How to find sewing patterns for beginners

Today I want to talk about sewing patterns for beginners and how to choose them. When you first start sewing, it’s easy to get lost in dreams of couture designs and store-bought fashions. But let’s face it, you probably won’t be making most of the items on your Pinterest wish list right away. That won't (and shouldn't) stop you from trying, but the result will most likely be disappointing and the enthusiasm will die down. We have all been there, to a larger or lesser extent. If you are one of the lucky few who never encountered that, then well done you. You deserve a cookie or a large glass of wine. But for the rest of us, how do you decide on your first few projects? What are the best beginner sewing patterns? Well, I think the better question is what is my sewing skill set? Let me explain.

How I am approaching my upcoming sewing projects?

Last year I made an international move, started a new job, and decided to open a haberdashery store. As a result, it left me little time for my interests and hobbies, and I hadn't used my sewing machine in a year. So, I thought to ease myself into sewing with a warm up project, a simple pencil skirt. If you would like to read a little more about my upcoming projects, have a look at the previous article I wrote.

A while back I made a skirt block (a basic skirt pattern that can be used as a base to design other patterns, silhouettes etc.), so that is what I used. I had already used it numerous times and know it well, so I knew there wouldn't be any unexpected surprises. Of course, if you are just starting out, then you won't have a tried-and-tested pattern to fall back on, that unfortunately will come only with time. When you look at the pattern, ask yourself a question - What do I need to be able to do in order to make this skirt? In my case, here is a list of skills that I needed to make that pencil skirt:

• Understand your chosen fabric and know how to handle it;
• Ability to sew a straight line and slightly curved line;
• Ability to sew darts;
• Understanding of how plackets work and how to sew them;
• Know how to use a sew-in interfacing (or fusible);
• Finish seam allowances. I decided to finish them by hand with a felled seam;
• Know how to prepare the thread for hand sewing;
• Attach and finish the waistband;
• Hem.

When you start listing all the things you need to know to do to make the garment, you give yourself the ability to assess your capabilities and whether or not you will be able to finish the darn thing without lots of tears and unravelling. For most projects, I like to include one or two new skills that I want to learn or improve on, with a few easy wins scattered along the way. For example, I could have incorporated any of the following to expand or improve my skill set:

• Adding a lining. The lining fabric is usually hard to handle and very slippery and I haven't worked much with fabrics like that;
• Inserting a zipper. I prefer plackets as closure methods. As a result the zipper insertion is a little stressful. I have improved a lot since I discovered a couture method of inserting it by hand, but there is still lots of room for improvement. 
• Adding a kick pleat instead of a simple slit.
• Adding ruffles or pleats. In essence, playing with the basic block and changing the pattern lines and style. 
• Choosing a fabric that I don't have much experience with.
• Experimenting with different seam finished. 

What is my sewing skill set? 

I understand that everyone is different and the term "beginner" can encompass a few things. So when you what to start sewing ask what is my sewing skill set? Maybe you have already used a sewing machine in the past and understand the basic mechanism. No? Find some YouTube channels you resonate with that explain the machine basics. Do I know how to sew a straight line or a curved line? If not, practice on a piece of paper with a line drawn on (and later on fabric). Once you understand how to do that, you can start with the basics, like pincushion, tailors ham or a pillowcase. These are tools that you will use in the sewing room. (As a side note, I have a very stiff pillow stuffed quite densely with poly-fill that I use in my hand sewing. It provides support so I don't have to hold the garments in in the air and acts as a base to tension the work.) 

To help you out, here are most common sewing techniques that you will encounter very quickly:

• Sewing a straight seam;
• Sewing a curved seam;
  
• Sewing a dart;
  
• Gathering fabric;
• Adding pleats;
• Finishing the seam allowance (overlocker, zigzag stitch, flat-felled seam, French seam etc.);
• Pressing the seams (while technically not a sewing technique, it is very important one to master);
• Inserting a zipper or making a buttonhole.

Earlier, I also mentioned about handling the fabric. While it is definitely a topic on its own, I briefly wanted to mention it. What do I mean by handling the fabric? In essence, it means how easy it is to sew with that fabric. Most likely the sturdier the fabric, the more beginner friendlier it will be.

One of the easiest fabrics to learn to sew in a quilting cotton. It doesn't have any stretch, nor moves around much when is being handled. Is is tightly woven and fairly stiff, as a result, it is be better used for more structured garments than flowy and drapey ones. Personally, I am not very keen on quilting fabric, so I started to learn sewing with cotton shirting and linen, both fairly easy to handle fabrics. On the other hand, silky, very light, and drapey fabrics are will shift and slide around a lot, making them a lot harder to control. I made a little video to illustrate what I mean. Hopefully the quality is alright, not sure I rendered the video properly. 

