12 MORE MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN LEARNING TO SEW!

Hi everyone, Luigi here, so I guess maybe a couple of months ago, maybe a month or two, I made a video about the

mistakes

new Sohus should

avoid

and the video was a big hit. You guys loved it and I try to do my best. advice that I can for anyone who is

learning

too, so you guys know that I have a sewing school in InDesign online, so it is an Academy for those who want to learn to sew, it is a kind of order with a curriculum and you're kind of going step by step and you're developing your skills and that's amazing, but there are a lot of you that just want to improvise and you know how to learn on YouTube and do all these individual projects and that's totally cool. but if you're new to sewing there are things you need to know to

avoid

getting frustrated so in the last video I covered I think the video says eleven but I think I actually only covered ten no never but in this video I thought about Write down a few

more

things that the new Sohus should avoid, so I have twelve for you today.

Some of these seem super basic and common sense to me, but I've been sewing for so long that I can totally understand it. Someone who is just

learning

and possibly getting frustrated by these things could seriously help them, so some of these are mine. Some of these are notes I took from you guys who left me really great comments on the last video, very encouraging of each other, which I always do. love makes him very happy, so I thought: let me make 12

more

mistakes

that you, as new Sohus, should avoid. Well, the first one is to stop looking at the needle and I'm not going anywhere

when

I used to do that a long, long, long, long time ago.

When I used to do one-on-one classes the first thing I noticed was that the students were obsessed with looking at the needle and I realized that of course they would veer to the right

when

you're trying to sell a straight stitch and you're looking at your needle you're going to be out. of your fabric is going to start going like this and then I know it made sense why they were looking at the needle so I had to retrain them to look at the side of the fabric and the sewing guide where you want your fabric to be instead of stare at your needle because your needle, like I said, is not going anywhere, it's not moving, it's just going up and down, so you have to focus on your fabric and make sure that the fabric stays along the line that you you're using, whether there's seam allowance, 3/8 or 1/2 inch or 5/8 seam allowances, whatever, that's what you're looking at, you're not looking at the needle, so if you find yourself veering off course while sewing you're probably looking at the needle so stop, slow down next, you'd be surprised how many people start learning to sew and put their foot on the pedal and start veering off course and don't know what do and I tell them: "Stop, take your foot off the pedal, like when you drive a car, if you feel like you're going too fast, take your foot off." Release the pedal if you're drifting, take your foot off the pedal if you're feeling a little frustrated or can't keep the fabric where you need it or you're getting nervous or need to turn a corner or whatever, just slow down if you have a sewing machine with speed control, that's even better because you can set it to the slowest speed so you don't accidentally go too fast because, just like when you're learning to drive, you have to get that little groove right in the pedal and know that you don't want to go like that when you start sewing, which happens a lot because you have to get used to it not being like that.

It's a big deal, but just slow down, slow down, and take your foot off the pedal. Okay, 3, don't go rogue, read the fabric and yardage on the back of the envelope. The back of the pattern envelope gives you all the information you need. how much fabric do you need according to your size what notions do you need your zipper do you need an invisible zipper do you need buttons do you need elastic do you need interlining do you need tape do you need all kinds of things so that the back of the envelope tells you that I often see people asking me Mimi how much fabric do I need for this pattern and I am very confused because I think that the pattern envelope gives you other information but if you are not used to selling with patterns you may not know that you may not know how to look at the back and see all the information that is there, but the most The important thing is that you are not going to buy random fabrics for a garment, that's what I mean.

Don't go rogue, so the pattern envelope on the back gives you fabric suggestions. These are fabrics that will work well for this garment, meaning it's the right weight, the right flow, and whatever you need for this, you know? project that you are doing, so if it is like a knitted dress and you use a knitted fabric or if it is a knitted dress and you are going to buy knitted fabric because you don't understand fabrics, then you will run into a problem, so if you are just starting out, don't go on your own whether you want to or not, buy the fabric you like and try to match it to a pattern, instead just get the pattern and get the recommended fabrics for that pattern.

Now here's something. What you may not know is on the back of the pattern envelope, it will give you something like twill, but then you go to the fabric store and you may not see that specific word there, so you have to learn all these different things . a bottom wait, what's the dress? wait, what's your silkies, what's your linens, what's your cotton, but if you're stuck and you're not sure when to go to the fabric store, just grab the pattern envelope, take it out of the drawer. If you have it with you or write it down or take a photo of it or whatever and ask for help because at least they can point you in the direction of where those specific fabrics are or something similar that works In the same way, what else?

