Sewing is an art that will open doors to so many amazing creative process and craft making. Sewing process includes the use of thread and needle or a sewing machine. The art you can make with the sewing skill using sewing machine is unlimited. For a creative person, sewing is a must learn skill to open their horizon of creating arts without barriers.

To learn any skill or art you need patience and determination. No skill is learnt overnight and trying to learn a particular skill with the thinking of being able to learn it in a day or just after a few readings is a thought process that will lead you to achieving nothing, leaving you frustrated and aborting the plan to learn it.

However, if went wisely and step by step, the process of grasping and learning a skill becomes faster. In this article, I have put forward step by step learning tips for you at becoming a pro at sewing using a sewing machine.

Let’s begin.

1- Select a sewing machine wisely

As a beginner, you do not need to overwhelm yourself with a complex machine because you will not be using the complex functions until you decide to take your sewing game a step ahead.

Select a machine that has fewer in-built designs and is less complicated. A machine that can work on multiple fabrics and layers and has adjustable foot pressure.

If you already own a machine, I suggest to only focus on the basic components and do not worry about the complex in built stitches yet. One step at a time

I am using Singer Tradition 2263. It is simple, multipurpose and beginner friendly. See my review for the Singer Tradition 2263 at this link if you are interested.

2- Learn the basic components of a sewing machine

Before learning the sewing craft, you need to learn the machine you will be creating your art with. Learn about just the basic components at this point and you will learn about the rest along the way.

  • Learn how to thread a sewing machine (Learn here)
  • How to adjust a stitch length in your sewing machine (Learn here)
  • How to adjust the thread tension in your sewing machine
  • How and when to clean and oil your sewing machine (Learn here)

Understand these functions and you are good to go.

3- Adjust the Speed

Adjust the speed of of your sewing machine so that you are not going too fast with the sewing. Adjust the sewing speed to which you are most comfortable at. The more comfortable you are, the better you will be able to learn and enjoy the process of creating the sewing crafts.

4- Learn and practice the straight stitch

Before beginning off with any project, learn and practice with achieving a perfect straight stitch. Try increasing and decreasing the stitch length and see the results. Try straight stitch on 2 layers and more and experiment with lengths on multiple layers. Learn to lock the fabric by back stitch.

It is only after you have experimented with straight stitch, you will be able to achieve good results on your first sewing Project.

 

 

5- Begin practicing with plain cotton (Non elastic) fabric

Start working with the non-elastic cotton fabric. It doesn’t slip too much and is easier to work and practice with. So, make sure to see the fabric before practicing on it.

6- Learn the importance of measuring the projects precisely

When you begin on with your sewing projects, always measure the dimensions properly. If possible, have a precut pattern ready on paper and then cut the fabric until you become a bit experienced to understand and correct your mistake. A slight wrong measurement will have a drastic effect on your project and can leave you frustrated.

7- Always mark the areas

Mark the areas you wish to sew upon with a sewing machine, even if it is a straight line. With unmarked areas, you might not be able to achieve a perfect and neat stitch which is important for a quality finished product. If you are a beginner, never hesitate to have proper markings. Even the most experienced sewers mark their project first before they sew the fabrics together.

8- Always use pins and clips to keep the layers of fabric together

When working with multiple layers of fabrics, always pin or clip together the layers. It will help the layers of fabric from slipping away while sewing through them.

You can use the fabric clips like the ones in the picture or fabric pins. If you are unable to get your hands on clips or pins, hand stitch the area with lose and big stitch length. After sewing with the sewing machine, remove the hand stitched stitches.

9- Start with small and non-complex sewing projects

Being a beginner in sewing crafts, chose your sewing projects very wisely. Chose the projects that require straight stitches, only 2 layers of fabric. Also avoid doing the projects that require zipper to be added. It is not that you cannot create those complex sewing crafts but started with complex sewing crafts can be a bit tricky and make quite frustrated and we don’t want that with any crafts we are wanting to learn.

See my recommendation of beginner friendly sewing crafts that you can start with. Sew these amazing beginner friendly sewing crafts and impress everyone around you, including yourself.

10- Don’t shy away from experimenting with new stitching styles

Once you have grasped the basics of sewing and experimented with some number of beginner friendly sewing crafts, don’t shy away from experiment with different designs and styles. Learn from various sewing artists and don’t stick to one. Every sewer has their own unique skill to share so try to learn anything everyone has to offer.

Best of luck!!!