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  1 0 I highly recommend taking a class at Stitches. That's what I did -- and I learned how to make a great pair of pajama pants in addition to learning how my machine works. Personally, I think it's so much easier to walk through the basics with someone who knows how it works -- than to try to follow diagrams in a book. Rosalie answered in Craft Week about 1 year ago | Report 2 comments by BasementDweller3 and Rosalie… 0 0 A lot of fabric stores will have classes. BasementDweller3 commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 Absolutely - pretty much all fabric stores/sewing machine sales places offer that service. I've personally taken a class at Stitches so I can speak to it being awesome -- but I'm sure there are others that are equally awesome. Rosalie commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  0 0 I hiiiiighly recommend "Sew Everything Workshop" by Diana Rupp. It's modern, very easy to understand, and you can make some useful and fun projects while you're learning. http://makeworkshop.com/content/sewbook/sewbook.html kibbies answered in Craft Week about 1 year ago | Report 1 comment by kibbies… 0 0 And it's designed for beginners. It worked for me! kibbies commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  0 0 Find a local class that can help you with YOUR machine. You could always find the owner's manual online, but threading itself can be tricky if you're that much of a newbie - NOTHING to be ashamed of, btw. Another resource might be a local sewing machine/vacuum shop. That's who showed me how to thread mine right. After that, I was off and running. Please take a class or two - many fabric shops offer them. They're really invaluable. mightyabbydite answered in Craft Week about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  0 0 If you're the type of person that likes to dive right into something; "Simple Sewing" by Lotta Jansdotter has many wonderful beginner projects. If you are looking for more of a reference type book; "The Sewing Book" by Alison Smith is a amazing guide for most questions that may come up when sewing. Plus it has great photos to explain techniques. - Amy Team Stitches answered in Craft Week about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  0 0 Definitely find a store that gives lessons. If you're in the Seattle core, Stitches is that store. I took my first class at Pacific Fabrics up in Northgate (before Stitches existed) and they were pretty awesome too. While you wait for class to start, if you have your sewing machine's manual, I recommend that you read it cover-to-cover and then practice threading it a million times until you can do it without looking at the book. Then, find some scrap fabric and just practice sewing in a straight line and on a curve, and practice how to adjust the stitch settings - both the kind of stitch, the length and tension. If your machine does buttonholes, practice the hell out of those because they can be hard. Once you get going, The New Sewing Essentials, put out by Singer is a good reference: http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Essentials-Singer-Reference-Library/dp/0865733082/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278456418&sr=1-2 It has a great index and lots of pictures to help you understand things like French seams, cutting a pattern, making darts, etc. Luckier answered in Craft Week about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  0 0 I actually have not looked at this one BUT I have their Embroidery book and it is excellent. Really easy to use, etc. so I can imagine this is a good one esp for learning about sewing and your machine Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing For actual projects here are some good ones: Whip Up Mini Quilts: Patterns and How-to for 26 Contemporary Small Quilts Lotta makes the most amazing stuff: Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts Schmancytoys answered in Craft Week about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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