Skirt patterns for beginners

So lets look at a few skirt patterns and what kind of skill sets each of them needs. 

First two are wrap skirts: Waratah skirt by Stitched for Good and Penelope skirt by Maison Fauve. In both cases, you will construct a simple wrap skit with ties, learn to sew a dart, attach waistband, hem and finish the seams. The Waratah skirt will be slightly more challenging because the front seam is cut on a bias (diagonally). Depending on your choice of fabric, it might be more prone to stretching. Apart from that, both of these patterns will introduce you to good basic skills to expand upon. The best part is that both of the skirts close with ties, which will leave other closure methods to learn for another time. 

The next skirt that I would suggest to adventurous beginners is No. 8 Svaneke by How to Do Fashion. It is fairly simple simple skirt where you will, in addition, learn to add pleats or gathers to a skirt and insert a zipper. I think it is a classic skirt that will go with most things in your wardrobe.

Lastly, I would recommend The Pleated Skirt by The Makers Atelier. Here, you will be able to expand your skills with a pocket construction and a choice with either a button closure or hook and bar.  

How to choose sewing pattern for beginners?

As you can see, each of the 4 patterns is building upon the next skill-wise, so that is how I would encourage you to approach pattern hunting. Pay less attention to the designer's skill level (in a lot of ways it is more subjective) and more to the line drawings, and pattern descriptions, as those are the ones that will give you a better idea for the skill level required.

I don't think that more pattern pieces = harder pattern. For example, a 6-piece skirt pattern might look complicated, but if all the seams are straight, it’s no harder than a basic A-line skirt. In fact I once made a "simple" A-line skirt with decorative, angled style lines and sharp corners in the front and those corners were very tricky to sew. 

So when you look at patterns, study the line drawings and compare your skill library to the one needed to made the item. That will give you the best chance of completing the project without turning to the emotional support chocolate bar and Irish coffee to calm your nerves down. I would suggest leaving a few things unknown so there is a little room to grow and improve. 

In the end, I am not here to tell you, "Remember, sewing is about the journey, not just the finished product. Celebrate your progress with each stitch!". I would sound just like some sort of inspirational wall art poster you can buy in discount store. No, mistakes will happen, you will get frustrated (I certainly do) and you will start putting misbehaving projects in the "time-out corner", but in the end, things will start to become easier. Take your time with projects. If you are passionate and serious about the craft, then no minor setback should deter you. Just start simple and you will be alright.

Hope that was helpful. I am off to test my patience with trouser fitting. Till next time.

Happy sewing,
The Little Haberdasher

P.S. I thought I would add a few of my favourite YouTube channels that I referred to when I first got back into sewing, and still use now.

Made to Sew (YouTube / Website)
Anika’s channel is one of the first ones I continuously went back to when I picked up sewing again. I really liked her calm and professional manner in which she presented information. The channel is not updated as regularly as others, but there are still plenty of high-quality tips and information to get you started.

The Closet Historian (YouTube)
Bianca is the force behind the YouTube channel The Closet Historian. She first ventured into vintage fashion, and has now developed a very unique style that you won’t find anywhere else. On her channel, she teaches you how to make your own patterns and creates step-by-step videos on how to put everything together. Her channel might not be for everyone, but over time, I have found it incredibly useful for gaining a better understanding of how patterns work and how to adapt them to achieve exactly what you want. Her whole channel is focused on teaching you how to draft patterns, but I think combining the ability to draft your own designs with using other patterns as a starting point is a winning formula. Work smarter, not harder!

Sew Sew Live (YouTube / Website) 
Sew Sew Live, as the name suggests, is a place where you can most often find Saremy streaming live the whole sewing process, from cutting to finished garment, using patterns from various indie brands. She also likes to include pre-recorded, informative videos about fitting and other useful tips. Additionally, she has an online sewing guild where you can find even more resources to build your skills and connect with other people. Sometimes it is very helpful to follow video where you can see the whole sewing process from start to finish.

Evelyn Wood (YouTube / Website) 
Evelyn Wood teaches you how to sew by focusing on skills and techniques, rather than just projects. She has LOTS of free sewing videos on YouTube, but if you can afford it, I would recommend joining her Vintage Sewing School. It is, by far, the best sewing school/class I’ve used so far. I find the her style of sewing and teaching aligns with my own quiet often.