Teaching sewing in person, the most persistent question I would get on the first night was: How do I sew in a straight line? I remember when I was writing Stitch By Stitch, it was so important to me that I include that lesson, because in all my research for the perfect sewing book, I’d found ONLY ONE OTHER that ever even addressed it. Almost as though people who sew have forgotten what they once didn’t know, and so they don’t think to teach it.
Sewing isn’t about rules–it’s about CONFIDENCE. And mastering sewing a straight line is the perfect place to build that confidence. This video, the final in the How To Sew Quick Start series on my YouTube channel, leads into the other 12 videos in the How To Sew series here at the League of Dressmakers, because it covers this foundational skill.
It’s also a good taste of how I love to teach sewing: there’s ALWAYS another way to achieve great results, and granting ourselves patience and compassion as we acquire skills is the root of growing at the machine.
The tools I mention in the video to make sewing in a straight line simpler can be found here:
- washi tape (this is the mere tip of the iceberg!!)
- sticky notes (I like the square; keep in mind that the pop-up style won’t work quite as well)
- magnetic seam guide
For more about how to cut a straight line, especially with a rotary cutter, watch the cutting episode of How To Quilt, also on my YouTube channel!
Enjoy this episode, and then join the League for the rest of the How To Sew series for absolute beginners! You’ll master sewing in no time, and you’ll be glad you did.
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