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 Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 9:22 am
I just bought a sewing machine and my first patterns/fabric. Can anyone give me some tips for newbies? I've used a sewing machine maybe once in my whole life. sweatdrop
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:19 am
Go slow and don't rush. You are more likely to make mistakes if you rush. Start with simple patterns first and work your way up. Give yourself plenty of time ^.^
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:58 pm
I'm having troubles trying to thread the lower bobbin right now crying . Not sure what to do. . . .
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 1:21 am
Thread the lower bobbin? I think it usually threads itself if you put it in right... Or maybe that's just the one I used.
Oh and a walking foot is very handy but not really necessary. It just moves the fabric for you so that you don't have to push it on your own. I usually can't move the fabric evenly so that's a good tool for me. xp
When you finish sewing and you're about to pull the fabric off the sewing machine, I usually reverse the direction of the stitch and sew over the last inch of my already sewn thread and then back the regular way again. Like driving forward and then reversing and driving forward again when you want to make sure whatever you ran over is permanently flattened into the pavement. Did that make sense? This way the last stitch is stronger and will stay in better, but again, you don't have to do that. It's just what I do. Some machines don't have a reverse stitch so if you want to do that you will have to turn the whole piece of fabric around. This may be a bit tricky if you have a lot of material.
Like Hinata-sama said, go slow. Good luck and have fun. 3nodding
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:28 am
Thanks very much, guys! ^^
I took my patterns, fabric and machine to a friend's house last night, and we made a night out of it. The lower bobbin DOES thread itself; I think I was just doing the UPPER bobbin incorrectly. sweatdrop They were tangling together, in any event.
Any tips for creating buttonholes? My machine doesn't have the setting to make them.
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:26 pm
For buttons, what I do is cut a slit in the fabric and then do the overcast stitch in tiny, tiny intervals so you can't even see any of the fabric around the slit by the time it's done.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:02 am
Cool! Quick question: What do you mean by overcast stitch? sweatdrop
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:02 pm
I'm a newb my self, but I'll put my words into this topic!
If you want to learn to sew, but not for trial and error, try taking a sewing class. If you're still in school, alot of high schools have sewing classes. If not, YWCA? They'll also have some classes and some people to go to for advice. Or, there's always family. Ask around to see if any of your relitives know how to sew, even a little bit. My mom hadn't sewn sence she was 15 and she helped me make a hula skirt for homecoming a few weeks ago!
And, if you need advice, ask the people in fabric stores. Even in you local wal*mart's fabric section! Those ladies have helped me get used to a machine.
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Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:19 pm
Go slow, don't rush it. If you ask at the fabric store they should be able to help you figure out how to make button holes.
A few tips from an amature sewer:
Patterns: Iron them. I use the lowest setting on the iron, and trust me, ironing makes a big difference in cutting simplicity. Make sure they have seam allowences. Some of my mom's old ones don't and its really annoying to look and see that you cut your fabric without seam allowences. Take your time cutting them out, and if you have to make a mistake, try and make it on the cutting outside the line rather then inside the line. Thats alot easier to fix.
Cutting: If using a pattern, find the cutting layout. The ones i've used save me fabric and make sure all the grain line is going the right way. Take your time cutting! You really don't want to have mistakes in the cutting. Also, after cutting, make sure to transfer any markings - notches to line up, what ever.
Pinning: Make sure to get your pinning right. If your pinning is off, your fabric is off and it sucks. Also, pins all facing the same way makes for easy removal. Figure out which way you like them to face while sewing long seams, and make sure to always pin them that way.
Ironing: Its worth the extra work. Getting all the wrinkles out makes sewing smoother. This is where a well trained little sister (me, for many years, to my big sister) comes in handy.
The actual Sewing: Make sure to read all directions. Don't forget to sew backwards a little ways at the begining and end. Test on scrap fabric, the same as what your using for your final product, with the same thicknesses, to make sure its not gonna go wrong due to the fabrics. Don't sew over pins. Make sure you have a pin cushion right next to you, where its easy to put the pins in it. Take your time sewing, go as slow or fast as your comfortable with. Put steady pressure on the pedel - its better to go at a constant pace rather then going really fast then slowing down and speeding up again. Make sure you sew to the seam allowences, not doing that will screw up the finished product. Make sure you have plenty of light. When you get tired of sewing, take a break.
Post-sewing: Make sure your finished piece fits, iron it again, pressing the seams (i like to press mine flat, so the extra fabric goes to the left, then press it the other way, so it goes left). I suggest looking at seams before and after you do this, so you can see the difference. I hated doing it for my mom and sister untill i actually looked at the difference. Make sure all your threads are clipped neatly.
I hope something in here helped! heart
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Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:16 pm
Let the sewing machine do the work. It will pull the fabric on its own.
You can create lots of simple patterns on your own by sewing together rectangles. Believe it or not, it's easier than using patterns!
Don't panic. It never helps.
All else failing, find someone who knows what they're doing and ask for help.
Stopping now and then to make sure that everything is still going smoothly is not a bad idea.
Use pins to secure fabric, but take them out before the needle reaches them! (Sorry, I've broken a couple of needles that way sweatdrop )
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:52 pm
biggrin this is some helpful stuff! i have been haveing problems when i had sew. like i like to use quilting thread. its really strong but a pain in the butt to use somtimes, and i hear that its even worse to use on a sewing machine... sweatdrop
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:26 pm
w00t! I'm a sewing newb too, and these tips are really helpful. Thanks for starting this thread, Nekonezume. ^^ (And it's good to know I'm not the only newb. xP)
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:30 am
I would honestly go to sewing classes so they can teach you how to do everything correctly. They cost maybe 40 for a 3 hour session.
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