Singer Sewing Machine Tutorial
0. Overview
Sewing machines are machines used to stitch fabric and other materials together with thread ,it is one of the most common types of appliances which we find in many houses as often we need to repair torn or ripped jeans, shirt, dresses, bags etc.
Sewing machines can sometimes look a bit complex to those who don’t know how to use them. However, don’t let the fear of an unknown machine and skill set keep you from creating glorious textile wonders! Use this step-by-step guide through the anatomy, set-up, and use of a sewing machine so that you can begin crafting your own hand-made items.
The Singer Tradition Essential sewing machine is ideal for both beginners and expert sewing enthusiasts. This classic sewing machine is designed with a host of features that make sewing a breeze.
- Get to know your Sewing Machine
- How sewing machines work?
- How to use the Singer Tradition
- Troubleshooting
1. Get to know your Sewing Machine
Take a look at below image to understand different parts of a typical sewing machine. Though the modern sewing machines will have more parts but these are the basic ones which everyone should know. Out of them, there are some really important parts which we will discuss below.
2. How sewing machines work?
The below video explains pretty nicely how a sewing machine works or how the stitches are formed with the help of a sewing machine and the thread. The formation of a single stitch is a few step process which is repeated over and again and we get a nice seam.
3. How to use the Singer Tradition
To get started with your first sewing project, make sure you thread the machine by following the video tutorial below.
The instruction video explains every single step needed to feed your sewing machine with thread. It also explains what all channels the thread should pass through.
4. Troubleshooting
4.1 Thread Tension Settings
To avoid problems, the optimum dial number of the thread tensioner should be set each time depending of the type of material, thread and needle.
If the thread tension is too low, you will see the thread is released excessively which will result in uneven stitches, specially the bottom one.
However, if the thread tension is high, you will notice the thread is breaking every now and then. Hence, it becomes very important that an optimum thread tension is maintained.
4.2 Stitch length and Stitch mode
The stitch length controller lets you set the length of the stitches. For a mechanical sewing machine, you will see a big rotatory dial is fixed on the front side of the sewing machine which can be rotated clock or anticlockwise to change the stitch length.
For a lighter fabric, its good to have smaller stitches however for the heavy material such as leather, the bigger stitch length is preferred.
The Singer Tradition has 32 Built-In Stitches, Includes 6 Basic, 6 Stretch, 19 Decorative and 1 Buttonhole.
To select a stitch, simply turn the pattern selector dial. Most of the time you will be using the straight stitch or the zigzag stitch. Remember you will have to adjust the stitch tension for each of those modes.
To obtain the other patterns, turn the stitch length dial to “S1” or “S2”, select the pattern desired with pattern selector dial, and adjust the stitch width (on the right side from the stitch tension dial).
4.3 Needle size and type
There are different types of sewing machine which is used for different kind of materials. There is the number given to each sewing machine based on the material. For example, if you have to sew a thin fabric, you need a needle suitable for such fabric. However, for thick material such as Canvas, Denim or even leather, you need a different needle.
The general rule about the sewing needle selection is, lighter the material, lower number needle is better. If you have to sew thick material, you’ll need a larger number of the needle for the same.
5.Resources
Videos:
Threading tutorial
Button Hole
Free patterns:
Burda
Craftsy
Vintage Patterns