Advice for new sew-ers

From contributing editor of one of my favourite sewing magazine, Threads magazine: (emphasis mine in bold)


Threads: Do you have any advice for people just starting to explore sewing and/or design?
Kenneth: With my teaching and writing, I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of nice people. I’m often asked for advice for people who are just embarking on the journey called exploring sewing and design. If I were to say one thing and only one thing, it’s this: perfectionism is a disease, and a form of fear!
When learning the craft of sewing (which I believe is absolutely necessary in order to know what’s possible when designing), you should expect to destroy several acres of fabric before you get good. This is an acquired skill which can only be perfected by means of repetition—practicing over and over, learning from mistakes, learning when you can save something, and when you need to cut your losses and start over.
If you are afraid to make a mistake, afraid to ruin some fabric, or afraid to waste some time, you won’t ever get really good at this craft. It’s the dues you pay for becoming proficient.
However, if you are willing to charge forward, cut into that fabric, try something different, and risk making a mistake, there will come one day when you realize that you’re sewing without that knot of worry in the pit of your stomach, and the process effortlessly glides along.

And that, in a nutshell, sums up my fears of "charging forward" to date. I am afraid; to ruin fabric, to waste fabric ( that I have already paid for, and so in reality, it is already "wasted" unless I DO SOMETHING WITH IT.

So there you go..."acres of fabric" here I come ...

In other news, Threads has also recently begun a video series, for new sew-ers, free, called Teach yourself to sew that is worth a look at for those who are really new, and not so new.

We have all been sick with the flu the last week and one half, and I am trying to organise my sewing room, so not much sewing as such. Soon, insha'Allah.