sewing-school-2-ebook-17.html

It’s Time to Sew

You have already found out about different kinds of fabric, you know about patterns, and you’ve learned about the different stitches. Now you’re ready to start sewing like a real pro.

Use this sewing machine checklist every time you sit down to sew.

My sewing machine is plugged in and turned on.
My needle is properly threaded.
I’ve set the sewing machine to the type of stitch I want to use.
The tail ends of the threads are long enough to touch my sewing table.
My fabric is in position, and I’ve remembered to lower the presser foot before I begin to sew.

Position Your Fabric

With the presser foot up, slide your fabric onto the sewing machine bed so that most of the fabric is to the left of the needle. You’ll want the top edge of the fabric just a tiny bit behind the needle and the right edge of the fabric lined up with the side of the presser foot.

The projects in this book are designed with ¹⁄₄-inch seam allowances. The seam allowances refer to the space between your stitches and the edge of your fabric. No matter what kind of sewing machine you have, when the presser foot is correctly lined up with the fabric, it will create a standard seam allowance of ¹⁄₄ inch.

Note: If some day you work with other patterns, they might be designed with ¹⁄₂-inch or ⁵⁄₈-inch seam allowances, and most machines have lines marked on them that act as guides for those seam allowance widths.

Guide Your Fabric

Guiding fabric through a sewing machine is very different than holding fabric when you sew it by hand. First of all, even though you’re sewing slowly, machines work much faster than your hands do. You have to be very careful to keep your fingers far away from the sewing machine needle as it zips up and down.

1. Sit down with both feet flat on the floor. It never works to stand and sew! Make sure the machine is turned on. Place your fabric on the machine and use the lever to drop the presser foot. Gently rest the fingertips of both hands on the sides of the fabric that are between you and the machine.
2. Now put your right foot on the machine’s foot pedal, and slowly start to sew. As the needle sews through the fabric, the rough-feeling feed dogs on the needle plate will gently pull the fabric through the machine.
3. Use your fingertips to gently help guide the fabric past the needle. The stitches will go wherever you guide the fabric.

TIP: The seam allowance is the space between your stitches and the edge of your fabric. Most seam allowances are ¹⁄₄ inch. Find the seam allowance guide on your machine’s needle plate, and as you guide the fabric through the machine, keep it on that line.

Sew a Seam

1. With the presser foot up, position the fabric.
2. Use the lever to drop the presser foot, and use the straight stitch to sew a straight line down the edge of the fabric until you have about ¹⁄₂ inch of stitches.
3. Press the reverse knob or dial, and sew backward on the same line of stitches. Let go of the reverse control and sew forward again. Use your presser foot as a guide to keep your stitches where they need to be. If you veer too close to the edge of the fabric, or off the fabric altogether, the fabric will fray and your stitches will fall out!
4. Continue sewing until you reach the end of the fabric, and press reverse again to resew the final ¹⁄₂ inch of stitches.
5. Use the hand wheel to lift your needle, and use the lever to lift the presser foot. Gently pull your fabric off the sewing machine until your thread touches the table.
6. Carefully cut through both threads, and you’re done! You have sewn a seam.
Every time you’ve finished sewing a seam, pause to trim the threads that hang off your fabric. Snip these threads short so they don’t get tangled up when you start sewing again. Keep a trash can near your sewing machine so cleanup is easy.

Note: Some modern sewing machines allow you to adjust the presser foot position. For the projects in this book, check your sewing machine manual to make sure that your presser foot is in the basic, middle position.

Reinforce Stitch

A reinforce stitch helps to make sure that a part of the project like a strap or loop will be strong and not come undone. Follow these three simple steps to add strength to your seams.

1. Sew forward over the area to be reinforced as normal. This might be a handle or elastic loop.
2. Once you are a little past the area, reverse stitch back over the area.
3. Sew forward over the area again and keep sewing the project according to the project directions.

That’s it! Now your handles, straps, and elastic loops should hold on tight.

Turn a Corner

You will have to turn corners a lot when sewing! A nice, sharp corner will make your projects look neater and give them shape. Follow these steps and you’ll be a master at corner turning.