A lot of cosplayers first start out by hand sewing some or all of their costumes, often if they are inexperienced or do not own a sewing machine. This included myself until recently, so read on to find out my top tips for sewing by hand!
· Make sure you have the basic equipment for sewing. This includes: needles and thread, pins, tailor’s chalk/dressmaker’s pencil, fabric scissors, a pin cushion, and a seam ripper. You can usually buy a basic sewing kit that includes most, if not all of these.
· Learn a few basic stitches on some scrap fabric. I recommend learning the running stitch, the backstitch, the slip stitch, and the blanket stitch. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube that you can follow along to, so don’t be afraid to look it up!
· Decide which needle you need. Use a thick, heavier needle for thicker and stronger fabrics, whereas the thin and smaller needles are used for more delicate fabrics.
· When you need to pull elastic through a waistband (or something similar), pin a safety pin though one end of the elastic. Then you can slide this through the channel that you’ve sewn. Once I learned this trick, sewing with elastic became so much easier!
· Clear nail polish is your best friend. If you have the edge of a ribbon or lace that’s fraying, apply a bit of clear nail polish to the end of it to stop it from coming undone. Buy the cheapest type of clear nail polish from the drugstore – there’s no need for an expensive nail polish.
· Please iron your fabric before sewing! It makes it so much easier to pin and sew your fabric accurately when it’s perfectly flat and freshly ironed.
Hopefully some of these tips will come in use to you. Remember – the internet is your friend. There are plenty more handsewing tips and tutorials out there!
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