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Posted by Emily Bengston on April 12, 2008, 7:49 pm
On 4/12/08 5:17 AM, in article
48008c46$0$14278$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au, "FarmI"
show/hide quoted text
>
>>> :-)) Yu may have serger envy, but you need to get that sewing machine to
>>> sing before you think about a serger (I think the analogy would be walk
>>> before yu run).
>>>
>>> How are your progressing with the sewing machine so far? What have you
>>> done with it and what are you still having problems with?
>>> Thanks for all the wonderfull insights and comments. I
>>> appreciated the feedback. So far with the machine, I have learned how
>>> to wind the bobbin, thread the needle, change the feet, and learn how to
>>> adjust the stitches and what they do.
>> Basically, learning the hardware. I have ordered two
>> instruction books, and when they come, I will try and work threw them, to
>> get a better understanding on how things work.
>> I also purchased some supplies. A good scissor, a bunch of
>> extra bobbins, and some various types of threads. I also purchased some
>> small remnants of pieces that were in a bin, in order to fool around with
>> various types of fabric.
>
> As a very raw beginner, might I make a suggestion or six?
>
> Invest in some really cheap cotton (dunno what you call it in the US -
> perhaps calico, perhaps muslin, but it's a creamy colour and not
> particularly nice, but good to learn on) and then just dive in and have a go
> at basic things like seams and various edge stitches and manual button holes
> before you bother about moving on to other types of fabric.
>
> The reason why I suggest this approach is that cotton will 'behave' and sit
> where you put it, other fabrics don't always do that and for a beginner,
> behaving fabric is important because you need to know that you are the boss
> rather than the fabric.
>
> I've also suggested seams, edge stitches and manual button hole in that
> order because most of the things you will ever need to do on wovens (as
> opposed to knits) can be covered by using just those things and can easily
> be accomplished on any machine that does straight stitch and zig-zag. And
> also, if you can master those 3 things then you will have conquoured nearly
> all of the things you will need to to put together most garments. From the
> cheap cotton, then move onto other types of wovens then go onto knits.
>
> Here endeth the unasked for advice (but I know that I learned in that order
> and most other sewers I know) and if I was teaching anyone, this is the
> order in which I would teach them.
>
>> Also, it seems, I needed to purchase a large magnifying lens
>> with a light, as my old sharpshooter eyes are not what they once were. :)
>> I think that has been my most beneficial purchase so far. I can see the
>> stitching much better, read the small instructions and just have an easier
>> time of things. Oh to be twenty again.
>
> :-)) I know just what you mean. I can't see a thing these days without
> magnifying glasses on my face.
>
>
Farml, if you don't mind, I'd like to copy your suggestion for beginning
sewing to one DGD, who has a SM, but really doesn't know how to sew. I've
given her a few books including the Reader's Digest(1977) and the "Dummies"
book, as well as showing her a few things while visiting her; she is in FL
and I'm in Houston, TX.
But you directions are short, clear & concise. I think she'll enjoy reading
and be able to remember them more easily than what the books & my
instructions have taught her.
Thanks you,
Emily
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Posted by FarmI on April 17, 2008, 2:20 am
"FarmI"
show/hide quoted text
>> As a very raw beginner, might I make a suggestion or six?
>> Invest in some really cheap cotton (dunno what you call it in the US -
>> perhaps calico, perhaps muslin, but it's a creamy colour and not
>> particularly nice, but good to learn on) and then just dive in and have a
>> go
>> at basic things like seams and various edge stitches and manual button
>> holes
>> before you bother about moving on to other types of fabric.
>> The reason why I suggest this approach is that cotton will 'behave' and
>> sit
>> where you put it, other fabrics don't always do that and for a beginner,
>> behaving fabric is important because you need to know that you are the
>> boss
>> rather than the fabric.
>> I've also suggested seams, edge stitches and manual button hole in that
>> order because most of the things you will ever need to do on wovens (as
>> opposed to knits) can be covered by using just those things and can
>> easily
>> be accomplished on any machine that does straight stitch and zig-zag.
>> And
>> also, if you can master those 3 things then you will have conquoured
>> nearly
>> all of the things you will need to to put together most garments. From
>> the
>> cheap cotton, then move onto other types of wovens then go onto knits.
>> Here endeth the unasked for advice (but I know that I learned in that
>> order
>> and most other sewers I know) and if I was teaching anyone, this is the
>> order in which I would teach them.
show/hide quoted text
> Farml, if you don't mind, I'd like to copy your suggestion for beginning
> sewing to one DGD, who has a SM, but really doesn't know how to sew.
