Sewing guides
Clear, tested instructions for every stage: measuring, printing, cutting, sewing, finishing and fitting.
Getting started
How Sewly works: from a photo to a printed pattern
Sewly turns a photo, a link or a description into a sewing pattern drafted to your measurements. Preview it in 3D, print it to scale and sew it step by step.
Your first sewing project: a checklist
A step-by-step checklist for a first sewing project: what to make, which fabric to buy, the tools you need, and how to prepare, cut, sew and press it.
Sewing machine basics: threading, bobbin, tension and a first seam
Learn to thread a sewing machine, wind and insert the bobbin, choose the needle and stitch length, balance the tension and sew a first straight seam.
Essential sewing tools for beginners
The sewing tools a beginner really needs, from shears and pins to an iron and a seam ripper, what to look for in each, and which extras can wait until later.
Measuring
How to take your body measurements for sewing
How to take all 24 body measurements for sewing, from bust, waist and hip to crotch depth and head, with exact tape positions and the mistakes to avoid.
How to choose your size (or skip sizes entirely)
Choose a sewing pattern size from your body measurements, not your shop size: which measurement to use, how to blend sizes, and when to go made to measure.
Ease in sewing patterns: wearing ease and design ease
Ease is the difference between your body and the finished garment. Learn wearing ease, design ease and negative ease, with typical amounts in cm and inches.
Printing
How to print a PDF sewing pattern at the right scale
Print a PDF sewing pattern at 100 % (actual size), never fit to page, and check the 5 cm or 2 in test square before printing every page. Settings by app.
How to assemble a tiled PDF sewing pattern
Assemble a tiled PDF sewing pattern without gaps: check the test square, lay pages out by row and column, trim two margins, match the marks, tape and cut.
Printing a sewing pattern at a copy shop (A0 or 36 × 48 in)
Print a sewing pattern on large-format paper: when to choose A0 or 36 × 48 in, what to ask the copy shop, how to check the scale and how to avoid surprises.
Projector sewing: cutting fabric from a projected pattern
Projector sewing shows the pattern at actual size on your fabric so you cut without printing. Set up the projector, calibrate the scale and cut accurately.
Cutting
How to read a sewing pattern: lines, notches and symbols
What every line and mark on a sewing pattern means: cutting and sewing lines, grainline arrows, notches, place-on-fold brackets, dots, darts and labels.
Pre-washing fabric: why, how and when to skip it
Pre-wash fabric the way you will wash the finished garment, so it shrinks before you cut. Methods by fiber, a shrinkage test, and when to skip it.
How to lay out and cut fabric on grain
Fold fabric selvedge to selvedge, line each grainline arrow up with the selvedge and cut cleanly: a step-by-step layout method for wovens, knits and prints.
How to transfer pattern markings: notches, darts and dots
How to transfer notches, dart legs, dots and placement lines from paper to fabric with snips, chalk, a tracing wheel or tailor's tacks, by fabric type.
Sewing techniques
How to sew a straight seam and pivot at corners
Sew straight seams with an even 1.5 cm (5/8 in) allowance: set up the machine, follow the seam guide, backstitch, pivot at corners and press. With drills.
How to finish seams without a serger
Seven ways to finish seams on a regular sewing machine: zigzag, pinked, turned edge, French, flat-felled, Hong Kong and bound seams, and which to use when.
How to sew darts that lie flat
Sew darts with a smooth point: mark the legs and tip, stitch a straight line onto the fold, tie off instead of backstitching, and press over a ham.
How to insert an invisible zip
Insert an invisible zip step by step: press the coils, sew each side with an invisible zip foot, close the seam below and finish the ends, with fixes.
How to sew an elastic waistband casing
Sew an elastic waist casing: how wide to make it, how long to cut the elastic, threading and joining it, and keeping it from twisting or rolling over.
How to set in sleeves without puckers
Set in sleeves smoothly: ease-stitch the cap, match the notches and seams, shrink the fullness with steam, pin and sew. In the round and flat methods.
How to sew knit fabrics on a regular sewing machine
Sew knits on a regular machine: a ballpoint or stretch needle, a narrow zigzag or stretch stitch, stabilized shoulders and twin-needle hems, with fixes.
How to gather fabric evenly on a sewing machine
Gather fabric evenly with two rows of long stitches: choose a gathering ratio, sew the rows, pull the threads, match quarter marks and sew without pleats.
How to sew in-seam pockets in a skirt, dress or trousers
Sew in-seam side pockets: attach the pocket bags to the front and back, sew the side seam around them, clip and press them forward so they stay hidden.
Finishing
How to hem: double-fold, narrow and blind hems
How to hem any garment: when to use a double-fold, narrow or blind hem, the allowance each one needs, step-by-step methods and fixes for wavy or uneven hems.
Finishing necklines and armholes with bias binding
Finish necklines and armholes with bias binding: how to cut and join bias strips, sew a bias facing or a visible bound edge, which strip width to use and fixes.
How to sew buttonholes and buttons
How to sew buttonholes by machine and buttons by hand: buttonhole length, placement and spacing, interfacing, one-step and four-step methods, and common fixes.
Fit
Fixing common fit issues: gaping, pulling and wrong lengths
Read the wrinkles and fix common fit problems: gaping necklines and armholes, pulling at the bust, back or crotch, and wrong lengths, with exact changes.
How to make a toile (muslin) to test the fit
How to make a toile or muslin to test a pattern's fit: which fabric to use, what to sew and leave out, how to fit it and transfer the changes to your pattern.
Fabric
How to choose fabric for a pattern: drape, weight and stretch
How to choose fabric for a sewing pattern: woven or knit, weight in gsm, drape and stretch, with a table of fabrics by garment and easy picks for beginners.
Woven vs knit fabric: the differences and how to tell
Woven vs knit fabric explained: how each one is made, how they stretch, fray and sew, five quick tests to tell them apart and which patterns need which fabric.
How much fabric do I need? Reading fabric quantities
How much fabric you need for a sewing pattern: reading quantity charts, why fabric width matters, typical amounts by garment and extra for prints and shrinkage.
Using Sewly
How to use Sewly in ChatGPT and Claude
Add Sewly to ChatGPT or Claude with its connector URL, sign in with your Sewly account, ask for a pattern from a photo link or a description, and get the PDF.
How to turn a Pinterest pin into a sewing pattern
Turn a Pinterest pin into a sewing pattern fitted to you: pick a clear pin, paste its link or a screenshot into Sewly, check the options, preview in 3D, print.
Ask the sewing guide: getting help while you sew
Every Sewly pattern has a sewing guide you can ask questions: what it contains, how to ask good questions, how AI messages count and quick fixes at the machine.