10 Tips for Learning to Sew: A Conversation with Glory Allan

Podcast Transcript

Sarai

I'm Sarai.

Haley

And I'm Haley.

Sarai

And this is Seamwork Radio. Welcome back to Seamwork Radio, where we share practical ideas for building a creative process so you can sew with intention and joy. Today, I have a really special guest with me — it’s Glory Allan. And you might recognize him the most from his super popular YouTube channel or TikTok videos. He creates really approachable sewing tutorials, has a bunch of really great sewing projects, and puts together DIY kits for his projects. He also has a lot of free patterns, so you’ll definitely want to check them out. He is here to share 10 expert tips for anyone who is interested in teaching themselves how to sew. Even if you already know how to sew, all these tips apply to any new self-taught hobby. And you can even apply them to learning new sewing skills, but if you are new to sewing, you’re really going to love these ideas.

All right, thanks for talking with me today. I'm so glad to have you on. It's so exciting.

Glory Allan

Excited to be here. Thank you for inviting me.

Sarai

Yeah. I was just saying before we started hitting, before we hit record that our whole team is such a big fan of your channel. We all..

Glory Allan

Love that.

Sarai

We all watch it. Yeah.

Glory Allan

Awesome.

Sarai

So tell me a bit about how you got started making sewing content on YouTube and on TikTok.

Glory Allan

Well, I started about... feels like a long time now, in 2019, but that was when I released... sorry, 2020 was when I released my first YouTube video, and it kind of started. So, I've been sewing for about six years prior to that, but casually, and it was all self-taught—just taking clothes apart, trying to put them back together. And then, once there was lockdown, I just found myself in a position where I was trying to make do with my spare time. I had a passion for sewing, I had a video camera from my dad, and I liked making videos as a kid, so I tried to combine both of them. And I started making these funny, entertaining videos of me sewing a specific project. And eventually, I think about two years later, I started making tutorials on how to actually sew.

Sarai

And what kinds of videos do you like making the best? You still make a lot of those kind of funny, like project-based videos.

Glory Allan

I make less of those lately. Tutorials are hard because there's a lot of research that I do ahead of time and creating the pattern, there's so much more to the tutorials, but the work itself is more so lengthy than it is challenging, because the instructions on how to make a bucket hat or make a tote bag are out there. It's more just based on research versus these fun entertaining videos. It's a bit more challenging creatively, which I like, but it does require a lot more out of me, and right now my focus is making more educational content for other people to learn how to sew.

Sarai

Yeah, and you do such an amazing job with that. What do you think is really special about people who are just learning to sew? Because a lot of your videos focus on kind of the beginner stages and really learning the skills from the ground up. So what is it that you like about teaching people that are at that stage?

Glory Allan

The two things that come to mind is one, when I first started sewing, there was a ton of videos out there for me to learn from on YouTube, but I felt like none of them really spoke to me in the way I wanted to or encouraged me. I guess like traditionally, some of the sewing patterns or designs that I saw were more like female designs, so it didn't really suit my needs. And I never found an educator or a sewing teacher that just kind of had my style so I'm kind of creating a video the videos that I wish I had when I first started sewing and then the second piece is I'm also just self-taught so I like making the beginner videos it's one super fresh for me and two I feel like I have a good grasp on it because I was self-taught so I'm trying to teach other people that are trying to be self-taught and it just seems fitting I think eventually if I start taking classes and like getting more formally educated or trained on sewing then I'll make more expert type videos, but for now just the beginner friendly ones.

Sarai

Yeah, I think a lot of people these days are self-taught, maybe more so than in the past. Do think that's true?

Glory Allan

Totally. I feel like YouTube University has just been so helpful for people. So at home, as long as they have a TV and Wi-Fi, there's all this content out there that's free and there's a lot of great creators out there in the sewing space that have very informative videos. So, even outside of sewing, picking up any skill, hobby, any project, I feel like there's anything you could think of, there's a video out there that someone is showing you how to do.

Sarai

Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. We were just talking at home because my KitchenAid, like mixer, my stand mixer, has been making this terrible grinding noise, and nobody repairs these things anymore. And so, my husband and I were just like, well, I guess we're going to set aside an afternoon, look up a YouTube video, and figure out how to do this ourselves.

Glory Allan

Exactly. Yeah, that's kind of the solution for everything. And then it's interesting, like some people, I don't know which you prefer, but when you have an issue, do you Google it or do you YouTube it?

Sarai

It depends on what it is, but for something I want to learn how to do, it's YouTube for me.

Glory Allan

Right, yeah. I feel like I'm a little bit of both, but even when I'm on Google, sometimes the first search result is a YouTube video on how to do it anyways.

