Sewing Table & Sewing Machine: 9 Tips For Beginners
Hello everyone! This time I want to share some sewing machine and table tips that will be helpful to beginners.
Sewing is my favorite thing to do so I want to make it easier for everyone to start. Our helpful tip covers from what you need to purchase to setting up your sewing area to operating the machine.
Let’s jump right in.
What are The Best Beginner Sewing Machine Models?
As a beginner, you are not going to start with a lot of sewing and therefore, it is advisable to go for a basic sewing machine. I recommend a mechanical sewing machine model. Most of them are affordable, simple, and easy to use.
Computerized models have many buttons and settings that may make things confusing. Even more, they are very expensive.
You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars before even finishing your first project. You are in the learning process.
I am not suggesting you buy a cheap or old sewing machine. What I am suggesting is quality but a simple machine that will make your learning process easier.
What Type of Sewing Table Do You need?
When purchasing a sewing table, all you should consider is the amount of sewing you will be doing. Which in my opinion is simple sewing work because you are just starting.
You don’t need a Mercedes or a sewing table just to learn sewing. Go for something simple but make sure it has a compartment for storage. It should have at least a drawer where you can keep stuff like books and sketches.
What Other Supplies Will You Need for Sewing?
Sewing is not all about purchasing a sewing table and machine. There is a lot of stuff that is needed. I will list the most important ones for you as a beginner.
- Pins
- Scissors
- Needle
- Thread
- Ironing board
- Seam rippers
- Tape measure
- Cutting mat
- Marking pen
- Screwdriver
- Trays
- Extra bobbins
- Pencil
How to Set Up Your Sewing Machine and Table
Once you bought your sewing machine, table, and the necessary supplies, the next step is to get an appropriate sewing room and set it up for sewing. When deciding on the sewing room, consider the lighting, size, and noise.
Sewing requires precision and this is nearly impossible when you have a poorly lit room. If you don’t have a room with enough natural light, you can supplement with extra bulbs.
A lot of traffic noise will also interfere with your concentration, so you need somewhere cool.
Once you have a quiet spacious room with a lot of natural light, the next thing is to set up your sewing station.
Start by setting up your sewing table. This is where you will be working most of the time so ensure you pick the most comfortable spot with a lot of light.
Once that is in place, you need to set up your sewing machine. Ensure the machine is at the center of the sewing table. This will give it a lot of stability.
You need to position your machine where you can guide the fabric with your dominant hand. Meaning, the positioning on the table will depend on whether you are a righty or a lefty. But it should be placed on the table such that you have enough space for ironing and cutting fabric.
The pedal should be flat on the floor with a little slack in the cord. The cord should also go around the back of the workstation and come back under the table.
How to Arrange Your Tools and Accessories
You can keep your tiny tools like needles, thread, pins, etc in a table storage unit. Your sewing patterns, books and manual can be placed in the table drawer where you can easily reach them.
Notions and supplies such as pencils, scissors, erasers, chalk, marker pens, etc should be kept in tins and placed where you can easily reach them.
You also need a trashcan next to the machine to keep trash and scraps under control.
How to Thread Your Sewing Machine?
With everything in place, you can now get to the real thing. Sewing always starts by threading the machine.
You start by placing the thread spool. But the big question is, which way does the thread spool go?
Your spool should run counterclockwise. The thread should roll off the pool in line with the direction of the wound thread at a right angle.
The next step is to pull out the thread and guide it as specified in your sewing machine manual. Depending on your machine, you may guide it through or under a disk button-like feature. This feature is meant to create tension before the thread reaches the bobbin.
After that, you need to thread the bobbin. For a bobbin with a hole, thread the hole from inside out of the bobbin then place the bobbin in a bobbin winder spindle. For a solid bobbin (without a hole), simply place it in the spindle and wind the thread around leaving only a tail to hold onto when winding.
To wind the bobbin, power the machine via the foot pedal holding onto the thread tail until the loose tail is secured. You should let go of the tail to wind on the bobbin or trim it close to the bobbin if the bobbin is full.
How to Thread the Sewing Needle
If your machine has an automatic needle threading system, this step isn’t a stress. If it doesn’t, this step is for you.
A home sewing machine needle is threaded from the front to the back. Industrial models will often be threaded from the side.
How to Put In your Bobbin Thread
The next step is to insert the bobbin. Refer to your sewing machine manual and ensure you insert it correctly.
You should pull out some thread ( an arm’s length) before you start. Insert the bobbin into the bobbin case. The thread should go in the same direction as the notch on the bobbin case.
Now mount the bobbin case into the machine by pressing it until it “clicks on.” This step will depend on the type of machine that you have. For instance, a top-loaded machine will use a “drop-in” method.
Once you insert the bobbin, the next step is to pull out the bobbin thread. Pull up the thread through the feed teeth. To pull up the bobbin thread, turn the handwheel towards you.
That is it. You are now ready to start sewing.
Tips to Operate a Sewing Machine
The first thing is to power your machine up, simply plug it in. You also need to plug in the foot pedal for the machine. The foot pedals are what will control the speed of the needle. The harder you press down your foot, the faster the machine will run.
Always start sewing with your presser foot down. Starting sewing with your presser foot at the top will make the machine jam.
The needle you are using should match the thickness of the fabric you are working with. When you want to remove the fabric, use the handwheel to move the needle up.
Conclusion
Hopefully, our beginner sewing machine and table tip were very helpful. You are now free to purchase one and give it a try, but remember to use these tips hand in hand with your user manual.