How Hard Is It To Learn To Sew – Ultimate Guide to Mastering the Craft

Sewing is one skill that you might overlook, but it comes in handy in tricky situations, and not just for clothing. It is an essential skill that could be applied to many other aspects of life such as survival. But the problem most people face with sewing is the fact that it might be hard to learn.

So is it hard to learn to sew? Sewing is intimidating to learn. There are so many things to consider to learn about sewing that the average person gets scared even before trying it. Certain things in sewing make it hard, but all good things take time to master. With a bit of patience, understanding, and a lot of practice, you too can learn how to sew once you start!

Key Takeaways

• Many things make sewing difficult to learn, namely the great number of things that you might have to know about sewing.
• Everyone learns at a different pace, but it is important to be patient and have good basics in sewing.
• You can learn to sew by yourself. In today’s time, it is easier than ever to learn how to sew by yourself.
• When getting started with sewing, having a set goal is just as important as having the right supplies for the job.

What Makes Sewing Difficult to Learn?

One of the things that make sewing such a difficult skill to learn is because of the sheer number of things that you need to know.

So let’s look at some of the things that make sewing difficult to learn:

Preparation

As with other things, sewing is all about preparation. Getting your tools ready, winding your sewing machine, threading your needles, choosing the fabrics, etc. By the time you start, you are already exhausted from the things that you have to prepare! The preparation step is one of the most parts of sewing, and also what makes it difficult to get into.

Techniques and terms

If I were to name the different types of sewing techniques, your head would be swimming in the clouds. Basic stitching, understitching, back-stitching, seam allowance, button-hole stitching, bias, etc. are just some of the terms that you would come across while learning to sew. While some of them are really important, learning everything takes a long time and even longer to master!

Learning the sewing machine

Alongside the techniques and terms, there is the daunting task of learning the sewing machine. Bobbin case, presser foot, foot pedal, feed dog, etc. are just another bunch of what seems like nonsense but are essential to learning how to sew. A sewing machine is a sewer’s best friend when it comes to sewing but the worst enemy to a beginner learning to sew for the very first time.

Learning to sew by hand

And if you aren’t inclined to learn the sewing machine, you might think that sewing by hand would be easier. But even then there are a lot of different things that you have to know and have the dexterity to be able to pull off. Learning to sew by hand might be a good start, but even that has its drawbacks.

Expensive

And if all of that wasn’t enough, sewing could become an expensive hobby. Buying the threads and other necessary equipment could easily stack onto one another and make sewing expensive. Not to mention buying the right sewing machine for a beginner is crucial and the market for sewing machines is oversaturated with different types of sewing machines that could confuse a person.

How Long Does It Take to Learn to Sew?

If you want to know how many hours you need to put in before you start getting good at sewing, then I am sorry to say that is a very subjective matter. Sewing is all about patience and practice. The more you practice, the better you will get. But it is also about an effective practice that you need to do to eventually make sewing as seamless as possible. If you keep practicing the wrong method, then you could eventually end up having to learn everything from the beginning.

While beginner sewing techniques can be learned within a few weeks and mastered within a few months, intermediate and advanced sewing techniques would require years before you get to a proficiency that you are satisfied with.

Ultimately, sewing is all about gradually learning everything. Being overwhelmed by everything that sewing has to offer will discourage you more than encourage you. It is all about learning to pace yourself and learning to sew step by step. It took me years before becoming what I consider to be good. Thinking back on learning to sew, I find myself thinking if I put more time into learning the basics instead of jumping to more advanced techniques, I would have been even better today!

That is why it is important to learn everything gradually. That way you will absorb any new skill and technique easily and sew without even thinking about it! It takes a lot of practice and a lot more patience when learning to sew. It might take a long time, but trust me that you will start enjoying it after getting over the first big obstacles of sewing.

Can I Learn to Sew by Myself?

The great thing about sewing in the modern day is that you can learn to sew all by yourself! There are so many resources available now than ever before that you can learn way more efficiently than when I first started. When I first started, I made a lot of mistakes and kept making mistakes over and over again. But through those mistakes, I learned how to stop making them and improve myself.

A little guidance goes a long way to learning how to sew. Today, there are video guides on YouTube that show you how to sew step by step. There are websites such as this one that can help guide you on your sewing journey. Having all the resources available at your fingertips will definitely make learning how to sew much easier.

It is all about trial and error. I have found learning from mistakes much more productive than learning by doing the correct thing the first time. Learning from mistakes has helped me stop making mistakes and learn to identify where the mistakes could be. It is all about patience, and with a lot of practice, you can definitely learn to sew by yourself in no time!

Some ways that you use to learn sewing by yourself:

And if you are not confident about learning to sew by yourself, you can always find local sewing classes near you and they can help guide you on your initial steps and then you can practice under the guidance of a teacher.

Getting Started with Sewing

As I have highlighted, preparation is one of the trickiest steps in sewing. It can be daunting, but when you are getting started with sewing, it is important to keep some things in mind.

Why do you want to learn to sew?

Getting your priority straight is a good way to get started. Having a set goal for sewing will make the process of sewing much easier. Do you want it to be just a hobby, or do you want to fix your clothing by yourself? These are some questions that you can ask yourself before you undertake the world of sewing. Having a goal, and a goal that can evolve with your sewing journey will make learning to sew even easier!

Preparing basic supplies

Making preparation for sewing is important. Choosing the right fabric, the right thread, and the right project is just a simple beginning to learning to sew. Having all the right tools available will not only speed up your learning, but gradually you can learn all the different tools one by one! Here is a video to help guide you through all the sewing supplies you will be needing as you are starting out!

Beginner-friendly sewing machines

A beginner-friendly sewing machine is a godsend when you are starting out. There are many criteria that you could consider when buying your first sewing machine. It is better to buy a second-hand sewing machine because they are meant to last a long time, and it brings down your expenses by a lot when you buy sewing machines second-hand. You could also borrow your friend’s old sewing machine before buying your own one to start out. The Brother XM2701 and Singer MX231 are some of the best sewing machines for beginners and I can comfortably recommend them to you!

Easy Beginner Sewing Projects

When you are starting out, it is good to learn by following some easy beginner sewing projects. Here is a video that can help give you ideas on what easy sewing projects look like. Once you have learned some of the basics of sewing, you can start looking for beginner sewing projects like these and make your own sewing projects to help with things around the house.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Sewing may look difficult at first, but it is all about practicing and having patience that will help you learn how to sew. Many parts of sewing are difficult but honestly, it is just because of how many number of things there are to learn. You won’t be needing all of them, only the basics to learn. And chances are you won’t know everything. That is a good thing because you want the learning process to be slow and gradual so you get the basics correct. Once you get the hang of it, you will see that you are making your own sewing projects by the end of the year!