Sarai

Yeah, that's true. A lot of our traffic to our YouTube videos comes from Google search, you know. People are looking up how to do something, and they end up on YouTube.

Glory Allan

Yeah.

Sarai

Yeah. Video is really revolutionized, I think, teaching a wide variety of subjects, for sure.

Glory Allan

Yeah. 100%.

Sarai

And I like that your content really advocates for this kind of do-it-yourself approach, for learning how to sew. So, why is that something that is important to you?

Glory Allan

I think it just bodes well with my personality. I love doing things myself, building things, crafting things. And I feel like it helps me, I mean, I just enjoy using my hands, and it helps me better understand what I'm doing, and it's just so empowering. Once you actually solve something or do something for yourself, it feels so good. Then you want another issue to come up so you can do it again, or you want to just do it for someone else. You know, you feel good about yourself. And I feel like my medium is sewing to try to share that same feeling with others. But even outside of sewing, I just love getting crafty and using my hands to solve my own problems.

Sarai

Yeah, I totally agree. I don't know what it is about using your hands to figure things out, but there's something that's just so gratifying about it. It feels like what our brains and our bodies are meant to do, you know?

Glory Allan

Yeah, yeah, 100%. Especially because a lot of the work we do or other people, we're on like screens, we're on computers, like we're not using our hands beyond typing. So, it is nice to get dirty with something, you know? Get..Just dig into something physical.

Sarai

Yeah. Yeah, I think you're right. A lot of our lives are lived on screens and on social media. And it's kind of this…almost fake world that we become immersed in, you know?

Glory Allan

Yeah.

Sarai

I read this quote the other day that was about like investing in reality, and like invest more of your time in reality — and that really resonated with me. And I think that's a big part of sewing for me is using my body, my hands, and my mind all together.

Glory Allan

I wonder what it's going to be, if there's going to be some kind of metaverse for sewing soon. Now that we're talking about all this, I am like, and I know there is people out there investing in like a digital version of sewing with these glasses and stuff.

Sarai

Hahaha! Or you're just making clothes for your avatar all day long.

Glory Allan

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. That would be really funny.

Sarai

Ridiculous.

Glory Allan

Yeah.

Sarai

What do you think it is that beginners struggle with the most when they're learning?

Glory Allan

I think it's having some kind of structure. I think when you're trying to learn how to do something, sometimes the question is like, the hardest question is "what should I search" or "what should I know first?" And I think without structure, people start on one path, and they might be starting ahead of where they should. Like, they might skip out on some fundamental or like foundational knowledge. I personally think having that structure — like knowing where the actual starting point for this journey is and where to go next — would help a lot of people, whether they're learning sewing or something else. Because, yeah, you could jump into something and like learn it with just a tutorial or a how-to video, but then you kind of miss some of the other learnings you might have or like some questions you might have about why you're doing something.

Sarai

Yeah, I think that's one of the challenging things with sewing in particular. I think this probably applies to other things as well, but when you're learning, you kind of need to go at things step by step. But a lot of people, they have a project in mind that they want to make, or they have a certain style or a certain thing that they want to create, but you can't go from A to...pass B and C straight to D.

Glory Allan

Yeah.

Sarai

You have to make some easier things first. So I think that's a little bit of a struggle sometimes for people.

Glory Allan

Yeah, and I feel like I'm sometimes like that too. I just want to get to the solution and like do what I came here to do. But then you might set yourself up for failure if you bite off something bigger than you can chew and now you're halfway in that project but you're not sure what to do next and like that's when you got to backtrack and find that starting point.

Sarai

Yeah. We did this other podcast episode we talked about, there are some beginners who are more adventurous and really want to dive in, and they risk kind of bypassing a lot of good information. But then there are other people who are more reserved, and they are a little bit scared to dive in. And that presents other problems. So it's finding that balance. think that's pretty tricky.

Glory Allan

Yeah. Yeah.

Sarai

Cool, well I know you brought some tips for people that want to teach themselves, so maybe you could share those with us.

Glory Allan

Definitely. Is there like a good way to get at this?

Sarai

You could just start with tip number one and I'll dive in with any questions or anything.

Glory Allan

Okay. Sounds good. So I have a list of 10 things. I broke it off into five setup tips and then five training or, like, learning tips to try to just organize it better. So my first tip is to say you need a sewing machine. And I feel like the best tip that you could start with is to find a machine that you could borrow—family or friends, someone probably has a sewing machine or two. I know a lot of people have multiple sewing machines. There's probably one sitting idle. If you could borrow someone's machine to try it out before you start sewing, that's very helpful because these sewing machines are expensive. They're $200, $300 new, almost $100 used. So it could get pretty expensive to try to learn this new hobby and not know whether you like it or not. So, find a machine to borrow or some libraries have maker spaces or just like equipment and space for you to rent. And a lot of them have sewing machines. So if you can rent one from a library or find one from a friend, I feel like that's just probably my most recommended way to start getting into sewing.

