Your first sewing project: a checklist

A good first sewing project is small, made of straight seams and sewn in a stable medium-weight cotton: a tote bag, a cushion cover, an apron or an elastic-waist skirt. Before you sew, prepare properly: wash and press the fabric, print and check the pattern, cut on grain, transfer the markings and test your machine on scraps. The checklist below follows that order, from choosing the project to the final press.

Most first-project disappointments come from a skipped preparation step rather than from the sewing itself, so tick each item before moving on to the next.

1. Choose a project you can finish

Pick something you want to use, that you can finish in one or two sessions, and that teaches one or two new skills at a time.

A tote bag pattern is a classic first project because every seam is straight and the fit does not matter. Leave invisible zips, set-in sleeves, buttonholes and stretchy knits for your second or third project. For more ideas, see sewing for beginners.

2. Choose a forgiving fabric

• Buy: medium-weight woven cotton such as poplin, quilting cotton, chambray or a cotton-linen blend; cotton canvas or twill for bags.
• Avoid for now: slippery fabrics (satin, viscose, chiffon), stretch knits, very thick fabrics, and plaids or stripes that have to match at the seams.
• Check the quantity in the pattern for your fabric width, usually 110, 140 or 150 cm (45, 55 or 60 in). Buy a little extra if the fabric is likely to shrink.
• Buy matching thread: all-purpose polyester, one shade darker than the fabric if you cannot find an exact match.

3. Gather the tools

You need a sewing machine, fabric shears, small snips, pins, a tape measure, a ruler, a seam ripper, a marking tool (chalk or a washable pen), an iron and an ironing board. Our list of essential sewing tools explains what to look for in each. For a PDF pattern, add paper scissors and tape.

4. Prepare the fabric

1. Wash and dry the fabric the way you will wash the finished item. Cotton and linen often shrink in the first wash; the guide to pre-washing fabric covers the exceptions.
2. Press out every crease, including the center fold from the bolt.
3. Straighten the cut ends so they are at right angles to the selvage, the finished edge along each side of the fabric.

5. Prepare the pattern

1. Print the pattern at 100 % and measure the test square before printing every page.
2. Assemble the pages and cut out your pieces.
3. Read the pieces list and the cut counts, and check that you have every piece.
4. Read the whole set of instructions once, start to finish, before you cut.

6. Cut and mark

1. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, selvage to selvage, right sides together, unless the cutting layout says otherwise.
2. Place each piece with its grainline parallel to the selvage: measure from both ends of the arrow to the selvage and move the piece until the two distances match.
3. Put pieces marked "place on fold" exactly against the fold.
4. Hold pieces down with weights or pins and cut on the solid cutting line with long, smooth strokes.
5. Snip notches about 3 mm (1/8 in) into the seam allowance and mark dots on the wrong side with chalk.

7. Test your machine

Sew a few lines on a double layer of scrap from your actual fabric. Use a straight stitch about 2.5 mm long (10 stitches per inch) and check that the stitches look the same on both sides. If the machine is new to you, work through sewing machine basics first.

Also find the 1.5 cm (5/8 in) line on the needle plate. That is the usual seam allowance for woven fabric, and keeping it steady is what keeps the size right.

8. Sew in order and press as you go

1. Pin pieces right sides together, matching notches, with pins at right angles to the edge.
2. Backstitch three or four stitches at the start and end of each seam.
3. Remove each pin before it reaches the needle.
4. Press each seam before another seam crosses it: first flat as sewn, then open or to one side.
5. Finish raw edges with a zigzag stitch before they are enclosed by the next step.

9. Finish

Hem, trim every thread end and give the whole piece a final press, with a pressing cloth if you press on the right side. Then use it: the first wear or wash tells you a lot about what to change next time.

Plan your time

Spread the project over several short sessions rather than one long one. A sensible split for a tote bag or a skirt: one session to wash, press and print; one to assemble the pattern, cut and mark; one or two to sew and press. Stop when you are tired: most mistakes, such as sewing a piece inside out or cutting two left sleeves, happen at the end of a long day. Leave the work at a point where the next step is obvious, such as a seam pinned and ready to sew, so it is easy to start again.

The checklist at a glance

• Project chosen, with no zip, knit or set-in sleeve
• Medium-weight woven fabric and matching thread bought
• Fabric washed, dried and pressed
• Pattern printed at 100 % and test square checked
• Pieces cut on grain, notches and dots marked
• Machine tested on scraps of the same fabric
• Seams sewn at a steady allowance and pressed as you go
• Edges finished, hems sewn, final press done

Common first-project mistakes

• Skipping the pre-wash. The finished item shrinks in its first wash. Wash first for anything you will launder.
• Cutting off grain. Side seams twist toward the front after washing. Measure the grainline to the selvage at both ends.
• Wobbly seam allowances. Sewing 1 cm (3/8 in) too deep on both side seams of a skirt makes it 4 cm (1 1/2 in) smaller around. Watch the guide line on the plate, not the needle.
• Pulling the fabric. Let the feed dogs move it; your hands only guide it.
• Not pressing. Unpressed seams never lie flat. Press after every seam.
• Sewing over pins. It can bend or break the needle. Pull each pin out as you reach it.
• Starting with a hard fabric. Slippery or stretchy fabric turns a simple project into a frustrating one. Save it for later.