Welcome to a Beginner Sews!

Welcome to A Beginner Sews, a new series here on the blog! And Hi! I’m Belle, a new team member at Megan Nielsen Patterns – but probably a familiar face if you’ve checked out our Curve pattern range (or not, it’s okay, I promise I won’t get mad). I’m many things—a Masters student, a writer, a movie buff, a Capricorn—but one thing I’m not is a dressmaker. Don’t get me wrong, I know how to thread a machine and sew a straight line or two, but that’s where my knowledge ends. Starting work here was like getting thrown in the deep end: words like baste, bias, overlock (huh?). I was in way out of my depth.

Of course, I did the usual high school projects (still have that handmade pillowcase!), and I remember hand-sewing a few felt Christmas ornaments during the holidays growing up. But as I’ve gotten older, and much savvier with online shopping, I put my fancy fabric scissors down in favour of cheap, fast fashion pieces. But when I started at the Megan Nielsen Patterns studio, I was so envious of how beautiful my co-worker’s handmade clothes were: from the fit to the fabric, everything was gorgeous. And what made it even better was the fact that they were clothes like no one else had!

If 2020 has shown us anything, it’s that picking up a hobby can be a lifesaver. So, I’ve decided to set myself a challenge: sew myself a brand-new wardrobe using our patterns and (hopefully!) learn a new skill along the way.

I began my journey by putting together a kit of basics. There were of course the obvious pieces: a sewing machine and a decent pair of fabric scissors. Other things like proper sewing pins (complete with glass heads so they don’t melt while ironing!) and a seam ripper were also added to my kit. Top it all off with a tape measure, and there’s your basic sewing kit, baby! Just because I’m fancy, I also grabbed a rotary cutter (which is going to be a lifesaver when cutting stretchy fabrics!) and a laser cut ruler. If you have anyone in your family who sews (like I do!) then you might already be familiar with these items; if not, don’t hesitate to check out some of our previous blog posts (like this one where Holly shares all the things in her sewing kit) or drop a comment below with your tips!

So here we are lovely readers, diving headfirst into the wonderful world of dressmaking as a complete and total novice! Blog posts detailing the highs and lows of my adventures in sewing will be coming out regularly in 2021, so make sure you stay subscribed to the blog and tune in to our social media pages for updates!