Sewing Patterns

Sewing Projects for Beginners

By editor ⋅ May 14, 2007 ⋅ Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

I was introduced to sewing at age 10, when the girls in my class were taught how to make a simple hand-stitched gingham apron.  Our teacher, born in the Edwardian era, was then close to retirement, but she still had a very good idea about how girls should behave (think Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and creme de la creme) and what skills they would need to be successful housewives.  I still have the humble garment that we made that year - and, darn it all, I still use the hand stitches learned in that class for many common sewing chores, especially buttonholes, buttons and hemming pants and skirts.

It is much the same when you learn to use a sewing machine; although you start with simple, practical sewing patterns that need little more than a straight seam, along the way you learn a great deal that applies to almost all sewing projects.  Things like the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ sides of fabric, how to ’reverse’ your sewing stitches at the beginning and end of each seam so the threads won’t come undone, and the need to reinforce certain stitching lines in places that will later bear far more pressure than the rest of your project.

We have several free sewing patterns that are suitable for beginners at AllFreeCrafts, including some new additions to our free sewing section.  Thanks to SavvySeams, we now have step-by-step photos and instructions that show you how to make classic Oven Mitts as well as a pattern showing how to recycle a t-shirt into a square pillow, and basic square pillow instructions.

 With or without a sewing machine, our free beginner’s sewing pattern to make a Pin Cushion Ring (at left) is a practical project useful for anyone who sews, while the project to make a Yo-Yo Placemat (at right) shows how to make simple yo-yo fabric circles and combine them into placemats.

For more beginner’s sewing patterns, as well as more advanced free sewing projects, please see our Free Sewing Patterns Index for thumbnail photos and project descriptions.