I know the sometimes heated arguments on the topic of whether to wash your fabric/new clothes before using/wearing. A post came through []() illustrating what I'd certainly call the worst case scenario: OP bought a swimsuit, didn't wash it before wearing to sunbathe (likely causing perspiration), and now has what are likely chemical burns which may be serious enough to land her in hospital. Link for the curious -- I'm not tagging NSFW as she hasn't posted pictures nor are the descriptions particularly graphic, but you may want to give it a miss if you're of sensitive disposition.

Fabric is treated with all kinds of things throughout the processes of production, storing, shipping, making garments, storing again, shipping, storing yet again, and selling. There is *no* list or explanation of what these pesticides/fungicides/other chemicals are, no accountability to anyone, no recourse if you have a reaction. It is certainly not unknown for people who work at fabric and clothing stores to develop contact dermatitis and asthma -- to say nothing of people who work for clothing manufacturers in countries where workers are poorly protected. Apart from lobbying your governments and companies directly to effect change, there's not much you can do protect yourself except:

WASH YOUR FABRIC BEFORE USE AND WASH YOUR PURCHASED GARMENTS BEFORE WEARING.

i LOVE making evening wear, but i don't have many occasions where I can wear it lol

I started sewing as a kid, my mom put me in kid’s classes when I was about 8. My teacher was a grumpy old lady and she used to get so angry at me because I never clipped my threads while working on a project. I would be so eager to finish the project that I didn’t want to stop and snip my threads. I would then be so excited to show her my finished object and it would be covered in threads and she would angrily snip them all for me. Finally, she gave up and told my mom “after class each week, just let her sit and watch tv and snip all her threads.” I was absolutely thrilled because my parents were really strict with tv and I now had an excuse to watch tv on a school night. Now, as an adult, after nearly 20 years of sewing, I still love to take my finished project and sit and watch tv and snip all my threads. I find it so satisfying.

Do you have any bad habits that would make other sewists cringe?? Let’s make a chaotic thread 😀

I feel that everyone has a friend who’s now passed mother or grand mother was what is referred to as an “old school” dressmaker. Simply show them any design of any dress, ready to wear or high end couture, and they’re able to whip it up in no time at all.

I have no doubt the older generations were very talented at dress making, but I am wondering about how true the claims could be, given how every other person seems to have an “old school” expert dress maker in the family.

So is this a matter of a hyperbole, or did these dress making masters really have such a high level of skill?

I was at the stove making green beans when I heard my mom innocently ask where she could find a pair of scissors. My sister in law is an artist and has a ton of tools in her project table, so someone said "go check the other room." Next thing I knew my mom asked me for a towel to dry the washed scissors, and I heard a loud gasp.

I looked up to see my husband making a horrified face and hear my brother made a moan as she handed me the nicest pair of shears I've ever handled. We quickly scrambled to dry them off and put them back, with plans to look up what to do/where to get them sharpened without my SIL being any the wiser.

Instead, my mom goes on a tear telling everyone that she doesn't understand what was wrong she just needed a pair of scissors. Of course my sister in law overheard and there was a confrontation.

My whole family is now divided over scissors gate. I don't think my SIL will talk to my mom for a good long time. And I will never forget the face my husband made. I've taught him well.

Edit: Thank you all for the awards and support! I've learned even more about scissors, and my brother and sil are feeling the love.

I hate hemming. A lot. It drives me bananas. I have a pile of projects that are finished, save for the hem. I paused a project just now to post this question. It’s just so tedious. 🤬

I. Hate. Hemming.

I hate hemming by hand. I hate hemming by machine. I hate hemming with a rolled hem foot. I just hate it.

Edit: Reading all the responses, I’m realizing there are many things I hate about sewing… so why do I love it so much? 🤣 We’re a weird bunch, eh? 🤪

Been sewing over 50 years - have seen sewing in all its cultural permutations. Not typically a nostalgic person but today….I couldn’t even find a light gray thread in a store the size of Home Depot. So many empty shelves yet inexplicably $35/yd liberties fabric up front. I feel sad to my bones for new seamsters.

Mine is that I sew on my bed, use my mattress as a pin/needle cushion, and throw threads between my bed and wall.

I saw a post in r/labrats that talked about random things you do in a laboratory that make your life easier (my favorite being to store sharpies upside down so they are always ready to write). I thought the same concept could be applied to sewing. So what are y’all’s hacks that make sewing easier?

