Any tips for a beginner just starting to sew

Beginner tips and sewing cheat sheet

Bobbins

Not all bobbins are the same, as there are many different sizes of bobbins. The current most common bobbin is the 15k bobbin, which can be metal or plastic. Always make sure you are using the right bobbin for your machine - You can find out which bobbin you need in the manual.

Our technicians recommend that if you are using a front loading bobbin and therefore have a metal bobbin case, that you use a metal bobbin, to avoid any issues with friction damaging your bobbin holder.

If you have a top loading bobbin and therefore a plastic bobbin case, then you should be using a plastic bobbin case

The Rule: Plastic bobbins on plastic, Metal on metal.

Needles

Schmetz needle types Just like bobbins, not all needles fit all machines, so you will need to check in your manual to see what type of needles your machine will take. We find most modern machines will take a 15x1, or 705H which has a shank, being flat on one-side. Use SCHMETZ needles, which are a good quality, affordable needle brand.

When starting to use your machine and choosing your needle, you will need to consider the TYPE of needle and the SIZE in relation to the fabric you are working with.

Needle Size

The size of the needle refers to the width of the barrel of the needle and therefore how big of a hole it will punch through the fabric. If you are using a thick fabric you will want a slightly larger thickness to help get through the fabric fibers, for example a size 110/18. If you are using a very fine fabric you will want a finer needle to avoid making big holes, in your material, for example a size 70/10. The standard or midsized needle, which is generally used the most, is the size 90\14
Modern needle sizes are 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, where the older needle sizing, equivalents are 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20

Needle Types

Universal Needles - These are slightly misleading, as you would think universal meant any machine or any fabric, but actually it refers to any medium to lightweight woven fabric. The universal needle size 90/14 is the most common needle to use.
Jeans Needles - The clue is in the name with these, they are designed to punch through denim with ease, and therefore are ideal for heavyweight fabrics like denim or canvas. With thick fabrics like this I would always go with a larger needle size to help punch those holes.
Stretch Needles - Stretch Needles are slightly different to other needles as they have a ballpoint tip, the best way to explain this is to think of a pair of tights, and imagine putting a needle with a sharp point through them and then trying to stretch them to get them on. This will probably end up with you getting a ladder in your tights because the needle has nicked the fibers of the fabric.

With a ballpoint needle, it finds the natural pathway through the fibers without nicking the threads and risking a tear! So always make sure if your fabric is stretchy to use a stretch needle!
There are lots of other different types of needles depending on the type of fabrics you are using but these are the main types to focus on as a beginner.

Thread

Making sure you have the right thread for the fabric and the technique you are doing is also really important, but first you need to check your thread quality.

If your thread is starting to get furry, or split then it's time to move it into the no pile. In order to get a consistent tension on your stitches your thread needs to be consistent in width throughout, so any furry thread would start to cause problems in the machine.

Thread can start to degrade from age, exposure to light or moisture and its general quality. It is important to always make sure you are using a good quality thread so you can make strong stitches and not upset your machine too - we tend to recommend Gutermann Sew All Thread, as it is strong and of a high quality.

Top Tips

When threading your machine, always make sure your presser foot is UP. This opens the tension discs and allows the thread to sit between.
Loopy stitches? If the thread is loopy on the top, it is usually the bottom thread (bobbin that is the issue, and if it is loopy on the bottom, it is your top thread that is the issue.
Change your needle every time you start a new project - a blunt needle can make your stitches look messy.
Having tension issues? Don’t immediately change the tension dial, first rethread the top and bottom threads, usually a missing point in the thread stages is the problem.
Needle threaders - The type of needle threader on your machine depends on the brand but always be gentle and nice and slow with your needle threader as they can break easily.
Always secure the beginning and ends of a line of stitching by doing a reverse stitch or locking stitch, this avoids your stitches from being pulled out.
Unsure of where to stitch first? Use a longer stitch length first, so if it is wrong you can easily pull them out and start again. The smaller the stitch length the harder it is to remove the stitches neatly and easily.
Machine Maintenance - Modern machines do not need to be oiled but you should be cleaning out any fluff regularly, especially from underneath the bobbin case and needle plate.

Top Loading or Front Loading Bobbin

Threading front & top bobbin types There are two types of bobbin loading formats. Your machine will either be a top loading bobbin or a front loading bobbin.

Most new machines have a top loading bobbin and a clear bobbin cover so you can see when you’re about to run out of thread.

Remember, if you have a top loading bobbin, you should be using a plastic bobbin and if you have a front loading bobbin you should be using a metal bobbin.

The front loading bobbin has a metal bobbin case that you insert the bobbin in and then insert both into the machine, whereas with the top loading bobbin you only need to insert the bobbin into the bobbin case which is already set in the machine.

Overlockers & Faux Overlocking Stitch

We often get people asking for a sewing machine that can also overlock the edges of their fabric for that professional finish, but unfortunately, no sewing machine can do both normal sewing and overlocking. To have a proper overlock stitch you need to use an overlocker which is a separate machine, however you can get a similar stitch on your machine which we refer to as a faux overlock

If you don’t have an overlocker, you can use these different techniques:

The faux overlock stitching and an overcasting foot
A zig zag stitch along the edge of the fabric
French Seam

Sewing Machine Feet (Presser Foot)

Sewing feet and attachments can add extra features to your next sewing project, for example adding ruffles, or pleats, quickly adding bias binding. Below are the most used and popular feet.

	This is your standard presser foot, also known as your zig-zag foot. It usually clips into place and can sew straight, reverse and most decorative patterns.
	This is your regular zipper foot. The small cutout at each side of the foot is the needle position for doing each side of the zip.
	This is your invisible zips, the concealed zipper foot. It is deeper than a regular zipper foot, the extra depth allows for two channels under the foot, You use these channels over the concealed zip teeth, and position the needle to sew very close to the teeth.
	This is your 4 step buttonhole foot. Once clipped into place, use the red marking on the foot to manually adjust the buttonhole length for your buttons.
	This is your 1 step automatic buttonhole foot. This clever foot, measure the button, which you insert into the vice-like jaws at the rear of the foot, let the machine do its job and sew an auto-sizing buttonhole for you, in a single step. (Your machine will only use a 4-step buttonhole foot or a 1-step automatic buttonhole foot. The auto buttonhole foot can only be used with selected sewing machines that have this desired function built-in.