For my up and coming birthday, my husband purchased a sewing machine from Lidl as it was on offer. It is a Silvercrest (SNM 33B1). I was going to ask for the very cute John Lewis sewing machine as a starter machine but what attracted me to the Silvercrest machine is that it could to a lot of whizzy things including button holes and embroidery. I know I can't do these things right now nor do I have the need but I may do in the future.
Well my birthday isn't until December but I had already enrolled on a "How to use your sewing machine" course at the local college. My sewing machine and I went off for a few hours on a Saturday morning to see if we could get to know each other. My sewing machine really scared me as I didn't know what to do with it or if I could break it if I did something wrong to it. My fears were unfounded as I learned how to wind and insert my bobbin as well as thread my upper thread which all seemed fairly easy until I came to try to use it. I had become unstuck because my machine had so many options and I had no idea what was the most appropriate settings for my fabric. After half an hour of messing around, the instructor managed to work it out for me and I was well on my way to completing my first project.
We started off with a traditional lavender bag in this great little tutorial: http://www.handmadejane.co.uk/2011/03/lavender-bag-tutorial.html?m=1
After all of the messing around with my sewing machine I didn't get to complete it in class but I spent many evenings practicing sewing following the course and managed to make one effort at a lavender bag. Since then I have come on leaps and bounds managing to start making my lavender hearts for my Christmas stocking fillers. I've added a couple of sewing books to my Christmas wishlist as I'm having so much fun learning to use my sewing machine. I think this is the start of something special :)
Things I have learned via trial and error which may be useful to other beginners:
Well my birthday isn't until December but I had already enrolled on a "How to use your sewing machine" course at the local college. My sewing machine and I went off for a few hours on a Saturday morning to see if we could get to know each other. My sewing machine really scared me as I didn't know what to do with it or if I could break it if I did something wrong to it. My fears were unfounded as I learned how to wind and insert my bobbin as well as thread my upper thread which all seemed fairly easy until I came to try to use it. I had become unstuck because my machine had so many options and I had no idea what was the most appropriate settings for my fabric. After half an hour of messing around, the instructor managed to work it out for me and I was well on my way to completing my first project.
We started off with a traditional lavender bag in this great little tutorial: http://www.handmadejane.co.uk/2011/03/lavender-bag-tutorial.html?m=1
After all of the messing around with my sewing machine I didn't get to complete it in class but I spent many evenings practicing sewing following the course and managed to make one effort at a lavender bag. Since then I have come on leaps and bounds managing to start making my lavender hearts for my Christmas stocking fillers. I've added a couple of sewing books to my Christmas wishlist as I'm having so much fun learning to use my sewing machine. I think this is the start of something special :)
Things I have learned via trial and error which may be useful to other beginners:
- To go around corners, make sure the needle is in the fabric, lift up the foot and then turn the fabric.
- To sew shapes other than squares, use the foot as a reference to where you are on the fabric rather than looking at the needle. Don't try and pull the fabric through, just guide it. Go slowly until you get your confidence.
- To finish off pull the material out to the side and snip off the thread.
- To secure your sewing on something like a lavender bag, pull one of the threads through to the same side as the other and knot it. If you don't, your stitching will become loose.
- Learn the slip stitch (loads of tutorials on youtube) as it is a really neat way to finish off your projects.
- Finally have fun!
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