For me learning how the sewing machine worked was the hardest part. This is the one part i can not help you with because each sewing machine is different. Advice i can give is mine came with a dvd and a book. I watched the dvd first but did not get the hang of it after rewinding multiple times. When i finally picked up the book and had pictures to look at is when i got the hang of it. However, if the book and dvd (if available) dont seem as much help i recommend going to youtube and actually googleing your machine.If all else fails ask someone for help. Even if they don't know how to work a sewing machine they can still look at the dvd/book you have and give you help on it.
While i am not much help at helping you learn your machine i can say if you want to save you some time and just want to get straight to the sewing i recommend BEFORE you start setting up your sewing machine deciding on the following:
1) what project your going to make
2) what color fabric(s) your going to use
So that then you can choose....
3) what color thread your going to use to go with your fabric
I really recommend deciding what color thread your going to use because it does take a good couple of steps to set it up and if you don't pick the right color the first time your going to have to re-go through setting everything up. The goal with your sewing machine is to:
a) learn how your sewing machine works
and then when you think you got the hang of your sewing machine
b) then use the thread you already have on the sewing machine to begin sewing your project.
This is just something i recommend because i originally started with a red thread and then i made so many mistakes with my pattern that i decided to change my whole pattern and then i had to re-thread everything for the color white. All my goal was, was to sew to see if i was going to like sewing on a sewing machine (use to just hand sew things). Also, like i said it takes a couple of steps to reset up the sewing machine and i must admit i dislike setting it up. If you don't set it up right according to the instructions then you have to go back and figure what you did wrong and fix it and its just a hassle. So i just recommend saving the hassle and set it up with something your going to use for a while.
The first thing you are going to need before you begin to sew is a sewing machine. The question is what type of sewing machine. They sell tons of them and a lot of them don't just sew they also do embroidery, offer many stitching patterns, or are portable. The list of all the types of sewing machines you could get is just amazing. If you are a beginner and are not sure how long this new hobby of yours is going to last or never worked a sewing machine (like myself) then i recommend getting just a plain sewing machine that just sews and is cheap. I personal bough a brother LX2500 but every sewing person i have meet has always recommended the swinger. For me i got the brother because it was around 80.00 dollars at my local wal-mart and i didn't really know if i was going to continue sewing so i got the cheapest one i could. I know 80.00 is still a lot but i felt better paying 80.00 then 100.00. I figure once i get the hang of working a sewing machine and got more advance that i would put the money out for a better one. If this is your first time working a sewing machine or owning one i STRONGLY recommend buying new because it comes with all the instructions and if it was not for the dvd and book that came with my sewing machine i would be lost! Here is a picture of mine below.
I started sewing about 8 months ago. For me what has kept me from learning or begin trying to sew is feeling like i don't know enough to start. My biggest fear was that sewing would require a lot of math. Which it does require math but it's not as bad as the experts make it seem. The other fear was getting my fingers stuck in the sewing machine lol. I decided to start a blog about how instead of letting everything you currently know or don't know about sewing stop you from sewing that you should just begin sewing and learn along the way. However, instead of learning the hard way like i did i figure i would share what i have learned so here we go!
