You’ve got all your sewing supplies together, you’ve read the manual and set up your sewing machine and you are all set to start sewing. To make it easy for you, I’ve put together a few valuable sewing tips for beginners that I learnt when I was just starting out. Sometimes, it’s the little things that you would never really consciously think about that actually make the biggest difference. In fact, that’s what makes the difference between a good sewer and a great one!
Tip#1: Practice! Practice! Practice!
It can never be said enough … practice really does make perfect. When I first started sewing, I envisioned myself sewing dreamy wedding gowns with long trains and all the trappings. I quickly realized that that was going to have to wait. First, I had to master the art of sewing a straight line.
When you start sewing, the only way you can get that perfect straight line of stitches is by first marking it out with chalk. As you get used to it, you will learn to use the presser foot to guide your seams and you will not need to draw those pesky chalk lines anymore. But that will require practice, patience and persistence.
Take time to master other techniques involved in using a sewing machine. Learn how to thread your machine, how to adjust the tension and how to fill and load the bobbin.
Tip#2: Explore & Experiment
The best way to get the most out of your sewing machine is to spend some time exploring the potential of the different stitches. Sew a few lines with the different stitches using different tension settings and different stitch length settings every time. Create a sampler so you can compare the different effects. You don’t need to buy special fabric for this purpose. You can easily do this using white or self colored pillow covers or a scrap of fabric.
Tip #3: Take it Easy on the Foot Pedal
Take it slow and easy when starting out. You need to get the feel of the machine and get the feel of how sensitive your presser foot pedal is and you get a handle on feeding the fabric in and adjusting it as you keep sewing. Sew too fast, especially at the beginning is almost like asking for trouble. Besides, it can be downright dangerous for your fingers!
Tip for today
