Can You Sew?

Knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, I can help you with. Sewing is a no no. I don't even sew buttons on, that's a mans job.

I wish I could just rustle up an outfit, maybe copy some of the more expensive ones on the high street! But my sewing skills are really quite basic. Like you I can sew on a button, and I can also manage to (very roughly) shorten trousers or skirts - but only if they're not pleated (skirts), asymmetric or any kind of complicated design. They have to be straight at the bottom! And they have to be every day kind of trousers or skirts, where nobody will really notice (or care much) if it doesn't look quite right, or if I've used the wrong colour cotton, or the stitching isn't as neat as it could be. I had a colleague once who had a sewing machine and she used to frequently whip up all of the costumes for her local guides troop's productions. That's a useful talent to have!

I have been a sewer for over 40 years. I learned when I was three and have taken the knowledge and ran with it. I have made wedding dresses, suits, coats and more in the clothing line. I also supported my daughter and myself with doing alterations and clothing repairs. I made enough over the basic needs to pay for my new sewing machine too. I currently design and make teddy bears and the outfits for them. (I'll post one so you can see what I am talking about) If you're going to go to the local girls sewing class to learn how to sew, make sure you wear a dress to blend in! I hate to burst your bubble, but as far as I know they don't offer too many sewing classes anymore. Hemming trousers or making bedspreads aren't too difficult. You can do what I did and go to the local sewing machine store and ask them to show you how to "blind hem" things. They'll be happy to show you, especially if you act kinda interested in one of their machines. It's called a free sewing lesson! Now, if it is the bedspread...is it a one piece of material kind of thing or a quilt? Quilts aren't that easy so I would pass on one. I am making one for my BF for Christmas just because it is miserable to buy gifts for him.

I got a sewing machine years ago and had a very hard time finding one that was simple and just went backwards and forwards! I don't sew well, mostly repairs--my newest repair is the coat I tore when I fell last week and it's the first time I'll be grateful for the zig-zag stitch! I'm a klutz. I can follow a pattern exactly and it will come out looking like a thrift store reject!

I'd love to be in the "I'll just whip up a ball gown for tonight" stage but alas I'm in the "I don't even know how to sew, but crochet I can sort of kind of do if you like things that fall apart" stage, lol!

Hi plkeflsh, I can do a button if tied down and forced to and generally let a pair of jeans sit for about a year before I get around to the necessary as they are invariably too long. I can actually hem but I find just threading a needle one of the most boring tasks ever invented. I've learnt to get by with a couple of tacks and a safety pin. I've noticed that fishermen have the sewing knack down fine, must be all that meticulous work with their lines and nets, I've been on the boat and seen them tackle sewing waterproof cushions back together where they've split.

Yes, I can sew. Maybe not a ball gown but I can whip up a frock...not that I would because I'm not a frock sort of girl. I whipped up a top in less than an hour a couple of weeks ago and I'm slowly putting a pair of pants at the moment...I'm not too highly motivated though. I've made all the curtains in my home as well. My Dad at one stage of his life imported top rate sewing machines into Australia to sell and we sold fabrics as well. We had a deal that if I made my own clothes, he'd supply the fabric. My Mum taught me how to sew. My first husband worked for Dad as a mechanic and also taught himself to sew. He made himself a tailored jacket out of a lovely suede fabric. You know Pikie, you can buy patterns for most things and they are fairly easy to follow, why not have a go and start with something simple, like cushion covers? The pattern even tells you what type of fabrics are suitable and how much you need. Do you have a sewing machine? I would gladly teach you a few things if we were closer. I do tapestries as well and also embroider, but I haven't done any of that for ages.

I won't be sewing any fancy ball gowns anytime soon, lol. I can sew a little. More than buttons though. I've done several pillows and some curtains. I stopped making pillows though. My husband was teasing me about having so many throw pillows. One day he was complaining about the seat on his riding tractor and how it would be nice to have a pillow. Too bad for him! I'll stick with crochet and painting, thanks.

I'm not so great at sewing clothing - i am learning. I can whip up a mean set of curtains or pillow cases. I make (if i do say so myself) beautiful quilts. I can mend rips and tears or broken seams. I can even hem myself. My friend on the other hand is a i can whip that costume or dress up for you in an evening kind of expert. She made me a gorgeous dress for halloween to wear to our boss' wedding. I couldnt have done it!

Hi p1key, I am not that good at sewing either, the most I can do is hemming as I have to, asw you know I am a short a$$ so everything I buy is too long for me and I had to learn to hem trousers, jeans and skirt up, also I can sew buttons so that is my limit, yet my brother can sew curtains and alteration, he used to use my mun's big industral sewing machine many years ago but we girls in the family is useless at sewing, lol. I can knit a bedspread, want to help me on that one? hugs. Tamara xxxx

I wouldn't want to attempt a ball gown, but I can sew just about anything. My achilles heel is buttons. I have no problem putting them on the first time, but I've been known to throw something away instead of putting one back on. There's certainly nothing wrong with a man sewing for a hobby. If a 6'5", 300 lb football player (Rosie Greer) can do needlepoint, you should certainly feel no qualms about sewing. There are a couple of options for starting. You could start with simple quilting patterns. They are usually pretty easy, and teach a lot about seams, patterns, etc. Quilts are usually a series of blocks made that you then sew together into a blanket (or bedspread). If there are any fabric or craft stores near you, clerks there may know of classes for beginners. To be taught some of the basics could take a lot of frustration out and reduce the risk of sewing your finger onto something. Hey, many of the worlds most successful designers are men. Maybe your onto something. If your plans include vinyl and leather...you might want to invest in a heavy duty machine.

