Interested in learning how to start sewing? We can’t blame you! Sewing is a fun, creative and incredibly useful skill to have. You can mend clothes, make gifts, alter garments that don’t fit quite right and, eventually, start sewing your own clothes exactly the way you want them.
Of course, getting started can feel a little overwhelming. Maybe you don’t own a sewing machine yet. Perhaps you’ve never bought fabric before, and sewing patterns currently look like a mysterious collection of lines, numbers and symbols.
Don’t worry. You absolutely don’t need to understand everything before you begin.
Learning how to start sewing for beginners is really about getting comfortable with a few basic tools and techniques and then building your skills one project at a time.
In this guide, we’ll take you through what you need, how to get started with your sewing machine, how to choose a beginner-friendly project and, eventually, how to start sewing clothes of your own.
What do you need to start sewing? Here are the essentials!
Before you dive into your first project, you’ll need a few basic supplies. Fortunately, you don’t need an entire sewing room or every gadget in the sewing shop!
A good beginner sewing kit includes:
- A sewing machine
- Fabric scissors
- Seam ripper
- Measuring tape
- Hand-sewing needles
- Pins or sewing clips
- Fabric chalk or another marking tool
- Thread
- Fabric
- An iron and ironing board
- A sewing pattern for your chosen project
There are plenty of other sewing tools you may want later, but these essentials will take you a surprisingly long way.
And yes, the seam ripper belongs on the list. Everyone who sews eventually has to undo a seam, whether they’ve been sewing for two days or twenty years.
Your first sewing supplies don’t have to be expensive
That list might look like quite an investment when you’re only just getting started, but there’s really no need to buy the fanciest version of everything straight away.
You don’t even need beautiful new fabric for your first practice sessions. An old cotton sheet or leftover fabric can be perfect for getting used to your machine, practicing stitches and learning how fabric moves beneath the presser foot.
If you have friends or family members who sew, ask if they have supplies you can borrow. There may even be a neglected sewing machine sitting in a cupboard somewhere waiting for you!
A secondhand sewing machine can also be a great place to start. Just make sure it works properly and that you can find the instruction manual for the model.
How to start sewing on on a sewing machine
Before you start dreaming about the clothes you’re going to make, spend a little time getting to know your sewing machine.
Every machine is slightly different, which means the manual really is your friend here. It should show you how to thread your machine, wind and insert the bobbin, select stitches and use the different controls.
Start by learning how to:
- Wind a bobbin
- Thread the machine
- Insert the bobbin
- Raise and lower the presser foot
- Select a straight stitch
- Adjust the stitch length
- Use the foot pedal
- Sew forwards and backwards
- Remove your fabric safely
You don’t have to remember everything immediately. Thread the machine a few times. Take the thread back out and do it again. Sew a few lines on scrap fabric.
The more familiar the machine starts to feel, the less intimidating your first actual project will be.
What if I don’t have the sewing machine manual?
If you’ve borrowed your machine or bought it secondhand, the original manual may have disappeared years ago.
Fortunately, you can often find sewing machine manuals online, like on Libble. Search using the manufacturer and model number, which is usually printed somewhere on the machine.
Many manufacturers provide digital copies of their manuals, so you may not need to buy one at all.
How to start a stitch on a sewing machine
Once the machine is threaded, there’s another very basic question that almost every new sewist has: how do you actually start sewing?
If you’re wondering how to start a stitch on a sewing machine, begin by placing your fabric underneath the presser foot and positioning it for the seam allowance you need.
Lower the presser foot and start sewing slowly.
For many ordinary seams, you’ll want to secure the beginning of the stitching:
- Sew forwards a few stitches.
- Use the reverse function to sew backwards over those stitches.
- Continue sewing forwards along your seam.
When you reach the end, you can repeat the process by sewing backwards for a few stitches before finishing. This helps prevent the seam from coming undone.
Not every sewing technique uses backstitching, though. Gathering, basting and some types of topstitching may be handled differently, so always follow the instructions for the project you’re making.
If you’re new to learning how to start sewing on a sewing machine, simply practicing this sequence on scrap fabric a few times will make it feel much more natural.
Practice before you start your first project
We know – once your machine is threaded and working, you probably want to make something immediately. And you should! But ten or twenty minutes of practice first can save you quite a bit of frustration later.
Take a piece of scrap fabric and try sewing:
- Straight lines
- Gentle curves
- Corners
- Parallel rows of stitching
- Different seam allowances
- Forwards and backwards
You can even draw lines onto the fabric with chalk or a washable marker and try to follow them.
Don’t worry about speed. In fact, forget about speed completely at the beginning. Your goal is to learn how to guide the fabric while the machine does the stitching.
Control first. Speed can come later.
