Sewing Machine Nuances You Should Know About

Thread Tension - Your sewing machine should have balanced thread tension. This will yield a balanced stitch aesthetically as well as physically. Thread tension can be adjusted by the top thread and the bobbin thread. It is best to first troubleshoot with the top thread tension. Stay tuned for a more in depth tutorial on troubleshooting thread tension), but for now just know it is a thing, and it is important!

Foot Pressure - You most likely will not need to play around with your foot pressure early on, but know if you are having trouble getting over bulky seams, or your fabric is warping as you sew it, foot pressure can also be a factor. Refer to your manual to adjust foot pressure accordingly. Typically it will be a screw like dial on the top of your machine, or a twist dial on the side of your machine. Tutorial coming soon on food pressure.

Needle Size - Needle size is important. Fine needles size 10-12 are ideal for light weight materials such as light weight linens. I recently accidentally used a size 14 needle on light weight linen, and you would not believe the rippling it caused on the stitch line, so keep that in mind as a factor when troubleshooting a rippling stitch line.

Needle Type - Needle type is incredibly important. You should be using a sharp or universal needle for woven fabrics, and a ball point/stretch needle for knit/stretch fabrics. If you are experiencing skipped stitches, first try replacing your needle (either just a fresh one or try a different neelde type/needle size before panicking that your sewing machine is broken). It will save you a lot of heart ache!

Sewing Machine Feet - It can be very overwhelming first getting into sewing looking at all of the feet that come with your sewing machine, or sewing machine feet that exist on the market. If you are looking to stick to sewing simple/minimalist clothing, you are in the right place, Third Born Clothing typically uses one sewing machine foot (the traditional foot) in the introductory patterns. Changing the foot will not be required until zippers or buttons are utilized in patterns. *Note if you do not have a serger, you will want to use a zig-zag foot for most projects (just leave it on when you also straight stitch).