Very Beginning Sewing Lesson #1 (Threading, etc.)

Much to my delight, my youngest daughter has decided she would like to learn how to sew!  I did some mending for her while she was visiting over the holidays, and she decided that was a really practical skill to have.

Now I have the dilemma of how to teach her while we live thousands of miles apart.  Of course there are tutorials on line... but I want to teach her, ya know?

Anyway, I'm beginning some sewing lessons here, just for fun, and you never know, maybe another daughter or daughter-in-law will decide they want to learn!

Lesson #1

First: learn to thread your machine, wind a bobbin and put it in correctly.  I could show you how to thread my machine, but yours would be a little different. Refer to your manual, usually available on line if you don't have a printed copy.  Correctly threading your machine is very important.  It will not sew well if you skip any of the steps.  Often there are also YouTube videos if you search with the name of your machine. 

Second: if you have a mechanical machine instead of a computerized machine, the most important habit you can learn is to use your handwheel to always bring the take up lever 

to it's highest point whenever you stop your machine, before you try to pull your fabric out from under your needle.

In order to make a stitch, your machine has to pull up some extra thread so there is enough to slide around the bobbin to make a stitch. The take up lever  moves up and down, and you can see it as you watch your machine sew.  Here is a link with a short explanation of how a machine makes a stitch:

In order to bring your take up lever to it's highest position, you need to turn the handwheel (it's round and on the right end of your machine) toward you - in a counter clock wise motion. If you move it away from you in a clock wise motion you can jam your machine - fixable, but make your life easy and get in the habit of moving it toward you.

Here is a helpful diagram I found online. 

Hoo boy, I am just too funny! You know you are here because you think I'm funny too! No, really, HERE is a helpful diagram I found online.

Yeah, that's a little more helpful, huh? OK, that's the lesson for today. More soon!

Happy Sewing!!

(You should probably make a comment like, "Thanks Mom, this is great"... or something)