Caswews

Oh I would let the designer know-after all we are human and make mistakes in our lifetime!
I need clear readable instructions as I am getting older and need to be sure of what I am doing.. I just was working on a top for one of the GD's and had to re-do it as the instructions skipped a step in the process. So I ended up ripping out and re-doing it my way instead of the pattern's way. Unfortunately the pattern is so very out of date (bought it when my kids were little), that I am sure its in the no longer made items !LOL might even be re-vamped by now category !LOL

riutzelj

technical writing is a skill set most of us don't have. There are college courses just on that topic alone. I'd suggest reading through the entire set of instructions, making notes of what you don't understand and then e-mail designer and get help if you can't figure it out then

Peckish

I remember a teacher once asking us to write a paper, instructing a Martian on how to make a PB&J. He made us take it all the way down to how to unwrap the twist tie on the bread wrapper. I've never forgotten that lesson, and at the risk of tooting my own horn, I believe I'm a better tutorial writer for it.

Lyncat

When my sister tries to sew something, there used to be lots of phone calls asking me what pattern instructions meant. Now we use FaceTime on our iPads, and we can actually see what the other is looking at or doing. Times have changed.

Needles

I had to laugh at this post. When I got married, I knew how to sew some as my mom taught me. But I like instant gratification and mom was a perfectionist. I used to say she basted her buttons on before sewing them on, so you get the drift. But my DMIL was a seamstress and sewed for the public since she was 10, things were made quickly but were always perfect (she made my wedding gown, 15 yards of Skinner satin, 10 yds of a French lace).

A couple years later she gave me her old 1928 Singer and 'taught' me her way. The first lesson, buy easy Patterns to start and never read the instructuctions as you won't understand them. Sew by site and your gut feeling, with a problem, find something in your closet ready made and use that as your pattern to look at. I did that on the first pair of pants I made for my husband, putting in the fly. Instructions were useless, as they were with his first sportscoat, I got ones out of his closet, seeing it visually, had the process done in no time. Sewing has always been fun for me because of that. I've even made broomstick skirts with 7-10 yds of taffeta with no pattern.

So here I am, 48 years later, still having fun. My DMIL is gone now, but her picture is in my sewing room and she sewed up until 6 mo. before she died at age 93. Lots of her leftover fabric clients didn't want, ended up as aprons which she sold to make a little more money. All different styles, but she didn't use patterns for any of them. Thanks for jogging the memory.

Amythyst02

I have been sewing for over 50yrs now, and even with that knowledge I can find some patterns that baffle me at times. The very first thing I do is read the entire pattern. Then I start by reading each step, doing that, then moving on. By reading the entire instructions, first, your memory will jog and you will think oh yea, I do not need sew these ties at both ends, just one. And stick with it, you will be glad you did.

And I have to be honest, sometimes, I just look at the pictures and sew. I never read the pattern again. It also depends on what I am sewing, and the pattern maker.