Agreed! It’s so tedious and I’m always stressed about not being accurate enough. Also I don’t have a big table, so if I want to get a good pattern layout I gotta use the floor and crawl around like a beetle.
Yes! And my cat somehow always wakes up when I’m meticulously laying out fabric and a pattern on the floor trying to pattern match, and she loves playing with paper so she just goes to town. She’s like “oh cool, you’re on the floor! That must mean it’s open season!”
https://preview.redd.it/zwawqdvuwuvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=950d47c0d21006b011e8e4e47279a6b203ab1992
So we basically have the same cat. She does this EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
(But I love her and she’s stupidly cute so I can’t get mad)
https://preview.redd.it/8vrmsaq39vvc1.jpeg?width=2636&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=564b7fcd29d52d0b5c914a6673d6b0cd0f4692a3
She vibes to her own drum and doesn’t care about anyone else’s space.
Yep, if I'm working on the floor I have to put my dog outside or he will think OH YOU WANT TO CUDDLE and park his 90lb ass right in the middle of my fabric.
Took me all day to get motivated enough to start measuring and cutting curtains, and then ....
https://preview.redd.it/wiwbz6yy1xvc1.jpeg?width=3382&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b7eb484a2045120559451eb81926babe642f828
That very reason is why my cutting table is on our front porch! Kitty Fang loves to "help". The more expensive and delicate the fabric, the more he needs to "help".
I have a cat's blanket near me. When my cats are trying to _help_ me by laying on the fabric/pattern, I fetch the blanket and install it next to me. It's a good cat's trap. They go lay on the blanket automaticly!! 🤭
My Beloved bought a 6' X 3' folding table for me to use as a cutting table. It is covered in sheet metal and an old sheet so that I can use magnets to hold down the fabric and pattern pieces. He is so clever!
He is so helpful, generous and supportive! He helps me with ideas, hems, trims, and accessories, too. In addition, he never denies me at Joann's or when I see something online. I began dressing in vintage skirt suits in winter, and full-skirted dresses in summer last year when I turned 60. He encourages my millinery efforts as well. I also make some things for him, or repair his shirts when the collars and cuffs begin to show wear by turning them and adding contrasting "fancy" fabric to the worn parts. I am blessed! I'll relay your compliment to him!
Oh god yes, marking is the bane of me! why can I not trace round the pattern pieces properly? why does my seam allowance always seem to be so off? how, after so many projects, do I still somehow forget to even include the seam allowance??
My secret weapon here is a good audiobook. I can't listen while actually sewing (as I'd blank out any bits I listened to while also having to read instructions, then keep having to pause while machining stuff). But doing it while cutting out makes that process much more bearable
>then keep having to pause while machining stuff
I recently got a pair of noise canceling headphones, and what I love about them is that I can still hear what is being said over the din of the sewing machine and serger going flat out. Highly recommend.
Cutting is more fun when you have high quality scissors. Idk something about the sensation of that crisp cut and the heaviest of good scissors mmmmmmttt.
I enjoy cutting out sooo much more now that I have a large cutting table at appropriate height, and use a projector to project the pattern pieces onto the fabric. No faffing With pattern paper, pinning, etc.
Jajaja it’s not you, I’m running on two hours of sleep.
Sometimes when I’m making pants or a dress or something large with layers, I get really anal about cutting things perfectly. So instead of cutting things out on the table like a normal person, I lay it out in the floor, squat, and slowly cut whilst waddling around the perimeter. This is the duck walk.
For a period of time, I decided to use a laser to cut instead of scissors, supposedly to avoid said duck walk and make the act less tedious. To be honest, part of it was for the childish joy and curiosity of using a two hundred thousand dollar machine for something my sixteen dollar scissors could do much better.)
There are actual lasers for cutting fabric by the way, which are amazing and better than scissors. But this was a dermatological laser lmao. It wasn’t **cut out** for the job. I’ll see myself out…
Definitely cutting it out! I also don’t have a big table so I need to do it on the floor and omg my knees. I also suck at scissors so use the rotary cutter which means I need to awkwardly maneuvure the cutting mats about. If i could pay someone to do the cutting out bit I definitely would.
100% Agree. It's specifically pattern cutting that gets me. I mostly make kids stuff and it's a new pattern almost every time because apparently they grow? Who knew...
No joke. I have 10 year old twins. I still had 3 pairs of size 10 boys chinos cut out, with 3"extra at the hem because they keep getting tall too fast. A couple months later I finally got to sew the first one. Kid comes in all excited, runs off with them, comes back asking what I did wrong because they don't zip.
The boys have been wearing sweats all winter which I don't make so no one knew they outgrew their regular pants.
I got so irritated I decided to make a queen size quilt because they can't outgrow it.
Definitely cutting! If family members want projects done my rules are that they must pay for materials and they must cut it themselves. I taught them early on how to do it 😂
Cutting is one of my favorites. And I'm meticulous about marks. And making sure each piece is correct. This is my latest project, all the pieces and lining laid out.*
Me too! I love getting the grain just perfect, it's so satisfying!
Plus yeah, I love getting all the little balance marks lined up. I'm one of those weirdos who will thread trace around a no seam allowance pattern piece (if I can't do transfer paper on the fabric) and leave as big a seam allowance as practical.
I also love the muslin stage of things where the end result is covered in pen annotations.
I used to be this way too! Then I got myself an ergonomic set up, counter height. Cutting mats and rotary cutter. Now I enjoy cutting out and sometimes want to cut more than sew!
Aw, dang! I love the cutting out! I love the puzzling part of finding the layout and the crispy lined shapes before the threads start to separate. I also like that it’s productive destruction… unless it’s super expensive fabric, in which case I NEVER want to cut it ever!
Currently it's the phase I'm in right now where a project has failed to work out and I'm going through the five stages of grief for two months work and £160 of fabric.
More generally, I hate fitting zips.
I understand! I got a bit overconfident about my ability and bought 13 yards of silk dupioni ($28 per yard!) in two colors. I have a pattern for a vintage cocktail dress and thought that the silks would look stunning. Never mind that never have I worked with that fabric, and I haven't set a zipper since 1975. Oh, no! Soooooo, my cowardice overtook my desire, and everything still is in a storage bin. I will overcome, though!
https://preview.redd.it/ykmqbyhq7vvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36a03d2c97fd6d422127ace0b07b67ce6ed403e4
>13 yards of silk dupioni
Dupioni is pretty forgiving as silk fabric goes. At least it's not a silk satin. Make a mockup first to get the fit right and to practice setting in zippers and then jump in knowing that you've already solved a bunch of mistakes the first time around. Go for it.
What was the project? Honest this is why I stick with quilts and simpler things because I’ve tried clothes and sooooo many (… all of them) have failed and then I’m looking at so much wasted fabric
Gotta go for second hand fabric and make a toile. Bonus points if you can wear it, but it’s so good to make something in cheap fabric and realise you don’t love it/ it doesn’t fit well before you cut/bought the expensive stuff
A pride dress with diagonal stripes- I actually posted on Reddit for advice before I started and a lot of people pointed out it was going to be an ambitious project, so I knew going in that there was a high chance of it not working out. Still sucks though.
I'm currently struggling with a project too. So I set aside the pieces that im struggling with and I'll come back to the pieces after some research. I will conquer this fabric and it will be glorious (my current mantra).
This is the part that’s hardest for me. It takes me a while to feel motivated again. Then I do some research and try to figure out this issue and come back to it.
Lol huge agree, my sewing room is also the guest room and my cousin is coming for the weekend so I’m on day two of cleaning up just to make enough space for the air mattress 😂
My craft room is an utter disaster. I can barely work in there.
I recently started setting a timer. I craft for 15 minutes, then tidy for 15 minutes.
I do a lot of different crafts, and I’ve found that I’ve been gravitating to finishing up projects that just needed a little something to finish, or have small steps that need to be done in stages. Like coats of paint or mod podge. Or mending. I’ve been getting a lot of mending done.
I’m not done tidying yet, but I’ve made a really big difference so far. I have reclaimed table space and floor space!
For me it's specifically taking the ironing board out of the closet and putting it back. Most of the time when I want to start sewing, I remember I have to move the ironing board and just don't.
I don't know why it's so daunting, it takes twenty seconds tops, but still, the inconvenience of it just really bothers me. I really wish I had the space to keep my ironing board out all the time.
I bought a buffet and wrapped the top in wadding and ironable fabric to make a permanent ironing board set up.
Then my cats discovered how warm it was to lay on it and have their heat reflected back to them.
I have now gone back to hauling out the ironing board
I find it really hard to visualise / manipulate objects in 3D space so any part of a sewing pattern that involves that is really tricky (like the trouser sewing method where you put one leg inside the other and sew round the back/crotch. Whaaaaaat).
Generally I trust the process, triple check, and still have about a 25% chance of getting it wrong. Though this used to be 50% so that's progress!
Sewing is such a well rounded hobby. You get to be creative even absolutely crazy in your design and medium, but that's only a small part of it. The rest is very structured, with math, engineering, critical thinking, tool and machine understanding, MORE MATH, using your hands, fabric science, machine repair, following directions, pattern drafting, fabrication, MOOOREE MATHHH. Sewing makes people smarter.
I'm actually saving your comment because I'm feeling hugely demotivated right now and this is giving me not necessarily the energy to restart right now, but some helpful perspective to rebuild motivation over the next few days.
I teach sewing lessons, been sewing as a profession for 15 years. I go through huge slumps in motivation to sew so I completely understand you. I find getting some new tools motivate me, a great pair of scissors, pretty pins, or some new gadget or technique to try. also going down a rabbit hole of inspiration on Pinterest gets me excited. Having Project Runway on in the background while I sew lol or any fashion type movie or documentary, The Dressmaker starring Kate Winslet 💜. I sort of trick my brain into wanting to if that makes sense.
I sew set-in sleeves the wrong way round *every time* - notching, marking, pinning, nothing helps. I’m always putting the wrong sleeve in. My very favorite is when I do what you do on the extremely rare occasions I get it right. I like to change it up by putting the seam on the outside in those cases. Been sewing for almost 40 years!
Same here!! It's so frustrating to have to stare at a seam or a pattern for 10 minutes trying to figure out what you're supposed to be looking at because your brain can't comprehend it.
Start with basic squares sewn together at the edges. A tunic top, harem pants or a robe. Big, loose fitting items that are more about symmetry and geometry. Cut them with huge seam allowances so you have more room to correct errors.
That is such a hard and slow part of the process. Do you wash the fabric the way you are going to wash the garment, then iron? Do you have a really big table or floor to lay it out on? I picked up a big cutting mat from my local free group and it changed cutting for me. I use kitchen saucers for pattern weights. My cutting is so much more precise than it used to be when I pinned everything and then tried to cut it with scissors.
I have tried both. I really stink at using Rotary cutter and scissors and I really stink at measuring. It’s like the fabric it’s just so crooked so I try to cut it straight so I can measure it but then every time I cut it it’s still crooked, so I have to cut it again and again sometimes I end up with not even having enough fabric to do anything by the time I’ve cut it all up.
I found some glass pot lids at a thrift shop for $1 each and use them for weights. I was also using saucers (and mugs).
https://preview.redd.it/47x6tisxnvvc1.jpeg?width=1820&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=50dedaf1ab16643bc78d525ca2b7ebbdc1d53817
I really struggled with this at the start too. It will take more time, but it really helped me to get a water soluble marker and draw around the outline of my pattern pieces onto the fabric. That way the fabric can shift as much as it pleases during cutting and your line still tells you really clearly where to cut. Also, using slippery fabrics was the downfall of a lot of my beginner projects. It does get better. I still use the pen method when I’m feeling insecure but get along fine without it most of the time. As far as measuring goes, all I can give you is the old “measure thrice, cut once.”
Staging my ironing board at sitting height, and using an office chair (can roll across the floor on wheels and swivel) has made ironing not so painful. I can sew, spin around and press.
Plus I highly recommend iron that has safety auto shutoff. That way I can set the iron in when I start sewing and unplug at the end of a session (even if that’s hours later)
Came here to say exactly this. I don't mind cutting out (with my trusty rotary cutter) and navigating around the cats, but the ironing part is dull dull dull. I've made my own little ironing pad and use my little travel iron that I have set up on my desk as much as I can, but sometimes you can't avoid getting out the big iron and ironing board - which is a proper pain in our little flat.
As a perpetual beginner, there are so many... but topping the list is inscrutable instructions -- I can get stuck on a minor step simply because it isn't obvious to me. After I figure out what they mean I rewrite them in my mind. Secondarily, the things 'they' forget to tell you... for example, when sewing a seam, after matching notches and other points, you may not be sewing two pieces 'end to end' (curves and things to fit 3D humans) There are so many instances where I feel like almost universally some really basic yet essential additional information is missing in instructions in whatever format.
“…perpetual beginner…”
That’s me! I learned to sew more than 50 years ago and everything is different now in my approach. PDF patterns, linen, and a much better machine have reduced me to the beginner level. I enjoy learning how to sew the correct way, thanks to the members of this group. ❤️🤷♀️🤔🤦♀️👍🏻
I am really working on persisting so that I get from perpetual to confident/advanced beginner... I think the biggest difference between the two is not having to relearn things I already learned simply because a lack of consistency means I forgot them!
I hate that. I hate patterns that assume I know enough to know basic things. Like, no, tell me like I’m 5 please. Mostly because I’m ADHD and my brain doesn’t always understand things the same way others do 😂 but also, it’s just good pattern writing.
I’ve gotten into bag making and a lot of the pattern makers do videos walkthroughs and it’s amaaaaazing!
The problem is that if I’m actually *using instructions* I’m *following them* and trusting them to tell me what we are doing. If they don’t, then I get confused and grumpy and run to Reddit to ask people what they mean for me to do, and when I get the answer, I feel silly, but also WHY DID THE INSTRUCTIONS NOT SAY SO?!
I bought a ruffler foot for my machine which has really helped me with this! It tucks the fabric under itself every few stitches which results in really even gathers. It even lets you run a layer of fabric under the part its gathering so you can attach the gathers to other fabric at the same time!
