07 sewing machine basics

Family and Consumer Sciences

SEWING MACHINE BASICS

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences

Revised 2007

Modules/Sewing Machine Basics Revised Spring 2007 1

Family and Consumer Sciences

SEWING MACHINE BASICS

Student Manual

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences

Revised 2007


Be sure to check each module for additional handouts that are not electronic.

Activity One: 3 pages showing the Parts of the Sewing Machine

Activity Two: Practice Stitching LinesThreading the Upper Thread

Activity Three: Winding the bobbin Inserting the bobbin Picture Steps of Making Your Seam Sample

Activity Four: Small Pillow Instructions with diagramsEnrichment Activities from Discovering Life Skills Student Workbook

A) p. 105 – Sewing Lab SuccessB) p. 107 – Knowing Your Sewing Machine


Sewing Machine Basics

INTRODUCTION All of the clothing you are wearing today was cut and sewn together in a factory. In fact, the curtains in your home, the sheets and covers on your bed and even the towels in your bathroom are items that were sewn in a factory using fabric, thread, and a sewing machine.

During this unit of study you will learn to safely operate a sewing machine and to sew basic seams. When you are able to do this you will make a small project to practice your newly learned skills.

OBJECTIVES 1. Identify the parts of the sewing machine.2. Operate a sewing machine safely3. Create a project using a sewing machine.

AKS #21,26,27,28,40,41

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 1. How can knowing how to operate a sewing machine benefit you? 2. Describe how to thread the upper spool thread. 3. Describe how to thread the bobbin.

MATERIALS Videos/DVD Practice SheetsFabric for seam sample Notebook PaperTwo pieces of fabric for pillow ThreadStuffing

EQUIPMENT TV/VCR Sewing MachineHeadphones BobbinShears Hand Sewing NeedleSeam Ripper

EVALUATION You will be evaluated over the following items:

Vocabulary WorksheetPractice SheetSeam samplePillowPost test



PRETESTOn the answer sheet provided by the teacher, mark the best answer.

1. A standard seam allowance is 5/8 inch wide.

A. TrueB. False

2. When sewing you put the wrong sides of the fabric together.

A. TrueB. False

3. The presser foot moves the fabric along as you sew.

A. TrueB. False

4. The hand wheel should always be turned toward you.

A. TrueB. False

5. The hand wheel raises and lowers the presser foot without using the foot pedal.

A. TrueB. False


Sewing Machine BasicsPretest

6. The bobbin makes the top of the stitch.

A. TrueB. False

7. The correct position to set your presser foot as you sew is up.

A. TrueB. False

8. The feed dog holds your fabric in place as you sew.

A. TrueB. False

9. The thread guides hold your spool of thread.

A. TrueB. False

10. The foot pedal controls the speed of your stitches.

A. TrueB. False


Sewing Machine BasicsActivity #1

1. Locate the pretest and complete it according to the instructions before you go to the next step.

2. Review the following vocabulary words before you begin the module. List these words on a sheet of paper entitled, ‘Vocabulary’. During the next four days you will come across these words in the reading material or videos. Define them on your paper when you come across them.

BobbinBobbin CaseFeed DogFoot Control PedalHand wheelPresser FootReverse Stitch ControlSpool PinThread Take-up LeverThread Guides

3. Read the following information:

Sewing is FUN! Before you sew you must first know how to safely operate a sewing machine. Operating a sewing machine means knowing how to turn the machine on, how to wind the bobbin, how to thread the machine and how to sew a straight, even seam. Once you know these simple steps you will know how to sew.

You must know the safety rules for operating a sewing machine. Just like any other piece of electrical equipment, a sewing machine can be dangerous unless you are careful to follow all of the safety rules.

READ: VERY IMPORTANT!!!

Keep your fingers away from the path of the needle. Use SLOW speed while you are operating the sewing machine. Keep the electrical cord to the sewing machine away from traffic patterns

to avoid tripping accidents. Put pins and needles in their box or pin cushion -- never in your mouth,

clothing, or furniture. Keep sharp objects out of your lap.


