I asked my daughter if high school still taught kids how to sew. She said they did but the home economics classes like I took in high school were broken down into two different classes now rather than it all being in one class. She took one of the classes that taught how to take care of the family and budgeting. She didn’t take the other class the next semester because she wasn’t interested in the cooking, sewing and the other things that were offered.
She did, however, learn how to use a sewing machine and learn the basics of sewing in a costume class she took in college. She had to take the two classes she took for her degree. She said she liked the costume making classes. She said she didn’t realize how fun sewing could be.
I remember having to make one sewing project each semester in home economics class the years that I took it in high school. I remember making alphabet pillows, a skirt, a vest, a jacket and a pair of pants. The year that I made the vest for class, we had a modeling show of what projects we made that year.
I still sew from time to time these days. I don’t do it as often as I use to. The last big project I did was the year my daughter and her best friend were seniors. I made three skirts for the musical Oklahoma they did. I made a skirt for her friends sister, her friend and my daughter for their chorus part in the play.
Let the Sewing Begin
At the time of writing this there are twelve available sewing lessons on let the sewing begin. There is one that says coming soon that would make thirteen when it becomes available. There is a note above the lessons that says you can subscribe to a newsletter that will allow you to know when new lessons and updates are available.
You will need to click on the links to get to the lessons for sewing. Once you have clicked the link, you will be taken to the lesson you want to read. There is a note on the pages that says you should follow any additional links that provides more information about the topics in that lesson.
You can print each of the sewing lessons from the page you are viewing. If you are going to do this, I would suggest getting one of the cheap paper folders that have the hole tabs so you can put the lessons in there to have them handy.
Once you have read the article on how to sew, you can click the next lesson below the article. You will be able to read all the lessons without having to go back to the original list. If you want to go back to the original list, you can click on the sewing lesson index.
For further information about sewing on this site, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page. You will see more articles about different sewing topics.
If you are a fan of What Not to Wear, you have heard Stacy and Clinton often say make alterations to clothes where it is needed. This is due to the people they help with their new wardrobe. Like many of us, the people on these shows have areas where clothes don’t fit. They have to move up a size to get the piece of clothing to fit in the bust, shoulders, or over their butts. Then the rest of the piece of clothing doesn’t fit right in other areas of the body. This is when Stacy and Clinton tell them to take the clothes in for alterations.
By learning to sew, you can do your own alterations rather than paying someone else to do most of the alterations. For instance, you will be able to re-hem the pants to make them shorter if needed. You will be able to alter the side seams of a blouse that is to large when it fits in the other areas. If you don’t feel comfortable with altering a jacket or something similar, you could take that to an alteration shop and have them do it.
To do the alterations yourself, you will need to have a little help. You will need to have someone willing to help pin the areas that you need to take in. If you don’t feel comfortable calling someone up to come help you with this without offering something in return, have them bring a piece or two of clothing over that needs altering or mended. This way they will be more willing to help you for something in return.