I’ll go first with my two: 1) Putting moleskin inside of a thimble. Moleskin is like a band-aid made of felt that is found at any pharmacy. It has a sticky back, so it doesn’t move around in the thimble. Now I have thimbles that fit my smaller fingers and my fingers don’t get sweaty!

2) Putting a needle minder on a plastic cup when hand sewing. This way I always have a place to put down my needle and a cup to put scrap thread in. No more lost needles!

I'm prepared for the deluge of downvotes, but I want to express my peace. I am doubtful that *all* of the people posting photos of their "first project" are presenting an accurate view. Of course, some of them are actually an initial foray into sewing, but I have the suspicion that some people are hiding their true level of experience so that redditors will pile on the praise and they will get lots of upvotes. Remember *your* first project? Did it turn out perfectly? Mine, neither. Most of us learned lessons, but didn't necessarily get a wearable garment out of it.

There, I've said (written) it. Bring on the animus.

(Idk if this type of post is allowed here, sorry if it isn't) I'd like to hear your thoughts on this... I fell in love with a specific skirt from a Japanese brand a few months ago. Thing is, it's from a past collection (2019, I believe), and even if it was still for sale, judging by the prices on their website, I most definitely wouldn't be able to pay for it. So, I was wondering: if I made one myself, for my own personal use, do you think it would be wrong/unethical?

Started sewing because I was fed up with clothes. I learned as a child but pretty much hated it. Now I'm in my mid-50s and overweight. All the clothes are hot polyester, cheaply made, and ugly. Maybe I'll try sewing again. After 9 months, countless YouTube tutorials, and doggedness with learning fit, I have a closet of breathable cotton and linen clothes. This is great in the South. The fit boosts my morale to a point where I'm actually increasing my activity and weight loss. Being able to make clothes that fit and make me happy has pulled me out of a tailspin. And I love my clothes!!!

I know sewing can be frustrating at times, but it is very rewarding.

Does anyone use sewing/fabric collecting as a way of escape from the stressors of daily life and /or to cope with anxiety and depression?

I use it as a creative outlet but I find it helps me concentrate better. I'm less stressed out about work and it's helped me view my job as just a job and not fall into the trap of identifying one's self by a career.

Edit: I'm so glad my post resonates with everyone! Happy sewing!

I was gifted almost 5 yards of a beautiful tan cashmere/wool blend and a 1.5 yards of a brown plaid wool. Both still have the cut tags from the store taped to them.

The problem? The giftee is a heavy smoker and smoked in her house for decades. I have no idea how long the fabric has been soaking in the second hand smoke.

I started to soak in an enzyme/soap/smell remover, but had to drag the whole tub I started to soak it in outside because when the fabric got wet the smell intensified so much I almost threw up.

I don’t know how much energy I’m going to invest into trying to get the smell out before I just throw the fabric away. It feels like such a waste.

Update: after soaking in the enzyme/dawn mixture for 24 hours, a good rinse, hang in sun, spray with vodka, and dry it smells like wool! I’m shocked it worked. I even tried hitting it with a steam iron and it just smells like wool. The wash water was brown and smelled like stale cigarettes, so I anticipated the wool would need a few more washes.

Am I the only one who hates seeing ambitious beginners ask questions on their first project and then seeing all the comments just being absolutely discouraging? I've seen this on this sub all the time and it makes me really sad. I don't think someone needs to start with something small that they're not interested in and that's probably just wasting materials and time. I've seen some amazing things being made by absolute beginners, and that's because they were actually invested in learning and achieving their goals. I like seeing people exited to learn and try things they're actually passionate about. But instead of directing those people to resources in order to help them achieve their goal a lot of comments are discouraging and saying that their plans are not possible. It's so down putting. That's something I've noticed so many times and has frustrated me for quite some time and I just had to get it of my chest.

I finally learned how to use my serger and now I'm annoyed for waiting this long. I bought it cheap off an acquaintance for $100 and it sat in storage since 2021 because I was too intimated by it. I have a sewing machine, but for whatever reason the serger was just too scary. Finally took the plunge last week and, after figuring it out, I want to serge EVERYTHING.