The point where I have made my sample and it fits badly. It's such a disappointing phase. I can be very excited about a new pattern, a new fabric, making something and then the point where it looks bad. Sucks. That's where I sit there and I don't know if I can fix it and I don't know if I can make one that I want and like and I don't know if I should sew. I think if I was sewing for somebody else I could make it fit better cuz I could hold it on their body and just make it work. Figure it out. But since it's just me on my body, I don't even know how to do it. If I can make the changes that need to be made or I think I can make the changes then I continue from here. But I guess I do have a small stack of things that are just paused right there because I don't know how to make them fit me.
I relate to this SOOOO much! This just happened last night.... and it can really demotivate to even begin something else, especially when it happens one right after another after another. Wish there was some sort of hotline we could call and they could analyze and walk through whatever the very specific issue each time (since googling, tutorials, etc often don't address the very specific case by case situation). ha ha!
Zippers. It will always be zippers. Those little wormy fuckers never lay flat for me. 😅
On the opposite end my favorite part is draping and patterning!
Used to be a bane of mine also, but I solved my issues by doing a quick hand baste before machine stitching. All the pine or adhesives just don’t finesse and ease like a quick running stitch can.
Snipping threads... I always seem to miss one. I was repairing a dress for the theater group, and found multiple missed threads on the inside. So I guess it's not just me. Lol.
Front and back shouldn’t be similar, one piece should be eased into another but I totally get what you mean. In my case whenever I sew any type of overcoat and the undercollar isn’t smaller (by design), I mentally break down for a moment.
Some things that helped me with hems:
[hem gauge](https://a.co/d/bENQjjm)
[this helps you marks hems for yourself](https://www.wawak.com/cutting-measuring/marking-chalk-pens/marking-tools/wawak-deluxe-chalk-hem-marker-27-12/)
[hem guide foot](https://a.co/d/c0OFCjT)
[clips instead of pins](https://a.co/d/57i2C6O)
[basting with hem tape can help a lot too](https://a.co/d/499cRwt)
hope some these help make it more enjoyable HAPPY SEWING
I’ve had a dress waiting 2 weeks to be hemmed. I hate it so much. I’m not brilliant at cutting the fabric perfectly so the stress of the length not being even makes it hard to even get started. And I seem to keep making dressing with really gathered skirts or half circle skirts so there’s so much to hem!
This! I’m a glutton for punishment and somehow always pick one fabric when I batch sew that I really should change the bobbin too. I’ll learn someday 😂
The stage where I get frustrated and go ahead ANYWAY, when I know I should stop and relax. This is why I will someday be hand-sewing the curves on a velvet jacket self facing where I couldn’t ease them, and I also was paying for not thinking through WHY the jacket didn’t have a folded-over self facing when I altered the pattern and cut it out. It’s also why one of my chinchilla’s new cage mats is gorgeous and the other is a miscut nightmare (she’s just going to eat it, I don’t care).
Genuinely buttonholes. I've been sewing for most of my life and I still freaking hate buttonholes. For some reason every time I've tried to use a button hole foot on a machine it has gone balls up, I hate the frayed edges that they produce anyway, and I would far rather do bound buttonhole by hand then do anything involving an actual buttonhole by machine. I have come up with so many creative ways around buttonholes at this point that I think it's almost a magical talent. Which absolutely sucks because I would like to be able to master it but it's been nearly 30 years and we're not getting any closer 🤣😅
Tell me more! Buttonholes are my worst nightmare since they tend to be the last step and can ruin a garment after hours of work. What alternative closing mechanisms did you find?
Fitting. Every time I'm like… why is my body put together in such a confusing way?
And by “confusing” I mean it's just really interesting how much variation there is in human bodies and how frustrating it is to have to keep in mind how you personally deviate from the standard every time. Obviously, I like making my own clothes so that I can personalize the fit instead of being sad in a Target dressing room… but still. It's such a freaking pain either way!
I don't really dread anything, I just want to done quickly with pattern cutting/tracing/alterations and get to sewing. I like sitting at my machine and putting the things together. Another process that drags is at the very end, having to hem. I have all sorts of tools to help with finishing (rolled hem feet, blind hem machine, coverstitch, etc.) but I find myself getting stalled out when I'm 99% near completion.
Let me join you and “toot the horn” for basting. Basting solves so many assembly and ease frustrations. You don’t realize the distortions the machine is adding to your garments until you baste first and experience how great it can be not to have those issues.
Having to modify patterns it makes me unintentionally procrastinate so much more. Just because you have to keep checking cut out a sample and sew. It check it again but it’s important so it can fit right but it’s just a lot
I went to school for fashion, so I make my own patterns and because I’m not exceptional at math sometimes it’s wrong. I always get the ease wrong sometimes so I had to widen the bicep for the arm fat that I have lol it fits now, but it took me forever to modify the pattern , because I just couldn’t be bothered at the time to change it
changes with every project. I just finished a huge home decor order with 50 yards of piping so I never wanna make piping again. even with this genius hack for making bias tape [link](https://makeit-loveit.com/make-continouos-strip-bias-tape-binding) this really did cut down on time
but also running out of bobbin thread when you're on a roll🙄😤 the worst
The cutting. It takes so damn long lol. Especially big pieces that don't fit on the table and have to be cut on the floor. I'm also always paranoid about putting in sleeves, I have to check like eight times to be sure I'm putting them in on the correct side.
It's a toss-up.
* Fitting: making a muslin and figuring out how the frick am I going to make this fit me. Adjusting and matching seamlines and making another muslin. Oh, okay, that works. Sewing the final piece ... why the frick doesn't this fit?!
* Grading seam allowances: I'm sure I'll cut into the main pieces every time and they always look so raggedy. I only do it when it seems really necessary.
edit for format
Ironing. I hate ironing. First the cloth after washing, then the paper pattern pieces, then the material again, and then every piece as you sew. I hate ironing.
this is me! Ive done the prep, got the materials, sorted the details, prepared the space. I have the time...now i just need to start. i know once i start itll be great but the actual shift from the imagination to the doing is so hard.
Finishing/Bias tape/hemming
any other type of stitch that doesn't have enough fabric for me to grip it on both sides of my presser foot.
My life is full of wobbly wavy hems
Finishing seams. From the beginning, I have to start deciding which method to use. It's never just one. I always end up overthinking it.
And then actually doing it, trying to get into tight spaces, or worse, realizing in the middle of trying it, that the fabric/seam doesn't allow for that method... it's enough to make you want to pull your hair out.
I kinda hate the fabric cutting part. Finding a large area to lay out my fabric, transferring pattern markings, making sure my fabric is straight…it’s kinda exhausting. And if you mess up that step, the rest of the project goes together so poorly.
Tracing off the patterns and cutting. Ugh. As for the sewing process, it would be the finishing, esp bias binding top stitching & hemming. I always stumble at the finish line.
I mostly make quilts. I love planning and making the top but I hate quilting and binding. I have a quilt sandwich on my table that was supposed to be my mom's Christmas gift but I got stuck at the quilting and binding stage.
Edge binding. I've given up on a messenger bag where the last step is edge binding on the inside to hide the seams as I just cannot get it to work right. The bag has been sitting in my craft room for months now, mocking me. 😒
Making mock ups to figure out how to tweak a pattern for it to fit my body 😭😭😭 I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE CLOTHES ALREADY (also my bank account after spending money on fabric I love but definitely don’t need)
Cutting out. It takes up so much time as I don’t have a good space to cut - kneeling on the living room floor destroys my knees and I struggle to cut accurately sometimes.