You are most welcome to use the advice, and I'm flattered that you thought
it was useful :-)) sorry I haven't reponded before now - been off doing some
family history.
I've
show/hide quoted text
> given her a few books including the Reader's Digest(1977) and the
> "Dummies"
> book, as well as showing her a few things while visiting her; she is in FL
> and I'm in Houston, TX.
> But you directions are short, clear & concise. I think she'll enjoy
> reading
> and be able to remember them more easily than what the books & my
> instructions have taught her.
> Thanks you,
Sometimes I think that books are a bit overwhelming for a beginner. Us
olderies who learned either at our mother's knee or had to do some hand
sewing in the early days of school, had it a bit easier I think. I remember
it took me a whole year to hand sew bias binding on an apron at school when
I was about 8 - it's a wonder that this didn't put me off sewing entirely.
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Posted by Emily Bengston on April 17, 2008, 2:33 pm
On 4/17/08 1:20 AM, in article
4806ec14$0$30908$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au, "FarmI"
show/hide quoted text
> "FarmI"
>
>>> As a very raw beginner, might I make a suggestion or six?
>>>
>>> Invest in some really cheap cotton (dunno what you call it in the US -
>>> perhaps calico, perhaps muslin, but it's a creamy colour and not
>>> particularly nice, but good to learn on) and then just dive in and have a
>>> go
>>> at basic things like seams and various edge stitches and manual button
>>> holes
>>> before you bother about moving on to other types of fabric.
>>>
>>> The reason why I suggest this approach is that cotton will 'behave' and
>>> sit
>>> where you put it, other fabrics don't always do that and for a beginner,
>>> behaving fabric is important because you need to know that you are the
>>> boss
>>> rather than the fabric.
>>>
>>> I've also suggested seams, edge stitches and manual button hole in that
>>> order because most of the things you will ever need to do on wovens (as
>>> opposed to knits) can be covered by using just those things and can
>>> easily
>>> be accomplished on any machine that does straight stitch and zig-zag.
>>> And
>>> also, if you can master those 3 things then you will have conquoured
>>> nearly
>>> all of the things you will need to to put together most garments. From
>>> the
>>> cheap cotton, then move onto other types of wovens then go onto knits.
>>>
>>> Here endeth the unasked for advice (but I know that I learned in that
>>> order
>>> and most other sewers I know) and if I was teaching anyone, this is the
>>> order in which I would teach them.
>
>> Farml, if you don't mind, I'd like to copy your suggestion for beginning
>> sewing to one DGD, who has a SM, but really doesn't know how to sew.
>
> You are most welcome to use the advice, and I'm flattered that you thought
> it was useful :-)) sorry I haven't reponded before now - been off doing some
> family history.
>
> I've
>> given her a few books including the Reader's Digest(1977) and the
>> "Dummies"
>> book, as well as showing her a few things while visiting her; she is in FL
>> and I'm in Houston, TX.
>> But you directions are short, clear & concise. I think she'll enjoy
>> reading
>> and be able to remember them more easily than what the books & my
>> instructions have taught her.
>> Thanks you,
>
> Sometimes I think that books are a bit overwhelming for a beginner. Us
> olderies who learned either at our mother's knee or had to do some hand
> sewing in the early days of school, had it a bit easier I think. I remember
> it took me a whole year to hand sew bias binding on an apron at school when
> I was about 8 - it's a wonder that this didn't put me off sewing entirely.
>
Farml, she was very appreciative of the notes; I've saved them for the 9-YO,
in case her parents ever allow her to have a machine.
On sewing, my DM taught me on her 1930 Singer treadle machine. I took Home
Economics in 8th grade(US) and taught my instructor how to make good
buttonholes-she was going to skip that part of making our pajamas. Also in
cooking class, I showed that instructor to make a smooth white sauce. She
had not the slightest idea how to do it.
Sewing always came so easy for me, but some of my sisters hate it. I taught
all 5 of my children to sew and cook; both boys enjoy it, although one
doesn't have a machine. Two of the girls enjoy it but one finds it boring
and dislikes it immensely and she is also the only one who hates to cook.
I can understand about the family history; one of my cousins did a good one
on my DD's paternal family and a DB worked on the others, but died before
completing either of them, much less putting them together for all of us.
Since I am the eldest, and was lucky enough to spend lots of tiime with my
DGMs, I have been writing my memories down and justifying them with history
as I can find it. I love finding out all about our blood lineage.
