Sewing for hours was a mistake i used to do. I'd start by making or assembling the pattern, usually friday nights, after dinner and go on latter in the evening just to see lots of mistakes in the early hours of saturdays... Nowadays, i make or assemble the pattern in one day, cut the fabric in next day and finally, get the set all done, before sewing. This can go up to a week, because i work during the day, but there has been a substancial decrease in disasters 🙂 I finally get the necessary serenity to lead a project to the end without stress or undoing and remaking all over again. Keeping the work zone clear and in order is a very good help. And so is to prepare all components before assembly.
That's so good to seperate the projects into clearly defined steps! I did that partly with my latest skirt, pasting pdf-pages one day, cutting the next day and sewing the third. But I didn't have the self discipline like you and still ended up sewing until 2 AM, But I really need to be more like you!
You are so humble to admit you make mistakes! Makes me feel a bit better about mine! 😊 I always feel rushed and think, “ Next time I will slow down and do all the little details.” Thank you for your candor and wonderful attitude! ❤️
I started making cotton jersey dresses in the style of Alabama Chanin, which involves maybe a hundred hours of hand sewing, appliqué and reverse appliqué. I made one dress, decided to use a polyester topstitching thread instead of cotton thread or embroidery thread, spent ages doing the whole surface of the dress in intricate patterns, hated the colours, dyed it, realised the polyester thread wouldn’t dye, unpicked the whole lot and redid it, re dyed it, and I love it. It came out a very dark raspberry /black colour. But what a mistake…
Listing the steps has helped me a lot so that I don't leave something out. I've worked on projects for others that included making several of something. That's when I really need a list.
LOL! I love your smirk! Yup too tired to sew... now I stop, sewing to fast... now I reduce my speed and I don't sew at night anymore, it's seems when you are getting older you just don't see as well (even with glasses) 😂 TFS. Christine
Oh, I hear you on the vision thing. I had to get reading glasses this year, and I'm relying heavily on my magnifying lamp too, yet it's still hard to see sometimes
I agree with most of your tips Some I would add are: 1) Use the correct needle for your fabric; so many of my mistakes have been made because I did not use the correct needle, 2) Use good quality thread! If one has invested so much money in the fabrics make sure you use the best quality thread that you can find, 3) Slow down when you are sewing (unless you are having to repair the blind hem in your future brother-in-law's trousers 1/4 hour before the ceremony, and 4) Remember sewing is suppose to be FUN! Love your videos, Johanna. I am looking forward to your jeans book. 😘👍❤️
Yep, to all of these. That's when I started lining up my sewing pieces according the sewing order in the pattern - even though I don't think it is right with my 60years of sewing. I find I am still no sewing expert. "Jack of all trades - Master of none". Love your sewing video visits.
Thank you! Yes I have come to the same conclusion, despite decades of experience I still need to take precautions, otherwise the mistakes will pile up!
Yup I'm guilty of tired sewing... And not doing practice pieces. I have never done a muslin ever (but I should 😊) and I've only been sewing for 5 years. I've just decided 2 weeks ago to join a sewing class to get rid of all my bad habits lol. xx
I feel you, muslins are kinda boring, when you just want to make something fun to wear, But yes, they can often be immensly helpful when trying something new, especially fitted garments. Good to hear about your sewing class, sounds like fun!
I’ve spent two days making a pair of linen pants. The pattern wasn’t the right one for the fabric. So, all unpicked and reshaped. First invisible zipper had no stopper on the bottom! So, unpicked again. New zipper, too long...not a problem, except I forgot and did it up after cutting off excess. Fortunately, I got the zipper pull back on. But, then realized I’d stitched it on backwards... Aggghhh! But, two full days and I have a pair of linen pants. Drinking red wine now!
I have started just doing 30 minutes on work days, bite size pieces it seems to be quite effective. And who hasn't sat up to late in the night to be finished with that holiday wardrobe or a dress for a certain occasion. I think that it is often the mistakes we make that we learn most from. Love your channel and your book - I have a babylock combi machine ovation I think, and am not as yet best friends with it.
I've sewn wrong sides of garments together, a wrap dress got sewn up and I had to cut it open as couldn't get into it. It was faux wrap in stretch. Have mastered invisible zip but the other types often have to redo. Lots of unpicking at times. Get a nice surprise when things go right.
I agree with you on purchasing quality fabrics. That said, all the more reason to make a test garment before cutting into our good fabric. I need to take the time to do that myself, but I just get sew excited! Also, I am right there with you on the zippers. Recently, I purchased several zippers from Wawak here in the States (great prices!). I am supposed to have a "zipper workshop" with myself so I can get better at zipper insertion :-)
I have been sewing for only 5 years and I realize I need to be organized to make sure I lessen the chances of making mistakes. But it happens that I start sewing a garment without having first listed the order in which the different pieces have to be sewn....WRONG! It is something I definitely have to work on. Thank you for your interesting videos and sharing useful tips.
