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What Skills Should Intermediate Sewers Have?

What Skills Should Intermediate Sewers Have
Credit: Sewing Machine Gallery / Shanta Roy

Intermediate sewers are those who are not beginners anymore but have yet to learn a lot more and hone their skills.

They are dangling somewhere in the middle when it comes to measuring the skill level of the sewers. A Sewing Machine for Intermediate sewers is also the same.

There will be more stitches, patterns, functions, and features, which a beginner might not make proper use of, but a sewer with a little more knowledge, confidence, and skill can. Such machines come in handy even for advanced skills too.

So, what are the skills that we believe the intermediate sewers should have is what our topic is. We will be a little diplomatic and say it’s subjective.

However, the one definite thing will be you will be a lot more confident in your sewing and know a lot more about sewing, not just that you can practically apply that knowledge to your projects. Instead of being vague and subtle, let’s discuss a few skills an intermediate sewer must possess.

Skill #1 – You Know How To Use Most Of Your Stitches

When you use a sewing machine, you do not need to use every feature in it. But even then, we all know how important each of those features is. Hence, the more we can make of those stitches and features, the better our projects will be, and we can finish them before the due date.

You know you have turned into an intermediate sewer when you can use most of the stitches and patterns set on your machine, and your projects are no anymore about plain straight and zigzag stitches.

You easily sew buttons using different styles, add zippers with the presser foot, and do it with better ease than what you used to when you were just a beginner.

Skill #2 – You Can Work On Heavy Denim

When you were a beginner, stitching cotton fabrics used to be your favorite thing. From easy, simple ones to more complicated layered ones, all your projects used to be just cotton. But now, you must be at a skill level where you know how to work on heavy denim.

You might struggle a bit but not to the extent that you do skip denim projects. Why only denim; you are now at a skill level where woolen projects or using different designs and patterns on a satin dress is not more alien to you. You can make pockets, different, multiple ones that we see on denim jeans.

You can stitch the denim with felled seam folding the raw edges, which by the way, is a tough nut to crack if you are a beginner.

Skill #3 – You Know How To Make Different Seam Finishes

We have already mentioned felled seams too on denim projects, and this is the level where you are not working on your projects with plain seams. Your projects will appear a lot different with sometimes having a french seam, a lapped seam, and sometimes bound or welt or rolled hems.

More importantly, the seams will have a crisper finish. Also, if not having the skill to stitch the more complicated, advanced-level seams, you will mostly know how to sew them. At this level, the only thing remaining is practicing and honing those to stitch them on your projects with confidence and perfection.

Skill #4 – Finishing Raw Edges Is Not An Issue Anymore

Beginners struggle with finishing the raw edges. Even if they somehow manage, the lacking remains, sometimes in the form of unevenness, sometimes in the look. However, an intermediate sewer will do it just perfectly in one go.

Also, even if you have done some uneven stitching or are not satisfied with your project and need an alteration in it, you can do it without fearing ruining the project when you are an intermediate sewer. No matter what the fabric is, you can alter it, even undo the errors and mend the problem areas.

Skill #5 – You Can Work With An Intermediate Sewing Machine With Ease

An intermediate sewing machine is not a complicated device for you anymore. And if you have a beginner-level sewing machine, you will start feeling your machine needs an upgrade. Your confidence level in using a pretty complicated sewing machine will be very high, and you might even manage most of the features in a sewing machine that is used only by an advanced sewer.

With honed skill and high confidence level, an intermediate sewer is now ready and up for working on critical projects, earning much better and just on the long journey of turning into an advanced sewer.

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