Sewing 101: First Stitches
Yesterday, my Brother sewing machine and I shared a lot of bonding time. I carefully unwrapped him from his box, gave him the ‘ole once over (about twelve times over), and even put him to work!
I’m working my way through a free online Sewing 101 course by the amazing Raechel Myers from Finding my Feet, a punny blog that covers everything from design to family life to sewing tutorials. In her course, Raechel shares with her readers some of the basics of sewing she picked up while in college studying and later teaching “Principles of Clothing Construction.” She speaks my language, using visuals as well as videos to walk us through everything from the parts of a machine to the first stitches to completing a Market Bag pattern.
So, yesterday afternoon, I carefully went through my Brother sewing machine manual while simultaneously double-checking Raechel’s post, “Know Your Machine.” After one minor mishap of accidentally winding the thread on the plastic beneath my bobbin (that was “fun” to unwind by hand), I managed to successfully wind two bobbins.
I also cut out fifty 4 x 4 muslin squares on my new cutting mat with a rotary cutter. I watched a lot of “how to” videos on youtube before attempting that one. And after several trials, found a happy medium between applying too much pressure (knocking my ruler aside) and not enough (needing to make several passes). The squares are going to be used for lots and lots of practice on my machine.
Then, we dove into the first stitches! The straight stitch went smoothly for me for the most part. Here was my second attempt:
Next was the zig-zag, which really threw me for a loop. I ran into two problems. 1) My zig-zag was coming out backwards, with my top thread showing up on the bottom and vice versa. According to my manual and a sew forum online, it was a tension issue. I lowered my tension from a 4 to a 3. That seemed to help. 2) I also found that my fabric was gathering up a bit in between the zig zag at times; I think my fabric is a little too thin for some of the wider stitches. So, I got to practice my basting stitch from earlier, securing two squares together, and here was the final result. Not perfect, but much better than the 7 squares I demolished.
Eager to take on the next lesson: “Seams of All Kinds.” Stayed tuned for more glory and gory stories as I learn the ropes of sewing on my new Brother machine.
Since I’m out of my element ( I thought bobbin’ and weavin’ was something Muhammed Ali did), I’ll just say I’m enjoying reading your adventures in threadland.
,
Dad
Man, my parents are witty with the words! Thanks for reading along, Popsie. I’m having a blast diving into this new skill set. I’m a bit out of my element, myself!
Speaking of bob ‘n weave…there’s a Sara Groves song with that in it….”bob n’ weave, bob n’ weave, bob n’ weave.” 🙂
Also, Lauren, I think that’s so wise to pair your own training using Rachael’s blog with an actual live class. That way it’ll really stick! Hoping one day I can learn live from YOU!
Love that song…. Yeah, I’m actually really glad I had done some prep before attending my class at Jo-Ann’s. I was one of the few who knew how to wind a bobbin and thread my machine, which gave me the confidence boost I needed to forge ahead in my first project.
And oh, how I would love a Sister Summer Camp with some sewing involved! Let’s put it on the bucket list.
Is your grandfather reading your blog? It would be fun for him to share with Mor Mor! She might also have some suggestions as an expert sewer! So glad you are enjoying sewing and it’s not just so-so!!
Lol. Very punny! Will get to see Mor Mor and Pop Pop this week, so I’ll definitely share it with them. Yes, Mor Mor has definitely rocked some incredible sewing projects in her lifetime. Our Christmas stockings, Hunny Bunnies, my Christopher cat doll….
…her own wedding dress too!
Thanks for sharing this – so glad it’s helpful!
Saw your problem with the bunching fabric in the zig zag stitch – seems like another layer of fabric could help if your fabric is thin. Hm.
Yes, I’ll keep doubling up my squares through the rest of the course to see if that helps. If not, I’m taking a Sewing 101 course at my local Jo-Ann’s next Monday and perhaps my teacher can offer some input on what I might be doing wrong…. Thanks for the feedback!