How To Use a Sewing Machine

2. Gather your supplies. To make these napkins, you'll also need a few materials in addition to your tools. Grab about a yard of two different cotton print fabrics to make four double-sided napkins. It's often recommended to prewash your fabrics and then iron them before sewing. This will allow for any shrinkage to occur before you begin your project and will ensure that your finished napkins will look their best even after continued washing and drying. You'll also need some pins – glass headed pins are usually the best because they don't melt if you accidentally touch them with your iron. Finally, you'll need a sewing machine and thread. There are so many different sewing machine options to choose from. If you feel stuck, head to your local sewing store and talk to an associate – they will be sure to help guide you in the right direction.

3. Set up your machine. Getting up your machine ready for sewing can often been seen as a daunting first step, but it really needn't be if you take them time to read the manual and follow the set up instructions carefully. Since every machine is different, it's best to study your owner's manual. They are usually very clearly written with excellent diagrams for threading your machine. If you don't have the manual for your machine, you can always look online for a downloadable instruction sheet or helpful video. Chances are, you'll find all the information you need to set up your machine online, but you could always ask for help from a more experienced friend, family member or neighbor, too.

4. Cutting your main fabric. Now that you've taken the time to gather your tools and supplies and you’ve set up your machine correctly you're ready to start your first project. Place one yard of your pre-washed main fabric on your cutting mat. It's okay to fold the fabric in half because the rotary cutter will easily cut through multiple layers. As you advance and start using thicker materials, you may want to move up to a larger sized rotary, like the Fiskars® Classic Stick Rotary Cutter (60 mm) or the Fiskars® Heavy-duty Comfort Loop Rotary Cutter (65 mm). The larger the blade, the thinker material it can cut through.

   Align the edge of the fabric with the straight lines marked on the cutting mat. Then, place the acrylic ruler on top of the fabric and position it so that the straight edge of the ruler is also aligned with the markings on the cutting mat. Use the rotary cutter to cut perfectly straight edges. You'll want to cut four squares each measuring 17” x 17”. Be sure to press down to cut all the way through your fabric. Since you have a cutting mat underneath, you won’t damage the tabletop you are working on, and if you’re using the cutting mat I recommended then you have a double-sided mat, allowing it to last longer than others.

5. Cutting your contrasting fabric. Next, cut four more squares from your contrasting fabric. Each square should also be 17” x 17”. You should now have a total of eight squares of fabric – four in your main fabric, and four in your contrast fabric.

6. Pin your fabric together. Clear your work surface and place one of your main fabric squares on the cutting mat so that the right side of the fabric is facing you. The right side of the fabric is the printed side, though sometimes it's not easy to tell which side is which if you're working with a solid color fabric so you may need to look closely. Usually one side of the fabric is clearer and brighter than the other – that is the right side.

   Next, take your one of your contrast fabric squares and place it face down on top of the main fabric square. The right sides of both fabric squares should be facing each other. Now, pin the two squares together around the perimeter, securing them to each other. Though it's personal preference, it often a good habit to place your pins perpendicular to the seam you will be sewing. This makes it easy to remove them as you begin to sew. Place a few pins along each edge and at each corner.

7. Sew your fabrics together. Now you're ready to place the pinned fabric square onto your sewing machine and sew it together. Make sure the presser foot is in the 'up' position, then place the fabric underneath the needle. Starting to sew halfway down one side is a great place to begin as opposed to beginning at a corner. Lower the presser foot and start to sew slowly. You should sew about 1/2” away from the raw edge of the fabric. Over time, you'll get to know the feel of the sewing machine foot pedal and it'll soon become second nature. Sew in as straight a line as you can.

8. Turning the corner. To turn the corner without removing your fabric from the machine, simply stop at the first corner you come to. Turn the machine's handle (or select the 'needle down' button on your machine if you have one) to ensure that the needle is in the down position and is piercing the fabric.

Next, raise the machine foot leaving the needle in the down position. Then, turn your fabric 90 degrees counter-clockwise and lower the machine foot. Your fabric is now in the correct position to continue sewing. Repeat this process for each corner. Stop sewing about 4” before you get to where you started sewing, as you want to leave a hole through which you can turn your napkin right sides out.

9. Clipping the corners. Remove your fabric from the machine by pulling your project away from the needle and snipping the threads. In order for your napkin to have flat, neat corners, it's always a good idea to 'clip the corners' before you turn it to the right side. Take your scissors or Fiskars® UltraSharp Thread Snips and snip a triangle from the raw edges of fabric. Be careful not to cut into the stitching you just sewed!

10. Turn your napkin to the right side. Find the hole you left in one of the napkin’s sides, and pull your napkin through it so that the right sides of the fabrics are now on the outside. Push out the corners so that they form a neat 90 degrees. Now, press your napkin with an iron. Find the hole in the side and ensure that the fabric edges are pressed into the inside of the napkin.

11. Topstitch your napkin. Topstitching is a line of stitching that is on the outside of a project and is meant for decorative purposes. A boarder of topstitching around the edge of your napkins will be the perfect finishing touch. You might even want to consider using a contrasting thread to really draw attention to it.

    First, use a few pins to pin the edges of the hole, closed. Using pins will help you remember where the hole is as well as keep the edges together as you sew.

Now, simply sew around the entire perimeter of your napkin as was described in Step 7. You'll be sewing the hole in the side closed as you do so. Turn the corners exactly as was described in Step 8.

12. Finish your napkin. Remove the finished napkin from your machine like we did in the beginning of Step 9 and trim the loose threads. Now, you have your first completed sewing machine project!

Troubleshooting - Correcting Mistakes

Even the most experienced sewers find themselves ripping out seams from time to time. It's all part of the creative process! It's always a good idea to have a seam ripper close by for those moments. If you find yourself having to rip out a seam (or two!), simply place the seam ripper on to your worksurface using the suction cup to hold the tool firmly in place. Gently place the seam in front of the seam ripper's blade and tug gently to break the stitches. You can remove any small loose threads using your fingers.

Now that you've invested in the right tools, have taken the time to get to know your machine and completed your first project, you should feel confident about tackling future creations. Sewing can bring you great joy and satisfaction and although everyone makes mistakes now and then, rest assured it's all part of the fun. Enjoy your sewing adventures!