Sewing Machine BasicsActivity One –cont

Pass sharp objects such as scissors to others handle first, with your hand closed around the blade.

Keep the blades of scissors and shears closed when they are not in use. Avoid touching the hot light bulb on the sewing machine. Always store your sewing equipment in your sewing box when you are

finished.

4. Get the textbook called Applying Life Skills. Turn to Chapter 36, pages 564-565. Read those 2 pages. Review the parts of the machine and their functions.

5. Locate in this module notebook the picture of your sewing machine. On the diagram of the sewing machine find each of the parts listed below. You must know each of these parts and their functions before you can sew.

Hand wheel Presser Foot Presser Foot Lifter Feed Dog Foot Control Pedal Reverse Button

6. Take the module notebook to your sewing machine. Follow each of the steps listed below.

A. Sit down in front of the sewing machine. To sit correctly at your machine, sit squarely in front of the needle with the center of your body in line with the needle.B. Check the electrical cord where it is plugged into the wall. Be sure it is plugged in tightly.C. Check the electrical cord where it is plugged into the side of your machine. Make sure it is tightly plugged into the machine.D. Check to see that the foot pedal is also tightly plugged into the side of the machine.E. Place the foot pedal in a comfortable position where you can press it with your right foot.F. Turn the hand wheel toward you and watch the needle move up and down. G. Find the presser foot lifter. NEVER DROP the presser foot into the down position. Slowly raise and lower the presser foot to see how it works. Leave the presser foot in the up position.H. Turn the machine on with the power/light switch.I. Keep your fingers out of the way, and slowly press the foot pedal with your right foot. As you press the pedal, watch the feed dogs move back and forth. Remember, the feed dogs move your fabric. You never have to push or pull the fabric to make it move.


Continued on next pageSewing Machine Basics

Activity #1 continued

7. You are now going to learn to stitch straight lines by practicing on notebook paper. Use a piece of your own notebook paper (Do Not use thread) and follow each of these steps.

A. Make sure the presser foot is in the up position.B. Place your paper under the presser foot, lining up one of the lines on the paper with the indention in the center of the presser foot. The indention in the center of the presser foot lines up with the needle. This is how you guide the line on your paper to sew straight.C. Turn the hand wheel toward you until the needle is lowered exactly into the first line on your paper. Put the presser foot back down!D. Press the foot pedal gently to start sewing, making sure to keep your fingers clear of the needle.E. Guide the line on your paper into the indention in the middle of the presser foot to stitch straight.F. When you reach the end of the first line, raise the needle by turning the hand wheel toward you if the needle is down in the paper. Lift the presser foot and sew the next line on your notebook paper by following the previous steps.G. Sew about 6 or 7 straight lines. Go slow and do your very best. You can also

take a pencil and draw some curve lines (like the letter S) on your paper and practice sewing on them.

8. Clean up your module area and make sure everything is returned to its proper location.

End of Activity One



Activity #2

1. Review yesterday’s work and try to familiarize yourself with your machine until you are comfortable with most of the major parts. Verbally quiz your partner on the names of the various parts of the sewing machine. If your school has the video/DVD called, “Parts of the Bernina Machine”, you may watch it now.

2. If your school has a video/DVD called, “Practice Stitch on Paper”, you may watch that now. Otherwise your teacher will need to show you how to pivot when turning corners.

3. Locate the “Practice Stitching Lines” worksheet. Follow the same steps you used yesterday to sew on your own piece of notebook paper. If you aren’t sure how to get started, go back to Activity #1, Step 7 for directions.

The only new instructions are how to turn a sharp corner or PIVOT. To turn corners, follow these steps:

When you reach a corner, take your foot off the foot pedal. Turn the hand wheel toward you until the needle goes down into the paper

exactly at the corner. Leaving the needle down to hold your place, lift the presser foot up. Turn your paper in the direction you need to sew next. Lower the presser foot. Press the foot pedal to continue stitching. Follow these steps each time you need to turn a corner.