Well, YouTube is fantastic. I learn all kinds of things. When I want to learn something, I go to YouTube. Everyone wants to learn something. You go to YouTube. It's a fantastic resource. There are many really amazing tutorials and videos. YouTube gives very good instructions but there are also those that don't give very good instructions and you can't trace a pair of pants and use the front and back in the same way so you can't just trace the front of a pair of pants and then just cut too and use that same pattern piece for the front or back unless it is exactly flat on the front and back it doesn't tell because you have different inseam curves you have a different inseam curve for the front you have . a different inseam curve for the back, so when you're just learning how to sew and you find yourself browsing YouTube and you find a video and you might find yourself doing something that won't fit you or doesn't really fit you. works well because like I said now all YouTube videos are created equal so just make sure the video you're following gives you good instructions and I know if you're new to sewing you probably don't know what's good and what's bad, but in general, if the video jumps around too much or if they just trace one side of the garment and use the same piece for the front and back, you'll usually find yourself stuck like, what do I do?

Below on the right, because they're trimmed, cut, and attached, so you want something that's going to really help you throughout the entire project. Let's see, this is super basic. All seamstresses know this. Don't use the same pair of scissors for your fabric. and your paper will dull I use use rotary cutters I don't even use scissors but even with my rotary cutters I have blades that I use only to cut my paper patterns and I have blades that I only use for fabric, let's see number six, run before you walk, let Patterns aside, don't try to make a jacket, some semi-fitted pants, a button-down shirt, it's just out, it's okay, relax, start with something loose, it will be easy for you not to make it.

I'm frustrated because the goal is for you to start learning to sew and enjoy the process. If you start trying to make a fitted jacket or pants from scratch, you'll probably get very frustrated with yourself and not want to continue your sewing journey, so at Sorte Academy we start you with the basics and build on them. I have students who started with me four years ago when I first started Thinking Academy who had never seen a sewing machine. I have no idea how to wear it and am now making custom coats and blazers. We're working on a Chanel-inspired Couture jacket this month at Soy de Cad Amis, so take it slow.

You know, what I'm saying is learn and start with something you won't get frustrated with: some elastic waist joggers, a loose dress, a tunic, something made of knit fabric that might be great for newbies and not ideal for newbies if You're not familiar with how to sew knit fabrics, so it really depends, but for the most part if you make something knit, I mean, at least it will stretch a little. Let's see, stop buying fabric and listen. This is from a self-proclaimed fabric hoarder. I had so much fabric I didn't even know what to do with it, it was crazy.

I just bought fabric every time I wanted to go to the store, I found fabric, I bought it, I took it home and my rule of thumb is that I buy at least three meters of fabric, so I know that with that I can make almost anything for my body , but the problem with that is that you end up with a lot more fabric than you need and then you get overwhelmed because now you have all this fabric and you have all these patterns and you're like, "Oh my gosh, I would spend more time on the floor trying to figure out what" , so because I had so much to choose from and honestly, you spend a lot of money and you don't even realize it. when you only buy fabric because you like it and you don't have a specific plan for it, then now when I buy fabric I have a specific project of what it will be and I no longer buy fabric just because I like it, especially if you are a newbie and want to keep your low costs, so don't go buying fabric because you like it and don't have something specific in mind.

Let's see what else we have. Oh, don't use your cutting guides. Okay, so this is for pattern sewing specifically, so in your pattern, right in the instructions, it gives you a cutting guide that tells you exactly how to fold the fabric in half with the edges recovered and how to place the pattern pieces to make the most of that fabric. Remember that it is like playing Tetris, you have these guides to tell you if you have a yard and a half of fabric or you have two yards. You need to place the pieces of your pattern like this so that everything fits and you can cut, do not simply fold the fabric in half and then start cutting out pattern pieces because chances are you're going to waste a lot of fabric and not have enough yardage that you bought because there's a method to the madness so those cutting guides are really important.

If you're new to sewing, what else? Oh, this is really important with patterns too, don't read ahead. I know a lot of people get the patterns and start reading the instructions and read all the instructions before they start. If you're an experienced sewer, I totally understand because that's what I do when I get the pattern. I read it, I look at it and I see. Okay, let me start, but if you're new to sewing, especially if you're new to commercial use. patterns, I suggest not doing that because what happens is if you don't understand it, have already done it or are very familiar with it, when you get to certain instructions they will seem very, very confusing and you will probably get some kind of confusion.

It's not recommended to do this when many times it may not make sense as a standalone, let's look at pattern number six instruction, but as you sew, once you get to that part of the instructions it will make sense, but if you're just trying . To visualize it many times you will get very confused and feel like you can't do it and you may not attempt the project because you have convinced yourself not to do it because you read the pattern instructions and you didn't do it. I don't understand them when it's actually not that complicated if you just go step by step once you get to certain pattern instructions that may have seemed confusing before, once you get to that step you can visualize what you've done up to that point. look at the diagram, the illustration and say, oh, this is what they want me to do, so I always suggest that you don't read ahead if you're new to sewing, if you're going to buy a Mimi G pattern for simplicity.