Sarai

Yeah, I think once you've been sewing for a few years, you forget what a hurdle is just to acquire a sewing machine. That's often the biggest challenge for somebody who wants to learn.

Glory Allan

Yeah. One of the jokes from my TikToks earlier, it's like, you save up so much money to buy this sewing machine that you've always wanted, and then you realize you spent all your money, you don't have money to buy the other tools or fabric or patterns that you need. So it's such a saving, like you just have to save so much money to get started in sewing.

Sarai

Yeah. I know there are some super cheap machines out there. Would you recommend that people start with something inexpensive or that they invest a little bit more money into something that will last a long time?

Glory Allan

That's a good question. I've probably used a handful of machines, and so far they've all been pretty good at handling your average fabric. I think the more affordable machines probably aren't going to hold up against some thicker fabrics. It kind of depends on what people want to sew. Are they going to be hemming a few shirts where they just need the machine to do a couple of stitches around the hem, and that's it, on very lightweight material? Or are they trying to make a full denim outfit? In that case, you need something pretty heavy-duty to withstand such thick layers. It would depend on the person, what they plan on sewing, and the frequency of how much they'd use it. And I'd probably use those two, along with the budget, to determine what machine to get.

Sarai

Yeah, my sister's first machine was a vintage Kenmore from the '70s. That thing was a workhorse.

Glory Allan

Nice.

Sarai

And it's like all metal, really, really strong. So I feel like there are good used options too, if you can find them.

Glory Allan

Yeah, that's one of my other tips for this whole getting your setup ready, the second one being, there are a lot of great brands out there. Kenmore is a good one, Singer, Brother, Janome. Actually, there are more than just those, but buying used could be kind of tricky, you know. If you buy it from a store without anyone to vouch for the quality. Like you might buy something that doesn't even have like a needle or like the throat plate like because you don't know what you need in a sewing machine. So I guess the tip was when you're buying used, if you could buy off a dealer or a person that can vouch for the quality that can tell you it's working fine or what you need to repair. I feel like that's a good starting point. If you want a machine that's really solid without buying new without the price tag of a new machine, then buying used from someone is going to be better than buying used from a store.

Sarai

That's interesting. I think a lot of dealers also, like you said, have used machines sometimes. And that could be nice because they can do the repairs too.

Glory Allan

Yeah, and then they probably serviced it before they sell it to you. They probably know their way around it. So you're exactly right. Like they could service it. You could bring it back if you have an issue within like a week, a month, or just bring it back for your normal servicing.

Sarai

Yeah, and some of them do trade-ins too, so if you do decide you want to upgrade, that's kind of nice as well.

Glory Allan

Yeah. That's a really good point. Yeah, I didn't think of that, but yeah, you could start with a very, very modest machine, and then if you actually find yourself sewing more often than you thought you would, then you just bring it back, trade it in, and you probably net less than you would have spent if you bought the wrong machine.

Sarai

Yeah, very true.

Glory Allan

What sewing machine did you start with?

Sarai

Mine was… I think it was a White, was a brand, sewing machine. I don't know if they even still make them anymore, but it was a gift for my, I think, 17th birthday, or maybe my 16th birthday, from my mom. I sewed on that thing for years, though, and it was fine. It wasn't an expensive machine by any means, but it was fine for many years. What about you? What was your first?

Glory Allan

Nice. My first sewing machine is actually just around the corner right there. It's one of those Singer Featherweight ones; I think it's the 223K or something like that. I haven't opened it in a while, but it was my grandma's old Singer machine, so that's what I learned on. After that, it was a regular, I think, Janome home sewing machine.

Sarai

Mm. The Singer Featherweight, is it just do a straight stitch or straight and zigzag? It's just straight stitch.

Glory Allan

Yeah, just a straight stitch. Yeah, it was pretty solid, all metal. The one thing I always remember whenever I talk about it is the light bulb. It was before like LED lights, so it's just this bulb that gets really hot. You could feel the heat as you're sewing, and I've burnt myself just touching it like as I'm sewing. Getting burnt by the bulb so many times that it's like when I recommend a new machine, I'm like, yeah, LED light, it's brighter and it doesn't get hot. And no one cares because they're like, why would it matter if it gets hot? It's like, if you've tried the old machines, you know why. Yeah.

