Learning to hand sew - where / how ?

[EagleJCS]

My mother taught me some of the basics. I still can't sew a straight line, but I don't need to most of the time. I usually just sew patches on my Scout uniform and/or patch blanket and the occasional loose button. I can also mend holes and can do an emergency hem on my trousers (good enough to hold until I can get the hem fixed properly).

Mom was a home ec(-onomics) teacher wayyy back when. I would suggest seeing if the local school system has any home ec teachers. Then I would ask nicely if any of them teach hand sewing and would consider taking on a private student.

Have you checked with any tailors and/or dry cleaners? (Some dry cleaners around here have tailors that do alterations.) You might also ask around in the suit departments in your local clothing retailers. The JCPenney I worked at in college had some ladies that did suit alterations, and some of the work required hand-stitching.

Good luck!

[Woodsman]

My mother taught me some of the basics. I still can't sew a straight line, but I don't need to most of the time. I usually just sew patches on my Scout uniform and/or patch blanket and the occasional loose button. I can also mend holes and can do an emergency hem on my trousers (good enough to hold until I can get the hem fixed properly).

You mean I too can progress from sewing scout patches onto uniforms to making my own kilt? If so, this thought has opened up a whole new line of thought for me, thanks.

[jgcunningham]

You mean I too can progress from sewing scout patches onto uniforms to making my own kilt? If so, this thought has opened up a whole new line of thought for me, thanks.

Yeppers. This is basically what I did. I started out at sewing just a few things by hand to machine sewing. I'm a guy. I can run a machine. And it kind of has a gas pedal like my truck. Coolness. Then I made my first machine kilt. Then I desired a hand-sewn tank. So I bought Barb and Elsie's book. Now I've made two by hand.

TIP: Just remember. If you have big fat pickle fingers like me, it helps to use longer needles, not necessarily thicker ones.