4. Signal your instructor/teacher to see your work.

5. Locate in this module notebook, the directions for threading the upper spool thread. If your school has a video/DVD on “Threading the Sewing Machine”, you may watch that now. Pay close attention to the picture directions or video directions.

6. Locate the spool of thread for this Bernina machine and practice threading your machine. Have your instructor/teacher check your work to see if you threaded it correctly..7. Clean up your module area and make sure that everything is returned to its proper location.



Activity #3

1. Locate in this module notebook the written instructions for winding the bobbin and inserting the bobbin. Read over these instructions. If your school has the video/DVD called “Winding and Inserting the bobbin” you may view it now. 2. Locate the spool of thread and thread the upper part of the machine. You learned to do this in Activity #2 in the last session.

3. Locate a bobbin. The bobbin should already have thread on it. Insert it correctly inside the bobbin case. If you are not sure what to do, ask the teacher for help.

4. Ask your teacher to check to see if you threaded it all correctly. If the machine is not threaded correctly, it will not sew properly and can lock/jam up.

At this point, a plastic sewing bed extension can be attached to the machine to increase the sewing surface.

5. STITCH TEST: Now that your machine is threaded, test it to see if it will stitch correctly on a scrap of fabric. You can find fabric scraps in a tote tray labeled “Scraps for Practice Stitching”. When you have stitched a few inches, flip the fabric over to make sure it is stitching correctly on the bobbin side also. If it doesn’t look right, try threading it again until you can make it stitch correctly. Practice reverse stitching. Practice turning corners. Practice sewing 5/8 inch from the edge. This scrap fabric does not need to be kept as it’s not part of your grade.

6. Locate in this module notebook, the directions for sewing a seam sample. Read all the steps before you begin to sew. If your school has a video/DVD called “Sewing Seams”, you may watch it now.

7. Make a Seam Sample: Locate two pieces of matching fabric in the tote tray. At your sewing machine, practice sewing a 5/8 inch seam. Remember to put the right sides of the fabric together and to backstitch 4 or 5 stitches when you begin and when you end your seam. Keep this sample as you will turn it in with your module for a grade.

8. Return the thread and bobbin to the tote tray. Do not leave it in the machine.

9. Clean up your module area and make sure that everything is returned to is proper location.


Seam Sample Directions(Read ALL instructions before beginning)

Words to Know

Seam: the line formed by sewing two pieces of cloth togetherSeam allowance: the fabric between the seam and the cut edgeRegulation seam allowance: 5/8 inchRegulation stitch length: 10-12 stitches per inchBackstitch: to reinforce the ends of a seam by retracing 4 or 5 stitches

(Use the reverse button)

Materials and Equipment

Two pieces of matching fabric ( teacher has already cut out) Sewing machine threaded with spool and bobbin Straight pins Shears or scissors

Procedure

1) With RIGHT sides of the fabric facing each other and edges even, place straight pins along the edges perpendicular to the seam.

2) With the pins on the right side, place the machine needle into the fabric about ½ inch from the top edge and 5/8 inch from the pinned edge. Lower the presser foot.

3) Hold in the reverse button/lever and stitch backwards to the top. Release the button and stitch forward the whole length of the fabric, removing the straight pins as you come to them. (The needle might break if it hits a straight pin) The edge of your fabric should ride along the 5/8 inch mark on the stitch plate.

4) When you reach the bottom of the fabric, push in the reverse button and backstitch 4 or 5 stitches.

5) Raise your needle, raise the presser foot, and pull the fabric towards the left side. Clip the threads near the fabric. Also trim the other long ends of thread from the other end close to the fabric.

6) Flatten out the pieces of fabric so they are flat. ‘Finger press’ the seam allowances flat. (If this was a real garment, you would use a steam iron.)

7) Have your teacher evaluate your seam sample.



Activity Four

1. Locate the post test and complete it according to the directions.

2. Your next step is making a small pillow. You will be using the following items in the construction of this pillow:

Two pieces of matching fabric from the tote tray cabinet A spool of thread and a bobbin (try to match the color to your fabric) Shears or scissors, some straight pins, and a hand sewing needle Polyester stuffing

3. Locate and get two pieces of matching fabric your teacher has cut out for you in the tote tray cabinet. Leave the remaining pieces of fabric in the tray neatly stacked. These two pieces will become the top and bottom of your pillow.

