Sewing machines come in a few different kinds and each are used to do something slightly different.  Some examples of the types of sewing machines are industrial, quilting , mechanic, electronic, and computerized.

1. Industrial sewing machines are the heavy duty sewing machines and are usually used for large quantity of work. They are also more expensive than the typical home sewing machine.
2. Quilting sewing machines are specialized to make quilting. Quilting is entirely different than sewing a button or making some clothes. It requires different stitch pattern usually 14″. A quilting machine is a must for anyone that makes quilts.
3. Electronic sewing machines allow you to complete most tasks by pushing one button. It can be multi- motored to complete different tasks.
4. Mechanical sewing machines are the basic sewing machine and is run by a rotary wheel with adjustments being made by a hand dial. These machines are popular based on their cost savings and they also are one step up from doing it all by hand.
5. Computerized sewing machines are the most convenient. They can be programmed to perform repetitive stitches as well as patterns. They are the latest upgrade and are the easiest to learn to use. If you want to get the job done without too much of a challenge this type would be the one for you.

These are just some types of sewing machines and also be aware that these machines come have different specialties within themselves. There are also different brands.

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You might be wondering I just bought this sewing machine through our store or somewhere else and how do I buy needles for my sewing machine? What size should I get? It is important to buy a machine with an operating manual to help you with this question and many others that could arise. Most standard sewing machines will take a number 11 size needle if you are using an American machine and a number 12 size if using an European machine.

There are some fabrics, however, that need a special needle to sew with but about 80% of fabrics on the market today will work with these size needles. If you are using a different type of fabric and you are not sure you have the right size needle than it would be good to check your sewing machine’s operating manual. This will also help you when you want to make an unique stitch using your machine, as this could need a different needle size as well.

Moral of the story is that you probably can’t go wrong having the sizes mentioned above in your sewing kit but you should always check the operating manual if you are unsure.

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A popular color this summer is blue and especially royal blue. We see it a lot and maybe now that you have read this you will too. From shoes to handbags, to tops to skirts royal blue is the in color to wear this year. Blue will easily go with white, tan or black as well as other prints that have a touch or royal blue in them. So get creative and wear royal blue that best fits you!

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Now that you have the basic sewing kit that you need, we will go through how to fix tears and snags in your clothing. The basic tear is easily fixed and you begin to do so by threading your needle. To thread your needle, you will want to take thread that matches the color of the piece of clothing you are mending and place it through the eye of a needle of your choice. The eye of the needle is the very small hole at the top of the needle.

Next, after the needle is threaded, you then want to even out the two sides of the thread and tie a small knot at the end of the two pieces of thread. Once that is done, turn the piece of clothing you are mending inside out and begin to sew it. To do so you will place the needle toward the end of the tear or snag pulling together the clothing sides near the tear as tight as you can that will look natural, and place your first stitch. Then you will want to come the opposite way than your original stitch and continue to go in and out and until the snag is covered up and mended. Each stitch should be about 1/4 inch. Once done with that you will cut the thread leaving enough to tie it off so it will not unravel.

Tie it off and you are done. To tie it off you will take the two pieces of thread and tie a small knot with them (big enough to keep the stiches from unraveling).  Congratulations as you have completed your first sewing job. To watch a video on this please visit this sewing tips video. 

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Get Smart, starring Anne Hathaway, recently had its premeire and wearing a greyish black strapless gown she hit the red carpet and then the after parties with her co-star Steve Carell. Belts are big this year in fashion and you can see how Anne utilizes one here to bring together the top and bottom design difference of her dress brilliantly.

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If you are new at sewing it can be quite rewarding and with some practice you should be able to progress in skills. There are many things you can do and make with this talent from sewing on a button that fell off to making a full wardrobe, you will find that sewing is something that if you enjoy it will could become addictive. Sewing will save you money on tailors and as you get better and better at it, it can also save your clothing budget as you will make your own clothes. Some might say that the only clothes made in the USA today are ones that are made within American homes. You will ensure the quality as well as you will always know the origination of the clothing. Some even find it relaxing.

To start out you should get some basic supplies which include sewing scissors, sewing needles, pins and a pin cushion, a tape measure, a variety of buttons, a selection of fasteners, a thimble which fits your middle finger, and a good selection of thread. The scissors should be about 6-7 inches and you should only use them for sewing.

These supplies altogether will probably cost you less than $25. You can of course get a sewing machine for an affordable price too, as that will quicken many steps of the process but to start off you only need these few simple items and you are on your way.

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