Emily
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Posted by Kay Lancaster on April 11, 2008, 5:42 pm
Ah, I understand serger envy. It's what makes DH (who can sew, but doesn't
like to) grab the serger instead of the sewing machine for any number of
inappropriate tasks. I think it's all the various motion going on that
show/hide quoted text
attracts engineers and such. <g>
That said, have you seen the tutorial videos on the web on presser foot
use for the sewing machine? They're pretty good.
http://www.singerco.com/support/presser_help.html
show/hide quoted text
and <http://preview.tinyurl.com/5edntc> which is
<http://www.sewingmachine-sales.co.uk/sewing_machine_info/vid
show/hide quoted text
eo/44/fringe-presser-foot-with-idt.html>
I'd suggest you might try out the various feet that come with your machine
with scrap fabric, just to figure out what you can do with them and various
stitches available on your machine. Some of the feet are pretty versatile,
like a joining foot, while others are pretty much single purpose, like a
narrow hem foot.
Next, I'd suggest you might try to borrow (interlibrary loan?) the
Islander Sewing System video or DVD called Shirts, Etc!
show/hide quoted text
<https://islandersewing.hostasaurus.com/Islander2005/prod.php?dept_id=V>
where she goes through shirt construction using ready to wear sewing
methods, much of it shot from the point of view of the person sewing.
These methods don't match the usual methods of the pattern envelopes
(they're more efficient generally), but I don't think it'll confuse
you, and you'll see some excellent machine skills and fabric handling
skills in action. (The machine's the easy part... good fabric handling's
the harder part, imho!)
Or you might ask your library for a couple of techniques books like
Carol Ahles' Fine Machine Sewing or Nancy Bednar and Joann Pugh-Gannon's
Encyclopedia of Sewing Techniques.
Or you could just pick up a pattern or a project and start sewing, and
ask us when you get stuck. Or when something seems harder than it needs
show/hide quoted text
to be<g> That tends to be the traditional way to
learn beginning sewing.
Here's an easy project written for beginners:
http://www.make-it-easy.com/opentot2.html
Kay
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Posted by Joy Beeson on April 11, 2008, 10:31 pm
show/hide quoted text
> Here's an easy project written for beginners:
> http://www.make-it-easy.com/opentot2.html
Cool link! I've added it to the links page on my website. (Haven't
uploaded the altered file yet, though.)
Joy Beeson
--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://roughsewing.home.comcast.net/ -- sewing
http://n3f.home.comcast.net/ -- Writers' Exchange
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.
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>>> :-)) Yu may have serger envy, but you need to get that sewing machine to
>>> sing before you think about a serger (I think the analogy would be walk
>>> before yu run).
>>>
>>> How are your progressing with the sewing machine so far? What have you
>>> done with it and what are you still having problems with?
>>> Thanks for all the wonderfull insights and comments. I
>>> appreciated the feedback. So far with the machine, I have learned how
>>> to wind the bobbin, thread the needle, change the feet, and learn how to
>>> adjust the stitches and what they do.
>> Basically, learning the hardware. I have ordered two
>> instruction books, and when they come, I will try and work threw them, to
>> get a better understanding on how things work.
>> I also purchased some supplies. A good scissor, a bunch of
>> extra bobbins, and some various types of threads. I also purchased some
>> small remnants of pieces that were in a bin, in order to fool around with
>> various types of fabric.
>
> As a very raw beginner, might I make a suggestion or six?
>
> Invest in some really cheap cotton (dunno what you call it in the US -
> perhaps calico, perhaps muslin, but it's a creamy colour and not
> particularly nice, but good to learn on) and then just dive in and have a go
> at basic things like seams and various edge stitches and manual button holes
> before you bother about moving on to other types of fabric.
>
> The reason why I suggest this approach is that cotton will 'behave' and sit
> where you put it, other fabrics don't always do that and for a beginner,
> behaving fabric is important because you need to know that you are the boss
> rather than the fabric.
>
> I've also suggested seams, edge stitches and manual button hole in that
> order because most of the things you will ever need to do on wovens (as
> opposed to knits) can be covered by using just those things and can easily
> be accomplished on any machine that does straight stitch and zig-zag. And
> also, if you can master those 3 things then you will have conquoured nearly
> all of the things you will need to to put together most garments. From the
> cheap cotton, then move onto other types of wovens then go onto knits.
>
> Here endeth the unasked for advice (but I know that I learned in that order
> and most other sewers I know) and if I was teaching anyone, this is the
> order in which I would teach them.
>
>> Also, it seems, I needed to purchase a large magnifying lens
>> with a light, as my old sharpshooter eyes are not what they once were. :)
>> I think that has been my most beneficial purchase so far. I can see the
>> stitching much better, read the small instructions and just have an easier
>> time of things. Oh to be twenty again.
>
> :-)) I know just what you mean. I can't see a thing these days without
> magnifying glasses on my face.
>
>