This sewing class shows a generation hop. Here we have 14 year-old Sophie and her Gran (14 years plus), learning to make a fold-up tote shopping bag. This was Sophie’s first ever sewing project and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Sewing is an activity that can be undertaken by everyone, and truly spans the generations, as evidenced in this photo.
Sewing machine needles come in an assortment of types and sizes. Using the correct needle is important to achieve a successful outcome to your sewing project. The wrong size or type of needle can cause breakages of either needles or thread. Uneven or skipped stitches, and snags or holes in the fabric are also symptoms of the wrong needle. You should choose your needle firstly according to the purpose/project, the fibre-type and fabric construction, then the fabric weight.
I had a client in for a one-to-one tutorial this week who was having trouble altering her T-shirts. She was quite short in the body and needed to take up most of her tops or they were more like mini-dresses. She’d bought a new sewing machine last year, and came to me for help convinced that the tension was wrong. The top she had recently altered had several breaks in the sewing of the hem and there were lots of skipped stitches.
Are you practising safe sewing? If you’ve been using a sewing machine for a while and are completely comfortable with them, it’s easy to be blasé. But remember sewing machines are electrical devices and are potentially dangerous. You could also cause damage to your machine by incorrect use.
