10 Free Sewing Lessons, Learn to Sew Online

Do you want to get sewing lessons and learn to sew online? Deciding to try and learn a new skill can be a daunting decision, and sewing is no exception. In this tutorial, I will give you 10 beginner sewing lessons. Get free online sewing classes whether you are looking for a new hobby or business venture.

Sewing Lessons & Tutorial

When you are looking for an online sewing course, challenging thoughts will flash through your mind:

• How will you begin?
• What tools will you need?
• Will you understand all the instructions?
• Will it be worthwhile?

Well, the answer to all these last two questions is an outright - YES.

The sewing lessons on this blog are free, and each step of the way is paved with great sewing tutorials, amazing visuals, and all the right guidelines from start to finish.

Why Learn to Sew Online?

Learn to sew online, and you will be introduced to a whole world of new techniques and a hobby that will satisfy the designer in you. 

Sewing lessons online gives you the advantage of learning at your own pace.  Added to that, you can check on what you have covered anytime.

One of the biggest advantages of online sewing classes over in-person sewing lessons is the cost. Most online tutorials are free, making it a very attractive way to learn. All the tutorials on this blog are absolutely free.

The online courses and sewing lessons are clearly set out with really simple, visual instructions. Sewing dresses, homewares, quilts, and children's clothing will soon become second nature to you. One of the biggest reasons people like to learn to sew online is to make their own clothes.

Guides to sewing equipment, tools, and fabrics are a click away for easy reference. The beginner basics, covering learning to sew online, are presented as individual topics, and that makes an easy reference for every sewer. As your experience grows you can experiment with more advanced techniques.

Don’t be fooled by some of the jargon. Basting and lettuce hems are not extracts from a cookery book. Machine feet will get you walking towards some interesting shortcuts on the road to becoming a confident sewer. If there are any terms on this page that you are not sure of, refer to my article on sewing terms for definitions.

A free learn to sew online blog is a wonderful gift to give yourself. No need to spend a cent! This is a gift that keeps on giving. 

Sewing Lessons for Beginners

I think the hardest part sometimes is knowing where to start to learn to sew. Here I have listed the online sewing lessons in order of importance. If you have already mastered one lesson, then move to the next.

Lesson 1 -Sewing Tools and Equipment

When you want to learn to sew online, you will need to start by putting together a basic kit of sewing tools. The main thing you will need, besides your sewing machine, is some pins, scissors, needles, thread, and a measuring tape. Save money by buying kits with a few of these tools bundled together.

Most machines come with a few sewing machine feet already. The most used sewing presser foot will be your all-purpose straight sewing foot.

If you wish to learn to sew online, you will need a sewing machine. This might be a new machine, a used machine, or even one you have borrowed to test out a new hobby.

1. Best Sewing Machine - This article will go through suggestions for the best machine for your budget, whether that is big or small.
2. How to Buy a Used Sewing Machine - If your budget doesn't stretch to a new machine, here are some tips for buying a second-hand one. Remember to always plug it in and test sewing on a scrap of fabric before you hand over your money.
3. Sewing Machine Manuals - Just in case yours didn't come with one. I give you links to most of the major manufacturers so you can try and get a copy of your lost manual.

Lesson 2 - Thread the Sewing Machine

Once you have your supplies and sewing machine, it is time to thread the machine and wind the bobbin. You should also check the sewing machine tension before you start.

1. How to Wind a Bobbin
2. How to Thread a Sewing Machine
3. Using a Sewing Machine
4. Sewing Machine Tension

Lesson 3 - Sewing a Seam

Sewing a seam is the first thing you will need to learn online. Nearly all sewing projects have seams, and this is one of the very basic sewing skills. There are various types of seams, but this straight seam will be your most used one.

Lesson 4 - Sew a Hem

Once you can sew a straight seam, it is time to learn how to sew a hem. Most clothing items will have a hem. The most popular and easiest type of hem is the double-fold hem. This means the hem is pressed over twice and then sewn across the upper folded edge with a straight stitch.

Lesson 5 - Finish Seams

Learn about finishing seams. After your seam has been sewn, it will need to be finished in order for it not to fray. By far, the most popular seam finish is the zig-zag stitch which you can see in the bottom right of the photo below. The stitch will stabilize the edges and stop them from fraying all the way back to the seam.

Lesson 6 - Sewing Corners

Sewing corners is easy, but there is a couple of little tricks you will need to learn in order to get nice and square corners. Corners can be found in most sewing projects, including home decor and even garments on collars and cuffs.

Lesson 7 - How to Make a Cushion (Sewing Project)

Lesson 7 entails making a cushion cover. This will use the skills in lessons 3 to 6 of straight stitching seams, creating hems, sewing corners and finishing seams. A square cushion cover with an overlapping back is the ideal first project for beginners with very little sewing experience.

Lesson 8 - Sewing Curves

By now, you will be able to tackle most straight sewing projects, so it is time to learn how to sew curves. Sewing curves is useful for bag flaps, necklines and armholes, and many home decor projects such as coasters.

Lesson 9 - How to Gather Fabric

Gathering is a popular technique to add ruffles and fullness to clothing and other items. Learn how to gather fabric for skirts and ruffles for home decor.

Lesson 10 - Intermediate Sewing Lessons

Once you have learned to sew a seam and finish, it is time to up your skill level and learn some new sewing techniques. All these tutorials for intermediate and experienced sewers will lead you through these topics with step by step instructions.

Here are more new skills to learn:

1. Applique - Applique is a beautiful decorative technique where shapes and designs are sewn on top of the base fabric.
2. Sewing Bias Tape - Many sewing projects use bias tape to finish the edges, so this is an important subject.
3. Sewing Darts - Darts give shape to the curves of your body, such as those found in the bust and waist. When sewing clothing, you will need to learn this technique.
4. Sewing Buttonholes - This is an important skill to learn when sewing garments. Many cushions and home decor items make use of buttonholes. Best of all, it can all be done on your machine.
5. Sewing Buttons - After you have learned how to do buttonholes, you will need to sew buttons. This tutorial will show you 3 different types.
6. Sewing a Zipper - This shows you seing a basic zipper. Zippers are used in skirts, dresses, and pants.

Beginning Sewing Lessons on Free Projects

Now you have yourself organized with some basic tutorials, it is time to find something to sew. Starting with free project tutorials is a great way to build confidence without breaking the budget.

If you have kids, then a great place to start is some doll clothing or kid's clothes as it doesn't take much fabric, and if the seams are a little wonky, no one will complain or even notice. Kids are more interested in the cool fabric that Mum or Grandma picked out. And imagine how proud you will feel looking at what you have made.

Home decor simple sewing projects are also great for beginners as they are mostly straight sewing. For more tutorial ideas, see my article on sewing projects for beginners. All these creative projects are all free:

Don't see anything you like? I have more Free Sewing Patterns on the blog.

Learn Sewing Online with Video Instruction

Did you know that Treasurie has a video Youtube channel with weekly sewing and craft tutorial videos?

Here is a popular video I made on how to make a scrunchie. Most of my video tutorials are 3-5 minutes and straight to the point, as I know you are busy!

Sewing Lessons on Hand Sewing

Not all sewing is done with a machine! You can get the best online sewing classes on various hand sewing techniques.

Here are some tutorials to get you started:

• How to Tie a Knot for Sewing
• How to Hand Sew
• How to Thread a Needle

Once you have threaded your needle, it is time to hand-sew something. Here are some of the basic hand stitches that can be used to sew seams as well as decorative stitches used for embroidery.

• Backstitch - This is one of the most used hand stitches. A backstitch forms the strongest hand stitch for seams. It is also useful for outlining embroidery shapes.
• Running Stitch - This stitch is the easiest and fastest stitch. It comprises of tiny up and down stitches.
• Basic Embroidery Stitches - Learn all the basic stitches to start embroidery.

Sewing Lessons on Quilting

Quilting is a wonderful hobby where small patches of fabric are joined together to form larger pieces of fabric. This sewing technique is ideal for learning to sew online, as quilting can be done in small sections.

Here are some articles on the basics of quilting:

• How Make a Quilt - This is an article showing that gives you an overview of making a quilt from scratch.
• How to Bind a Quilt - After quilts are finished, the edges need to be bound with strips of fabric.
• How to Match Seams for Quilting - This is an important quilting technique and will make all the difference to your work.

A quilt block is a small section of the design on your quilt. These blocks can be replicated to form a much larger quilt. Here are some articles on some of the different block designs you can use:

Sewing Lessons FAQs

Can I teach myself to sew?

Absolutely, yes, you can! The internet is a wealth of information, and you can learn to sew through online tutorials. Start with some sewing lessons basics, such as sewing a seam and seam finishes. Get yourself some scrap fabric start practicing the basics and slowly build up your skills.

How do Beginners Learn to Sew?

Most beginners these days learn to sew online. The best thing about learning online is that you can go at your own pace, and most tutorials have beautifully photographed images to help with the instructions. Get the best sewing tips on the Treasurie blog.

Can you teach yourself to sew online?

You can definitely get free sewing lessons and learn to sew online. There are endless tutorials on sewing online. Don't forget to look on YouTube for sewing tutorials as well. The Treasurie blog has hundreds of sewing tutorials, many including videos. All have clearly photographed instructions and diagrams to help you along.

Are sewing lessons worth it?

Absolutely they are! Sewing lessons can be the start of a new hobby or even a business. Make clothing and home decor for yourself, family and friends. If you have kids or grandkids, then this is a great skill as small items are so rewarding.

Is learning to sew expensive?

Learning to sew an taking online sewing lessons does not need to be expensive. Here at Treasurie, all the sewing lessons are free, and there are plenty of free sewing projects to get you started. Choose a cheaper fabric to start with and buy a sewing kit rather than all tools individually.

Sewing Lessons - In Conclusion

I hope these beginner sewing lessons gets you started on your way to learn to sew online. Don't forget there is a search bar at the top-right if I haven't addressed the topic you want to learn about.

New sewing lessons are added weekly, but if there is something new you would like to learn about, then leave a comment below.