As a child I was raised in a family of men. With 4 older brothers I was well on my way to become a tomboy.  One summer while my brothers were away at camp; out of boredom I ransacked the attic for lack of better things to do. Behind a bunch of stuff I found a box which said ‘Singer’ in bold black letters. Excited by the name, I proceeded to open the box. Inside was a vintage sewing machine. On further investigation it turned out that the sewing machine belonged to my grandmother. Thus, began my romance with sewing.

I have been sewing for more than 15 years now and I have loved every bit of it. My grandmother was gone and my mother had never used a sewing machine in her life so most of my early sewing skills were self developed. I had to learn everything on my own, from magazines and books I found in the library. Many a times I had bloody fingers and wasted fabric, but ultimately I got the hang of the machine. Today, I will tell you 8 basic things I wish I had known when I started sewing first. These are some rules assuming that you already know how to do your basic stitch and cut. Even if you don’t, practice makes perfect so don’t give up.

Here are my 8 handy guidelines for better sewing:

1.         Good Machine equals good Sewing: Ensure that your machine is in good shape. If in doubt have a good repairman take a look at it. No matter how wonderful your sewing skills are a messed up machine can make the whole experience tedious and annoying.

2.         Needle it up: Make sure to acquire a bunch of assorted sewing needles according to needle eye size and length. A needle which works for a certain fabric and stitch quality may not work with another. Try to start every project with a new needle.

3.         Threads: Make yourself a collection of colorful thread spools. Try to purchase good quality thread only. It may cost a tiny bit more but good thread will keep your machine and product in good shape.

4.         Invest in Scissors: Invest in a good quality pair of scissors. Do not use it for any other purpose.

5.         Whenever you are stitching cloth together make sure that one piece is longer than the other and that the longer piece is on the bottom.

6.         Buy good quality fabric. It is wrong to assume that good quality fabric must also be expensive. I have found some very good fabric for little money. It just needs a lot of patience and window shopping.

7.         When you sit down to sew make sure you have everything you need on the table. Never start cutting or sewing in a hurry.

8.         Plan your project: Make sure you do a rough sketch of what you are sewing. The drawing needn’t be artistic, but it helps you stay true to your idea. Buy the fabric, the thread and the needle, decide on your cut and only then begin.  I have wasted so much fabric mostly because I was impatient.