I have heard a lot of people say they wish they knew how to sew. I’ve even heard people say they have a sewing machine and don’t know how to sew. Learning to sew isn’t difficult but I do remember that there aren’t a lot of resources out there for it. So, I am going to write a new post every week that has to do with beginning sewing. I’m going to start out with some basics that people on the Sew Curly Facebook page asked about and also post some beginner projects and tutorials.
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I was always interested in sewing. I had one of Matt’s grandmother’s old sewing machines and could never quite figure out how to get it to work (turns out it was broken). When we moved into our current house five years ago, I sent my mom home with some curtains that I needed fixed. I wasn’t even capable of sewing a straight line. At least I didn’t think I was. Knowing what I know now, I could have done it. I was just scared and intimidated.
It was around that time that my parents gave me some money for a sewing machine for my birthday. I didn’t know much about sewing machines but decided to buy one from Sears. It was a Kenmore, a name I trusted in appliances, so I figured I was safe. It cost me $89 and was more than I needed.
So let me start this series with picking out a sewing machine. You don’t need a fancy one. I know a woman who just bought her first sewing machine and spent over $1,000 for one that has hundreds of stitches. Very unnecessary. I still use less than 5 stitches and I am at my sewing machine about 4 days a week.
When I was in Target the other day, I noticed they even sell sewing machines there. I saw about 4 models on the floor.
They all seemed to be Singer brand too. At first glance they all looked pretty similar. Then I saw this tiny one:
and realized that is the perfect first machine (and maybe only machine). It looks a little smaller than regular machines but it has just what you need.
I mostly make smaller things on my machine. I’ll make clothes for the girls, small blankets, hem pants & curtains, sew snack bags and other things I sell in the shop. None of those things are very large. If you think you are going to do larger things (for example, quilting) then you would be better off with a larger machine.
I would suggest looking at sewing machines on Amazon so you can read all the reviews. Once you decide on which one you’d like, price them out to see where you can get the best deal and service.
I now own an embroidery/ sewing machine. That just means it does both embroidery and sewing. It is a little bit bigger than my Kenmore machine (which I still have and use). I am slightly addicted to monograms and put our names on everything, much to Matt’s dismay. If not for this affliction, I’d still be sewing on my Kenmore. My current machine is a Husqvarna Viking.
My biggest piece of advice for when you have a machine is to READ THE MANUAL. Seriously. I used to leave my manual out all the time next to my machine. It took me a long time to get familiar with the parts and be comfortable using it. Once I started using it more often, it became more of a habit and I didn’t need to rely on the book as much.
And remember how I had my mom fix curtains for me? Last week she brought me some material to make into curtains. I guess I am doing something right.
What kind of machine do you have? What kind of beginner sewing questions do you have?
xoxo
–k
