Sewing - Shreveport,LA

Do try to get a local person from high school/quilt guide to give you a hand. Once you begin, get a large 3 ring binder and make something with every stitch in the machine and put it in the book (stitch #, size of stitch, thread used, etc.). The book then becomes your guide to what the machine can do and what you have to work with.

Practice makes perfect and so does patience. The trade off of lunch or dinner sounds great if you can do it. Just take your time. When you do get frustrated, get up and walk away from the project until you cool down. That might mean you don't sew for a day or two but then go back and finish it.

Welcome to the wonderful world of sewing. I have been sewing for over 50 years and still learn something new when I make an item or replace or redo something.

The other S.

PS Just finished redoing two flightsuits for wives for dinning out on the base. Flightsuits are not meant to come apart but I got them apart and put back together into nice dresses.

ETA There is an All Brand sewing store near you contact them about help with sewing.

I am an expert seamstress, I recommend taking a class. Sewing is not difficult but there are tricks to making your outfit turn out really nice.

Check out classes at fabric stores or call a Home Ec teacher at a local high school.

Ask a friend to teach you, trade them something for their time, like make them dinner for each lesson. You really do need the immediate feedback a one-on-one session will give you.

If you can, I would take a class. I learned in high school and from my mom, and used the same machine for years. I only did random, occasional stuff and nothing advanced (I usually sew pajamas for my DD so if they fall apart or turn out bad she won't be seen in public!!). Anyway, I got a new machine, and felt like I needed to start over. I had to read the manual word for word.

If a manual/instruction book comes with your machine, it can help to read it. But honestly, they are written as if you understand the ins and outs of sewing to begin with. If nothing else, check out a DVD or book from the library, or even look up a youtube video on sewing. But really, the least frustrating option is probably to take the class or some lessons to get you rolling. Good luck!

You can go onto youtube and find instructional videos! Also, learn how to thread your machine well, so you don't have top pull the booklet out every time you get out the sewing machine!

The one thing I learned back in 7th grade home ec class that made the most difference was taking a sheet of regular note book paper and "sewing" down each line. No thread needed or wanted, it gives you practice that won't hurt anything. You get the feel of the machine, how it responds to your foot touch, how fast it can go, how slow, etc...it will help you feel very comfortable with the machine. It will also help you learn to go in a straight line. My MIL always told me that I sewed a near perfect seam. Even on an old machine that did not have any seam width markings, my seams were always exactly 5/8.

You will get comfortable with the machine the more you use it too. I think if you call some local churches too they may have some ladies groups where they take the younger women under their wings, so to speak, and teach them some of the more useful homemaking tasks, like sewing, canning, knitting, crocheting, etc....

There are lots of tutorials online. I just got a sewing machine too, and I have used one before, but they terrify me. I'm going to let my mom show me how to use it, maybe take a class at Joann's, then do the rest by watching/reading online tutorials.

http://craftsnob.com/2011/03/sewing-101-part-1/
http://www.sewmamasew.com/tutorials.php

http://pinterest.com/search/?q=sewing+tutorial