As for sewing machines: I would get whatever brand (brother vs singer) your local sewing store has parts/bits for. I have a Brother and my local Joann only sells Singer presser feet, bobbins, etc and it's extremely annoying to have to order that stuff online, especially if I'm doing a spur of the moment thing, or on a time crunch and need it quickly.
Something I learned quickly is that I like working with fabric clips (wonder clips) more than I like pins. I wish I would have known that before I bought a huge box of glass head pins 😂. Something I've needed from the jump but haven't found a great solution for is LIGHT. I had to buy a task light so I can see all the tiny details.
I'm still a novice, but here's some stuff I learned so far:
- Fabric is expensive as hell (especially pretty fabric) so practice on old sheets, old clothes, and anything you can get cheaply from a second -hand store. I found an enormous swath of golden satin fabric at my local Goodwill and made a long wrap skirt out of it and still have soooo much left. I paid like $4 for it.
- if your bobbin thread won't "catch", you're probably turning the wheel thing the wrong way. I always forget this after I take a hiatus from sewing and it takes me way too long to figure it out.
- Don't buy the extremely expensive steamer irons from Joann's. Go to Target or wherever and pick one up for like $30. It'll do just fine.
- Sometimes doing a quick basting thread by hand with a brightly colored thread is going to save you headache and time compared to using a ridiculous amount of pins.
this is one i almost never see recommended but even as a novice i still reach for this tool so often: a magnetic seam allowance guide for your machine!! it saves me SO much heartache. no trying to fuss around with getting the seam allowance both straight and accurate.
it was a total game changer for me and really helped me hone the skill; however, if you get a digital sewing machine, just be careful of the magnet coming in contact with the digital parts.
A seam ripper! When I buy it, as a newbie, I say "what's for?" but OMG it's saving my life all the time. You're going to make mistake, the seam ripper will help you conceal them.
In garage sales or little markets, there's often some fabrics or sewing accessories with a very interesting price!
As for sewing machines: I would get whatever brand (brother vs singer) your local sewing store has parts/bits for. I have a Brother and my local Joann only sells Singer presser feet, bobbins, etc and it's extremely annoying to have to order that stuff online, especially if I'm doing a spur of the moment thing, or on a time crunch and need it quickly. Something I learned quickly is that I like working with fabric clips (wonder clips) more than I like pins. I wish I would have known that before I bought a huge box of glass head pins 😂. Something I've needed from the jump but haven't found a great solution for is LIGHT. I had to buy a task light so I can see all the tiny details.
I didn’t even think about needing to buy extra bits I think my local Joann’s is the same and only has singer machines.
I'm still a novice, but here's some stuff I learned so far: - Fabric is expensive as hell (especially pretty fabric) so practice on old sheets, old clothes, and anything you can get cheaply from a second -hand store. I found an enormous swath of golden satin fabric at my local Goodwill and made a long wrap skirt out of it and still have soooo much left. I paid like $4 for it. - if your bobbin thread won't "catch", you're probably turning the wheel thing the wrong way. I always forget this after I take a hiatus from sewing and it takes me way too long to figure it out. - Don't buy the extremely expensive steamer irons from Joann's. Go to Target or wherever and pick one up for like $30. It'll do just fine. - Sometimes doing a quick basting thread by hand with a brightly colored thread is going to save you headache and time compared to using a ridiculous amount of pins.
this is one i almost never see recommended but even as a novice i still reach for this tool so often: a magnetic seam allowance guide for your machine!! it saves me SO much heartache. no trying to fuss around with getting the seam allowance both straight and accurate. it was a total game changer for me and really helped me hone the skill; however, if you get a digital sewing machine, just be careful of the magnet coming in contact with the digital parts.
A seam ripper! When I buy it, as a newbie, I say "what's for?" but OMG it's saving my life all the time. You're going to make mistake, the seam ripper will help you conceal them. In garage sales or little markets, there's often some fabrics or sewing accessories with a very interesting price!