With any skill, it’s natural that you’ll reach a plateau at a certain point. Your skill level will stop advancing at the same rate it did when you started out, and you may begin to become a little disheartened.
Sewing is no different in this regard. Thankfully, as with all other skills, there are certain steps you can follow to take your sewing game to the next level – here are our top four pieces of advice.
1. Get the right tools
While it’s true that getting the best equipment won’t automatically make you amazing at sewing, at a certain point, poor-quality equipment will become a limiting factor. Blunt scissors will limit the complexity of the patterns and fabrics you can cut, while basic sewing machines will limit the speed and complexity of your stitching.
The right tools may be expensive, but you need to see them as an investment in your craft. If you’re on a budget, keep an eye out for deals, and check out the secondhand market. With care and maintenance, these tools can last you the rest of your life.
2. Print your own sewing patterns
While many people start out by getting patterns mailed to their homes, if you really want to take things up a notch, you can start to print sewing patterns you’ve created yourself. This massively opens things up when it comes to the patterns you can access and use.
Your friends and colleagues will be able to share their favourite patterns, you can browse countless online resources, and you can even create your own patterns and have them printed. Printing your own patterns can also end up being the more economical solution!
3. Try things that are ‘too hard’
A limiting factor that will affect a lot of people is only trying things that you’re already capable of. This isn’t a good way of advancing – you need to try complex patterns and skills that you’ll almost certainly fail the first time, to develop your skill set.
If you aren’t challenged by your sewing, you aren’t trying hard enough projects. Of course, it’s important to still create things that you enjoy, and that you can be proud of, but you need to dedicate a fair amount of time to challenging yourself.
4. Be consistent
As with everything, the main thing is to be consistent with your sewing. If it’s a hobby that’s important to you, make sure you dedicate a set amount of time each week to it, even when life gets busy.
It’s easy to slow down or even stop sewing when you stop advancing at that same initial rate. With highly complex skills like sewing, it’s natural that it’ll take longer to get better the more advanced you become. You’ll still see breakthroughs, they just might take a little longer than before.
Sewing is a beautiful craft that can give back in so many ways. By following these four simple tips, you can take your skills to the next level.