How timely you post this as the latest shirt I’ve made has been a disaster at every step. Having pattern matched the stripes carefully every seam has been ‘wonky’. The reason is too small a sewing space with too much clutter. I’ve also managed to snip into the fabric when cutting the thread tails too. Even when I know what I should be doing for some reason I ignored my own best advice. So I’m having a summer break and replanning my work space.
What a bummer about your shirt! Sometimes it's like a project is cursed from the start, and then just one thing happens on top of the other. But exciting to rethink your space, having a good setup really makes a big difference, and I too sew in a small space, and chaos often ensue
Speaking of zipper inserts. I have successfully sewn invisible and visible zippers, however, this last project I inserted the "invisible" zipper 6 times and ended up resorting to sewing it like a visible zipper because I just couldn't get it right. The fabric was a mesh design in velvet. What a challenge to work with! My biggest mistake is getting really difficult fabric to sew. I get so attracted to the thin, slippery kind it seems. How I get through the mistakes is perseverance and breathing - paying attention to my breath. Lately it's just putting one foot in front of the other and being very present.
I always found invisible zippers a nightmare too, until I found Kenneth Kings method on TH-cam. After doing it his way I couldn't understand why any other method is ever recommended.
He's got a solution to thin slippy fabrics fabrics too. Cut the layers out singly pinned to a tissue paper backing and only remove the tissue paper AFTER machining the layers together. Works like magic!
Kenneth's method is exactly what I needed! Thanks so much! Ya, I was getting a pucker at the end of the zip too. I worked and worked at getting rid of it; it was a nightmare.
I thought I had replied to this message, my apologies if I'm being redundant. King's method is excellent! Thanks so much! I was getting a pucker at the end of the zipper too. I worked and worked to get rid of it; it was a night mare. I see that my library has a couple of King's books. I think I'll check into them. Have you read any of his books?
My sewing mistake....or shall I say mistakes is rushing my sewing. Trying to sew in between cooking dinner, washing, ironing, picking kids up, dropping kids off.....lol
My usual mistake is not to try the garment while I am sewing it but leaving it until it's finished. Then I often find that it does not fit that well and needs corrections so more work for me.
Sewing for hours was a mistake i used to do. I'd start by making or assembling the pattern, usually friday nights, after dinner and go on latter in the evening just to see lots of mistakes in the early hours of saturdays... Nowadays, i make or assemble the pattern in one day, cut the fabric in next day and finally, get the set all done, before sewing. This can go up to a week, because i work during the day, but there has been a substancial decrease in disasters 🙂 I finally get the necessary serenity to lead a project to the end without stress or undoing and remaking all over again.
Keeping the work zone clear and in order is a very good help. And so is to prepare all components before assembly.
That's so good to seperate the projects into clearly defined steps! I did that partly with my latest skirt, pasting pdf-pages one day, cutting the next day and sewing the third. But I didn't have the self discipline like you and still ended up sewing until 2 AM, But I really need to be more like you!
You are so humble to admit you make mistakes! Makes me feel a bit better about mine! 😊 I always feel rushed and think, “ Next time I will slow down and do all the little details.” Thank you for your candor and wonderful attitude! ❤️
I started making cotton jersey dresses in the style of Alabama Chanin, which involves maybe a hundred hours of hand sewing, appliqué and reverse appliqué. I made one dress, decided to use a polyester topstitching thread instead of cotton thread or embroidery thread, spent ages doing the whole surface of the dress in intricate patterns, hated the colours, dyed it, realised the polyester thread wouldn’t dye, unpicked the whole lot and redid it, re dyed it, and I love it. It came out a very dark raspberry /black colour. But what a mistake…
Listing the steps has helped me a lot so that I don't leave something out. I've worked on projects for others that included making several of something. That's when I really need a list.
The list bit is huge! I usually do one too now, and when I skip it (because I am overly confident heh) the mistakes happen like clockwork!
LOL! I love your smirk! Yup too tired to sew... now I stop, sewing to fast... now I reduce my speed and I don't sew at night anymore, it's seems when you are getting older you just don't see as well (even with glasses) 😂 TFS. Christine
Oh, I hear you on the vision thing. I had to get reading glasses this year, and I'm relying heavily on my magnifying lamp too, yet it's still hard to see sometimes
Oh yes!! The eyes get you!!
I agree with most of your tips Some I would add are: 1) Use the correct needle for your fabric; so many of my mistakes have been made because I did not use the correct needle, 2) Use good quality thread! If one has invested so much money in the fabrics make sure you use the best quality thread that you can find, 3) Slow down when you are sewing (unless you are having to repair the blind hem in your future brother-in-law's trousers 1/4 hour before the ceremony, and 4) Remember sewing is suppose to be FUN!
