How to Sew a Successful Sewing Project: 5 Essential Tips for Beginners
Hi there sewing friends !
If you're a beginner sewer or just getting started with sewing and looking to upgrade your sewing skills, you’ve likely been searching for ways to make your sewing projects smoother and more enjoyable. Learning how to sew successfully isn’t just about stitching fabric together—it’s about understanding the tools, techniques, and small steps that lead to a polished, professional finish. In this blog post, I’ll share five essential beginner sewing tips that will help you set up your sewing projects for success! These are all tips and tricks that I have been using for the past 20 years of my sewing journey and they are tried and tested to allow you to have the best success with your sewing projects !
Whether you’re tackling your first garment or a simple craft project, these tips will guide you through the process and make your next sewing experience stress-free.
Picking the Right Scissors for Your Sewing Project
Choosing the best sewing scissors for cutting out your fabric can be a game-changer, especially for beginners. Over the years, I’ve used a variety of fabric scissors, and I’ve gained a lot of experience in choosing the right pair for each specific project.
Long blades: For long, straight cuts, the obvious and best choice is a pair of long fabric scissors. The longer blades allow you to make straighter, more precise cuts with fewer hand movements. These scissors help produce smoother and more accurate cuts as the blades glide through the fabric with ease.
Medium blades: When cutting shorter, curved areas like armholes and necklines, I recommend using medium-length fabric scissors. These scissors offer better maneuverability, allowing you to navigate around curves with more ease and precision.
Short blades: For detailed work like clipping into seam allowances, cutting notches, or trimming curves, snips or embroidery scissors are your best bet. Their smaller blades give you better control over the depth and angle of your cuts, which is much harder to achieve with longer scissors.
Rotary cutter: You might also come across rotary cutters, which are small, round blades typically used with a protective mat. Rotary cutters are popular for quilting because they make smooth, straight cuts effortlessly. However, they can also be incredibly useful for cutting bias binding, straps, or delicate fabrics that tend to shift when using regular fabric scissors.
Using a Durable Thread Suited to Your Sewing Project
One of the most overlooked parts of choosing materials for your sewing project is selecting the correct thread. Trust me, I’ve been a ride-or-die fan of Gutermann thread for good reason! Its durability, wide selection of colors, and various types make it my go-to for nearly every sewing project.
Polyester Thread: For most of my projects, I gravitate towards polyester thread. It’s incredibly versatile and durable, making it ideal for everyday sewing. The strength of polyester thread ensures that my seams hold up over time, and it works seamlessly with my sewing machine without issues like snapping or fraying—common problems with weaker fibers or lower-quality threads.
Topstitching Thread: When working with heavy-duty garments like jeans, topstitching thread is often essential. This specialty thread is thicker and more durable, perfect for reinforcing seams that need extra strength. When sewing with topstitching thread, it's important to switch to a topstitching needle. This is because topstitching thread is much thicker than regular sewing thread, and using the proper needle ensures your machine can handle it without any issues.
Delicate Fabrics: Sewing with delicate fabrics like silk and chiffon can be tricky, but using the right thread can make all the difference. Silk thread is specifically designed for lightweight fabrics and mimics the soft, flowing qualities of materials like silk. Some silk threads are even made from silk, offering the perfect combination of strength and flexibility for delicate fabrics. Using silk thread ensures that your seams are smooth and the fabric's lightweight characteristics are preserved.
Top Tip: Here’s a bonus tip: Store your sewing thread out of direct sunlight. Sunlight can bleach the color from the thread and weaken its fibers over time, which can affect the longevity of your project. The more you know!
Load Up that Bobbin !
It may seam (pun intended!) like an obvious step, but trust me, I’ve lost count of how many times I reached the final seams of a project only to realize I was sewing with an empty bobbin. Loading up a full bobbin before you start is one of the simplest yet most essential ways to ensure an uninterrupted sewing experience.
If you’re working with base colors like white, black, grey, or navy, it’s a good idea to load up several bobbins at once. This way, you’ll always have backups ready, preventing any unexpected stops during your sewing session.
This mindset of “preparing before you start” can also extend to other parts of your sewing setup. For example, fill up your iron with water and set it to the appropriate heat setting for your fabric. These small, extra steps make sure you stay in the "sewing zone" and allow you to fully enjoy your creative time without unnecessary interruptions.
Sew Each Section One at a Time for a Stress-Free Experience
Once you’ve got all your fabric pieces cut out, it’s tempting to jump right into sewing—I totally get it! But remember, sewing is a marathon, not a sprint. Each project is made up of multiple elements that require different sewing techniques and skills. When you're ready to begin, I recommend getting all your metaphorical ducks in a row and planning out each stage of your project. Taking time to consider your schedule and skill level before tackling each step can make a huge difference in how smoothly your project goes.
For more complicated pieces, like fly fronts or gathering, I prefer to set aside larger blocks of time. These areas require more focus, technical skills, and a lot of steps, like clipping, cutting, and making sure everything is aligned correctly. By dedicating enough time to these intricate parts, you can enjoy the process without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
On the other hand, for simpler, more “mindless” parts of the project—like sewing side seams or hemming—I often do these while watching TV or listening to a podcast. Sewing straight seams might be considered boring by some, but I actually find it to be one of the most relaxing parts of the process. It’s a chance to switch off your brain, enjoy the soothing hum of the sewing machine, and be fully present in the moment.
By taking it one step at a time, you can truly savor the sewing experience and reduce any stress or frustration along the way.
Go the Extra Step: Clip, Iron, and Press as You Sew
I’ll be the first to admit—once you’re in the “sewing flow,” it’s tough to stop. But let me say this loud and clear: Press. Those. Seams. I know it’s tempting to skip this step when you’re excited to keep sewing, but remember why you started—to improve your sewing skills, right? So take a moment, head over to your ironing board, and press those seams open. Pressing might seem like an unnecessary extra step because it doesn’t immediately appear to add anything to your project—but looks can be deceiving! Pressing your seams has a major impact on your finished piece. It helps align your sewing pieces more accurately and makes sewing over stacked seams much easier and neater. So yes, press those seams!
Now, clipping is one of those techniques that has a visible, immediate impact on your sewing project. The purpose of clipping seams is to reduce bulk in joined areas or release tension in curved seams, like necklines and armholes. Using small, sharp blades—remember the snips we talked about earlier?—you’ll clip into the seam allowance, which allows the fabric to release tension and lie flat when turned right side out.
I’ve grown to love this step because it gives me an excuse to use my beautiful LDH snips—they're by far the best snips I’ve ever used! What was once a tedious sewing technique has become one I actually look forward to.
So there you have it, 5 top tips for a successful sewing project. Hope you enjoyed them, and if you need a little touch up on your sewing skills, you can always check out the “Sewing for beginners” Ebook that gives you the foundational knowledge and skills to get you started on your sewing journey, along with 3 Beginner friendly sewing projects that you can test these top tips out on.
Happy sewing !
Get "Sewing for Beginners" Ebook
If you’ve been looking for an easy and fun way to start sewing, the Sewing for Beginners: Step-by-Step Guide is the resource you need. With simple instructions, exciting projects like the summer skirt, bucket hat, and scrunchie, and valuable sewing techniques, this ebook will help you build confidence and skills in no time. So why not dive in and start your sewing journey today? I can’t wait to see what you sew !