Sarai

That's really funny. All right, want to share your next tip?

Glory Allan

Yeah, so the next tip is buy the essential sewing tools and hold out on buying the more optional things. There are so many tools and attachments for a sewing machine. Like, you could buy all these different presser feet. You could buy these different thread spool pins. You could buy scissors, rotary cutters, a mat. There are so many things. Simplify it as a beginner and just buy the essentials. I have... Sprint down the scissors. Home scissors just won't cut fabric the same way as fabric shears. So buy a pair of fabric shears. An invisible ruler is going to be really helpful. Or a measuring tape, but I would definitely say an invisible ruler is my most used tool. Chalk, sewing pins, and a seam ripper because everyone's going to make mistakes. You need a decent seam ripper as you're learning.

Sarai

Yeah, what's your favorite kind of chalk to use?

Glory Allan

Do you mean like the format, like the chalk pens or... I haven't tried the chalk pens or pencils. I find like the chalk that I use in the square triangle form, they get a bit thick sometimes if you don't try to sharpen it out. But it's kind of one of those biases. I've just started out using them, so I haven't...moved on to other forms that just been, you know, what I'm comfortable with. I like the chalk that I use. So what do you use?

Sarai

I like the... I'm a big advocate for the Clover pencils. Clover, I don't remember what they're called, but they've got the two colors, one on each end. So you can just flip it around if you need a different color.

Glory Allan

Nice.

Sarai

I love them.

Glory Allan

Is that the one where it drops out like chalk dust almost? Like it's not a solid chalk, it's like leaves a...

Sarai

No, that's the Clover Choco-Pel. I don't really like that as much. I just like the straight up pencils that Clover makes.

Glory Allan

I'm inclined to use the pencils because I feel like I can get it nice and sharp and I feel like when I'm sewing, if it's a thick line, I have to remember which side the ruler is on because that's going to be where I should line up to versus like the two, three millimeters thick line where like your needle can go anywhere in between there.

Sarai

Right. Exactly. It's a lot more precise, for sure.

Glory Allan

Yeah.

Sarai

Cool. Well, what's your next tip? These are great.

Glory Allan

My next tip is to try to find free sewing patterns to start. I think there's a ton out there. I have some, but there are a lot of websites that offer free patterns. Even if it's not what you want to sew as your dream project, a lot of these free patterns will help you get started on the right foot. And they're free, so you could probably print them at home and get it done a lot easier. I mean, aim for simple patterns that are free and that will help you build your skills as you're learning to sew. You'll figure out how to sew straight, remembering to do a backstitch or turning. Use some free patterns before you spend money on good patterns.

Sarai

Yeah, I like that a lot. I feel like, sometimes I think when you're a beginner, you don't quite have the experience to visualize what it's going to look like in different fabrics. But something that's even really, really simple can look really cool if it's in an interesting fabric. And once you figure that out, the easy, free, simple patterns can be a lot more appealing.

Glory Allan

Yeah, that's a great point. Just get, and you can modify them too if you start with a base that pattern as your base. You can add some pockets, some details, some embroidery. There's a lot you could do with it. And I think it's just, like, a affordable way to start. My mentality for like someone learning how to sew is always like, what is the easiest and most affordable way to test if you even like this? Because yeah, there's a big commitment like financially and the amount of time you have to invest to learn. So, you what's the most efficient and affordable way to try it before you spend too much money and then you might not like, suddenly you might not like any of it. And then you're dealt, left with all this fabric, tools. Yeah, you could dig yourself pretty deep.

Sarai

Yeah, a lot of people have a sewing machine in their closet that they never use. Whenever I meet somebody and I tell them what I do, I always hear that.

Glory Allan

Yeah, I get that on my mic as comments on my content a lot too. It's like, "Ah, this is a video I needed to get that sewing machine out of my closet now for two years, five years." And I'm like, "Wow, five years in the closet—that's a long time. You guys have got to get that thing going."

Sarai

I know. That's what I always say to people too. Get it out of the closet. Use that thing.

Glory Allan

Yeah. it's so helpful. It's so useful.

Sarai

Yeah, even if you don't enjoy making clothes, it's so useful to be able to just hem your jeans or make a pillowcase or whatever.

Glory Allan

Yeah, and they have the machine. That's like the hardest part is deciding which machine to get and then having the money to buy it. They've already done the hardest part, so it's just smooth sailing from there.

Sarai

Yeah. Yeah, I think that and just learning to thread your machine are the biggest challenges when you're learning to sew.

