Sewing is a very practical hobby. It can be expensive and time consuming, but it is always good to know how to repair damaged clothing and, occasionally, large ignored tears in bean bag chairs. With Black Friday around the corner, I would like to address the often overlooked electronic everyone should be waiting in line for.
Recently, my wonderful mother purchased a new sewing machine for me. I have never had a sewing machine of my own before, so this was very exciting. I have made a few sewing projects in the past and I have enjoyed embroidery by hand, but wow–a machine is so much faster!
Before starting a project with a new sewing machine, I highly recommend reading all of the instructions. As a teenager, I took a few sewing classes, but this was not enough to operate my own machine. As it turns out, there are many, many different feet for a sewing machine that all work wonders when used properly. There are also new features like self-threading needles and scores of new stitches that can be programmed to fit your needs. Make life easier and just read the instructions first.
The next thing I realized after reading and experimenting on scraps of fabric is I do not have very much fabric. Wanting to start a new project, I opened my wallet. Finding only a lucky penny, I reevaluated my options. Luckily, I had been procrastinating cleaning out my closet and giving old clothes to DI. For a small project like the makeup bags I’m planning to make as stocking stuffers for Christmas, old t-shirts and cheap fat squares or remnants will be perfect materials.
A sewing machine is a wonderful and useful tool that every crafter should have. The price for one starts around $150 and extravagant machines can be found for $300. Sewing doesn’t need to be an expensive hobby, but be warned: if your friends find out about your new machine, they will want to borrow it.
Story by
Jenna Chapman
accent@suunews.com
