Sewing machine lore: what my mother would have told you

When I was researching my estate sale sewing machine on the internet (Kenmore, from 1966-67) to figure out if I could fix the zigzag mechanism, I realized that many people out there trying to use a sewing machine for the first time are making basic mistakes. And the only reason I didn’t make them was that I had my mother telling me what (and what not) to do. 

Here are some things you should know, courtesy of my mom, which are often too “obvious” to be mentioned in a sewing machine manual or by people who already use one:

Do NOT:

• Do not start sewing before putting the foot down; put that foot down!
• Do not push fabric under the foot; let the machine feed in the fabric at its own pace
• Do not sew over pins; it can break your needle

Do:

• Load a bobbin and put it into place according to the manual
• Thread the upper thread according to the manual
• Turn on the machine’s light when sewing
• Manually rotate the needle to pick up the bobbin thread, then set both threads over to the right side
• Put the foot down before starting to sew
• Before pressing the pedal, manually rotate the wheel to insert the needle into the fabric while holding down the needle thread with your fingertip (so it doesn’t get pulled out of the needle on the first stitch)
• Assist in feeding the fabric smoothly under the foot - don’t allow fabric weight to drag on either side and don't shove it in
• When you need to rotate the fabric, sink the needle into the fabric first, before lifting the foot 
• To "lock" a line of straight stitching from coming loose, use the backwards stitch on your machine for a quarter-inch or so
• When you are stopping sewing, manually rotate the needle so that it is fully out of the fabric before pulling the fabric away
• When you are pausing your work, turn off the light
• When you are stopping work, make sure to set the foot down, preferably on a slip of fabric
• The sewing machine is a machine; follow the manual’s maintenance instructions for cleaning (and possibly oiling)

Thanks, Mom!