Glory Allan

Yeah. It's so funny because there are manuals out there that are like, "Here's exactly how you need to thread your sewing machine." But so many people prefer, like, a video showing them how. And I guess that's how these digital platforms, like YouTube and Google, have garnered so much attention for learning how to do things because people like seeing visuals. But even myself, whenever I get something new, I don't read the manual every time. Sometimes I'm too excited, and then you get to, like, learning how to thread your machine and you're like, "Wait, what? What is this? You know, where do I start? "

Sarai

Yeah, I forgot. I think another thing that's really helpful is to take pictures as you're threading it so you remember what you did before. That's some advice we've given some beginners before and I think that's really helpful too.

Glory Allan

That's a good point. Is this like pictures as you're doing it or thread it and then take pictures of the finished threaded machine?

Sarai

Either way, just so you remember step by step where the thread goes, I think it's super helpful.

Glory Allan

Yeah, that's a good one. I like that.

Sarai

Alright, what's your next tip?

Glory Allan

My next tip is to try to find some affordable fabric. Some places you can get that are fabric stores, which sometimes have sales bins where they have the end of the roll. They can't sell less than a yard, so they put it in a sales bin. It's a good way to find some good fabric. Secondhand stores, they usually have, actually sometimes they'll have fabric that has been untouched, maybe from an estate sale or something, or you can find bed sheets or other fabrics to use for sewing. And just the third one would be to use muslin. I feel like not everyone, I mean, maybe they know, but it's a very affordable, cheap fabric to practice on, and it comes in different weights. So that's a good tip. If you're looking for just basic fabric and there's nothing in the sales bin you want, check out muslin, because that's like what everyone should start sewing with.

Sarai

Yeah, it's very easy to sew too, because it's very stable.

Glory Allan

Yeah, that's the big thing, is fine fabric that's good for beginners. It's like somewhere medium weight, not too heavy because some machines can't take it, but not too light that's very flimsy. I feel like muslin is usually in a good range where it's like, it's not, it's never too heavy or too light. It's like perfect for most machines. And yeah, when people get the wrong fabric, especially really light fabric, that can cause a lot of hiccups and when you're just learning a craft, you don't want hiccups, you want something easy that's gonna work.

Sarai

Yeah, yeah, I think that's the other thing is making the experience as enjoyable for yourself as you can, if you want to stick with it. That's another challenge is if you don't, if you make it too hard on yourself, if you make it a little bit too tricky, then you end up getting frustrated and you don't want to do it.

Glory Allan

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Sarai

That's another challenge is if you don't, if you make it too hard on yourself, if you make it a little bit too tricky, then you end up getting frustrated and you don't want to do it.

Glory Allan

100%. I mean, like with any hobby or interest, like if you have this expectation and then you get hit with all these walls trying to do it, you're just gonna lose interest. Like, you don't have that innate interest or like you haven't built that passion yet. You're just starting, so making it as easy as possible is gonna help you get there.

Sarai

Yeah, that's so true. Like you said, that's true for any hobby, anything new that you're learning. Just, It feels really hard at first, and then it feels less hard over time.

Glory Allan

Yeah, yeah.

Sarai

Cool. What about, you've talked a lot about like the resources, what about learning, learning to sew?

Glory Allan

Okay, so learning. Some easy projects to start with, before you even get sewing patterns. Let's start with some easy alterations. Everyone has some clothes at home. If you get a sewing machine, you don't need to buy new fabric and all this stuff yet. You could just start with alterations at home. I feel like that kind of gets overlooked as, like, people who want to sew just want to make something new right away. But alterations, whether it's something that you do after old clothes you already have, a tapered pair of pants, or fixing the hem of something—experiment with that, because it's a lot easier to just do a few stitches than to create something from scratch. And like, eventually, you can work your way up to something new. But I feel like alterations get overlooked because people are like, "I want to make something new. I want to... I have this idea." It's like, yeah, okay, that's great. You could definitely do that. But you could also maybe just, like, get familiar with your machine first by starting off with clothes you already have.

Sarai

Yeah, I agree. I feel like altering your clothes and or even fixing your clothes is kind of unsexy to a lot of people.

Glory Allan

Yeah. Yeah.

Sarai

I know for me personally, my mending pile doesn't ever seem to diminish, but it is something you can do that will help you to use what you already have, also, instead of acquiring more stuff. So that's kind of nice.

Glory Allan

100%. Even like... I think my first project ever was tapering a pair of pants. And I tapered probably 10 other pairs of pants before I started sewing anything else. Some other fun things, like if you want to widen some pants, you could take the seam apart and add more fabric. Like, it just doesn't have to be completely from scratch. You could take something and mod it and have a lot of fun with it. And I think...

