Using a sewing machine

GemmaB78

Apologies if this is not in the right section.

I just inherited a very old Singer sewing machine - unfortunately without a manual!! And it's so old I can't seem to track one down.

I'd love to be able to learn to use it and make 'stuff' - got lots of friends and family who are pregnant at the moment and would love to create patchwork quilts for the cots.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good website, or tell me, in very SIMPLE terms, how to use the darned thing!!!

luckys_mum

Good to hear you are interested in learning to sew. On lots of patchwork websites it says not to use patchwork quilts in cots of babies under one year. Must be a safety issue I think. Re the manual post the model of the sewing machine and maybe someone on here may have one they could help you out with.

KT1985

I am guessing that by manual you mean with a foot pedal? (I am clueless too- got my sewing maching about a month ago).

I am currently looking for a sewing group where I am- maybe you could do the same?

GemmaB78

Thanks for the tip re: babies and quilts. Will bear that in mind.

The model number is 5132.

When I said 'manual' I meant the instruction book!!!! It's got a foot pedal.

I had a bit of a play with it last night. Have managed to thread it up and got some scraps of material that I've been practising on. The less said about them the better!

Quick question though: do you push the fabric away from you or pull it towards you?

Stupid question I know!!

ivyleaf

Hi Gemma!

You shouldn't need to move the fabric yourself at all, just guide it so that the seam is straight. There are a pair of metal things called "feed dogs" which live under the footplate (the metal bit on the top of the place where the bobbin goes in), and when you sew, these go up and down to move the fabric along. However, if your fabric isn't moving along at all when you sew, the feed dogs might be lowered atm - people lower them for doing things like freehand embroidery, when they need to control the movement of the fabric themselves - and there will be a little lever somewhere for raising them up again, maybe next to where the bobbin case fits in. Or, you may not have threaded it correctly, and also it may need oiling if it hasn't been used for a while
Good luck with it, I hope you're able to get hold of a manual very soon.

monkeymonkey_3

Hi, the fabric should be moving away from you, but don't 'push' it as such, you should just need to guide it through. Hope that helps.

paulabear

Slightly off-topic, and I'm sure there are other sites like this, but if you look for burdastyle, you can get loads of tips and a whole community of people who post videos of how to do stuff, plus some great patterns : )

flissh

I googled the make and model of my (very old) machine and got a manual on line for about four pounds. It is a copy of the original scanned onto the computer that I now keep on my laptop. Must say it has been a real help with threading and loading the bobbin as I thought I had got these things right, but found out I hadn't

Mojisola

If it's electric, it's not that old! My Mum's sewing machine was made in 1892!

This is a bit pricey (£16) but it will be worth having - https://www.singermachines.co.uk/Parts_&_Ser/Inst%20book.htm