Falling in Love with the Process: How I Taught Myself to Sew

I’ve always been a whimsical soul—but I’ve never understood the appeal of making things just for the sake of it. I’ve always wanted to create beautiful, useful things. That’s what drew me to sewing—and eventually to dressmaking. The imagination. The potential. The tactile joy of shaping fabric into form.

It was the process that hooked me long before I had any idea how to do it.

The Myth of “You Need to Be Taught”

When I first dreamed of learning to sew, it felt… inaccessible. I assumed you needed lessons, expensive courses, a teacher. And growing up, I didn’t have the means to pay for that. I kept putting it off, quietly believing the skill was gatekept—just out of reach for someone like me.

One day, after years of waiting and wondering, I had a moment of stubborn clarity “Why can’t I teach myself?”

Armed with optimism (and perhaps a touch too much confidence), I bought a pattern from the charity shop, picked up some fabric from Coolcrafting, and set out to make a shirt. It wasn’t perfect—not even close. But it was a functional garment. And I still wear it to this day.

It was the first time I realised - If you can follow a recipe, you can follow a sewing pattern.

A Tactile Kind of Magic

I fell in love, not just with the end result, but with the feel of it all—the way fabric drapes, the hiss of the iron, the quiet concentration of a needle pulling thread.

Sewing is deeply sensory. You learn by touching, by handling, by experimenting. You take a flat, dimensional piece of cloth and coax it into form—giving it shape, weight, and story.

It still feels like magic.

On Imperfection and Mentors

I’ve made plenty of mistakes—and still do. But every stitch, every seam teaches me something. One of the most freeing things I’ve learned is that you don’t need perfection to begin. There is such a thing as good enough.

A colleague and mentor at Coolcrafting, Fiona, once told me something I’ll never forget:

“You have to fall in love with the process, not just the end result. It’s the journey that makes something beautiful—including the mistakes.”

That stayed with me. It’s how I approach everything I make now—with grace, curiosity, and a willingness to try.

To the Hesitant Beginner

If you’re standing at the edge of wanting to try sewing, but you’re afraid to start—this is for you:

• 💫 You’re allowed to be a beginner.

• 💫 You don’t need to be perfect to be creative.

• 💫 You can make something flawed and still be proud.

• 💫 You don’t need permission—just the courage to begin.

• 
  

The world needs more creativity. More homemade clothes. More stories stitched into seams. If you’ve ever wanted to try—this is your sign.

✂️ Ready to Start?

In the coming months, I’ll be sharing more about the techniques I love, the tools that helped me learn, and resources for anyone wanting to sew—especially if you’re starting from scratch like I did.

And if you want to sew something beautiful and useful, my new bag pattern might just be the place to begin. [Add link or image here]

Fall in love with the process. There’s magic in the making.

What do you remember about your first make? Or what’s holding you back from starting?Come tell me over on Instagram @theuigseamstress—I’d love to cheer you on.