| Sewing is enjoying a surge in popularity. Making your | | | | if you aspire to selling your handiwork one day. |
| own clothes, accessories or soft furnishings can save | | | | By far the most common problem novices have with |
| money or simply help you create unique, beautiful | | | | their new sewing machine is misthreading the needle. |
| pieces that look exactly how you want. But if you are | | | | Read the instruction manual carefully and keep it to |
| a complete novice, the range of sewing machines | | | | hand until you are truly proficient in using it. Take the |
| available can be a bit intimidating if you don't know | | | | time to experiment with varying types and weights of |
| exactly what you are looking for. | | | | fabric and different stitches. Lighter material such as |
| If you are planning on making your own clothes or | | | | silk will require short stitches (1mm to 1.5mm) while |
| home furnishings you are probably only going to need | | | | heavy fabric may need a longer, tacking stitch (3mm |
| a fairly basic model rather than an expensive sewing | | | | to 5mm). Experimentation can save you a lot of time |
| machine with a dozen functions you may never learn | | | | and costly mistakes later on when you are actually |
| to use. A basic machine should be able to do straight | | | | trying to create a finished product. Dust can make |
| and zig zag stitches and a button hole function. If you | | | | your sewing machine run less efficiently so always |
| are quite artistic or creative (and therefore interested in | | | | recover the machine after use. |
| doing elaborate or embellished work) and have a | | | | To make the most of your new sewing machine and |
| slightly bigger budget then computerized models of | | | | your crafting skills, contact your local college or adult |
| sewing machine do a much greater variety of stitches. | | | | education centre to ask if they run suitable evening |
| These types of machine are also a better investment | | | | courses. |