I always have a very long video that goes with my patterns, so if you want to keep reading, keep reading because you always have my video to guide you through all the steps, oh, let's look at the size of the patterns. I have a whole course on Soy de Academy on how. reading patterns how to choose your size how to really understand measurements and make it easier to sort between sizes all of that, but for now I'm just going to cover something that I think a lot of people get confused about. buy the pattern according to the measurements on the back of the envelope, that's fine, but the measurements of the finished garment are actually written inside the pattern on the fabric, so for example for my bus let's say I bought the pattern according to the size of my bus. being a fantastic 36 depending on what that garment is, whether it is a loose garment or a tighter semi-fitted garment when you go to the cut, the actual pattern piece will have the measurements thereof the finished garment that include the amount of design and wearability that went into that piece, so let's say I purchased the pattern based on my bust size. on the back of the envelope but the finished garment might say the final size for my size I chose might be 40 inches, well I certainly don't need that much ease so maybe I would cut a size smaller now that I know this can It's really confusing and takes some time, but I have that course at Sword Academy where I talk about demystifying trading patterns, which is really helpful for a lot of people to understand that retail sizing is not the same as pattern sizing, which the size on the back of the envelope if it's a you know 8 10 12 14 you can buy it because you're a size 12 but when you look at the measurements of the finished garment you could say well, I don't need that much room in my hips or in my waist or in my bus, so I'm going to cut a size 12, so that's something you really want to keep in your head is to look at the measurements of the finished garment given in the knitting pattern which they don't always give you. you, but for the most part I always seem to find it, let's look at number 11, expecting to know all the things right away, you know, this is something that I think a lot of people might get frustrated with when you're learning to sew where you sit. you should know a certain amount or let's say you see someone online who just started sewing and you feel like you should know as much as them.

Know? I am still learning. I learn all the time and I have been sewing for over 20 years. years and I always find myself looking at something and thinking oh wow, that's new, let me try it or I'm working on something and I find a new method to do it or it's not something you're going to learn everything about. at the same time, so you just have to give yourself time to get through all the different things that you're going to learn. Experiment, there are so many things that come up as you learn to sew to fit your body. work with trading patterns and therefore take time to learn all those things.

I have students at the Soda Academy, like I said, who started out and didn't know anything and almost four years later, four years later, they're still students because they're constantly learning. We are always learning and evolving so take it easy and the last thing number 12 is learning to fit in. I am from Cadenet we do a lot of fitness classes I teach you how to adjust your bust your body your waist your hips how to make adjustments to all kinds of things and the The reason we do it is because once you learn to sell, you learn to sew, but the one thing that is always evolving is learning to fit your body because the patterns are made for a specific person and we have a very different shape, so that what will fit someone outside of the pattern is that it may not fit you, you may have a shorter torso through the torso, a shorter inseam, a longer inseam, short legs, long leg.

This means that there are so many different things that as you learn to sew you will also learn that you must adapt to your specific body, so learning to adapt is one of the most important things you can do for yourself, take the time to learn it and practice. and let me tell you that you know, I'm always learning new things about fitness and at Soy Academy we do all those things, but if you learn on your own, which is also great, there are a lot of different resources I have a video on my YouTube channel about my Favorite sewing books.

I think at least two or three of those books on that list in that video are eligible books because it's so important and you don't want to waste all your time doing something right, when you're learning to sew, you spend all this time making a garment that you really like. love it and then in the end it doesn't fit you because you haven't learned the ABCs of fit and really Start with the basics, start with the basics of fit, how to fit your bra, how to fit your hips, how to fit your waist, how to match patterns from one size to another, because you know I could cut a size 10 for my bodice. but I need to cut a size 14 for my skirt or my pants because the difference between my waist and my hips is, you know, four and a half inches, so I need to be constantly aware of those changes in my body and how I'm doing. make those changes to the pattern and once you start doing it and get the hang of it, it gets easier, but like I said, it's always evolving so take it slow and don't go crazy with the adjustment.

Wrinkles are wrinkles, you will have swimming pools, you will have whatever, like relaxing. I also talked about it in the video of my favorite books. Take it easy when it comes to the fit issues you hear a lot of people talk about. in the sewing community so anyway I hope these tips help you if you are new to sewing and like I said before if you want more instruction or really want to learn some great fundamentals and improve your skill level please join soy of Kadim. II, we have a free trial, you don't even need a credit card, you can log in, set up your account and verify it anyway.

I'll talk to you later, peace.