4. Get a spool of thread and a bobbin. Thread up your sewing machine correctly. Practice sewing on a scrap of fabric to see if the sewing machine is working properly.

5. Make your pillow following the instruction sheet at the end of this activity titled, “Small Pillow Instructions with diagrams”. Be sure to show your pillow to the teacher when you are finished.

6. Cleanup your module area and make sure that everything is returned to its proper location. Return the bobbin and spool of thread to the tote tray area..7. Make your ‘cover sheet’ on your own paper. Put your name, class and student number in the right hand corner. Put the name of this module on the top line. Copy the list below. Staple all your work together. Paper clip your test sheet to the top.

Vocabulary Words Practice Stitching Lines Seam Sample Pillow (not included)

(If you complete your module early, enhancement activities are included). KNOWING YOUR SEWING MACHINE AND SEWING LAB SUCCESS


End of Activity


POSTTEST

Using the answer sheet provided by your teacher, bubble in the best answer.

1. When you sew, the __________ sides of the fabric should be put together.

A. rightB. leftC. wrong

2. The ___________ of the sewing machine moves the fabric along as you sew.

A. bobbinB. presser footC. hand wheelD. feed dog

3. Turning the hand wheel will raise or lower the ___________.

A. presser footB. needleC. feed dogD. bobbin

4. The _________ of the sewing machine holds the fabric in place while you sew.

A. needleB. hand wheelC. presser footD. spool pin

5. The ____________ of the sewing machine holds your spool of thread.

A. spool pinB. take-up leverC. thread guidesD. tension control

continued on next page



POSTTEST (CONTINUED)

6. The ______provides the bottom thread of a stitch.

A. take up leverB. needleC. hand wheelD. bobbin

7. The hand wheel should only be turned_________.

A. away from youB. toward youC. upD. down

8. The _____of the sewing machine fits around the feed dog and has a seam guide on it to help you guide your fabric.

A. bobbin caseB. needle clampC. presser footD. needle plate/throat plate

9. A standard seam allowance is _____of an inch wide.

A. ¼B. ½C. 5/8D. 7/8

10. When you begin a seam it is important to _____to secure the seam so it will not come undone.

A. tie a knotB. back stitchC. lower the needle into the fabricD. turn the sewing machine off

END OF TEST



Small Pillow Instructionswith diagrams

1. Place two pieces of fabric with rightsides together, edges even. (Some fabricsdo not have ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ sides.)

2. Pin edges together, placing pins perpendicular to the stitching line, two straight pins to a side.

3. Mark an opening on one side of your pillowfor stuffing it. Make the opening the width of yourhand.

4. Put sewing machine needle into fabric 5/8 inch from theedge and close to the opening area. Lower the pressurefoot and backstitch 4-5 stitches. Sew forward towardthe corner. Remove the pins when you get close to themso the needle will not break.

5. Pivot at the corner by leaving the needle in the fabric, raise thepressure foot and turn fabric 90 degrees. Lower the pressurefoot and stitch that side 5/8 inch from the edge.

6. Stitch continuously until all sides of pillow are stitched,pivoting at all four corners.

7. Backstitch when you reach the other side of theopening.

8. Trim diagonally across corners, coming close to thestitching, but not cutting the stitching. This willeliminate the excess fabric and make the corner neaterwhen turned.

9. Turn the pillow right side out. Poke out the 4 corners untilneat. Stuff with fiberfill.

10. Thread a hand sewing needle with matching thread andsew the opening shut using the overcast stitch. (The edges rollin and you stitch the folded edges together.)

11. Show your pillow to your teacher.



ANSWERS to the PRE and POST TEST

Pre-test Post-test

1. A 1. A 2. B 2. D 3. B 3. B 4. A 4. C 5. B 5. A 6. B 6. D 7. B 7. B 8. B 8. D 9. B 9. C10. A 10. B


07 sewing machine basics

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