Monday, October 27, 2008

Question from a Reader...

Hello, Needle lovelies!

We're received a great question at The Needle inboxes. I think this is a great question, so I'm posting it here.

"Would anyone be able to give me some info on getting started? For example, would a sewing machine make my life easier? Are there any good books to get started? Or a blog for beginners?"

Please share your expertise by leaving a comment below.

Happy Monday, everyone!

5 comments:

Absolutely Small said...

Here's my personal take on your questions:
A sewing machine might make your life easier...but there are an awful lot of temperamental machines out there! And while you can complete creatures faster with a machine, there is something to be said for the charm of hand stitching, with all it's unevenness. So really, it's a personal choice.
As far as blogs go, both Softies Central and Plush You are wonderful for inspiration...and I know Softies Central has great links to tutorials in the sidebar.

Unknown said...

this website is a great resource for learning different hand stitches. http://www.needlenthread.com/2006/10/video-library-of-hand-embroidery.html
the video tutorial makes it a lot easier to understand.

Sowing machines are great for speed, but it can also mean mistakes happen a lot more frequently at the start.

Jellibat said...

the most important thing is to have a good idea you want to create.

so it really depends on what you want to make , if your not sure if a sewing machine is what you need to execute your ideas, perhaps check out an introduction to sewing course in your local area.

but it's important to know how to hand sew as well as how to do basic construction.

machine may make things a little quicker, but hand sewing is just as good.

there's also lots of tutorial on the internet on how to make a basic plush. if you google, and check out craft forums you'll find a lot of basic sewing information around.

good luck, and have fun

June (planetjune) said...

Also try the new blog Softie Making: http://www.softiemaking.com/ - it collects resources, tips and tricks for making softies and has links to free patterns you can try. Good luck!

Leeanna Butcher said...

I started off sewing by hand, until it got to the point where carpal tunnel set in, then I went out and got myself a machine. My mother in law is big into sewing, so I asked her what type of machine to get. She's been using the same Pfaff machine for the last 25 years, so I bought myself a Pfaff and am totally loving it!

Here are a couple of good books to get you started:

"Softies: Simple instructions for 25 great plush pals" by Therese Laskey

"Plush-O-Rama: Curious creatures for Immature adults" by Linda Kopp

both come with the patterns for each design, as well as great insight into materials, stitches etc.

Good luck with your plush making!!

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin