Beginner’s Guide On How To Sew Denim
Many sewists nowadays associate denim with jeans and they are not wrong. Although the fabric is very common, not all sewists know how to handle it. This is why I made this guide on how to sew denim for your reference.
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Beginner’s Guide On How To Sew Denim
Denim Characteristics
Denim has been popular for more than 100 years. It is durable, long-lasting, and versatile. Any experienced sewist will tell you not to skip the pre-wash step as it is essential for a successful denim project.
After you pre-wash the piece of fabric, it will shrink a bit but it will definitely be softened. In fact, the more you wash, the softer the fabric become. But be careful not to wash it too much unless you want it to be faded.
When you wash denim, don’t mix it with any other types of clothes or fabrics as the color may run off and accidentally dye others.
As denim is very durable, jeans owners can be sure that their denim clothes will be with them for a very long time.
In case you want to make adjustment yourself, buy some special equipment to make sure you have as little hassle as possible. Some of the things I think you should have are thick and sharp needles and durable threads. This is applicable if you want to make your own denim projects. Proper tools are essential.
I sew my denim projects with the machine at home and it does the job without mishaps. Curious about what I use, see this guide on best inexpensive sewing machine for beginners to save you time and money.
A powerful sewing machine will work on denim with ease
Tools & Sewing Suggestions
Whatever you want to use on denim should be sharp. With this, I mean a new blade for your rotary cutter and a sharp pair of scissors.
Needles for denim can be either the specially designed one or a thick versatile variety. The minimum size is at least 90/14. If the denim is thicker than usual, 100/16 is a proper choice. These designed ones for denim have reinforced blades to minimize the chances of broken or bent.
Some advanced models of sewing machines have an auto setting for denim. So you might want to consider these machines as optional tools if you have to sew denim a lot.
Denim Sewing Methods & Seams:
Again, with sharp tools, you have more chances of cutting denim easily. Use a new blade for your rotary cutter or sharpen the scissors beforehand. To save time, some people want to pile up a few layers and cut through all. I don’t recommend doing this if you have particularly thick fabrics.
With such thickness, you want to cut one layer at a time. Strong, thick, and sharp pins are also advisable as regular ones might not be able to penetrate denim. Working on the best computerized sewing machine for beginners will help you save lots of time and effort.
Denim can be a challenge for first-timers so don’t try to cut or sew right on the piece you intend to use for the project. Instead, test on a piece of scrap to see if the length and width are properly set. Longer stitches can come in handy. For denim, stitches between 3 and 4 are suitable.