Love your videos, Johanna. I am looking forward to your jeans book. 😘👍❤️
Yep, to all of these. That's when I started lining up my sewing pieces according the sewing order in the pattern - even though I don't think it is right with my 60years of sewing. I find I am still no sewing expert. "Jack of all trades - Master of none". Love your sewing video visits.
Thank you! Yes I have come to the same conclusion, despite decades of experience I still need to take precautions, otherwise the mistakes will pile up!
Yup I'm guilty of tired sewing... And not doing practice pieces. I have never done a muslin ever (but I should 😊) and I've only been sewing for 5 years. I've just decided 2 weeks ago to join a sewing class to get rid of all my bad habits lol. xx
I feel you, muslins are kinda boring, when you just want to make something fun to wear, But yes, they can often be immensly helpful when trying something new, especially fitted garments. Good to hear about your sewing class, sounds like fun!
I’ve spent two days making a pair of linen pants. The pattern wasn’t the right one for the fabric. So, all unpicked and reshaped. First invisible zipper had no stopper on the bottom! So, unpicked again. New zipper, too long...not a problem, except I forgot and did it up after cutting off excess. Fortunately, I got the zipper pull back on. But, then realized I’d stitched it on backwards... Aggghhh! But, two full days and I have a pair of linen pants.
Drinking red wine now!
I have started just doing 30 minutes on work days, bite size pieces it seems to be quite effective. And who hasn't sat up to late in the night to be finished with that holiday wardrobe or a dress for a certain occasion. I think that it is often the mistakes we make that we learn most from. Love your channel and your book - I have a babylock combi machine ovation I think, and am not as yet best friends with it.
I've sewn wrong sides of garments together, a wrap dress got sewn up and I had to cut it open as couldn't get into it. It was faux wrap in stretch. Have mastered invisible zip but the other types often have to redo. Lots of unpicking at times. Get a nice surprise when things go right.
I agree with you on purchasing quality fabrics. That said, all the more reason to make a test garment before cutting into our good fabric. I need to take the time to do that myself, but I just get sew excited! Also, I am right there with you on the zippers. Recently, I purchased several zippers from Wawak here in the States (great prices!). I am supposed to have a "zipper workshop" with myself so I can get better at zipper insertion :-)
I have been sewing for only 5 years and I realize I need to be organized to make sure I lessen the chances of making mistakes. But it happens that I start sewing a garment without having first listed the order in which the different pieces have to be sewn....WRONG! It is something I definitely have to work on. Thank you for your interesting videos and sharing useful tips.
How timely you post this as the latest shirt I’ve made has been a disaster at every step.
Having pattern matched the stripes carefully every seam has been ‘wonky’. The reason is too small a sewing space with too much clutter.
I’ve also managed to snip into the fabric when cutting the thread tails too.
Even when I know what I should be doing for some reason I ignored my own best advice.
So I’m having a summer break and replanning my work space.
What a bummer about your shirt! Sometimes it's like a project is cursed from the start, and then just one thing happens on top of the other. But exciting to rethink your space, having a good setup really makes a big difference, and I too sew in a small space, and chaos often ensue
Speaking of zipper inserts. I have successfully sewn invisible and visible zippers, however, this last project I inserted the "invisible" zipper 6 times and ended up resorting to sewing it like a visible zipper because I just couldn't get it right. The fabric was a mesh design in velvet. What a challenge to work with!
My biggest mistake is getting really difficult fabric to sew. I get so attracted to the thin, slippery kind it seems. How I get through the mistakes is perseverance and breathing - paying attention to my breath. Lately it's just putting one foot in front of the other and being very present.
I always found invisible zippers a nightmare too, until I found Kenneth Kings method on TH-cam. After doing it his way I couldn't understand why any other method is ever recommended.
He's got a solution to thin slippy fabrics fabrics too. Cut the layers out singly pinned to a tissue paper backing and only remove the tissue paper AFTER machining the layers together. Works like magic!
okay, will try. Thanks.
Kenneth's method is exactly what I needed! Thanks so much! Ya, I was getting a pucker at the end of the zip too. I worked and worked at getting rid of it; it was a nightmare.
I thought I had replied to this message, my apologies if I'm being redundant. King's method is excellent! Thanks so much! I was getting a pucker at the end of the zipper too. I worked and worked to get rid of it; it was a night mare.
I see that my library has a couple of King's books. I think I'll check into them. Have you read any of his books?
My sewing mistake....or shall I say mistakes is rushing my sewing. Trying to sew in between cooking dinner, washing, ironing, picking kids up, dropping kids off.....lol
My usual mistake is not to try the garment while I am sewing it but leaving it until it's finished. Then I often find that it does not fit that well and needs corrections so more work for me.
Lol, that I never do. I hate to unpick seams.
This pops up the day after I turned my sewing machine pink after spending 2 hrs trying to sew $9/yard stretch velvet.
Oh what a bummer! Yes the shedding on some if these fabrics is crazy!
@1:25 = Me!! repeatedly!!!
On second thought @0:00 to @7:11 Also me!
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