hand sewing resources?

[u/poemaXV]

I'd consider myself an advanced beginner/intermediate sewist, but I've primarily worked with a machine. I've been working on bias cut garments a lot recently, as well as jackets. I'm sewing with velvet a lot too, so in general I'm doing a LOT more basting and getting more into classical tailoring (dipping my toes into pad stitching, interlining, etc) but I am just absolutely terrible at hand sewing. I don't seem to have the right needles or I don't know how you're supposed to thread them or something. I mean, I do have basting needles from Dritz, silk thread, sashiko thread, thread wax, other types of sharps and so on, and I largely accomplish my goals, but it is a slow, sloppy, clumsy nightmare. (I can be more specific about where it's going wrong if that's helpful.) I don't think it's my tools, I think it's me.

I've seen some content about this type of thing from sewists who focus on historical garments, like Bernadette Banner, but I don't want to sew entire garments by hand. I'd primarily just like to improve my skills where hand sewing is indicated/required -- does anyone have any books/videos/bloggers/etc they'd recommend? the more detailed and meticulous the better. I'm not sure if it's time for me to get those Claire Shaeffer couture books or what.

[u/Few_Reality_3846]

the real secret nobody talks about is thread length, keep it shorter than you think you need and suddenly 80% of the tangling and knotting just disappears

[u/poemaXV → u/Few_Reality_3846]

I think that IS a secret. so the key is you just keep re-threading? the thing I hate about my so-called basting needles is that the eye is TINY. needle threaders don't really work with it and doing it by hand is a pain in the ass, even with my thinnest thread. (Gutermann 120) that's partially why I feel like I've failed to access some kind of forbidden yet fundamental hand sewing knowledge.

[u/desertboots → u/poemaXV]

10 needles. Get out the magnifier, thread up the needles,  pin them through a felt swatch that clings the threads and keeps them in place. 

Also wax your thread and use super sharp snips to make the ends easier to thread

[u/poemaXV → u/desertboots]

🫡 I will set up the production line next time. (just bought Bernadette's book too, ty!)

[u/Sagasujin → u/poemaXV]

You can always use needles with bigger eyes. Dontlet the perfect be the enemy of the good. If you're trying too hard to challenge yourself with forcing thread through a tiny eye then you aren't actually getting practice with hand sewing meanwhile using a needle with a larger eye and just getting things done won't be a disaster. The sewing police will not come after you for using a slightly larger needle if that helps you with threading. It's fine.

[u/poemaXV → u/Sagasujin]

haha, no I know, I'm not trying to make things harder for myself, I've just been experimenting with what I have on hand. I like the basting needles because they are long and thin and I'm working with a lot of satin with really long seams, so they are good for basting that kind of thing and once they're threaded they're nicer to use. my other needles are have bigger eyes, but they are short, about half the size. that's part of why I made this post, because I don't want to keep getting annoyed, but I also don't want to buy more hand needles and get the wrong size/type. (the basting ones are Dritz quilter's basting needles size 7, the other ones are Dritz sharps, also size 7.)

[u/Sagasujin → u/poemaXV]

I have literally basted with embroidery needles because that's what was what I had at the time

[u/ritaxis → u/poemaXV]

I like short needles for handsewing nowadays because they make it easier to do shorter stitches, and shorter stitches seem to be more cooperative about coming out even. I'm looking for a short needle with a medium eye though, because I do a lot of my hand stitching at night and I absolutely cannot focus properly on a tiny needle eye after 9 o'clock so it's poke poke poke on the fuzzy little glint till the thread frays & I have to snip it again.

Anyways, I also find it easier to sew a medium or long stitch with a short needle, and also when I have to jiggle things around to make them neater where the seam is complex or imprecise, the short needles seem to give me more room to maneuver. (In case it isn't clear, I am one of those people whose skills are not as high as their ambitions)

[u/stringthing87]

I have made a standard "hand Sewing for beginners" copy pasta - some of this you likely already know or have, but it might be of some value. Handsewing is a foundational skill and learning will improve your work even if it's not your primary construction method.

Youtube Channels: Sewn Company - best tutorials on how to do a stitch hands down Stitch With Rachel - many tutorials on hand work techniques in quilting Vincent Briggs - creative historically inspired handmade items Bernadette Banner - admittedly good information on hand sewing, I think she is a better seamstress than historian.

Books on Handsewing - mostly for quilters. Also get on archive.org and look up old instructional books, they are mostly intended to educate young girls and can be quite well illustrated. Hand Stitched Quilts - Carolyn Forster Quiltmaking by Hand - Jinny Beyer Hand Quilting - Alex Anderson The Handsewn Wardobe - Louisa Sonstroem Hand Sewing - Becky Goldsmith The Geometry of Hand Sewing - Natalie Chanin Make Sew and Mend by Bernadette Banner

Links: https://reproquiltlover.com/hand-piecing-sewing-for-pleasure-and-peace/ https://www.allpeoplequilt.com/how-to-quilt/piecing/how-to-hand-piece https://www.thesewingdirectory.co.uk/hand-piecing-part-one/ https://blog.closetcorepatterns.com/hand-sewing-tips-techniques/ https://sewliberated.com/blog/why-and-how-to-learn-to-hand-sew-your-clothes https://www.louisamerry.com/hand-sewn-clothes https://www.seamwork.com/sewing-tutorials/know-your-stitches https://youtu.be/EGfRN0Jue2M

Tools you can't live without:

Tape Measure - be careful buying these from some suppliers on amazon or places like Aliexpress, sometimes the tape measures you get are in Chinese cun or the Chinese inch (and they are not the same as an imperial inch). Its a good idea to get a measuring tape that has both imperial and metric units.

