coming soon, to a YouTube channel near you... (aka, mine!) ⁠
⁠
🎥 No Dart FBAs, revisited! Answering all the questions that people have left me since 2017 😲⁠
⁠
🎥 Petite Adjustments! For us shorties!⁠
⁠
🎥 Sewing through body changes - Requested time and time again and finally tackling it! ⁠
⁠
Really looking forward to publishing again- it's been too long 😭⁠
⁠
If you're not subscribed, click through my Link in Bio 🏁⁠
⁠
#sewingforme #workfromhomestyle #rockabillygirl #jefamoves
⁠
"The Process is about doing the right things, righ "The Process is about doing the right things, right now. Not worrying about what might happen later, or the results, or the whole picture." ⁠
⁠
Credit: The Obstacle is the Way⁠
⁠
I've been doing a lot of reading about Stoicism over the last month and it's honestly been a really amazing "unlock" as I start posting more and *gasp* put out a new video later on this week.⁠
⁠
When started the project "Vintage on Tap", I would question every sewing project, every photo, every video, every idea, to the point of straight indecision and Analysis Paralysis. It's why I'd stop posting after a while, or why I'd stop taking pictures or even dressing up in the clothes that make me feel the most Me.⁠
⁠
Quotes like the one I shared really encapsulate the attitude I'm taking with a lot of things. ⁠
⁠
👗 Do what I can, right now. Do I control it? Take action with it. Am I spending more time thinking about the problem rather than solving the problem? Yikes!⁠
⁠
👗 Dress.Up. It's honestly one of the things that makes me feel the most like myself. Without my "drag" I don't feel like Bianca 😘⁠
⁠
👗Sew all the things. Seriously, the bug bit me again and I already have new projects to make on my sewing cart. And spending time with a thread and needle is healing magic.⁠
⁠
So ya. New video coming this week. Stay tuned (and follow on the 'Tube!) ⁠
⁠
⁠
#vintagesewing #sewingblogger #1950sfashion #modernpinup #vintagefloral #sewvintage #pinupofinstagram #vintageenthusiast
Beautiful things I brought back from the UK ✈️ Beautiful things I brought back from the UK ✈️⁠
⁠
🇬🇧 Liberty of London and V&A Museum archive pattern books. It was *extremely* important to me to purchase them... to observe the prints and patterns, to read the detailed historical notes, and to add to my creative and sewing library. I know I'll reference these over and over again in the future.⁠
⁠
🇬🇧 Liberty of London fabrics. HUGE because this is one of those textile design houses that I've only ever dreamed of working for (the other, btw, is Hermes 🥰)⁠
⁠
🇬🇧 Liberty "Alexa Frill Dress" pattern and notepad. The pattern is not something I normally gravitate towards, but I had no idea they actually had a pattern line so I wanted to check it out. The notepad will be used for my daily activities.⁠
⁠
🇬🇧Merchant and Mills wide bow scissors to replace my janky snips!⁠
⁠
🇬🇧 V&A Tote bag because... well, I needed one in the moment and the pattern was too beautiful to pass up!⁠
⁠
🇬🇧 Jane Austen inspired tarot cards. I only had 5-10 minutes to pop my head into the Jane Austen Center in Bath during a tour, and while I actually wanted everything in shop, I couldn't say no to buying one of my favorite things in the world *TAROT CARDS* at a gift shop dedicated to one of the authors who had the most impact on my young adult life. I can't wait to read with them!⁠
⁠
Is there something I should have picked up while I was there? Did I miss any Sewing Musts?⁠
⁠
As for UK Musts, I definitely 1- Got used to riding the Tube, 2- Ate Marmite, and 3- Had enough Traditional English Breakfasts to last me at least another year. All in all, fantastic trip.⁠
⁠
#sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewingnotions #libertyoflondon #britishtextiles #tarotreadersofinstagram
It's important to take time off to give your brain It's important to take time off to give your brain time TO THINK and FIND INSPIRATION ✨⁠
⁠
From Old Trafford to Buckingham Palace, the V&A Museum to Bath... to Edinburgh! From a quick 5 minute visit to the Jane Austen Museum in Bath... to the ACTUAL Roman baths... and... even... Stonehenge- up close and personal 😱 (I actually cried there- it was so powerful and overwhelming.)⁠
⁠
While "wanderlust" and "omg take me back!" tend to encapsulate a lot of pop travel, I was instead left with the idea that... ⁠
⁠
WOW. It's really important to "shut off" regular life sometimes, to let your mind breathe and to allow new ideas to formulate. To reconnect with what actually makes you excited to get up in the morning. ⁠
⁠
I know this is a luxury for a lot of people-- actually, for most of us, with the grind of day-to-day life. But. When the opportunity arises, it's never a bad idea. ⁠
⁠
For me this sort of big trip is a rarity and my daily "shut off" moment is instead my coffee in the morning, with my journal and my tarot cards.⁠
⁠
What's yours? ⁠
⁠
#travelforthesoul #mentalhealth #sewinginspiration #uktravel⁠
⁠
Wait- has it already been TWO WEEKS since coming b Wait- has it already been TWO WEEKS since coming back from the UK? GET OUT 😱⁠
⁠
It was such a beautiful trip, being present for @luka1502 and @mr_mistta 's wedding! ⁠
⁠
Sharing a few photos of the Big Day that I really loved-- though more photos of the rest of the trip coming this week. ⁠
⁠
Super happy that we got to go- the ceremony was really magical 💍⁠
⁠
🥲⁠
⁠
#britishwedding #morningwear #vintageinspired #1950svintage

Copyright © 2023 · Vintage on Tap · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy