Understanding and Using A Sewing Machine E-Book

Nicola Corrigan

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Many people have a sewing machine tucked away in a corner, but little understanding of how to use it. With accessible and clear instructions, this book takes you on a journey, teaching and building upon basic skills to build up a repertoire of techniques and ideas, until you are a confident and creative sewer, able to design and adapt your own ideas and develop an individual sewing style. This new guide to understanding your sewing machine includes winding the bobbin; threading the machine up correctly and adjusting the settings. It also covers skills for making simple projects such as measuring, cutting, pinning, tacking and understanding fabrics. Common techniques for everyday use are given such as inserting a zip, taking up a hem and creating simple decorative applique designs. Guide to understanding your sewing machine includes winding the bobbin, threading the machine up correctly and adjusting the settings. Skills for making simple projects such as measuring, cutting, pinning, tacking and understanding fabrics. A practical little guide to learning how to use a sewing machine and create fabulous unique projects. Of great interest to the anyone interested in sewing, fashion, costume making, furnishings and interior design. Gorgeous projects are given with step-by-step instruction to provide inspiration for fashion, home and upcycling ideas. There are over 170 beautiful illustrations that encourage you to take up creative sewing for home, fashion and accessories.

Leseprobe

UNDERSTANDING AND USING A

sewing

machine

NICOLA CORRIGAN

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2018 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2018

© Nicola Corrigan 2018

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of thistext may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 500 8

Frontispiece: Fig. 1 Sewing projects, designs and printed fabric by the author.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Kitty, my lovely Mum, who has inspired a love of printed textiles and has patiently taught me to sew, whilst making clothes, bags and quilts for myself and my four fantastic children, Danny, Harry, Ellie and Molly. Thanks, too, to my Nan Mollie, whose machine I now have. She let me watch her sew, made a trousseau of clothes for my favourite doll and worked in a fabric shop. Finally thanks to everyone who gave advice, help and support in the making of this book.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

1 CHOOSING A SEWING MACHINE AND ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

2 UNDERSTANDING YOUR SEWING MACHINE

3 SETTING UP, THREADING AND USING YOUR MACHINE

4 STITCHES

5 STARTING TO SEW AND JOINING FABRICS

6 HOW TO MEASURE AND PLAN PROJECTS WITH ACCURACY

7 LOVELY LAVENDER HEARTS

8 HOW TO NEATLY LINE AND MAKE A BAG WITH HANDLES

9 INSERT A ZIP AND CUSHIONS WITH ZIPS

10 LINED CURTAIN CREATIONS

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

Hand sewing traditions date back thousands of years, with earliest evidence being bone needles found at the sites of primitive cave dwellings. Use of mechanical sewing machines is, however, a much later invention dating from around the middle of the eighteenth century.

Fig 2. ‘Paisleyland’ fabric panels designed by the author.

My own personal love of sewing goes back to childhood and a Mum, Kitty, who sewed everything from clothes to home furnishings. My Irish grandmother Mollie was also a keen needlewoman, sewing every day, at a 1930s black and gold Singer treadle machine. This machine is still a prized family possession. I started sewing clothes in my early teens, under expert guidance, being encouraged to make even the most challenging projects. Fairly ambitious initial creations included dungarees, long panelled and tiered skirts and fitted summer dresses. All of these were made using paper patterns, which are a great way of learning new skills and techniques and visualizing and making complete projects.

An early love of fabric and print design preceded art school training as a surface pattern designer and a long career as a textile designer.

As a teacher of beginners’ and more advanced sewing classes I’ve found that many people learn to sew informally at home, although increasingly some pick up sewing techniques through internet tutorials. Others are returning needlewomen refreshing rusty sewing skills. There is currently renewed interest in craft and sewing skills and beginners may approach these classes with justifiably high expectations and ambitions. In a few hours, students are able to learn to use a machine and move quickly from making very simple envelope cushions to more complex projects such as lined bags, accessories, home furnishings and fashion.

This book will be a written version of the sewing classes that I teach and aims to be fun and creative, taking the reader on a sewing and imaginative journey that teaches and builds upon basic skills, tackling gradually more challenging projects throughout. By learning to use a sewing machine and some basic simple techniques, you will be able to embark confidently on a lifetime of creative sewing for home, fashion and accessories.

Your initial motivation for learning to sew may be practical and economic, possibly after realizing how expensive it is to buy new curtains, cushions or simple clothes.

Some beginners have inherited cherished sewing machines from family members, maybe with a cupboard or boxes full of inspirational fabrics, threads and sewing notions. Sometimes these come with a growing realization that knowledge of sewing has not been passed on.

Reasons and incentives for learning may include wanting to create original clothes, memory patchwork quilts, home furnishings, bags and accessories, or to alter items.

What all of these projects have in common is that they entail the use of the same practical sewing skills, processes, planning and creativity. Inspiration for sewing will come from anywhere and everywhere! Fabric shops, markets and vintage fabrics can all prove the stimulus for new projects. A simple pin board, folder or notebook of magazine cuttings and projects will inspire and provide much future encouragement. It is a good idea and fun to begin to collect fabrics, buttons, braids and anything that inspires you to sew.

This book will aim to inspire creativity, incorporating and encouraging imaginative and original design elements to complement, embellish and personalize your own projects.

The sewing journey will begin with choosing your machine or getting to know the one you may already have. The first steps will embrace understanding your sewing machine, including winding the bobbin, threading the machine up correctly and adjusting the settings. You will become increasingly familiar with all of its functions, settings and parts as you begin to sew with developing skills and assurance. Understanding and threading the machine is very simple, and you will very quickly begin to plan, design and sew some simple items.

With every project completed you will gain new practical design and making talents that can be built upon for future projects. There are not many definitive rules; it’s going to be fun and creative and you will swiftly learn to realize the importance of measuring, cutting, pinning, tacking and understanding fabrics and sewing.

Fig. 3 Mollie’s machine.

Simple projects such as making an envelope cushion will encourage the development of sewing machine confidence and familiarization. This project will enable you to become proficient with straight stitching, including using the machine needle plate measuring guide to ensure a regular 1.5cm seam allowance. You will begin to sew with accuracy and care, including tackling corners. The pattern selection stitch dial will be introduced to demonstrate the sewing machine’s range of stitches, including zigzag stitching, as you finish off your cushion’s raw edges. You will learn to adjust the stitch length and width dials to create exactly the right stitch size. Each chapter will guide the sewing expedition, enabling you to build skills and techniques and learn to creatively develop your own projects and expertise. The importance of measuring, planning and using the machine to sew accurately will again be demonstrated and reinforced in the lined bunting and ‘lavender hearts’ projects.

By the end of the book you will be taught how to utilize the machine to put in a zip, take up a hem and create simple decorative appliqué designs. All of the chapters teach techniques and skills that can be applied to future projects, so that the whole time you are building up a wealth of sewing experience and building upon your talents. The final project teaches you how to create a tab top curtain and simple curtains. With all the experience you have gained you will find that these are really quite simple. You may want to tackle the creative appliqué and border details or even design and make your own.

Throughout the book there will be plenty of simple sewing, troubleshooting and creative tips to guide you along the way.

Have fun and happy sewing!

CHAPTER ONE

CHOOSING A SEWING MACHINE AND ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

Sewing machines

It is a good idea to research and choose your sewing machine from a reputable sewing machine supplier who can give you guidance, a demonstration and possibly a free trial and some instruction.

Fig. 4 Sewing at home.

Starting out, you need a good basic electric machine with a range of stitch functions. Many come with between sixteen and twenty-four stitches, including a choice of buttonholes. You should look for a model with a fairly sturdy machine casing as this will ensure that the machine remains stable when you are sewing. Most will come ready fitted with a zigzag foot that is suitable for both zigzag and straight stitching. All new machines will be equipped with some supplies, which will include a range of sewing machine presser feet and a dedicated manual.

Portability may be important, enabling you to sew in different places and possibly take your machine to classes. Most new machines will have a handle on the top for carrying. Some will come with hard cases, which fit neatly over the handle. Otherwise a simple canvas or plastic slip cover should be provided.

Machines with a removable extendable free arm are a very good option as these enable you to easily handle fabric, moving it around and aiding the stitching of smaller, more tricky sewing areas such as trouser legs and sleeves.

Many sewing schools use Janome machines, which are very durable, simple to use, reliable and portable. Brother produce good, reasonably priced sewing machines suitable for all projects. Singer are a long established sewing machine manufacturer producing a range of economically priced machines, including an inexpensive beginner’s model incorporating a few stitch options. John Lewis sell their own range, including a robust budget sewing machine.

Bernina produce excellent sewing machines. These are more costly than entry-level machines. They inspire dedicated devotees amongst many keen sewing enthusiasts and are often investment pieces.

If you acquire an older machine with no instructions, you will find that manuals and directions for most makes are available online. There are also many internet sites with useful feedback and tips.

Many modern machines will incorporate computerized functions with automatic settings for stitch length and width. Some advanced versions will have memory functions, which can be linked to computers. These are not necessary for initial sewing projects and beginners. If you have inherited or acquired a vintage machine, for example an old Singer, you will have no decorative stitch functions but will still be able to sew and make almost anything. Indeed, some keen sewers prefer working with old machines.

Essential equipment for sewing

A sewing box

You will need a place to keep all of your sewing equipment and notions. A portable tiered tool box with a handle works brilliantly. These have plenty of small divisions useful for storing reels of thread and other haberdashery items and a main larger section which can be used for stowing items such as sewing scissors. You can find tool boxes such as these in DIY shops.

Fig. 5 Sewing box.

Transportable wooden cantilevered and hinged boxes, with handles and layered sections, are a good option and, like the tool boxes, have plenty of partitions for organizing materials.

Vintage and antique boxes, sewing boxes on legs or boxed tables can be found online or in charity shops and will serve as decorative sewing room organizers. These are normally wooden or wicker.

There are many pretty fabric-covered, padded sewing boxes available, sometimes with wicker features and handles. These will often have pockets and inside padded areas, which can be used for storing pins and needles. They are cheap and especially good for children who are beginning to sew.

Scissors

Sharp sewing scissors reserved solely for sewing and a small pair of little scissors for snipping detailed areas are essential. You will also need paper scissors for cutting out paper patterns.

Needles and a needle case

You will need a packet of mixed hand sewing needles and a larger darning needle for threading through thicker threads, ribbon or elastic. A needle case is really useful and also a great sewing project. An essential item is a packet of mixed-size, universal sewing machine needles to suit your sewing machine.

Fig. 6 Kitty’s needle case.

Pins

A box of dressmaker’s pins will be required and if possible a pin cushion. You may want to make the cushion, though. The lavender heart project in this book makes a great pin cushion.

Fig. 7 Lavender heart pin cushions.

Measuring

A tape measure and short ruler are essential. A long metre rule is also very useful for bigger projects like curtains.

Threads

You will need a range of good quality machine sewing threads to match your fabrics. A reel of tacking thread will also be needed.

Fig. 8 Threads.

Stitch unpicker or seam ripper

This will be used for unpicking areas of machine and hand stitching and pulling out and neatening off threads.

Markers

Tailor’s chalk, water soluble pens and pencils. An ordinary pencil can work fine for marking small areas but with all of these it is best to do a sample and to try to only mark areas which are not going to show, for example inside the seam allowances.

Buttons

You can start saving old buttons and often pick them up in charity shops or markets. A jar or tin of vintage buttons will look good in your sewing room and add decorative finishing touches to many projects.

Fig. 9 Button box.

Iron and ironing board

You will need an iron to press all the items which you make and during the various stages of a project. It is a good idea to make sure it is clean before ironing your sewing.

Fabrics and haberdashery materials

Collect and source inspirational new and vintage fabrics and notions to inspire your sewing and projects. Good local fabric shops, online sellers, markets and charity shops are all good resources. Old favourite clothes, curtains and linens are all good sources for recycling projects.

Fabric facts

Fabric will come in a number of widths, including 90cm, 115cm and 150cm. These must be considered when buying fabric as they will help determine how much you will need. All commercial patterns will give guidelines on buying appropriate fabric widths, length and weights. Obviously this will not apply when recycling old fabrics, clothes, curtains and household linens. Different weight fabrics will be more suited to some projects than others. Medium- and heavier-weight fabrics are better for furnishing projects such as cushions and also for bags as these will need to be more durable. A good fabric shop is always a great place to ask for advice on the suitability and quantity of fabrics needed for different projects.

Fig. 10 Cushion made with vintage embroidered fabric and linen.

Storing fabrics