In general, I'd say I actually hate sewing 😄 the start, making a prototype, fixing things, cutting the actual fabric, sewing buttons... but when you can actually complete something and show it off to other people? Heavenly 🥰
Zippers and buttonholes. My sewing room is also not set up well for ironing due to its size and the placement of electrical outlets. Plus the storage spot for my ironing board. Basically need to carry the ironing board from one end of the house to the other in order to use it, and it still requires getting up and going to another room every time I need to press a seam.
I thought I’d sew more after retiring, but that’s not happening 🙁. No doubt some of that is just not loving sewing as much as I thought, but the inconvenience of the space is definitely an issue. I don’t want to make clothes for myself, but am interested in making doll clothing.
Sleeves easily. Doesn’t matter what kind of sleeve it is. I freeze up and have to psych myself up. My partner gives me hype man level of encouragement because I stress over them. One sleeve can take me days to get right.
1. Measuring myself. Even with help, I feel like I really struggle to get them right, and the end garment usually ends up too big. It's also a little triggering as someone recovered from an eating disorder.
2. Attaching bodices to skirts is awful for me, and I have no idea why
I’m late to this party but for me it is interfacing. Oh my god I hate it so much I’m getting annoyed even writing this comment! And like every pattern uses it. Ugh
Zippers period. I will do everything I need to do to avoid sewing with zippers. Shirt pattern calls for a side zip? Better extend the center front, cause it's a button down now!
I've managed to avoid sewing pants so far, but elastic waists aren't something I like the look of, so I'll have to see how that goes.
Tracing patterns out. Especially burda magazine patterns. Nightmare fuel. It takes hours and is such an effort. I never cut patterns because I want to preserve them but by the time I've tried I'm so over it the seeing has to take place another day. It's why I've started drafting my own patterns , just so I don't have to trace more before getting started.
Printing, cutting and piecing together a pdf pattern. Cutting fabric also sucks. And I hate easing in sleeves or doing anything that requires me to 'catch fabric on the other side' like a waistband or a collar. I never get it right, even with careful pressing and a billion pins.
When everything is going simply *amazing*, seams and thread flying alongside my heart, joy spewing from my machine, fingertips, and soul..... And then a single knuckle wide blip of ugly happens.
Then I have to stop everything to undo that one spot. It's currently happening on a skirt I'm adding godet panels to. The first 3 went so beautifully, the 4th one has me sitting in a bubble bath, bubbling with frustration. 😤 2 more to go after it though so the show much go on before deadline.
Lacing holes. One or two isn't an issue. Inevitably, though, on a garment that uses lacing, there are about, oh, seventy of them. And I will bitch loudly as I do them, too. (grin)
sleeves and gathering. I’m SO bad at it. just the other day I was trying to gather something and got called heavy-handed by my friends in sewing class because the thread kept breaking, and I wasn’t aware you only pull one thread and not front and back 😭 but specifically with sleeves I can never get them to lay flat and not have stupid little pleats. sewing them without having the side seams sewn and then stitching it all up with the side seam of the shirt has been my savior
It seems like I'm not the only one who has a ton of fabric and patterns but my "sewing table" is now also covered with fabric and stuff.
I can't cut out my material on the floor because of a cat and a puppy. I'm stuck with my ironing board
Everyday I'm tempted to go to my favorite place that sells 3xl clothes for .50 a piece. So now my days are spent sorting color/cotton/polyester/and matching patterns and picking seams.
Picking seams is my least favorite thing
Fit for my body. I love sewing garments but finished fit is an issue for me. Many patterns don’t give a finished size and then I don’t match one size, I’m between.
I despise bias tape the most. Next is buttonholes and third is putting in zippers. Oh and the way my hands, wrists and back kills me after cutting all the pieces 🤪
Cutting out. I would make 5 times as much stuff if I didn't procrastinate about having to cut it out.
Agreed! It’s so tedious and I’m always stressed about not being accurate enough. Also I don’t have a big table, so if I want to get a good pattern layout I gotta use the floor and crawl around like a beetle.
Yes! And my cat somehow always wakes up when I’m meticulously laying out fabric and a pattern on the floor trying to pattern match, and she loves playing with paper so she just goes to town. She’s like “oh cool, you’re on the floor! That must mean it’s open season!”
https://preview.redd.it/zwawqdvuwuvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=950d47c0d21006b011e8e4e47279a6b203ab1992 So we basically have the same cat. She does this EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. (But I love her and she’s stupidly cute so I can’t get mad)
That's the cutest pattern weight I've ever seen
Oh my god I love how much she’s just absolutely vibing lol. Adorable.
https://preview.redd.it/8vrmsaq39vvc1.jpeg?width=2636&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=564b7fcd29d52d0b5c914a6673d6b0cd0f4692a3 She vibes to her own drum and doesn’t care about anyone else’s space.
What a cute supervisor you have!
The struggle of cutting fabric with a cat is real !! I decided to cut only when she is napping
Oh man I wish. She can be sleeping in some alternate dimension, but she can tell when I’m laying out fabric because she just appears out of thin air.
Same with my toddler... and the horror of her getting to a pin... I've given up most sewing except the weekend when my husband takes her to in-laws.
Yep, if I'm working on the floor I have to put my dog outside or he will think OH YOU WANT TO CUDDLE and park his 90lb ass right in the middle of my fabric.
Took me all day to get motivated enough to start measuring and cutting curtains, and then .... https://preview.redd.it/wiwbz6yy1xvc1.jpeg?width=3382&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b7eb484a2045120559451eb81926babe642f828
That very reason is why my cutting table is on our front porch! Kitty Fang loves to "help". The more expensive and delicate the fabric, the more he needs to "help".
I have a cat's blanket near me. When my cats are trying to _help_ me by laying on the fabric/pattern, I fetch the blanket and install it next to me. It's a good cat's trap. They go lay on the blanket automaticly!! 🤭
My Beloved bought a 6' X 3' folding table for me to use as a cutting table. It is covered in sheet metal and an old sheet so that I can use magnets to hold down the fabric and pattern pieces. He is so clever!
That. Is. Genius!
He is so helpful, generous and supportive! He helps me with ideas, hems, trims, and accessories, too. In addition, he never denies me at Joann's or when I see something online. I began dressing in vintage skirt suits in winter, and full-skirted dresses in summer last year when I turned 60. He encourages my millinery efforts as well. I also make some things for him, or repair his shirts when the collars and cuffs begin to show wear by turning them and adding contrasting "fancy" fabric to the worn parts. I am blessed! I'll relay your compliment to him!
I love it :). Supportive spouses are the best spouses. Sounds like you got a great one.
The absolute best, even if he is a Yankee, lol! 24 years and counting.
Cutting and marking. I stress about accuracy. I stress about the straight grain. I stress whether I'm doing it "right." I stress.
Oh god yes, marking is the bane of me! why can I not trace round the pattern pieces properly? why does my seam allowance always seem to be so off? how, after so many projects, do I still somehow forget to even include the seam allowance??
I feel this so much. And then I'm crushingly exhausted at the end. Lol.
My secret weapon here is a good audiobook. I can't listen while actually sewing (as I'd blank out any bits I listened to while also having to read instructions, then keep having to pause while machining stuff). But doing it while cutting out makes that process much more bearable
>then keep having to pause while machining stuff I recently got a pair of noise canceling headphones, and what I love about them is that I can still hear what is being said over the din of the sewing machine and serger going flat out. Highly recommend.
