I was three when my Grandmother, my Aunt and my Mum started to teach me to sew.......I still have the tiny silver thimble .......I think it's a Victorian one meant for the Christmas dumpling
. I made, and embroidered, my own nightgown by the time I was five.
I think sewing is one of those utterly practical life skills that everyone ought to be familiar with. From garments to leather, bags to shelter, lots of use for folks like us.
I do have two sewing machines, and l use them but no where near as often as a needle and thimble.
To be honest if your machine does forward, back and zigzag, you don't need anything else. KISS is far more use to the vast majority of us than the all singing all dancing ones that get fankled on a regular basis, and cost £80 a year in servicing.
Try before you buy if you can, and take along your own bits of cloth and suitable threads.
Patience is the biggest thing you can offer when learning to use one on your own at home.
Lots of patterns out there, but remember (and echoing what Michelle said ) generally commercial clothing and patterns are, "One size fits no one very well, but it'll do
, sortof "
The worst stuff I have ever tried to sew was Goretex
(ask PatrickM
) neither machine was up for it. It really needed an industrial one. Wax fabric is pretty heavy going too, but so long as you use meths to keep things clean, it's do-able. All the other outdoors fabrics just take time.
Best of luck with it, if we can help, just ask.
cheers,
Toddy