That kind of goes back to our conversation about, like, building the confidence or building the passion. It's just starting off with something that's fairly easy and, like, enjoying it. And with clothes that are already in your closet, you probably like them. So you're likely to wear what you altered, which is another plus to building the interest.

Sarai

Yeah. And there's a lot of really cool upcycling channels on YouTube too. They're just dedicated to that.

Glory Allan

Yeah. Do you usually make like new garments or do you like doing, what's your take on that?

Sarai

I always make new stuff. I'm really not good about altering or fixing the stuff I have, but I should be better about it. But yeah, I make a lot of new clothes. What about you?Do you do a lot of alterations now?

Glory Allan

Yeah, I still do. I have like an ever-growing list of things that I want to sew. It's a mixed match of things I want to sew from new and things I want to alter. I also like thrifting a lot just for my own wardrobe, so I end up altering clothes so that they fit me better because your selection is pretty slim when you're thrifting. So I like altering the clothes that I have. It's also easier. Like, I'm filming so often. I'm filming more than I'm sewing lately. So altering is an easy way for me to get back into sewing without committing to something huge that might interfere with, like, or conflict with my work schedule.

Sarai

Yeah, that's true. Like being able to do things in small chunks like that can be really motivating too, because I feel like the longer you stay away from a hobby, the less you're inclined to go back to it.

Glory Allan

Yeah, 100%. 100%. Even like myself, there are periods where I don't sew for like a whole month or like a month and a bit. And it feels so weird when I get back into sewing. Like, I've done it for years, but my brain's trying to remember how to thread a machine, you know, what to do, what to look out for, make sure you do a bobbin check, make sure you do your backstitching, all this stuff. It's like very simple steps that are pretty second nature for me, but I still, like, need to consciously try to remember because it's been so long.

Sarai

Yeah, I get that way with knitting. If I put down a knitting project for too long, it's like, I can't remember how to knit anymore, even though I've been doing it for, you know, 10, 15 years, however long.

Glory Allan

Yeah, I want to get into knitting, probably not this year. Maybe like next fall. I feel like that would be really fun thing to do.

Sarai

It is really fun. You can do a lot with it, which is really cool because you're actually creating the fabric, you know, so you can really shape it exactly how you want it.

Glory Allan

Exactly. Yeah.

Sarai

It's really fun. Cool. What's your next tip?

Glory Allan

My next tip is for those at home wanting to learn how to sew—YouTube University. It's just such a helpful resource. Whether it's my channel or other people's channels, there are so many people teaching how to sew everywhere around the globe. So, I feel like there's someone out there for everyone. And video learning has just been so, I mean, helpful for myself too. I'm learning how to sew better, I'm learning how to film better, I'm learning how to edit videos better. I always use YouTube to learn. I like video, I like seeing a person, like finding someone that I like and actually enjoying the content they're serving me. It makes for a good experience. It's kind of like your own instructor at home, like you're getting your own sewing lessons at home with an actual person. So, yeah, anyone learning how to sew — YouTube is super helpful.

Sarai

Yeah, it really is. think, especially for sewing, just because it is something where visuals do really help a lot, especially on trickier things that you might not be able to grasp just in words and pictures.

Glory Allan

Yeah, I mean like some of the words and pictures are like more so words. Sometimes I'm like, huh, what, when I was learning, was like, what is, what does that even mean? And you have to just like Google this like sewing lingo, this separate dictionary of sewing stuff to understand it. Versus like video, I guess like sometimes they, they bypass a lot of those details, but I feel like for the most part, from what I've seen, like they're pretty good at explaining things as they're going through it. I know from my approach, like very beginner focused, so anything that I say I try to explain so that you don't have to start from video one all the time. Sometimes you can start midway and like still understand the basics of sewing.

Sarai

Yeah, yeah. Cool, what's your next tip?

Glory Allan

My next tip is again for those self-taught. One of my favorite approaches is taking something that's already made, getting a seam ripper, and deconstructing it. It's like the opposite of sewing; you're taking something apart seam by seam, but it helps to learn because you can actually see how something was put together. And then you can recreate it, you can put it back together. So it's like, as long as you don't rip it with the seam ripper—fingers crossed—but I feel like it's a cool way to learn how to sew. Because before, I was like, I would naturally go to YouTube, I would just do that for most things that I was trying to learn. I would just deconstruct things and then try to put it back together. Kind of like the times before YouTube or digital learning was so popular. And I still like that method. It's just nice to interact with something physical. Like, you can learn a lot from looking at a screen and it's really helpful if it's very detailed and like they do something similar, but I feel like learning on the spot with something while you're taking it apart is a great way to like understand these concepts with something physical in your hand as well and like be able to make connections about how things are done.