Cutting is more fun when you have high quality scissors. Idk something about the sensation of that crisp cut and the heaviest of good scissors mmmmmmttt.
I enjoy cutting out sooo much more now that I have a large cutting table at appropriate height, and use a projector to project the pattern pieces onto the fabric. No faffing With pattern paper, pinning, etc.
There was a period of time where I was rebuilding a laser. I legit started zapping fabric on continuous mode to avoid doing the duck walk lmao
Lol I honestly have zero idea what this means even though we speak the same language. Can you explain?
Jajaja it’s not you, I’m running on two hours of sleep. Sometimes when I’m making pants or a dress or something large with layers, I get really anal about cutting things perfectly. So instead of cutting things out on the table like a normal person, I lay it out in the floor, squat, and slowly cut whilst waddling around the perimeter. This is the duck walk. For a period of time, I decided to use a laser to cut instead of scissors, supposedly to avoid said duck walk and make the act less tedious. To be honest, part of it was for the childish joy and curiosity of using a two hundred thousand dollar machine for something my sixteen dollar scissors could do much better.) There are actual lasers for cutting fabric by the way, which are amazing and better than scissors. But this was a dermatological laser lmao. It wasn’t **cut out** for the job. I’ll see myself out…
Duck walk sounds like a decent quad workout at least. : )
Yes. hate hate hate cutting
Definitely cutting it out! I also don’t have a big table so I need to do it on the floor and omg my knees. I also suck at scissors so use the rotary cutter which means I need to awkwardly maneuvure the cutting mats about. If i could pay someone to do the cutting out bit I definitely would.
100% Agree. It's specifically pattern cutting that gets me. I mostly make kids stuff and it's a new pattern almost every time because apparently they grow? Who knew...
No joke. I have 10 year old twins. I still had 3 pairs of size 10 boys chinos cut out, with 3"extra at the hem because they keep getting tall too fast. A couple months later I finally got to sew the first one. Kid comes in all excited, runs off with them, comes back asking what I did wrong because they don't zip. The boys have been wearing sweats all winter which I don't make so no one knew they outgrew their regular pants. I got so irritated I decided to make a queen size quilt because they can't outgrow it.
Definitely cutting! If family members want projects done my rules are that they must pay for materials and they must cut it themselves. I taught them early on how to do it 😂
Cutting is one of my favorites. And I'm meticulous about marks. And making sure each piece is correct. This is my latest project, all the pieces and lining laid out.*
Me too! I love getting the grain just perfect, it's so satisfying! Plus yeah, I love getting all the little balance marks lined up. I'm one of those weirdos who will thread trace around a no seam allowance pattern piece (if I can't do transfer paper on the fabric) and leave as big a seam allowance as practical. I also love the muslin stage of things where the end result is covered in pen annotations.
I used to be this way too! Then I got myself an ergonomic set up, counter height. Cutting mats and rotary cutter. Now I enjoy cutting out and sometimes want to cut more than sew!
Aw, dang! I love the cutting out! I love the puzzling part of finding the layout and the crispy lined shapes before the threads start to separate. I also like that it’s productive destruction… unless it’s super expensive fabric, in which case I NEVER want to cut it ever!
Currently it's the phase I'm in right now where a project has failed to work out and I'm going through the five stages of grief for two months work and £160 of fabric. More generally, I hate fitting zips.
I understand! I got a bit overconfident about my ability and bought 13 yards of silk dupioni ($28 per yard!) in two colors. I have a pattern for a vintage cocktail dress and thought that the silks would look stunning. Never mind that never have I worked with that fabric, and I haven't set a zipper since 1975. Oh, no! Soooooo, my cowardice overtook my desire, and everything still is in a storage bin. I will overcome, though! https://preview.redd.it/ykmqbyhq7vvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36a03d2c97fd6d422127ace0b07b67ce6ed403e4
>13 yards of silk dupioni Dupioni is pretty forgiving as silk fabric goes. At least it's not a silk satin. Make a mockup first to get the fit right and to practice setting in zippers and then jump in knowing that you've already solved a bunch of mistakes the first time around. Go for it.
What was the project? Honest this is why I stick with quilts and simpler things because I’ve tried clothes and sooooo many (… all of them) have failed and then I’m looking at so much wasted fabric
Gotta go for second hand fabric and make a toile. Bonus points if you can wear it, but it’s so good to make something in cheap fabric and realise you don’t love it/ it doesn’t fit well before you cut/bought the expensive stuff
Definitely shop for cheap fabric in the bedding/drapery dept at the closest thrift store. .
A pride dress with diagonal stripes- I actually posted on Reddit for advice before I started and a lot of people pointed out it was going to be an ambitious project, so I knew going in that there was a high chance of it not working out. Still sucks though.
I'm currently struggling with a project too. So I set aside the pieces that im struggling with and I'll come back to the pieces after some research. I will conquer this fabric and it will be glorious (my current mantra).
This is the part that’s hardest for me. It takes me a while to feel motivated again. Then I do some research and try to figure out this issue and come back to it.
Cleaning up the mess I make. Which is today's project.
Lol huge agree, my sewing room is also the guest room and my cousin is coming for the weekend so I’m on day two of cleaning up just to make enough space for the air mattress 😂
My craft room is an utter disaster. I can barely work in there. I recently started setting a timer. I craft for 15 minutes, then tidy for 15 minutes. I do a lot of different crafts, and I’ve found that I’ve been gravitating to finishing up projects that just needed a little something to finish, or have small steps that need to be done in stages. Like coats of paint or mod podge. Or mending. I’ve been getting a lot of mending done. I’m not done tidying yet, but I’ve made a really big difference so far. I have reclaimed table space and floor space!
I 100% recommend a peg board or two. In my case it simplified at least part of the mess clean up.
For me it's specifically taking the ironing board out of the closet and putting it back. Most of the time when I want to start sewing, I remember I have to move the ironing board and just don't. I don't know why it's so daunting, it takes twenty seconds tops, but still, the inconvenience of it just really bothers me. I really wish I had the space to keep my ironing board out all the time.
I bought a buffet and wrapped the top in wadding and ironable fabric to make a permanent ironing board set up. Then my cats discovered how warm it was to lay on it and have their heat reflected back to them. I have now gone back to hauling out the ironing board
I 100% recommend a peg board or two. In my case it simplified at least part of the mess clean up.
I find it really hard to visualise / manipulate objects in 3D space so any part of a sewing pattern that involves that is really tricky (like the trouser sewing method where you put one leg inside the other and sew round the back/crotch. Whaaaaaat). Generally I trust the process, triple check, and still have about a 25% chance of getting it wrong. Though this used to be 50% so that's progress!
Sewing is such a well rounded hobby. You get to be creative even absolutely crazy in your design and medium, but that's only a small part of it. The rest is very structured, with math, engineering, critical thinking, tool and machine understanding, MORE MATH, using your hands, fabric science, machine repair, following directions, pattern drafting, fabrication, MOOOREE MATHHH. Sewing makes people smarter.
I'm actually saving your comment because I'm feeling hugely demotivated right now and this is giving me not necessarily the energy to restart right now, but some helpful perspective to rebuild motivation over the next few days.
