 To Begin: In my own personal opinion, you should start with simple projects and work your way up to the harder stuff. Patterns vary in difficulty within brands and the brands themselves differ from each other. Simplicity, true to it's name, is the easiest and best brand of pattern to start with. McCalls and Butterick are next in that order. The most difficult patterns I have seen are Vogue. The best place to get patterns is Wal-Mart, at least here, because they are 50% off all the time. Most patterns are from $9 to $15.
Sewing Machine - Ummm...get one. I know it is possible to hand sew just as well as with a machine but I don't know how to do it and I don't know anyone who has that kind of time. There are several brands of sewing machines and they all work well. Don't let anyone tell you you need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a computerized Viking or Pfaff machine. It's just not true, unless you want an embroidery machine, which we will get into later. I have two machines; one Kenmore and one Singer. The Kenmore was made around the same year I was born and it looks like it was made in Detroit. All heavy metal. The Singer is a school model made in the early 90s. Mostly plastic. I have never used anything else and I guarantee I can make anything on my Kenmore anyone can make on their fancy schmancy imports including decorative stitches. The Singer was around $150.00 and I got it so I could have something portable in case I ever wanted to go to a quilt circle or take another class. The Kenmore is built into a cabinet. The only time is comes out is to go to the sewing machine shop for it's yearly cleaning and servicing. Scissors - Again it really doesn't matter what kind of scissors you get. I recommend Fiskars. They are good solid scissors that hold an edge and they aren't too expensive. To start out with you should get one good pair of 4" - 6" shears. This will allow you to cut the patterns out of the fabric and do any smaller miscellaneous cutting you may need to do without going out and getting 3 or 4 pairs of different sizes. You really should invest in a good pair of pinking shears. Those are the big heavy scissors with the zigziag edges. In the beginning, at least, in order to keep your raw edges from fraying (we will go into all these terms later) pinking shears are the easiest fix. Whatever scissors you get, get a sharpener and use it often. Keeping a sharp edge on your scissors is critical for proper cutting. If your scissors are too dull or have burrs on the edge it will tear up and snag your fabric something awful. Tape Measure - To start out with, you will need both a tape measure and a yard stick. The tape measure I prefer is the kind the kind like a carpenters measure that rolls up into a case. It's vinyl like a regular tape but it won't get all tangled up in your sewing box or drawer. Of course no matter what kind you get, you will need to get a new one at least once every couple of years. These things will stretch out with use and measurements will become inaccurate. The yard stick serves a double purpose as a measuring device and a straight edge. Pins - Get lots and lots!!! And use them often. I prefer the quilting pins with the ceramic ball heads. They are easier to see and much easier to pull out as you are sewing. Marking Pen/Chalk - You will need to have some kind of marking utensil. There are many different types and styles, the two most popular being water soluble pen and fabric chalk. If you are going to be able to finish your project within a couple of days, the pens are the way to go by far. They are easy to use and easy to see and the color washes out easy. The problem with this is it also fades with time. I am very rarely able to complete a project in a couple of days due to time constraints so I use chalk. It doesn't mark as easy but it washes out fine and never fades. Seam Ripper - Very important. This is a wonderful gadget that will allow you to quickly and neatly tear out that seam that you just sewed together backwards without tearing and distorting the fabric.
And that will get you started. I will try in the coming months to pick a chart and go over the process in detail for you to follow along. Don't be scared off. I allowed sewing to intimidate me for a long time and I'm sorry I did. It is such a rewarding experience to make something with your own hands to your own specifications for your own use. I have included some photos of projects I have done. I mostly just sew for myself and my husband but I have been known to make some things for my aunt who is clinically obese.
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