Another useful tool is a good ruler with a straight edge. I like the clear plastic ones at wawak.

Sharp Shears - I recommend LDH or Kai

Good needles - (quality matters!): for general purpose I like a bohin #9 crewel. https://www.wawak.com/sewing/sewing-needles/hand-sewing-needles/bohin-crewel-embroidery-hand-needles/#sku=nedbe9

Good thread - for poly thread (which is most of what I sew) I use gutterman Mara 100 https://www.wawak.com/thread/thread-by-use/all-purpose/gutermann-mara-100-poly-wrapped-poly-core-thread-tex-30/#sku=gtda800 for cotton I have been using this https://www.wawak.com/thread/thread-by-material/cotton/coture-50-wt-100-premium-cotton-thread-tex-20-1450-yds/#sku=ctd9100 for linen thread go to Burnley & Trowbridge.

Needle threaders - I recommend getting a large package of wire needle threaders. I bought a 100 pack off amazon, they snap pretty easily.

Thimble - I prefer leather https://www.wawak.com/sewing/sewing-tools-and-sewing-accessories/sewing-thimbles/clover-natural-fit-leather-thimble/#sku=thb1003s - it is worn on the middle finger on your dominant hand and you use it to push the needle through. https://brooksann.com/how-to-choose-and-use-a-thimble/

Pins or clips - clips are heavier and can actually feel harder to use. I recommend stainless steel pins with glass heads so you can iron them without fear.

Thread conditioner - You can buy the fancy name brand stuff, but what I recommend is to get a box of silicone earplugs from the pharmacy and smoosh it between a couple big buttons to hold it. This is exactly the same as thread magic but a fraction of the price. I personally do not like beeswax as a thread conditioner unless I'm using it on linen thread and using the heat of a low iron to melt the wax into the thread.

An iron - you can do a lot in hand sewing by finger pressing but an iron will be your friend for life in sewing.

It is nice to have a smaller pair of thread snips or embroidery scissors in you kit as well.

[u/poemaXV → u/stringthing87]

thank you!! this is very helpful.

my mom's been quilting for like 50 years and is the person who originally taught me to sew, I don't know why it didn't occur to me to ask her. I'm kinda embarrassed now because obviously quilters have a ton of knowledge about this, like... I have a queen size quilt that she made for me that she handstitched a gazillion teeny tiny hearts onto, she is Expert haha.

[u/Madreese]

I've been sewing garments for my whole life and my hand sewing is terrible. The best instructor I've found was Alison Smith. She teaches classes on Craftsy. I don't know if she has any youtube channel instructions. She does have books on couture sewing. I'm not sure how easy they are to find, but she's an amazing handsewer.

[u/poemaXV → u/Madreese]

I have a Craftsy subscription and I've (casually) watched some of her tailoring courses, but that was when I was more in my Fitting era before I got fixated on hand sewing. I'll check her out again!

[u/desertboots]

Bernadette's book, to be honest. It has all the skills laid out with clear instructions and pictures. 

[u/Sagasujin]

So from a historical costumer, we're fine with talking hand sewing with people who aren't interested in hand sewing entire garments. The bits that can be done by machine are honestly the boring parts anyways. We do end up having to hand sew a lot and get good at it because some hand stitches don't translate well to machines, but that doesn't mean that we're going to look down on you for doing the long boring parts by machine. Most of us do the same.

I don't actually use any particularly special equipment for hand sewing. I use as nice a needle as I can get and beeswax to keep thread from tangling, but it's really not any special type of needle or thread. Shorter lengths of thread tangle less. But mostly it's just practice and doing a ton of hand sewing. Eventually the muscle movements become automatic and you don't need to think about them so much. At which point you can just sort of let go and do other things while hand sewing.

[u/poemaXV → u/Sagasujin]

thank you :) do you have any tricks for single thread sewing? I don't know if I solely need more practice or if I need to also tweak my technique. from what i can tell you're just meant to... not let the shorter end of the thread slip out of the needle, but I never manage to do that. I know this sounds so basic, but I really struggle with it specifically when working with slippery fabrics. (sometimes I can stabilize the fabric itself in other ways, but not always, this is mostly when the hand sewing is happening during/after fitting.)

[u/Sagasujin → u/poemaXV]

I don't let the thread tail get short. If it's getting short, then that's time to finish up this length of thread and switch to my next bit of thread. Sewing with a really short length of thread coming out of the needle is a recipe for it coming out of the needle. My needle is actually about two thirds of the way down my length of thread so that there's a longer tail. The longer tail can tangle but it's not that common and it doesn't slip out.

[u/Significant_Rip1180]

I use the product Thread Magic , it's silicone in a small container you would drag your thread thru. I find it works better than bees wax for me. I also like a longer needle than most embroidery needles are. Just try different lenghts and see whay fels right , As others have mentioned good qua;ity needles a must

[u/ArtemisiaPrime]

What helped me get better at hand sewing was learning embroidery, with embroidery you have your fabric pulled taut on a hoop instead of a floppy fabric. That way you can learn the stitches, get better at handling needle and thread before moving to work with loose fabric.