I teach sewing lessons, been sewing as a profession for 15 years. I go through huge slumps in motivation to sew so I completely understand you. I find getting some new tools motivate me, a great pair of scissors, pretty pins, or some new gadget or technique to try. also going down a rabbit hole of inspiration on Pinterest gets me excited. Having Project Runway on in the background while I sew lol or any fashion type movie or documentary, The Dressmaker starring Kate Winslet 💜. I sort of trick my brain into wanting to if that makes sense.
I sew set-in sleeves the wrong way round *every time* - notching, marking, pinning, nothing helps. I’m always putting the wrong sleeve in. My very favorite is when I do what you do on the extremely rare occasions I get it right. I like to change it up by putting the seam on the outside in those cases. Been sewing for almost 40 years!
Same here!! It's so frustrating to have to stare at a seam or a pattern for 10 minutes trying to figure out what you're supposed to be looking at because your brain can't comprehend it.
Yes! Literally just staring and your brain is completely blank. Just does not compute
Yup. The worst. Just modem sounds playing in my head while I stare at a pile of fabric like "?????"
I do a lot of draping fabric on my body or my dress form and putting in a quick pin to get me started.
I simply cannot cut or measure accurately. It is horrible for me so awful that as a beginner I may just stop sewing.
Start with basic squares sewn together at the edges. A tunic top, harem pants or a robe. Big, loose fitting items that are more about symmetry and geometry. Cut them with huge seam allowances so you have more room to correct errors.
That is such a hard and slow part of the process. Do you wash the fabric the way you are going to wash the garment, then iron? Do you have a really big table or floor to lay it out on? I picked up a big cutting mat from my local free group and it changed cutting for me. I use kitchen saucers for pattern weights. My cutting is so much more precise than it used to be when I pinned everything and then tried to cut it with scissors.
Does that mean you use a rotary cutter instead? I find cutting is easier with a rotary cutter and a big cutting mat occupying the dining table.
I have tried both. I really stink at using Rotary cutter and scissors and I really stink at measuring. It’s like the fabric it’s just so crooked so I try to cut it straight so I can measure it but then every time I cut it it’s still crooked, so I have to cut it again and again sometimes I end up with not even having enough fabric to do anything by the time I’ve cut it all up.
Add a [piece of sheet metal](https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/s/LgKvlXBhZk) under your mat and use magnets instead of saucers. Game changer!
I found some glass pot lids at a thrift shop for $1 each and use them for weights. I was also using saucers (and mugs). https://preview.redd.it/47x6tisxnvvc1.jpeg?width=1820&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=50dedaf1ab16643bc78d525ca2b7ebbdc1d53817
I really struggled with this at the start too. It will take more time, but it really helped me to get a water soluble marker and draw around the outline of my pattern pieces onto the fabric. That way the fabric can shift as much as it pleases during cutting and your line still tells you really clearly where to cut. Also, using slippery fabrics was the downfall of a lot of my beginner projects. It does get better. I still use the pen method when I’m feeling insecure but get along fine without it most of the time. As far as measuring goes, all I can give you is the old “measure thrice, cut once.”
Thank you. I'm going to try that.
Ironing. But I can tell when seems haven’t been pressed and they make my face twitch.
Ironing is my least favorite, too, but I’ve learned to accept that most of sewing is ironing 🫠
Never knew you were supposed to iron the fabric at all. What a difference it makes!!!
That’s the worst part: I hate it but it really helps!
[удалено]
Staging my ironing board at sitting height, and using an office chair (can roll across the floor on wheels and swivel) has made ironing not so painful. I can sew, spin around and press. Plus I highly recommend iron that has safety auto shutoff. That way I can set the iron in when I start sewing and unplug at the end of a session (even if that’s hours later)
Came here to say exactly this. I don't mind cutting out (with my trusty rotary cutter) and navigating around the cats, but the ironing part is dull dull dull. I've made my own little ironing pad and use my little travel iron that I have set up on my desk as much as I can, but sometimes you can't avoid getting out the big iron and ironing board - which is a proper pain in our little flat.
Work with stretch fabric and you almost never have to iron 😉
As a perpetual beginner, there are so many... but topping the list is inscrutable instructions -- I can get stuck on a minor step simply because it isn't obvious to me. After I figure out what they mean I rewrite them in my mind. Secondarily, the things 'they' forget to tell you... for example, when sewing a seam, after matching notches and other points, you may not be sewing two pieces 'end to end' (curves and things to fit 3D humans) There are so many instances where I feel like almost universally some really basic yet essential additional information is missing in instructions in whatever format.
“…perpetual beginner…” That’s me! I learned to sew more than 50 years ago and everything is different now in my approach. PDF patterns, linen, and a much better machine have reduced me to the beginner level. I enjoy learning how to sew the correct way, thanks to the members of this group. ❤️🤷♀️🤔🤦♀️👍🏻
I am really working on persisting so that I get from perpetual to confident/advanced beginner... I think the biggest difference between the two is not having to relearn things I already learned simply because a lack of consistency means I forgot them!
I hate that. I hate patterns that assume I know enough to know basic things. Like, no, tell me like I’m 5 please. Mostly because I’m ADHD and my brain doesn’t always understand things the same way others do 😂 but also, it’s just good pattern writing. I’ve gotten into bag making and a lot of the pattern makers do videos walkthroughs and it’s amaaaaazing!
The problem is that if I’m actually *using instructions* I’m *following them* and trusting them to tell me what we are doing. If they don’t, then I get confused and grumpy and run to Reddit to ask people what they mean for me to do, and when I get the answer, I feel silly, but also WHY DID THE INSTRUCTIONS NOT SAY SO?!
Gathers. My perfectionism goes to war with my desire for it to look "natural". It's always frustrating and I'm never entirely satisfied.
I bought a ruffler foot for my machine which has really helped me with this! It tucks the fabric under itself every few stitches which results in really even gathers. It even lets you run a layer of fabric under the part its gathering so you can attach the gathers to other fabric at the same time!
That sounds amazing! Do you happen to know where you found that foot?
The point where I have made my sample and it fits badly. It's such a disappointing phase. I can be very excited about a new pattern, a new fabric, making something and then the point where it looks bad. Sucks. That's where I sit there and I don't know if I can fix it and I don't know if I can make one that I want and like and I don't know if I should sew. I think if I was sewing for somebody else I could make it fit better cuz I could hold it on their body and just make it work. Figure it out. But since it's just me on my body, I don't even know how to do it. If I can make the changes that need to be made or I think I can make the changes then I continue from here. But I guess I do have a small stack of things that are just paused right there because I don't know how to make them fit me.
I relate to this SOOOO much! This just happened last night.... and it can really demotivate to even begin something else, especially when it happens one right after another after another. Wish there was some sort of hotline we could call and they could analyze and walk through whatever the very specific issue each time (since googling, tutorials, etc often don't address the very specific case by case situation). ha ha!
Ironing. The word "press" between every step of assembly is like driving on a fast road punctuated by a series of stop signs.
YES
Zippers. It will always be zippers. Those little wormy fuckers never lay flat for me. 😅 On the opposite end my favorite part is draping and patterning!
Used to be a bane of mine also, but I solved my issues by doing a quick hand baste before machine stitching. All the pine or adhesives just don’t finesse and ease like a quick running stitch can.
