OMG! You just made realize how much I know about sewing! My mother was a professional Seamstress in Colombia-and when she immigrated to the U.S. she did all the factories dress design mock-ups to be presented to clothing store buyers! She taught me from very early childhood, in my teens I used to help her cut and sew clothes for her clients! I even had some of my own in my late teens! Here are some of my suggestions, do not ever cut material in the bias! If you want seams to really match perfectly, don’t forget to do your notches when cutting from patterns! Your patterns have lines on them and they’re for sizing a pattern up or down! If your sewing a larger piece of material unto a smaller one, you have to gather first! Do a running hand stitch and do the gathering as you are pinning it to your other piece! There is so much more that I can tell you, even though I haven’t sewn for nearly 40 years, I remember it all! No wonder when I took my obligatory home economics class, my teacher gave the job to help her teach my classmates not only how to use a sewing machine, but cut and follow patterns and sewing them! Keep up the great work you do!
Hi, thanks for these tips! Would you mind if I ask why not to make clothes on the bias? A lot of people love it since the fabric falls so nicely when cut on the bias, so I was planning on trying it, but now I'm concerned. 🙈
FYI Jenna, your channel is the only one where I find myself consistently looking forward to new video releases. I love Wednesdays! You may not know me but I feel like we're besties by now. Thanks for always getting me in a great mood. Cheers from a fellow visual artist from Argentina.
When I started sewing sixty years ago, my only source of information about sewing was the patterns. Beginners nowadays are SO lucky to have RU-vid. Learning by trial and error is very inefficient.
I just discovered your channel and it’s wonderful!! I’ve been sewing for 10 yrs and learned a lot from RU-vid channels and online instructors. I’m ready to share my sewing tips with beginners!!
I agree with every point except buying more fabric. I did this just to be left with tons of leftovers, too small for new garments but too big to really called scrabs. So I began to plan my projects and needs in fabric better.
#1 tip, took me years to learn, whenever you thread your machine, the presser foot HAS TO BE UP so the tension discs are open and the thread will be engaged.
I don't know how to sew but I did recently buy a machine and I want to learn. Actually so does my husband. Thank you so much for these tips. We will definitely follow them. We thought we would start with something easy like a pillow cover. Then I realized they might require zippers. Zippers! 😫 wish us luck. I've been collecting beautiful fabric for years from all over the world just because I love textiles. But before I use any of them I will get some thrift sheets and practice practice practice. Such a useful video Jenna. My husband and I thank you. ❤
I always get patterns from the thrift store (I like saving money but also love vintage stuff), and I recently unearthed my grandma's patterns! she was a keen seamstress, and made loads of clothes and her collection is so good.
Hi Jenna! I'm a student who lives at my moms house and when I dream of my own place, I am imagining a home, decorated like yours SO bad! When I think of my future home, I HOPE so much that it will compare with what yours looks like!! I mean... com on.... the crochet blanket ? The plants?? The orange couch???! Sign 👏me👏UP👏
Some great advice here! When you start something new, dont expect perfection. I figured out early on that I suck at figuring out tension, so I bought a machine that does that for me. 😅 Now I can make really cool stuff! Lol.
My first project was a sweatshirt and it took me super long, because I really cared for it. It’s pretty good and very proud of it now. I initially bought a beginners’ book and don’t regret it at all, but agree after that you don’t need patterns.
Cara Jenna, I just found you and enjoyed your video. When you where cycling I think I recognize Vancouver. If yes, I wonder where you find nice fabrics. There was Gala long time ago. I know that in Victoria they move and do a lot of sales from the internet (good for them). I tell al of this and am not sure you are there. Last week I was in a second hand store and bought 3 meters of cachemire for 6 euros!!! I kept my poker face until in the car. I have been sewing for 40 years and am taking class here in northern Italy. We make a base pattern and go from there. After few pieces we fine tune our pattern and everything fits!!! I am always making pieces that are difficult, cant do easy! Ciao (love your style of video)
I love your video and your informal style. If I may suggest: 1. Don't disdain staystitching. It can really help maintain the proper shape of, for example, necklines and armscys. 2. Don't disdain marking a stitching line. Some sewists don't need one, but I do. If I staystitch just inside the stitching, the staystitching gives me a line to follow. If you have a marked stitching line, the seam allowance can be whatever you like. 3. Vintage patterns are also available online. Some vendors have sales from time to time, and at least one has a $1 section.
Currently in Vancouver right now and I keep seeing people who look vaguely like you and I get excited - I love your videos, thank you for getting me into crochet :)
Hi Jenna, These tips were all very helpful! Since it’s summer I was wondering if u could make a tutorial on how to make a some nice loose overalls Thx❤
That bit about taking breaks omg felt that haha one time I was sewing late and sewed something on backwards, seam ripped it, sewed it again and realized I made the same mistake twice 💀💀💀 I went promptly to bed after that haha
yes there are so many amazing free patterns online! after a year of sewing, i finally bought a cheap projector so i could trace digital patterns instead of printing and it's saved me so much money. now the only time i buy patterns from fabric stores is on black friday when they're like $2 at joann's
This is such a great selection of tips! Totally agree on changing needles and slowing down, made a huge difference in my sewing and finished projects 💛💛
Jenna, you are a hoot. First time watching. I am at the other end of the age scale. I learned to sew from my mom on a hand rank “portable” singer machine. Could have been hooked up as a treadle; that’s how old it was. I was about 10 years old and had just got the brand new BARBIE doll. Clothes were too expensive so I had to sew them. Necessity is the mother of invention!. Your 15 tips are right on the money. But I STILL find myself having to learn them again and again. Slow learner. Love your sense of humour, your style, your figure and your sass. Hugs a new subscriber.
