Lesson Plans
Welcome to class! These lessons introduce the foundation skills of sewing. Get comfortable working at your machine, try a skill-building project, and level up to more complicated projects at your own pace.
LESSON 1: Get to know your machine
A sewing machine makes magic happen! The needle and the bobbin threads do a dance inside the machine to make the stitches you see on your fabric. Just like professional Salso partners hold each other firmly while moving gracefully at the perfect speed, your machine needs to be correctly threaded so that your locked stitches are also balanced and professional.
All home sewing machines work on the same principles, although yours might look slightly different than the one I use in the examples below. Dig out your machine Owner's Manual and follow the instructions for threading your specific machine model. (If you can't find it, go to the manufacturer's website and download a copy.)
Follow the links above each picture for more details.
LESSON 2: Practice making stitches
Practice stitching lines on paper. Draw them yourself or print here.
Once your machine is correctly threaded, try practicing your stitches on paper! Draw or print out practice cards to guide you through common straight-stitch techniques. Once you get the straight stitch down, practice with a zig-zag and others that come with your machine presets. (Remember to replace the needle when you are done...it won't behave on fabric properly after punching through paper.)
STRAIGHT STITCH - Make parallel lines of stitching. Then, practice using the seam allowance guidelines on your needle plate to stitch accurately between two rows of dotted lines.
ROUNDING CURVES - Slow and steady is important here! Gently turn and guide the paper as it feeds under the presser foot to keep the stitches on the drawn line. Smaller stitches may work better than bigger ones, so play around and see what works for you!
PIVOTING - Follow the sides of a square! Stitch up one side until you reach the next corner. Leave your needle in the down position, lift the presser foot, and pivot the paper 90 degrees. Now you can stitch straight down the next side. Repeat until you make it all the way around the printed square.
CHANGING ANGLES - This is where accuracy requires practice, so relax and have fun! Print your name and stitch over the letters. Play around with making your stitch length small as you get near a turn so that the needle ends up poking at the right spot for you to turn the paper.
Skill Building Project: Foundation sewing
MAKE A SEWING TOOL ORGANIZER
Once you feel comfortable sitting at your machine and stitching straight and curvy lines, it's time to add more skills to your repertoire.
When you are finished making this organizer, you will have used these foundation skills:
Straight stitching, zigzag stitching, basting, and backstitching
Measuring, cutting, and marking fabric
Lining up and pinning layers of fabric
Hand pressing and ironing