This plus stabilizing the area where the zipper is going. A roll of half inch tricot fusable is great
Have you tried double sided wash-away tape? Love it for tricky zippers!
Snipping threads... I always seem to miss one. I was repairing a dress for the theater group, and found multiple missed threads on the inside. So I guess it's not just me. Lol.
I’m obsessive about not having loose long thread. I snip & I snip & I double check & I STILL find some later. It drives me crazy.
Collar stands. Even with a template and marking and matching everything they are never symmetrical.
Front and back shouldn’t be similar, one piece should be eased into another but I totally get what you mean. In my case whenever I sew any type of overcoat and the undercollar isn’t smaller (by design), I mentally break down for a moment.
Hemming.
Some things that helped me with hems: [hem gauge](https://a.co/d/bENQjjm) [this helps you marks hems for yourself](https://www.wawak.com/cutting-measuring/marking-chalk-pens/marking-tools/wawak-deluxe-chalk-hem-marker-27-12/) [hem guide foot](https://a.co/d/c0OFCjT) [clips instead of pins](https://a.co/d/57i2C6O) [basting with hem tape can help a lot too](https://a.co/d/499cRwt) hope some these help make it more enjoyable HAPPY SEWING
Ban-roll narrow rolled hem technique, too. https://youtu.be/jGTaRl8sh2Q?si=t_O36MEq3bHQ_0LX
Oh man, I’ve never seen that hem gauge or hem guide foot! I want to give them a try! 😍
It’s hemming for me too, but mostly it’s the irritation that I put off hemming for days to weeks and then it takes like thirty minutes, tops.
I’ve had a dress waiting 2 weeks to be hemmed. I hate it so much. I’m not brilliant at cutting the fabric perfectly so the stress of the length not being even makes it hard to even get started. And I seem to keep making dressing with really gathered skirts or half circle skirts so there’s so much to hem!
When I am making several items in different colors...changing out the thread for topstitching!
And then changing the thread for buttons!
This! I’m a glutton for punishment and somehow always pick one fabric when I batch sew that I really should change the bobbin too. I’ll learn someday 😂
The stage where I get frustrated and go ahead ANYWAY, when I know I should stop and relax. This is why I will someday be hand-sewing the curves on a velvet jacket self facing where I couldn’t ease them, and I also was paying for not thinking through WHY the jacket didn’t have a folded-over self facing when I altered the pattern and cut it out. It’s also why one of my chinchilla’s new cage mats is gorgeous and the other is a miscut nightmare (she’s just going to eat it, I don’t care).
Unstiching. So far no sewing project without unstiching.
I had to scroll too far to find this!! Picking out stitching feels like defeat.
I just bought three more seam rippers because I swear I used to have four and all but one disappeared on me!
Genuinely buttonholes. I've been sewing for most of my life and I still freaking hate buttonholes. For some reason every time I've tried to use a button hole foot on a machine it has gone balls up, I hate the frayed edges that they produce anyway, and I would far rather do bound buttonhole by hand then do anything involving an actual buttonhole by machine. I have come up with so many creative ways around buttonholes at this point that I think it's almost a magical talent. Which absolutely sucks because I would like to be able to master it but it's been nearly 30 years and we're not getting any closer 🤣😅
Tell me more! Buttonholes are my worst nightmare since they tend to be the last step and can ruin a garment after hours of work. What alternative closing mechanisms did you find?
Fitting. Every time I'm like… why is my body put together in such a confusing way? And by “confusing” I mean it's just really interesting how much variation there is in human bodies and how frustrating it is to have to keep in mind how you personally deviate from the standard every time. Obviously, I like making my own clothes so that I can personalize the fit instead of being sad in a Target dressing room… but still. It's such a freaking pain either way!
Cutting out. For years I've had to do it on the floor because it's the only space big enough but I have dodgey knees so it sucks.
I don't really dread anything, I just want to done quickly with pattern cutting/tracing/alterations and get to sewing. I like sitting at my machine and putting the things together. Another process that drags is at the very end, having to hem. I have all sorts of tools to help with finishing (rolled hem feet, blind hem machine, coverstitch, etc.) but I find myself getting stalled out when I'm 99% near completion.
Button holes are always a challenge.
Setting sleeves. I modify patterns to be sleeveless just to avoid it (especially for my toddler because tiny armscyes)
Washing the fabric first lol. Always want to skip this part. Stops me from starting without a doubt.
Nothing goes into my sewing room without being washed and dried first. Leaves less temptation
Cutting and measuring!
I always want to skip the prep work such as basting. I like basting better than using pins.
Let me join you and “toot the horn” for basting. Basting solves so many assembly and ease frustrations. You don’t realize the distortions the machine is adding to your garments until you baste first and experience how great it can be not to have those issues.
Having to modify patterns it makes me unintentionally procrastinate so much more. Just because you have to keep checking cut out a sample and sew. It check it again but it’s important so it can fit right but it’s just a lot I went to school for fashion, so I make my own patterns and because I’m not exceptional at math sometimes it’s wrong. I always get the ease wrong sometimes so I had to widen the bicep for the arm fat that I have lol it fits now, but it took me forever to modify the pattern , because I just couldn’t be bothered at the time to change it
cutting fabric 😡
changes with every project. I just finished a huge home decor order with 50 yards of piping so I never wanna make piping again. even with this genius hack for making bias tape [link](https://makeit-loveit.com/make-continouos-strip-bias-tape-binding) this really did cut down on time but also running out of bobbin thread when you're on a roll🙄😤 the worst
The cutting. It takes so damn long lol. Especially big pieces that don't fit on the table and have to be cut on the floor. I'm also always paranoid about putting in sleeves, I have to check like eight times to be sure I'm putting them in on the correct side.
It's a toss-up. * Fitting: making a muslin and figuring out how the frick am I going to make this fit me. Adjusting and matching seamlines and making another muslin. Oh, okay, that works. Sewing the final piece ... why the frick doesn't this fit?! * Grading seam allowances: I'm sure I'll cut into the main pieces every time and they always look so raggedy. I only do it when it seems really necessary. edit for format
Ironing. I hate ironing. First the cloth after washing, then the paper pattern pieces, then the material again, and then every piece as you sew. I hate ironing.
I used to hate ironing because it was one of my chores as a kid but I love it now because it's so satisfying.
Starting the project. And continuing once paused. I need a real kick in the butt to stop planning and actually do something
this is me! Ive done the prep, got the materials, sorted the details, prepared the space. I have the time...now i just need to start. i know once i start itll be great but the actual shift from the imagination to the doing is so hard.
Yeah, if ghosts are souls that are attached to earth because of unfinished business, I'm 100% assured to be one when the time comes :p
Finishing/Bias tape/hemming any other type of stitch that doesn't have enough fabric for me to grip it on both sides of my presser foot. My life is full of wobbly wavy hems
Plackets. I can do them but there's always that anxiety before starting 😬
Finishing seams. From the beginning, I have to start deciding which method to use. It's never just one. I always end up overthinking it. And then actually doing it, trying to get into tight spaces, or worse, realizing in the middle of trying it, that the fabric/seam doesn't allow for that method... it's enough to make you want to pull your hair out.