Sarai

Yeah, yeah, I think that's true. I know like a lot of people I've talked to who learned to sew when they were young learned on doll clothes, like learned making clothes for dolls.

Glory Allan

Nice

Sarai

And I feel like that's something similar where it's like kind of low stakes, but you're doing something, you're physically seeing how it all comes together on a smaller scale. And I think that's a really cool way to learn to sew.

Glory Allan

That's a really good tip. I feel like I probably could have done that instead of wasting so much time trying to like seam rip the inseam or the side seam of pants and like taking all day to just get across like 32 inches when I could have done it on like a five inch scale.

Sarai

Yeah, it takes a while to learn how the different shapes in two dimensions come together to form three-dimensional shapes.

Glory Allan

Yes.

Sarai

I think it takes a lot of practice and working with the shapes to kind of get that clear in your mind.

Glory Allan

It's definitely a weird concept to try to train your brain to visualize something flat and make it three-dimensional.

Sarai

Yeah

Glory Allan

And like, especially when there are curves or it's not a simple sharp-cornered thing. It's like there are curves, there's... I don't know.

Sarai

Yeah, gathers, ease, you know, a curve going into a straight seam, like on a shoulder. There's all kinds of ways things come together.

Glory Allan

And I think for sewing, this is… that's a good point. It's like you, especially being self-taught, you just don't know these things that you're supposed to learn or, like, you kind of just see it happen as you're doing it. And there's so much to learn. There's so many, like, constructing one shirt. You could learn a million different things based on, like, using different fabrics or different patterns that are slightly different.

Sarai

Yeah, you learn a bit about human anatomy too, how the body is structured in order to create clothing. So there's a lot you learn.

Glory Allan

Yeah. Yeah. Big, big, big learning.

Sarai

All right, what's the next tip?

Glory Allan

My next tip was actually something we kind of talked about earlier too. It's like when you start sewing, let's say you have a dream project or a dream garment in mind, keep in mind, but like manage your expectations. Maybe start with something easier. Again, aiming too far or too high can kind of set you up for failure if you're trying...
For example, like, sew a blazer or something. You know, something that's a little bit more detailed, a little bit more pieces to it. I'm all for people trying to go for it, but it's gonna be tough. And so, like, if you run into these roadblocks, expect that you're going to run into roadblocks. It's a hard project. Ideally, start with something easier and work your way up, because if you start, you know, you aim too high, you just might get too frustrated and drop the whole... hobby in general, which would suck. So yeah, my thing for beginners is like, start with simple projects—no curves, just corners—keep it to a medium-weight type fabric and work your way up to your dream goal. And, like, as you're learning, you know, take on projects that you feel like will lead up to that. But yeah, maybe don't start with the biggest project in mind because it's a tough hobby. There's so many things to learn. Mentally, there's so many things to learn. Physically, how to control your foot pressure, how to position your hands. It's a lot. So aim pretty modestly, I would say. Start modestly.

Sarai

Yeah, I think it's easy to underestimate how much there is to learn when it comes to sewing in the beginning.

Glory Allan

Yeah, totally. Like even sometimes myself, just still learn something new when I'm trying to sew something totally new and I'm like, I didn't even anticipate this. Like what do I do now? Like I still run into that and I've been sewing for almost like six, seven years now. So I can only imagine someone that's a couple months in trying to sew something crazy. It's like - slow down.

Sarai

But that's also the fun part for me anyway is how much there is to learn because I love learning new things and there's always something new to learn with sewing.

Glory Allan

Yeah. Yeah. Do you find like a lot of your learning is from your own experience or is it courses you're taking where you're learning things or where do you find like a lot of that learning as an experience so is?

Sarai

For me, I really learn best through project-based learning, so actually sewing things. What I like to do is find a project, and then if there's some kind of technique or detail that I've never done before, that I want to learn how to do. I'll look for resources on that specific technique and see how I can incorporate it into my project. But it's not until I do something with my hands that I feel like I can really master it and learn how to do it and feel like it's embedded in my mind. You know what I mean?

Glory Allan

Yeah, I totally agree. Having like a project where you can learn and like apply it at the same time. I like it's really helpful because sometimes like learning without the project, like conceptually you understand it, but then to actually apply it, there is like a there's a disconnect with your hands and your brain, you know.

Sarai

Yeah, yeah, that's why it's so helpful to have the resources and the patterns work together to help you. Yeah.

Glory Allan

Yeah. Totally. I think we're on my last tip.

Sarai

Yeah, I think it's the last one.

