Basic sewing

What is it?

Putting needle and thread together to make clothing helped elevate our species up the chain of civilization. Nearly everything you wear has stitching involved, from hat to shoes. For now, we're talking about the basic hand-sewing kind.

Why do it?

Ever lost a button, or had a pair of pants that was just a little too long? Mom eventually gets sick of you calling her for help, and these days you're unlikely to find one of your friends who can stitch for you, so why not learn how yourself? It's a heck of a lot cheaper than throwing away that sweater!

How did I learn it?

Around the time I was 10, my mother decided (as she did with many such things) that her boys should know how to do their own sewing repairs. Thus were we shown how to do basic hand stitches and attaching a button using pieces of old sheets. This certainly wasn't elegant, but it meant we did all our own simple repairs moving forward, making us better at it. One of the first things I did was take my very worn and abused sock monkey and do some serious repairs. When I was done it more resembled a mummy than a monkey, but it helped me understand the basics.

Eventually, mom sat me down in front of a machine and made me learn how to make my own costumes (I was 18 and working at the local Renaissance Faire), but we'll save that for a future post, shall we?

How do you learn it?

Like so much of life, practice is key. But this one is cheap and easy. First, you need a few supplies. Go off to Joann Fabrics, Wal-Mart, or your mom's sewing box, and gather the following:

- Sewing needles (for right now, assume that most needles are essentially the same, but don't get TOO big of a needle. Look for those around 2 inches and you should be fine)
- Thread - pick black or white, for ease. Choose "all purpose" for this
- scissors - sharp is better (not the point, but the blades), standard scissors are fine
- fabric - Old sheets or t-shirts are good for this

First, go watch this video on threading the needle.

Now try making a few stitches. Start from one side of the material, stick the needle through, pull it almost all the way in, then stick the needle back down into the fabric. Do this a few more times, in one side, out the other. Now, even though you've only done one piece of fabric, you've done a stitch! It may not look pretty, it may not bee in a straight line, but you're sewing. It really is that simple.

Now take the fabric, put 2 pieces together, and do the same thing about 1/2" in from the edge. This time, after you first pull the thread through the pieces, go back down about 1/8" further along the edge. Now, run the needle through the small loop of thread prom your first past, right by the knot in the thread. Pull the rest of the thread through that loop and pull it all tight, anchoring the thread in place. Now start stitching along, trying to maintain that 1/8" distance 1/2" in from the edge. When you get down to about 3-4" of thread, push the needle through to the side where you first started. Take the needle and slide it under one of the stitches, then pull tight. Do the same thing under the new stitch you just made, but before you pull it tight, loop under from the same direction creating a loop of thread. Push your needle through this loop and pull everything tight to make a knot. Congratulations, you've just joined 2 pieces of fabric by sewing!

Some other nice tutorials to help get you going:
Sewing on a button
Hemming a pair of pants

What else can you tell me that may not be common knowledge?

Once you get these basics down, you can do a lot more with sewing. Embroidery, cross-stitch, and other needle arts are really just forms of sewing. Buttons become simple, and you might eventually find you want to take on bigger projects. That's when sewing machines come in handy, but there will always be a place for hand sewing!