Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Debra Immergut Gives Sewing Machine Advice

As part of National Craft Month, we asked our readers if they had any questions for our craft authors. One reader asked how best to add lavender buds to her melt & pour soaps, and The Soap Queen had an answer. Today, a new question came in — Tani has been struggling with her sewing machine and reached out to us for help.

Tani writes,
I sewed when I was younger (I loved eighth grade Home Ec!), but I got a new sewing machine a couple of years ago, and I just can’t seem to get used to it. I’ve watched the DVD included a few times and tried, but I seem to have presser foot & bobbin problems. Every now and then I get excited and pull it out, only to return it to the closet in disgust. Have I “lost it,” or do I just have a lemon machine?

Debra’s response:
Look for a local sewing machine repair shop, and take your machine in for a look. They’re a bit like cars — they have a lot of moving parts, and they need to be tuned and oiled every now and then. The shop folks should also be able to show you how to find the correct thread tension for your projects . . . that may be part of the problem.

If you bought your machine at a big box store, be prepared to hear that your local shop may not be able to work on it . . . sorry about that! Some machines aren’t designed for the long run. If you still want to sew, we highly recommend the $300 Janome Sewists that we use. They are workhorses, and we almost never have problems with them. They can also be tuned and fixed as needed.
Take a peek into the world of Improv Sewing, and watch this awesome trailer video:


Improv Sewing authors Debra Immergut and Nicole Blum have worked together to develop many creative projects for FamilyFun magazine, where Debra is a senior editor. Nicole is an artist, crafter, blogger, and sewing entrepreneur who sells her sewn jersey creations through her blog, One Golden Apple, and at craft fairs. Debra and Nicole both live in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts and blog together at Improv Diary

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