Glory Allan

This last one. The last tip is on your solo journey when you're learning as a beginner: join some forums or communities, Facebook groups, pages, Discord. I feel like there are tidbits from these posts that I always pick up on. Like almost every post, it's someone asking a question about how to solve something, and I might never run into that issue, but I read up on it because it's nice to know how that works and how I could maybe apply that to future design. Because it's other people asking questions that they're running into, I feel like, for most of us, we probably end up running into those situations as well as we start sewing. So, kind of getting ahead of those issues, read up on the forums and see what people are saying.

Sarai

Yeah, you can learn so much from other people's experience and then not have to go through the pain yourself.

Glory Allan

Yeah, I mean, yeah, that, and it's also helpful if you have a question, you know, you're self-taught, you're learning at home, you have no one to ask. These communities, they're so helpful. Like, everyone in these communities is always posting their approaches. And with sewing, I feel like everyone can get to the same answer in different ways. So it's kind of fun to see all these different answers and how people try to solve for—or these little strategies or practices that people have that are kind of unconventional, but it's something they just picked up and they're sharing with the group. I feel like that's kind of a fun way to learn and get connected with the community.

Sarai

Yeah, definitely. I think community is an often underutilized resource when it comes to sewing. I know when I was learning to sew, there wasn't that much out there in terms of, you know, forums or anything like that. And now there's just so much. There are so many people who are interested in sewing that you can learn a lot just from other people that have your same hobby.

Glory Allan

Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's such an isolating activity. I was gonna say sport. Such an isolating hobby because it's usually just you. I mean, even my friends—I just probably have a handful of people that sew, and no one even comes to mind right now. I know there’s gotta be two or three, but in my friend group, no one sews. My family—my grandma used to sew—but there’s not a lot of people you could talk to. Having these digital forums is really helpful. You can share pictures, share videos, ask questions, read questions, get involved. It makes the learning experience a lot more social.

Sarai

Yeah. Yeah, I agree. And I think sewers are awesome. They're always creative, cool people who are interested in learning.

Glory Allan

Yeah.

Sarai

So it's something we all have in common.

Glory Allan

Yeah, yeah, totally. Yep.

Sarai

I feel like people who sew kind of go against the grain in one way or another.

Glory Allan

Going against the grain. There is some kind of funny sewing pun in there where it's like grain line or something, you know, that buys. There's something in there.

Sarai

Yeah, I'm sure there is.

Glory Allan

That'll be the hook for this video or something, you know? Yeah.

Sarai

Yeah, I'm sure there is. Going against the grain.

Glory Allan

Yeah. Yeah.

Sarai

Well, thank you so much for coming on and sharing all these amazing tips for learning to sew. Where can people find you if they want to watch your videos and see your stuff?

Glory Allan

They can search me on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest. All my handles are Glory Allan, G-L-O-R-Y-A-L-L-A-N. Because sometimes people spell it with an E-N, Alan. So, yeah, Glory Allan on all my platforms. And thank you for having me. I enjoyed this conversation. I learned a lot, even just talking and sharing these tips. You would bounce back with something like, "That's a great point to add." Like, this adds so much more to my answer. So, it was a great convo.

Sarai

Thank you so much. It was awesome talking to you.

Glory Allan

Awesome. Thank you.

Sarai

Thank you so much to Glory Allan for joining us today. It was an absolute treat to talk to him. We had such a great conversation, and I think you'll agree that no matter what stage of the sewing journey you're in, there were some awesome tips in there that you can apply to your sewing, or you can apply to other hobbies and other skills that you're trying to learn. And I love what Glory Allan had to say about community. I think that community is at the heart of what we do at Seamwork, and we are so lucky to have some amazing, helpful sewists in our own community. And our team is there, too, along with thousands of Seamworkers—all there just to talk to you and cheer you on. You can ask any question you want about sewing with absolutely no judgment, and you'll get some really amazing answers. And you can also share finished projects, and you can create goals. We'll even email your reminders to keep you on track. So, it's the perfect place to go if you need a quick boost of creative energy, and you can join us at seamwork.com/go/podcast50, and that'll take you to a discount that's just for podcast listeners. And if you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review. We would love to hear from you. We read every single review we get, so please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, wherever you happen to be listening right now. You can also follow us on YouTube at Seamwork Video. You can follow us on Instagram at Seamwork. And if you'd like to join Seamwork and become part of our private community, plus get access to hundreds of sewing patterns and dozens of sew-along classes, our podcast listeners get a 50% off lifetime discount when you join at seamwork.com/go/podcast50. And again, if you want to find Glory Allan, you can find him on YouTube at GloryAllan, on TikTok, and on Instagram with the same handle. So, thank you again to Glory Allan for participating today and joining us on this amazing episode. I'm Sarai, and this is Seamwork Radio.

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