Sewing can be easy when you know some tips and easy ways of doing things. Most patterns you find will not tell you simpler methods of sewing a garment. I have been sewing for a long time. I started in Junior High in the 8 th grade. In that class I had made a top. In High School I made a two piece pant set. The first one I got a "B" on because it was a fabric that when you put it up to the light--well both sides seemed to look the same as the right side. I will give you a hint on that in a later lesson. The two piece pant set was in a much more obvious material that you could see the right side from the wrong side. It was in a Tennis motif. The pants had a side zipper and the top had a square collar. For a beginner that was difficult to sew. Funny thing with that outfit. I only wore it once because I was in the middle of a growth spurt. I fit in it when I started to make it but by the end a month or so later-I couldn't fit in it at all! I loved it too! Seeing that I loved to sew my parent's bought me a great sewing machine for my birthday the year I graduated. It was a Ward's Sewing Machine and it was all metal--kind of hard to break.

Since then I have sewn all my to daughter's Easter Dresses, many home decor items and some clothes for myself. In 1997-2001 I had my own sewing business that I ran out of our apartment. I had many customers. Some would bring me a few items for alterations each week and rotate them. One week she would drop them off and the next pick them up and drop off more. She was a very steady customer. I have sewn my own wedding gown and made Bridesmaid's Dresses, made a boy child's christening outfit out of the mother's Wedding Gown, made a Re-enactment Navy Suit, several children's and adult Halloween Costumes and many, many more items. I even taught a beginner's sewing class at my local JoAnne's Fabric Store.

Since we moved to another area that is more remote, I have lost that business and don't have the space needed to conduct that kind of business anymore. I love to sew though. Making things out of just a piece of fabric brings out my artistic and creative juices.  Since I cannot sew here, I decided that I can teach how to sew over the internet.  Not having any video equipment doesn't stop me becaseu there are plenty of videoe's I can pull in and allow you to view at your leasiure when you are ready for your first project.

Sew (haha) here we go!

Time to figure out what you want to do with your new sewing machine. What kinds of things do you want to sew and how often are you going to use it? What kinds of fabrics are you going to be sewing on. There are many different types of fabrics and as many different sewing machines. One word of caution: Do NOT buy the cheapest one out there. You will not be happy in a year's time because like with everything else they will break down and you will have to buy another one. Shop around! Ask questions, get a feel for the machine. Most places that you buy Sewing Machines from will have a setup so that you can sew on the machines first before you purchase them.

The best places to purchase a sewing machine is in a sewing shop, although Sears sells machines and so do Walmart and other places. Take your time and ask lots of questions about it--especially parts and the availability of them. Do they do repairs and maintenance on them or where would you have to go to get these things done. Does it have a warranty and how long does it last. Again this ties into the repairs and warranty and availability of parts and such. I had a machine since 1975 and it was made by Wards. When they went out of business they stopped making parts for their sewing machines. I can get my machine in good working order and they can do regular maintenance on it but not replace any parts--unless they have an older model to get parts from. I never thought Wards would go out of business and it is the same with all companies. Just try to get something that will last like forever. My machine was all metal parts and hard to break. Some have plastic parts and in my experience most time the plastic parts will be more expensive then the all metal ones. So, shop around.

Once you get your machine and set it up and do your first project--you will love it! There are videos at the bottom of this article to learn how to sew on your machine.

**Part 2 (Choosing your pattern and fabric) and 3 (Finding a place and organizing your new sewing area) are being worked on.  For some reason they won't link and they are all messed up since the  last time I checked them out.  They will be back up within a week.

There are machines for beginners which will have just the basic stitches on them. There are ones that can do decorative stitching and then there are the more advances ones that can do embroidery. There are machines that are all computerized. They can do just about anything your heart desires!

All machines come with an instruction manual. Read it before you ever start sewing with your machine. Then after you read it you can thread the machine and so forth. Reading it first will get you to know what the machine can do for you and it will entice you to do more then you ever thought you wanted to do with your machine. This is why I tell you, don't get the cheapest machine because you will want to do more with it in time.

I don't own a serger so I shopped around the Internet for you so you can make an informed choice about if you want one of these or not. I have always used my sewing machine for hemming and seams. I will tell you more about that when I get to that lesson. At any rate here is the site that I got this information from:

http://www.sergers.com/sergers-101/

Sergers 101

Serger Basics

What you need to know before buying a serger

A serger, or overlock machine, is a terrific addition to a sewing collection. Not only can it sew faster than the traditional sewing machine, it is also designed to create perfect seams while simultaneously cutting away the excess fabric. Here is a quick guide to the basics of serger shopping.

Know your needs

The more spools of thread a machine can hold, the more complicated stitches it can create and the more expensive the serger. But what if you don't need to make complex decorative seams? If you only require an overlock machine for the occasional simple seam, a less expensive machine that holds fewer threads is your best bet.

Another great first-time purchasing idea for a serger is to look for a used machine. If bought through a reputable seller, a used serger will be in good condition and may even be complete with a warranty. Beyond sewing machine shops, many online sites sell used sergers as well. But if you are buying your machine online, be sure to test out the model you're interested in as all machines have a slightly different feel. Most retailers have floor models that can be test-used by potential buyers.