Your channel is my favorite channel to watch at the moment! I'm currenlty rewatching old videos because your content makes me so happy 🌻 thank you for another great video and for all the good vibes (and the doggy content 🐶) Love from Belgium 🇧🇪
great video. That really helped me. Hearing from someone who's been sewing for 15 yrs that I really need to take a break or that I have to change the needle makes me actually believe it. Thanks :)
I used to troubleshoot my bobbin tangling and jamming all the time. After cleaning out the machine, oiling, and rethreading I would still have problems. Best tip I ever learned it that IT MATTERS WHICH WAY YOUR BOBBIN GOES! 😮 Front loading should go clockwise. Top load should go counterclockwise. I don’t know why, but it works and it fixed my problem. Hope this saves someone the headache! ❤
Great tips can only come from a great seamstress and you are that! Everytime you post a video I learn from you and of course your presentation is like none other! You are funny, you are smart and personality plus!!
I just came across your channel, this is the first video of yours that I've seen and when I saw the clip of you biking across the bridge I thought "omg is that Vancouver??" haha, I'm a very new sewist that also lives here :) would love to know where in the city you recommend getting your machine serviced! Happy to have found your channel!
Great video as always! I have a request, can you please create / share a playlist of your favourite songs? I started listening to Step Mom after your suggestion and it's such a tune. I feel like you have great taste in music 😄
Those were really great tips and I agree with you 💯 %. And they were brutally honest about the reality of starting to sew lol Loved it, girl. You’re the best
Very good tips. My aha moment was learning that EVERY time you thread the machine the presser foot MUST be UP! I would get nests under the presser foot, under the fabric, under the bobbin, nightmare. Changing that one thing, presser foot UP when threading the machine changed everything. The thread won’t go between the tension disks if the foot is down. Period.
The times I've yelled at my machine when all I had to do was change the old needle... Guys, if you see a hundred sewing blogs telling you to do something... listen. Don't be like me and end up with the dumbest surprised Pikachu face. A new needle every 6-8h of sewing seemed excessive and wasteful to me, but it's still cheaper and more sustainable than me throwing the sewing machine and myself out the window.
I feel like whatever I’m thinking about or into you read my mind and post a video about it… was thinking of attempting to make my daughter a little outfit and needed tips cause I have no idea what I’m doing with clothes.
Most peices you buy from stores now arnt perfect either. Legit peices I've sewn myself are neater/straighter than fast fashion clothing. So no pressure guys 👌
I love your channel so much! I have a sewing machine and I don't use it, your videos made me want to learn lol 😭, Make a video of projects for beginners plss 💕
The last tip, for real. I learned that with crochet the hard way 😂 my biggest challenge is fabric.. I ended up almost finishing a dress to only find I HATED the fabric and it didn’t fit okay and wasn’t nice as I thought and man I was so sad.
Hi Jenna, I started sewing years before RU-vid. I was somewhat self-taught. I watched programs on TV, such as Sewing With Nancy. Bought sewing books and still use them today. Still, to this day, I still make mistakes. As you said, it's part of life. Best not to sweat the small stuff! Happy sewing!
A question for you sewing girlies: I always am jealous of Jenna's mannequin, but as a size 12 person, they literally just don't make them my size. The adjustable ones are suuuuper expensive and often have bad reviews, and crafting one out of foam looks really time-consuming (and frankly, ugly in a studio apartment where I can't hide it). Has anyone found larger sized mannequins anywhere??
Technically I’ve been using the wrong bobbins my whole sewing journey, because both of the classes of bobbins you buy in store say not for my brand of machine, but I can’t figure out how and where to buy the ones that are. They’re nearly identical, if anything it’s maybe half a millimeter diameter smaller, and I haven’t had issues yet, but it does concern me. Needles on the other hand, goodness they are definitely the culprit to any stitching problem 99% of the time, either wrong needle or dull needle. Other culprit for beginners out there: did you put the presser foot down. If the thread is getting all tangly and knotty on the backside, that’s likely the issue (in my experience)
I had an art teacher who told me to turn my work ↕️ upside down, and I'll see what I don't like, or I'll notice some of the imperfections. 🤯 He was 🤜🏻 CORRECT 🤛🏻. To this day, I turn everything I create 🔃 upside down or sideways ↔️ just to see all of the angles of my work...💋♥️💋 #love
Old Geezer: I wouldn't make my own stuff 'cause the manufactured items are so good. (especially when on sale). But, I have to alter many items as they are all a standard shape. I agree that perfection is just a target, like a bulls eye on the moon!
"Maintain your machines." Please don't... How else am I going to pick up hardware for pennies on the dollar if folks maintain their machines? A couple of weeks ago I picked up a nice 1980's Singer for $25. After a couple of hours of cleaning, oiling, setting the bobbin/needle timing, etc., it ran smooth and quiet just like a well-maintained machine should. Of course, there were all the stink bug carcasses I had to clean out of the machine's interior... At some point, it was stored on a porch over Summer months. It's a sickness, really. I'm currently at a half dozen machines and counting. But, having multiple machines set up differently and running during a project certainly speeds things along.
