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About This Video Series
This series for beginning sewers provides a complete course in mastering the basics. Our experienced Threads editors walk you through the fundamentals, from threading your machine through attaching that final button. The skills explained in Teach Yourself to Sew are perfect for new sewers or for those looking to brush up on the basics. Lessons include hemming, attaching buttons and zippers, how to iron, and sewing a jacket from a pattern.
More About this Video SeriesVideos in the Series
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Welcome to Teach Yourself to Sew
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Equipment 101
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Notions 101
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Patterns 101
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A Trip to the Fabric Store
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Fabric 101
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Project: Make a Felt Jewelry Bag
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Knit Fabrics
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Woven Fabrics
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Project: How to Sew a Bias-strip Scarf
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How to Sew a Basic Seam
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How to Sew French and Lapped Seams
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Clipping and Trimming Seams
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How to Sew a Dart
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Finishing Edges
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Faced Edges
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How to Hem
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Bias Binding
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Zippers 101
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How to Install a Zipper
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Buttons 101
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How to Sew Buttons, Snaps & Hooks
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How to Sew a Buttonhole
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Project: How to Sew a Skirt
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Sleeves 101
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How a Stitch is Made
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How to Sew a Sleeve
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Pressing Equipment 101
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How to Iron
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Project: Make a Jacket Part 1
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Project: Make a Jacket Part 2
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Make Giant Buttons a Garment Feature
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i’m sorry but this just got confusing... you lost me in the (very basic, i’m aware... 😳) terminology whilst describing setting up that first stitch.
can you reiterate...?
thx again for this... it’s amazing. 🙏🏻💕
If you're asking about how to set up the French seam, here are the steps. This assumes your pattern has a 5/8-inch-wide seam allowance.
1. Place the fabric layers with wrong sides together, and edges aligned.
2. Sew the seam with a 1/4-inch-wide seam allowance. Then, trim the allowances to 1/8 inch wide.
3. Fold the fabric with right sides together, placing the seamline you just sewed right on the edge. Press flat.
4. Sew the seam again, this time with a 3/8-inch-wide seam allowance. Press the seam as sewn, then press the allowances to one side.
This encloses the fabric's raw edges within the seam allowances for a clean, non-raveling finish. It's best on straight or gently curved seams.
Carol J. Fresia, Threads Senior Technical Editor