5pm Monday, January 27th at Lil’ Miss Priss. Sign up here.
If you’ve never used a sewing machine before, this is the class for you. Learn how to thread the machine, fill a bobbin, balance the tension, and sew a straight seam. Create a finished pillowcase while you practice. You can bring your own sewing machine or use one of the machines provided.
Supplies: Three (3) pieces coordinating 100% cotton quilting fabric in the following amounts: Fabric 1 (1yd), Fabric 2 (1/2 yd), Fabric 3 (1/4 yd); all-purpose thread; sewing shears; straight pins; size 11 universal sewing machine needles; sewing machine and manual. Machines are provided at LSUS. Please message me if you need to borrow a machine at Lil’ Miss Priss.
Where is your sewing machine manual? Why do you even need it?
Your sewing machine manual is the go-to reference for the maintenance and use of your machine. Having trouble balancing your thread tension? Go to your sewing machine manual. Can’t remember which bobbin to buy? Go to your manual. Should you oil your machine? Go to your manual.
So…where is your sewing machine manual? Can’t find yours? Inherited mom’s old machine and no manual? Try here. You can also try eBay. If you do have yours, is it close? I keep my manuals right here, within arm’s reach:
Every sewing machine manual is slightly different. Some are only a few pages long, others are 1-inch thick spiral notebooks. Some have 4 different languages within them. Your manual isn’t going to be much help if you don’t know what type of information is inside. Here’s a little create-your-own table of contents for the information I use the most in my manuals.
Making a tension map can be very helpful. I could show you myself, but why recreate the wheel. Watch this video instead:
Just a few notes of my own:
1. I started with all my dials on a 4. Then I changed the first dial to a 0 and worked my way up. As I found each thread’s ideal tension, I adjusted the dial to that and move one to the next dial on the left.
2. I actually found that I needed to make a second set of tension maps for use when I use woolly nylon in the looper threads. I don’t know if youl’ll need to too.
***Edited May 9, 2014: Two years later, this is still a favorite post on this blog. These Lisette patterns were so stinking popular! Simplicity 2211 is the Market top and skirt. As of today, the pattern was still available only in certain sizes on Simplicity.com. If you’ve stitched up this top or skirt or both, I’d love to see them. Just leave the link to your post in the comments.***
After blogging about this top back in July, I finally took the time to finish the skirt! I love these Lisette Patterns. You can find my pattern review here, but here’s the nitty gritty.
I love the instructions in these Lisette patterns. I followed the instructions by the letter on the shirt, without any difficulty. While I could have put the skirt together with my eyes closed, I followed the instructions to see if it was worth recommending the pattern to my sewing students. It definitely is!
Simplicity 2211 Lisette Skirt Front
The skirt is really cute, but I wish, wish, wish it had pockets! I also prefer an invisible zip to a lapped zipper, but that was an easy fix.
I used cotton poplin from the Lisette line for the top and a white canvas for the skirt.
Simplicity 2211 Lisette Skirt Back
I probably will not make the skirt again, as I have so many other skirt ideas rumbling around in my head. I would definitely recommend the pattern to others, even beginners. I think Lisette’s extra tips are well written, easy to understand, and perfect for novices. If you decide to make the skirt, take advantage of your blind hem foot to help you get the perfect topstitch along your skirt panels.
This is a really cute outfit and will be perfect for the spring (when it actually gets here on the calendar!).
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