Does your local adult education college have a course? If you can find one a course on Asian Dressmaking is often more practical than a standard one - which relies on patterns, etc. With cheap clothing on sale a lot of the time it might not be more economical to sew your own garments - or even repair them - but if we lose those basic sewing skills what happens if the cheap clothing isn't available or we want something a bit nicer than what is on offer at Primark? I can do basic sewing and am on a course at the moment.

Hi! Yes, I can. I have to sewed many clothes and other things when I was at the university, because there where no one to help me, but I didn't even need any help!

I'm somewhere in between the beginner and the advanced seamstress. I used to make clothes for my children and myself--not all our clothes, just additions to our wardrobes. I took sewing in junior high and got a D in class, the lowest grade I had received up to that point. So I sure didn't have any natural talent! I quit sewing when I made matching dress pants for my two sons. The first time they wore them they were running and rolling up and down a dirt pile and ripped out stitches. I had put too much work into those pants to have them rip immediately. I've done hand stitching since then and have recently bought a sewing machine and am slowly getting back into it. If you can't find a person to help you, you could get a basic sewing book at the library. Also check the library for videos on sewing. I'm learning to knit right now and find a library video so helpful. I kept it while I learned how to get started, returned it to the library and have checked it out again when I've wanted to know another technique. Hope this helps.

Hey there pike, I do sew. I have been sewing since I was in the 4th grade. I began sewing on my grandmother's antique singer and learned little things and then I joined a 4h and fine tuned my skills. I've made all sorts of things. I haven't done much sewing in the past few years but it is one of those things that is really handy to know. I do repair my own clothes and others in the family and that saves money. Do you have a sewing machine? If you know how to thread it then you are pretty much there. If you found someone that knows how to sew that can show you how to read a pattern then the rest is easy. I find that simplicity patterns are the easiest to follow. Starting simple...hems and things is good. PJ pants are really really easy to make too and cheaper than the ones you buy if you get your material at Walmart for 1.00 per yard. Good luck and don't give up. Life is too short to not learn all we can while we are here.

I'm 24, and have a very "crafty" mother. I learned to crochet by the time I was 8, and how to use a sewing machine by age 6. I made several baby-doll blankies as a child, and my first bed-sized quilt (piecing & quilting) 3 years ago. As a teenager, I'd "cut & paste" my jeans with other fabrics, which set a trend among my friends, who then paid me to do theirs as well (their parents were not so thrilled, but at least recognized that their kids were paying to have MORE body area covered, and my stitches held better than many manufacturers). I revamped an old coat a few weeks ago for my "new" winter garb. I made new window/shower/closet curtains for my mother-in-law's bathroom, my own living room curtains, a new cover for my not-so-new couch, various Halloween costumes, countless repairs & small projects. I dislike working from a preprinted pattern, but I will for projects that are bigger than my brain can reasonably keep track of; usually, I just create my own patterns. I made my best friend an evening dress of my own design in an afternoon (she paid me with brownies, and we ate the whole pan). I used to get so frustrated while sewing, and my mom would find me angry & crying in front of her machine, and she would say "Baby, sewing is a very valuable skill. It is something you will appreciate knowing how to do later. But sweetheart, if you don't enjoy it & it makes you this upset, then don't do it! Stop, take a break, and come back to it if you want. Don't stress so much over something that's supposed to be fun!" When I got married, she made all 5 of my bridesmaids' dresses, the flower-girl's dress, 11 matching neckties for my husband, the groomsmen & candle-boys, AND my wedding gown (including chemise). Yes, I can sew quite well, and I learned from a very loving, very patient, creative woman.

I'm 40 years old. One of the very few good memories of my mother that I have is she taught me how to sew when I was 7 years old. I was making clothing for myself by the time I was 10. And I don't know if she was being kind or cruel, but she let me wear anything I wanted that I'd made regardless of how bad an idea it was -- like the time she let me wear a summer dress complete with lace "vest" to my aunt's wedding that was in the middle of winter in Stockton, CA. Everyone else was in heavy woolen plaids. I didn't realize my fashion faux pas until someone complimented me on my dress and told me how brave I was wearing it, as it was so cold. Anyway, baggage aside, there isn't a lot I haven't come across in all my years of sewing. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to help out. I also knit, crochet, cross-stitch, silk-ribbon embroidery, I make handmade custom cosmetics: soap, facial scrubs, masks, hair oil treatments, lotions, creams, etc. Lots of stuff.

Well, I can`t say that I`m an expert, as I still consider my sewing skills very limited, but I can sew buttons, fix zippers, shorten trousers, make clothes to fit my body shape and I have made many clothes from 0. I say that my skills are very limited because I`m extremely slow at making clothes and I don`t use patterns, but I would like to improve my skills! Sewing is fun.

I have to admit I am no good at sewing. I end up pricking my finger before I accomplish sewing up a seam or on a zipper. This one time I had to sew my own costume, lets just say I ended up going as myself that year. Lucky for me sewing machines were invented, which I can use, thank god.

it's easy to sew. I mend my own clothes if it needs mending. I have done almost all the things a house wife can do, Even cross stitching. Making a bedsheet is just purchasing a fabric that can fit the bed then make a box out of it with an open bottom. then insert some garters at each corners then sew in place.