beginning sewing book
TRANSCRIPT
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Beginning Sewing eBook
brought to you by
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1.Spool Pin This holds your thread as
you sew.
2.Bobbin winder spindle Holds the bob-
bin in place when winding bobbins.
3.Bobbin release Once your thread fills
the bobbin, this releases, causing bobbinwinding to stop.
4.Stitch width dial Controls the width of
your stitch. Higher number equals a wider
stitch. Use this on zig zag stitches.
5.Stitch Selection dial Use this to select
from the various stitches on your machine.
Computerized machines may have buttons
and an LCD screen to indicate stitch selec-
tion.
6.Handwheel Use this to manually raise
and lower the needle from the fabric. Al-
ways turn the handwheel toward you.
7. Stitch length dial Usethis to change the length of
your stitch. A higher number indi-
cates a longer stitch. The longest set-
ting is called a basting stitch, and is used
to hold fabrics together temporarily.
8.Reverse stitch lever Use this to sew
backward. Predominantly used to lock
stitches at the start and end of seams.
9.Power Switch Turns machine power
on and off.
10. Bobbin winder tension guide Regu-
lates the tension on the thread when wind-
ing a bobbin. Use your manual or use
indicators on the machine to determine thethreading process for bobbin winding.
11. Thread tension dial Controls the ten-
sion of your top thread. A higher number in-
dicates more tension applied to the thread.
12. Thread take-up lever Moves up and
down with the needle bar as you sew.
13. Needle clamp screw Holds the nee-
dle in place. Loosen to remove an old nee-
dle, put a new needle in place, then tighten
to secure the needle.
14. Presser Foot Is raised and lowered
using a lever on the back or right side of
the needle bar. When down, holds fabric inplace for sewing. When it is raised it re-
leases thread tension. Always thread the
machine with the presser foot in the raised
position.
15. Bobbin cover Covers the bobbin
area while sewing.
16. Bobbin cover release button Push to
release the bobbin case cover and insert a
new bobbin.
17. Feed dog Group of teeth that feed
fabric forward when sewing. Some ma-
chines have a lever to drop the feed dogs,
enabling the user to feed fabric manually
(not recommended for beginners usedfor special applications).
18. Needle Moves up and down to cre-
ate stitches.
19. Needle plate a metal plate beneath
the needle and presser foot. Often con-
tains markings to aid in stitch placement.
Contains an opening for the needle, and
one for the feed dogs.
Special thanks to sew4home.com.
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Use this sewing machinemap to help you get
acquainted with theparts of your sewing
machine.
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Cutting
Shears
Snips
Seam Rippers Pinking Shears
Measuring and Marking
Chalk Pencil Tape Meausre Gridded Ruler Vanishing Fabric Marker
Regular Pencil
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Sewing
Thread Pins
Needles Iron Bobbins Fabric
Your Machine
Mechanical ComputerizedThe Janome Sewist 500
Use dials for stitch selection Components are controlled by
mechanical means, rather than acomputer
The Janome Magnolia 7330
Computerized machines offer a
wider range of features, andmemory capabilities
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Mechanical Machines
Stitch Selection
Change stitches bydial selector May be called PatternSelection
Handwheel Use this to manually raise and
lower your needle Very important for turningcorners, when you want yourneedle to remain in the fabric Always turn the handwheel
toward you
Stitch LengthAdjustment
Use this to adjust youstitch length for differ-
ent applications
Adjust stitches from1-5; Use 2-3 for normalsewing
A long stitch (5),called a basting stitch,can be used to hold
fabric together tem-porarily Remember: thesmaller your stitches,
the harder it is toremove them!
Stitch Width Adjustment Use this to make yourstitches wider especiallyhelful on zig-zag stitch
Be careful which foot youhave on when makingadjustments, so you dont
break your needle!
Reverse Stitch Lever
Used to securestitching at the startand end of seams
Tension AdjustmentWhen diagnosing tension problems, always re-thread your top and bobbin thread and try
sewing again. This often does the trick When tension is out of balance, threads willbreak, or seams will pucker
Problems with the top thread will appear onthe bottom and vice versa To loosen, adjust to lower number. To tighten,go to higher number; move 1/2 step increments
and test This only adjusts the top tension, if you haveloops on the top of your fabric, make sure thebobbin thread is in the case correctly
Threading Make sure you always thread your
machine with the presser foot up Many machines have numberedguides to follow
Reference your manual for specificthreading instructions
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Computerized Machines
Convenience FeaturesComputerized machines in-
clude a number of additionalfeatures to make sewing easier These include a lockingstitch button, a memorized
needle up/down button anda start/stop button
Speed Control SliderUse the slider to control
your speed. Set it low fordifficult angles and curves
Stitch Adjustment Buttons Buttons, rather than dials, allowyou to change stitches and
settings
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Feed Dog
This feature pulls your fabric forwardwhen sewing
The more advanced machines mayhave a higher number of feed dogs, ormay have additional abilities, like a builtin walking foot, to advance fabric from
the top and bottom at once
Plate Guides
Use seam guides to help guide yourfabric as you are sewing
Line the fabric with a guide, and look
at that as you sew, not at the needleand fabric
There are also add-on fabric guides,
and feet with guides for special tasks
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Winding a Bobbin
Reference your machinesmanual for specifics
Follow threading instructions
Push-Pull type pull outhandwheel to wind
Auto-Declutch Push overthe bobbin pin; the bobbin re-
leases when full
Inserting the Bobbin
Reference your machines man-ual for specific instructions
The bobbin locks the stitches onthe bottom of your seam
The bobbin thread has its own
tension, and you have to makesure that the thread is engagedin the tension spring
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Making SeamsYou need to secure or lock your stitches at the beginning and ending of each seam
Use the reverse stitch lever/button to sew in reverse at the start and end of seams
If your machine offers it, you can use a Locking Stitch button at the start and end ofseams. This function will tie off your seams for you.
