I have been sewing passionately for several years now and never tire of handling beautiful fabrics... If today, I have almost an entirely handmade wardrobe; I started (like everyone) from scratch... with trials but also quite a few mistakes! 

Based on these experiences, I decided to share with you my 12-point checklist to avoid many disappointments during a sewing project.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

1. Let’s talk fabric

The first point on the checklist is of course preparing your fabricIn the vast majority of clothing projects, it is necessary to machine wash your fabric or steam shrink it with an iron.

Of course, for this step, it is necessary to know the type of fabric and the care recommendations from the supplier. This is very important because you don’t wash a 100% cotton poplin the same way you wash a viscose or silk...

If you want to know more about this first point, I wrote an article specifically on this topic: "why should you wash your fabric before sewing?", you can find it by clicking here.

2) Moving on to haberdashery

Nothing is more frustrating than being in the middle of a project and realizing you have no more or not enough bias tape to bind your coat, not the snaps in the right color to finish a child's little cardigan, or worse... no more white thread on a Sunday 😱... So before starting your project, make sure you have all the necessary supplies for its completion. It saves a lot of frustration later on...

3) And now the pattern

It is important to check 3 points regarding the pattern itself. The first concerns understanding or not seam allowances. Some patterns have included seam allowances, most often 1cm for assembly seams and 3-4cm for hems. However, you can find patterns with 0.7cm allowances and for American brands, most often these will be 1.5cm allowances. If the pattern has no included seam allowances, refer to the pattern instructions to add them or, for the more experienced, you can determine them yourself according to your sewing preferences. 

Speaking of seam allowances, the next point to check is the sewing technique that you want to use. Indeed, some sewing techniques require larger or smaller seam allowances.

For example, you want to make French seams on a small blouse... in that case, you will need seam allowances of 1.5cm. If your pattern has included seam allowances of 1cm, you will need to add 0.5cm. Another example, if you want to sew with an overlocker and you have 1cm seam allowances, either you can adjust your overlocker settings (move the knife) or mark seam allowances at 0.7cm for example. 

Third check on the pattern is cutting layout and symbols that you will find on the pieces. Check carefully the pieces that are cut on the fold, the direction of the pieces, ... I also invite you to check the placement of the pieces on the cutting layout because it is sometimes quite possible to save some fabric simply by arranging the pieces differently (this of course depends on your size and the width of your fabric). I must admit this is an exercise I particularly enjoy. 

4) place the pattern pieces on the fabric and cut your pieces

First check, is the fabric flat and without folds? If not, I invite you to iron your fabric, you will gain a lot of precision in cutting your pieces. Having a false fold when cutting can cause disasters! Be vigilant. 

Second check: the direction of the pieces and the number to cutNormally, you should have for each pattern piece the grainline direction (symbolized by an arrow) as well as the number of pieces to cut. For pieces to be cut in even numbers, the easiest way is to double your fabric; that way you won't have to worry about symmetry. Who hasn't ever cut the same piece in the same direction and ended up with two left fronts? 

Third check: the direction of the patterns or the nap (for minky, velvet or any fabric with a nap) and matching to place the pieces just right. Who hasn’t accidentally cut animals upside down or had trouble matching plaids?...

Fourth check: the markings. Make sure you’ve made all your notches and markings because forgetting them is really frustrating once you’re deep into your work.

Last check: prepare your machine and your tests

At this stage, it’s important to check the condition and type of sewing machine needle and match it to the fabric you’re sewing. There are many needles: jersey, stretch, denim, leather... and in various thicknesses. Make sure you’ve selected the right one before you start. The result will be much better. For example, a worn or too thick needle on a thin fabric guarantees thread pulls. 

If you want to learn more about needles, I wrote an article dedicated to this topic, find it here.

We’ll also check the thread : its composition and thickness. For example, for denim, you’ll want a thicker, more durable thread. For most projects, universal 100% polyester thread remains the reliable basic. 

Finally, last check: do tests on your fabric scraps! It can’t be said enough. For beginners, it helps to check the threading of the machines and to test the stitch on the fabric. It lets you adjust the stitch length and width so your sewing project turns out perfectly!

There you go, you’re all set to start sewing your project. Let me know in the comments if you liked this article or if you have another list of stitches you check, I’d love to chat with you.

Get your needles ready!