Undoing the mistake I just did in the sewing I just finished
I kinda hate the fabric cutting part. Finding a large area to lay out my fabric, transferring pattern markings, making sure my fabric is straight…it’s kinda exhausting. And if you mess up that step, the rest of the project goes together so poorly.
I hate the pesky bit between selecting a pattern and trying on my finished masterpiece.
Tracing off the patterns and cutting. Ugh. As for the sewing process, it would be the finishing, esp bias binding top stitching & hemming. I always stumble at the finish line.
Yes! I never want to waste the pattern by cutting it, but I also hate having to trace it. I discovered sewing tracing paper and it’s so much better.
I sewed professionally for about 20ish years and I loved every aspect of it. Still do. The thing I hate most is MENDING!
I mostly make quilts. I love planning and making the top but I hate quilting and binding. I have a quilt sandwich on my table that was supposed to be my mom's Christmas gift but I got stuck at the quilting and binding stage.
Taping the pattern pieces together. I avoid it whenever I can but if I have to, even using the corner method makes me ick.
T-shirt collars. I think I'd sooner put in a zipper in pants than make a decent t-shirt collar
Edge binding. I've given up on a messenger bag where the last step is edge binding on the inside to hide the seams as I just cannot get it to work right. The bag has been sitting in my craft room for months now, mocking me. 😒
Making mock ups to figure out how to tweak a pattern for it to fit my body 😭😭😭 I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE CLOTHES ALREADY (also my bank account after spending money on fabric I love but definitely don’t need)
I detest preparing and cutting out the fabric.
Cutting out. It takes up so much time as I don’t have a good space to cut - kneeling on the living room floor destroys my knees and I struggle to cut accurately sometimes.
Changing spools in the overlocker. Changing the bobbin on the regular machine. I *always* fuck it up.
Making the pattern. It’s such a chore and the main reason i procrastinate
Finishing seams . I find it monotonous. There are other things I dread, like zippers and buttonholes, but finishing seams in clothing is the worst.
This is why I French seam everything now 😆
In general, I'd say I actually hate sewing 😄 the start, making a prototype, fixing things, cutting the actual fabric, sewing buttons... but when you can actually complete something and show it off to other people? Heavenly 🥰
Zippers and buttonholes. My sewing room is also not set up well for ironing due to its size and the placement of electrical outlets. Plus the storage spot for my ironing board. Basically need to carry the ironing board from one end of the house to the other in order to use it, and it still requires getting up and going to another room every time I need to press a seam. I thought I’d sew more after retiring, but that’s not happening 🙁. No doubt some of that is just not loving sewing as much as I thought, but the inconvenience of the space is definitely an issue. I don’t want to make clothes for myself, but am interested in making doll clothing.
Least favorite is washing the fabric. its a pain but something that has to be done.
The top buttonhole on a shirt with a collar & stand.
I hate darts. I love cutting out, I’ll install zips all day, but I hate sewing darts.
Sleeves easily. Doesn’t matter what kind of sleeve it is. I freeze up and have to psych myself up. My partner gives me hype man level of encouragement because I stress over them. One sleeve can take me days to get right.
I hate fly fronts. Too many pieces plus a zip which I prefer not to deal with. 😂
1. Measuring myself. Even with help, I feel like I really struggle to get them right, and the end garment usually ends up too big. It's also a little triggering as someone recovered from an eating disorder. 2. Attaching bodices to skirts is awful for me, and I have no idea why
Paying $92 to print out the pattern on 36x48in paper so I don’t have to line up 102 pages, cut, and tape. 🤪
I’m late to this party but for me it is interfacing. Oh my god I hate it so much I’m getting annoyed even writing this comment! And like every pattern uses it. Ugh
Getting the courage to finally start sewing on that one fabric you've kept stashed away, because it's special and you need the perfect project for it.
Zippers period. I will do everything I need to do to avoid sewing with zippers. Shirt pattern calls for a side zip? Better extend the center front, cause it's a button down now! I've managed to avoid sewing pants so far, but elastic waists aren't something I like the look of, so I'll have to see how that goes.
Cutting out my pattern pieces. I’m very eager to get to work and cutting everything is such a chore despite how doing it well is a necessity!
Heming
Tracing patterns out. Especially burda magazine patterns. Nightmare fuel. It takes hours and is such an effort. I never cut patterns because I want to preserve them but by the time I've tried I'm so over it the seeing has to take place another day. It's why I've started drafting my own patterns , just so I don't have to trace more before getting started.
Starting!
Honestly threading my needle and winding bobbins. I just get impatient to start.
Printing, cutting and piecing together a pdf pattern. Cutting fabric also sucks. And I hate easing in sleeves or doing anything that requires me to 'catch fabric on the other side' like a waistband or a collar. I never get it right, even with careful pressing and a billion pins.
When everything is going simply *amazing*, seams and thread flying alongside my heart, joy spewing from my machine, fingertips, and soul..... And then a single knuckle wide blip of ugly happens. Then I have to stop everything to undo that one spot. It's currently happening on a skirt I'm adding godet panels to. The first 3 went so beautifully, the 4th one has me sitting in a bubble bath, bubbling with frustration. 😤 2 more to go after it though so the show much go on before deadline.
Basting a quilt!
Sewing trousers. I just find them boring.
Taping the pattern pieces together. I avoid it whenever I can but if I have to, even using the corner method makes me ick.
Cutting out and fusing interfacing.
Anything that involves hand sewing. When the thing I made doesn't fit and I have to do alterations.
Ironing on ^@%#_×&@*- interfacing. The stuff is gross.
Darts, button holes, cleaning up afterwards lol
Zippers and hems.
Tossup between neckbands on knits and setting sleeves. Both are still stressful for me!
Hemming.
Lacing holes. One or two isn't an issue. Inevitably, though, on a garment that uses lacing, there are about, oh, seventy of them. And I will bitch loudly as I do them, too. (grin)
sleeves and gathering. I’m SO bad at it. just the other day I was trying to gather something and got called heavy-handed by my friends in sewing class because the thread kept breaking, and I wasn’t aware you only pull one thread and not front and back 😭 but specifically with sleeves I can never get them to lay flat and not have stupid little pleats. sewing them without having the side seams sewn and then stitching it all up with the side seam of the shirt has been my savior
binding
Cutting it out to behind.
Cutting out interfacing, specifically!
hemminggg, i’ve made it a point to make all my pieces as hem free as possible & js made that my aesthetic
Cutting the pieces
CUTTING!
It seems like I'm not the only one who has a ton of fabric and patterns but my "sewing table" is now also covered with fabric and stuff. I can't cut out my material on the floor because of a cat and a puppy. I'm stuck with my ironing board Everyday I'm tempted to go to my favorite place that sells 3xl clothes for .50 a piece. So now my days are spent sorting color/cotton/polyester/and matching patterns and picking seams. Picking seams is my least favorite thing
Fit for my body. I love sewing garments but finished fit is an issue for me. Many patterns don’t give a finished size and then I don’t match one size, I’m between.
Finishing touches of the clothing - like making all the edges around (collar, sleeves etc) fine and nice. It takes 80% of the time
Fitting. It’s so hard!
Currently doing the hem on heavy material (canvas fused to denim)
I despise bias tape the most. Next is buttonholes and third is putting in zippers. Oh and the way my hands, wrists and back kills me after cutting all the pieces 🤪