When sewing, line the fabric up with the needle so that your stitches catch when youstart sewing.
BacktackingStart at the edge of the fabric and sew a few stitches
Press the reverse button or lever
Sew backward to the edge of the fabric
Release lever and sew forward
Repeat at the end of the seam
Locking Stitch
Simply press the button at the start and
end of each seam
Keep the foot pedal depressed until
needle stops moving
Makes a knot at the back of fabric
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Important Stitches
DecorativeStitches
Buttonhole
Blind Hem StitchStraight Stitch
Zig Zag Stitch
Overedge Stitch
Basting Stitch(straight stitchwith longerstitch length)
Stitching Corners
Needle up/down keepneedle in fabric at corner,
raise presser foot to pivot
Clip the corners when
turning to reduce bulk
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Make a Simple Hem
Step 1: Cut the fabric into one 18 square
Step 2: With wrong sides together, fold one edge
over and press in place. Fold over another
and press again. The raw edge is now enclosed in
the fold.
Step 3: Repeat Step 2 on the edge across from the
edge you just folded.
Step 4: Pin the two pressed and folded edges in
place.
Step 5: At the machine, stitch the hems in place,
keeping your stitches about 1/8 from the folded
edge. One trick is to put the right outside edge of the
presser foot against the fold to keep a straight line.
Step 6: Repeat steps 2-5 for the remaining two oppo-
site edges of the napkin. Pay special attention to the
corner folds, as there is added bulk in that seam.
Step 7: Press the finished napkin. Repeat steps to
complete additional napkins.
Supplies & Materials
Fabric of Choice for Napkin You will need
one 18 square for each napkin (You can
get four napkins out of 1 yard of fabric Thread in a color to match napkin
Scissors
Pins
Iron
Sewing Machine
Make a Napkin
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
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Step One: Make a template.
Step Two: Place the two pieces of fabric for the acorn bot-
tom with right sides together. Trace around the acorn bot-
tom template with a pencil or fabric marking pen. You may
choose to pin the fabric pieces together.
Step Three: At your machine, stitch the two pieces of fabric together, following the line drawn from the
template.
Step Four: Trim around the shape, leaving about 1/8 of fabric past the
stitches. Cut a hole in the fabric of the back for turning right side out. Be
careful to stay away from the seam edges when cutting, and dont cut
into the front of the acorn!
Step Five: Turn the shape right side out and press flat.
Step Six: Repeat steps 2-5 to create the acorn top.
Step Seven: Pin the acorn bottom in place on the napkin, then stitch in place, placing stitches 1/8 from
the edge of the acorn.
Step Eight: Pin the acorn top in place (we overlapped the bottom slightly). Stitch in place, making
stitches 1/8 from the edge of the acorn top.
Step One: Create the acorn template.
Step Two: Trace the template onto the back of your
fabric, and cut out the pieces.
Step Three: Pin the acorn bottom piece to your base
fabric and stitch in place, making your stitches about
1/8 from the edge of the fabric.
Step Four: Pin the acorn top piece on the fabric, andstitch in place, making stitches about 1/8 from the
edge of the fabric.
Step Five: Press.
Supplies & Materials
Scraps of fabric for top and bottom of acorn
Thread in colors to match fabric scraps
Scissors
Pins
Pencil or fabric marking pen
Template plastic or cardboard for
acorn templates
Iron
Sewing Machine
Appliqu - Raw EdgeAppliqu is attaching fabric for embellishment to a base fabric.
With raw edge appliqu, you just stitch the shape to the base fabric without
turning under the raw edges of the fabric.
Step 1
Step 2 Step 3
Finished Raw Edge Appliqu
Step 6
Appliqu - FacedIn Faced Appliqu, you stitch two pieces of fabric together, then turn them
right side out so that the edge of the fabric is finished.
Supplies & Materials
Napkin or other product for embellishment
Scraps of fabrics in two colors for acorn
Thread in colors to match fabric scraps
Template plastic or cardboard for
acorn templates
Scissors
Pins
Pencil or Fabric Marking Pen
Sewing Machine
Step 1
Steps 2-4 Step 5
Finished Faced Appliqu
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