Sewing For Beginners

Forgive me if you have a sewing machine and know the basics.  I am going to begin at the skill level I began at a couple of months ago…SQUARE ZERO!!!!! It was actually quite embarrassing what I couldn’t do!

Don’t get bogged down with terms and definitions. This is not the point of sewing. Use this more as a reference. I wanted to make sure you knew the names of the basic parts for when I mentioned to press certain buttons or turn certain knobs.

The machine that I started sewing with and still sew with is a Brother LS1217.  There is absolutely nothing fancy about this machine. When you first start out, if you don’t already have your own machine, it is best to start out with the most basic machine you can  possibly find.  First of all, there is no need to sink a ton of money into a big fancy machine, especially up front. You will have a good bit extra to spend on other materials.  Secondly, and most importantly, it is just easier to learn on something that is bare-bones and simple.  A $400 machine does not stitch straighter or stronger than a $100 machine!

I happened to already have my own sewing machine before I began learning, but it’s no longer produced. If I could make a couple of suggestions as to sewing machines that I would feel comfortable purchasing for a beginning learner, I would suggest one of the following sewing machines (you can read reviews and see really specific info about each of these in the webstore tab at the top of this page):

I also thought I would include a picture of some of the main machine parts.  Do not feel like you need to memorize the names and parts of your sewing machine before you’re allowed to sew! I am still working on them myself! I wanted to make sure that you had a visual of a basic machine (this is a visual of my current machine for the most part) so that you could refer back to it if you are trying to read something with machine parts mentioned:

 

Sewing Machine Diagram Photo Courtesy of: http://msucares.com/pubs/images/p1302-16.htm