know your SEWING machine

FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF YOUR SEWING MACHINE WITH THIS HANDY AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE

THREAD FEED

Your spool of thread sits at the top of the machine. The thread goes through a series of channels and loops before it reaches the needle (your manual will explain exactly how to thread your machine). There’ll also be a numbered dial that can be raised or lowered to adjust the thread tension as your fabric requires.

NEEDLE

Most machines come with a needle already in place (and a replacement), but your manual will show you how to swap it for a different one. When sewing speciality fabrics (a heavy denim or a slippery lace, for example) you should change to a different needle size to ensure the best results. Ask for advice when buying fabric.

PRESSER FOOT

This metal attachment sits beneath your needle and holds your fabric in place. A lever moves it up to position the fabric and back down when sewing. The basic presser foot is the one you’ll use most, while a quilting foot will feed all your layers of fabric evenly through the machine, and a free-motion foot will let you sew freeform quilting patterns.

BOBBIN

This small plastic or metal spool sits in a special unit underneath the sewing area, below the foot and needle. Check your OCEJKPGoU!OCPWCN!VQ!"PF!QWV!JQY!VQ!NQCF![QWT!

bobbin. Once it has been loaded, the bobbin thread and the top thread feeds meet to form each stitch. The bobbin case is either drop-in or front-loading.

FEED DOGS

Feed dogs are teeth underneath the presser foot that guide the fabric through. Some machines allow you to drop the feed dogs, which is needed for freehand embroidery.

HAND WHEEL

Use the hand wheel to move the needle up and down manually. This is essential for controlling the stitching line in tight spots and corners. To avoid your thread getting caught or tangled, be sure to always turn the wheel towards you. When winding bobbins, you may need to disengage the needle action by pulling out the hand wheel (consult your manual for how to do this on your machine).

BACKSTITCHING

Most machines have a button or switch that enables you to sew in the reverse direction. It’s the best YC[!VQ!UVCTV!CPF!"PKUJ![QWT!NKPG!

of stitching – just stitch forwards and backwards for a few stitches to secure your thread.

STITCH SELECTOR

The method used to change the type of stitch varies between machines, but the principle is the same. For most projects, you’ll just need the basic straight stitch.

STITCH LENGTH

This allows you to change the stitch length. For standard seams, aim for a setting of 2 or 2.5. A longer stitch length is useful for quick tacking lines.