My Nanna Betty was part of the make, do and mend generation. She made all her own dresses and never threw clothes away. When I was a little girl, she taught me how to sew. We would spend cosy Sunday afternoons together, sewing and chatting.
Because of her, I became a fashion designer and lecturer. I’ve been sewing for over 20 years and have taught at Oldham College, Burnley College and Manchester Metropolitan University, as well as running beginner classes all over Manchester. This guide is the simple way I teach complete beginners, step by step.
Can anyone learn to sew?
Yes. I’ve taught students, mums, carers, career returners and people who had never threaded a needle. Sewing is a set of small skills. Each one is easy on its own. Once you know a handful, you can make bags, cushions, skirts and even a dress.
One of my beginners said it best after her first class: “I actually made something!” That feeling is what keeps you going. If you’re wondering how hard it is, or how long it takes, I’ve answered that in how long does it take to learn how to sew.
The best way to learn how to sew: my 3 steps
After years of teaching, I’ve found beginners learn fastest in three stages. Each stage adds new skills to the last.
Step 1: Begin your sewing journey
Start with the sewing machine. Learn to thread it, sew a straight line, sew zig-zag along the edges so they don’t fray, and turn corners and curves. Then make something small and flat, like coasters, a cushion cover or scrunchies.
Before you sew any fabric, practise on paper. Draw straight lines and curves on plain paper and sew along them with no thread in the machine. It teaches you to steer and control your speed, without wasting fabric.
Step 2: Build your confidence
Move on to bags: a tote bag, a drawstring bag, a zipped bag. Each one teaches new skills like straps, channels, linings and pressing your seams flat. Here are 16 easy beginner sewing projects in the order I teach them.
Step 3: Sew your first clothes
Now you’re ready for an elasticated skirt or pyjama trousers, with no fiddly fastenings. You’ll learn to measure yourself and choose the right pattern size. My guide to sewing clothes for beginners shows you how.
What you need to start
Just a few tools: fabric scissors, pins, a tape measure, tailor’s chalk and a seam ripper. Here are the 10 sewing tools every beginner needs, with names, and my guide to putting together a beginner sewing kit.
You’ll also need a simple sewing machine. A budget machine stitches just as well as an expensive one, and most problems are easy to fix. Read my best sewing machine for beginners UK guide, or if you have a small handheld machine, start with how to use a handheld or mini sewing machine.
Do I need to learn hand sewing first?
No. In my classes, beginners start on the machine because it’s quicker and you finish things sooner. You’ll pick up a few handy hand stitches along the way, for closing gaps and sewing on labels. My guide to types of sewing stitches shows which ones are worth knowing.
Where to learn: classes, books or online?
I’ve taught in colleges, in sewing studios and online. Some people love a class with a teacher beside them. Others prefer to learn at home, at their own pace. I’ve compared both in sewing lessons for beginners: classes near you or online. If you like learning from a book, here are the best sewing books for beginners.
It also helps to read other beginners’ stories. There’s a long thread on Reddit’s sewing forum where people share how they began learning to sew. Almost everyone started small.
Why so many people are learning to sew again
In Nanna Betty’s day, clothes were mended, not thrown away. That idea is back. TV shows like The Great British Sewing Bee have inspired lots of people to dust off a machine, and more of us want to save money and waste less.
Sewing is good for the mind too. I’ve run sewing workshops for mums with postnatal depression and for carers, and I’ve seen how a calm, hands-on project helps people switch off the noise. Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Brigstow Institute have looked at stitching and wellbeing, and a review from Charles Sturt University of 25 studies found that needlecraft generally supports mental health.
If you’d like to read more about sewing itself, from its history to the different techniques, the Wikipedia page on sewing is a good place to start.
Learn how to sew the Nanna Betty way
I’ve turned what Nanna Betty taught me, and everything I’ve learned in the classroom, into simple sewing cards and short videos you can watch on your phone. One card teaches one skill. A handful of cards makes one finished make, and every make takes 2 hours or less.
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