Easy sewing projects for beginners
Once you’ve got the hang of threading the machine and sewing a basic seam, it’s time for the fun part: actually making something!
It’s completely understandable to want your first project to be an amazing fitted jacket, elaborate dress or perfect pair of jeans.
We admire the ambition. But your first project will probably be much more enjoyable if you start with something that lets you practice the basics without having to learn fifteen new techniques at the same time.
Good sewing projects for beginners can include:
- Tote bags
- Cushion covers
- Drawstring bags
- Fabric napkins
- Simple accessories
- Easy elastic-waist garments
- Simple tops
The best easy beginner sewing projects give you a chance to practice cutting, pinning, sewing seams and pressing without making the whole process feel overwhelming.
Have a look through our easy sewing patterns when you’re ready to choose your first project.
What makes a good first sewing project?
Simple is your friend.
Look for something with relatively few pattern pieces and construction steps. If your first garment requires a zipper, collar, fitted waistband, buttonholes, welt pockets and complicated fitting adjustments, you’ve given yourself a lot to think about at once.
You’ll get to all those techniques eventually.
Starting with something manageable allows you to actually finish a project, wear or use what you’ve made and think: Okay, what can I sew next?
That feeling is much more motivating than being stuck on step seven of an enormous first project for three weeks.
Sewing patterns for beginners: where do you start?
If you’ve never used a sewing pattern before, opening one for the first time can be a bit of a moment. There are lines everywhere. Sizes overlap. There are arrows, triangles, circles and strange terminology.
Fortunately, it all starts making sense surprisingly quickly.
A sewing pattern is essentially your roadmap for the project. Depending on the pattern, it will include:
- Pattern pieces
- A measurement and size chart
- Fabric recommendations
- Fabric requirements
- Cutting layouts
- Seam allowances
- Pattern markings and notches
- Sewing instructions
Good sewing patterns for beginners guide you through not only which pieces you need, but also the order in which everything comes together.
One of the best habits you can develop is reading through the instructions before cutting your fabric. You don’t have to understand or remember every step yet. You’re simply giving yourself an idea of what’s coming.
How to choose easy sewing patterns for beginners
A garment can look simple and still involve some surprisingly complicated sewing. That’s why it’s worth checking the actual construction before choosing your first pattern.
Good beginner sewing patterns often have:
- Relatively few pattern pieces
- Straightforward seams
- Minimal fitting
- An elastic or pull-on design
- Simple hems
- Clear illustrated instructions
If you're comparing easy beginner sewing patterns, look at the techniques involved rather than choosing purely based on the finished garment. A relaxed pair of pull-on pants, for example, will usually introduce fewer techniques than a fitted pair with a fly zipper, waistband and welt pockets.
Browse our easy sewing patterns for beginners when you’re ready to find a manageable first garment.
7 sewing terms you’ll meet very quickly
You certainly don’t need to memorize an entire sewing dictionary before getting started, but there are a few words you’ll encounter almost immediately.
Seam allowance
The space between your stitching line and the raw edge of the fabric.
Right side and wrong side
The right side is the side of the fabric intended to show on the outside of the finished item. The wrong side faces inward.
Grainline
A marking on a pattern piece that helps you position it correctly on the fabric. Place the grainline parallel with the selvage edges on the fabric.
Notch
A small marking that helps you match different pattern pieces together correctly. Cut into the edge of the fabric, ¼” / 5 mm.
Fold line
Shows you when a pattern piece needs to sit against a folded edge of fabric.
Baste
Temporary long stitches used to hold fabric in place or help with another sewing step.
Press
Using your iron to shape fabric and seams during construction.
That last one is especially important. Pressing isn’t something you save until your garment is finished. Your iron will probably spend nearly as much time working as your sewing machine.
How to start sewing clothes for beginners
Maybe this is the reason you wanted to learn in the first place: you want to make clothes you can actually wear.
Good news – you absolutely can! When learning how to start sewing clothes for beginners, choose a garment that gives you some room to learn.
Simple pull-on pants, relaxed tops, easy skirts and other uncomplicated styles are good options because they let you practice garment construction without requiring extremely precise fitting.
You can browse our PDF sewing patterns:
When looking at different clothes patterns for sewing, check the recommended skill level and techniques involved. There is no prize for choosing the hardest pattern first.
Choosing fabric for your first clothing project
The fabric aisle can be incredibly tempting when you first learn to sew. Unfortunately, choosing fabric based purely on whichever print catches your eye isn’t always going to end well.
Your sewing pattern will recommend suitable fabric types, and those recommendations matter. A pattern designed for a stable woven cotton may behave completely differently if you suddenly make it in stretchy jersey or slippery satin.
For your first few projects, relatively stable fabrics are often easier to cut and control.