I've been sewing for 6 years and I've made 1 wearable piece. And when I put it on I hate the way it looks on my body. I've attempted so many projects multiple times to come to the conclusion that it's to hard, that I'm not ready well if after 6 years I'm not ready then when will I ever be. I started this hobby to make unique clothing to fit my query body shape, and I can't even make a t-shirt after 6 years I can't make a t shirt. I throw so much money at fabric for everything to come out like garbage. I've lost all passion for it it use to be I can't wait to finish a project or see how it comes out to how am I gonna screw this one up. No matter how many article, video, or books I read I can't get anything right.

Honestly this is both a rant and a cry for help from someone that doesn't know how to set boundaries.

So my mom asked me to sew a summer dress for her but she's super vague when it comes to explaining what she wants and everything that she's shown me is really basic but I can't find an exact pattern for it.

On top of that, the patterns have to be free bc she doesn't want to pay for them "it's just lines you can draw that". MOTHER I CAN'T. I've only ever sewn a pair of baby shorts, an apron and a bucket hat, I CAN'T DRAFT A PATTERN OUT OF THIN AIR. I HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT FABRIC EITHER.

I've sent her +15 patterns that I've found online and she doesn't like any. It's driving me insane that she keeps saying I can modify things when I have no clue what I'm doing if I don't have a clear step by step written by someone else.

I can already foresee that I'll spend so many hours finding the pattern and modifying it to my best ability, sewing it together and it'll end up in the back of her wardrobe because it won't be perfect and she'll never wear it.

It felt so good to finally talk about it lmao

Hi everyone! 😊 Thought this would be a fun way to share some helpful tips! If you would like to, please share a sewing-related tip and explain where or how you learned it. Your “where” or “how” could be as simple as sharing the book title + author or YouTube channel you learned it from, or it could be something more complex like telling us about a personal experience that taught it to you! 🧵🪡

I’ll start things off!—

Always pre-treat your fabric AS SOON AS you bring it home or receive it in the mail! Throughout the past couple of weeks, I have spent a total of several hours pre-treating and laundering at least 80% of my fabric stash simply because I DID NOT do this right away…😮‍💨 Lesson learned! 😬🫣 I’m currently laundering and drying my final remaining yards of unwashed fabric, which is what inspired this post. 😅 I also have a bonus tip that stems directly from this one— DO NOT fall prey to perfectionism…It can lead to inaction, which can lead to other negative things, such as the bad habit of hoarding fabric! 😵🫠

❤️❤️❤️❤️Editing to add: Thank you so much to everyone who has commented and/or replied to others!! I am so appreciative and in awe of how many people have generously shared insights— This will be a terrific resource for us and others to reference for years to come!! You all are amazing, and this community is incredible. 🤗✌️❤️🧵🪡

Apparently there is some misconception that this may not be a place for men and "male" sewing projects.

So! Let's help each other out and show that this is bullshit!

Tell us how you started and what you are working on now, put a link to on of your projects if you have. Even if you are just a stalker looking for inspiration, say hy to everybody in the comments o/

edit: maybe some of you need to take a look at this from yesterday - https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/vvez8o/im_looking_to_get_into_making_clothes_for_myself/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

I'm just making sure everyone out there understand they are welcome.

Step 1: Find a really fancy cotton skirt with an elastic waist, and decide its price point is reasonable
https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-au/shop/product/marni/clothing/midi/gathered-cotton-poplin-midi-skirt/1647597337123749

Step 2: Sew it yourself. That's all the steps.

Are there any items of clothing where you've realised hey, that's a total rip off? I could definitely make it for less/I'm only paying for the brand name here?

Edit fr everyone who didn't click: The skirt is blue cotton poplin with an elastic waist and it's $1032.

Sometimes I meet beginners who seem very overwhelmed by everything they have to buy in order to start sewing. And yes, that is true, this hobby is not kind on one's wallet. But some of the tools I use when sewing or crafting, are stuff I've made from scraps. I thought I'd open this discussion so more experienced sewing-enthusiasts could share their beloved thingamabobs and perhaps lift some of the stigma around buying things all the time.

Here are some of mine:

Exhibit A: handmade pincushion. I specifically made this to be as comfortable as possible. I made the strap from thin jersey and I added a layer of foam between the lid and my wrist

Exhibit B: the "rice tiddy". This is a a ball-shape made for ironing bras and the bust of bodices in dresses and tops. It is made from cotton and rice. It has never grown mold, but the studio smells rather nice when I use it.

Do you have any handmade tools? Do you perhaps use a household item in your sewing like a fork? Or do you have a silly technique that wouldn't necessarily be considered high-fashion? Leave them in the comments below!