And remember to prewash washable fabric before cutting! Spending hours making something only to discover that it shrinks after the first wash is not the sewing lesson anyone wants.
Sewing your own clothes: learn one new thing at a time
One of the nicest things about sewing your own clothes is that you don’t have to learn everything before you begin.
Your first garment might teach you how to sew a hem. Your second might introduce pockets. The next one could teach you sleeves, elastic or knit fabric.
Eventually, you’ll find yourself confidently doing something that looked completely baffling six months earlier.
So when you find a pattern you love, look through the instructions and see what’s new. If there are one or two unfamiliar techniques, great! That can be what the project teaches you.
If there are fifteen unfamiliar techniques... perhaps bookmark that one for later.
Learn how to sew with video tutorials from Wardrobe by Me
Sometimes a sewing instruction makes perfect sense on paper. Sometimes you read the same sentence four times and still have absolutely no idea what it wants you to do.
That’s where video tutorials can be incredibly helpful. On the Wardrobe By Me YouTube channel, you’ll find sewing tutorials and sew-alongs that let you actually watch different construction techniques in action.
Pause the video. Rewind it. Watch the confusing bit three times. Nobody is judging.
You can also explore the Wardrobe By Me sewing blog for more tips and step-by-step guides as your sewing skills grow.
Ready to move into pants? Have a look at our guide on how to sew a pair of pants, how to sew your own button-up shirt, or how to sew a pair or jeans.
6 Common beginner sewing mistakes – don’t worry, we’ve all been there!
You are going to make mistakes when you learn how to sew. We’re getting that out of the way now.
Fortunately, most sewing mistakes involve a seam ripper rather than a disaster, and every mistake teaches you something for your next project.
Below are six common ones to look out for.
1. Not reading the instructions first
It’s very tempting to glance at the pattern pieces and think, I know where these go.
Sometimes you do. Sometimes you discover three steps later that a piece needed to be attached before you closed that seam.
Give the instructions a quick read first.
2. Choosing fabric just because it’s pretty
We understand the temptation. But the prettiest fabric in the shop still won’t behave properly if it’s completely unsuitable for your sewing pattern.
Check those fabric recommendations.
3. Practice makes perfect
If a pattern requires a new technique, practice it before cutting into your good fabric.
4. Forgetting about seam allowance
Seam allowance affects both construction and fit. If the pattern tells you to sew with a particular allowance, try to keep it consistent.
Those few millimeters add up surprisingly quickly across an entire garment.
5. Skipping the iron
Your iron isn’t just there to remove wrinkles at the end, you know.
Pressing seams as you sew will make your finished project look much cleaner and can also make later construction steps easier.
6. Starting with something far too complicated
Ambition is good! But your very first project does not need to demonstrate everything you will ever be capable of sewing.
Start small, finish something and enjoy the fact that you made that! Then make something slightly harder.
Frequently asked questions about sewing for beginners
Is sewing hard to learn?
The basic principles aren’t especially difficult, but sewing is a practical skill, so you’ll become more accurate and confident with practice. Start with easy projects and add new techniques gradually.
Do I need a sewing machine to learn how to sew?
No. There are plenty of useful hand-sewing techniques you can learn without a machine. However, if your goal is regularly sewing clothes and larger projects, a sewing machine will make the process much faster.
What should I sew first?
A tote bag, cushion cover, drawstring bag or similarly simple project can be a great introduction. When you’re ready to move into garments, look for easy sewing projects for beginners with uncomplicated construction.
Can I teach myself to sew?
Absolutely. You can learn how to sew using sewing patterns, books, blogs and video tutorials. Classes and experienced sewing friends can certainly help, but you don’t need formal lessons to get started.
What sewing pattern should a beginner choose?
Look for easy beginner sewing patterns with clear instructions, relatively few pattern pieces and straightforward construction. Relaxed and pull-on garments are often good places to begin.
How do I start sewing if I have absolutely no experience?
Start with your sewing machine manual. Learn how to thread your machine, wind the bobbin and sew a basic straight stitch. Practice on scrap fabric until you feel comfortable controlling it, and then choose one of the many easy beginner sewing projects available.
The best way to learn to sew? Start sewing!
You can read about sewing for weeks, watch dozens of videos and research every sewing machine on the market.
Eventually, though, you have to put some fabric underneath the presser foot. And that’s when it starts getting fun!
You don’t need a perfect sewing room, an expensive machine or years of experience before you begin. Learn how your machine works, practice a few seams, choose a project you genuinely want to make and take it one step at a time.
Before long, those first wonky practice stitches can turn into sewing clothes you actually want to wear.
Ready to get started? Browse our easy sewing patterns for beginners or discover all Wardrobe By Me PDF sewing patterns and choose your first project.
