In my previous article, I showed you how to practice straight lines and right angles.Today, I'll be showing you how to practice sewing curves. If you have not seen the previous articles, I highly recommended that you do, as each new article builds on the previous ones.
Each article includes instructions and practice sheets that can be downloaded, saved and printed on demand. The equipment you need will be your sewing machine and a printed practice sheet.
First, download the file Practice Curves. Right-click on the link below and select ‘save as target’. Save to your preferred location and open the file to print out a copy on recycled papers. Anytime that you need to practice, you can always print more.
Bring the practice sheet to your sewing machine. Put on an old sewing needle and turn on the machine. No threads are needed for this exercise. Lower the needle onto the practice sheet, on 1 line, placing the needle 1 cm away from the corner of the line so that you can practice your back stitching as well. Lower the sewing footer onto the paper.
Set the reverse stitching mechanism and sew backwards until you reach the corner. Stop, release the reverse mechanism and start stitching normally. Sew onto the lines. Use your fingers to guide the paper along the line.
At points where the angles are too narrow to turn the paper with your fingers, stop at the point and insert the needle down into the paper. Lift the sewing foot and rotate the paper until you can align the line properly under the footer. Lower the footer and continue sewing.
If the speed is too fast, you can use your wheel to move the needle slowly along. Continue sewing all the way to the end.
Once you reach the end, reverse stitch for 1 cm to mimic back stitching. Continue practicing for as long as you want. The end results is that you will be able to better understand how your sewing machine works, improve your sewing skills, and create better looking seams.
Posted by Diana from DjStoreRoom
About the author: Diana is the owner and pattern designer of djstoreroom. She is a work-from-home-mommy who design, sew, pen and self-publish her own pdf sewing patterns and tutorials from her home studio in sunny Singapore. She has 2 online stores at etsy which stocks only pdf products and artfire which stocks pdf products, handmade products and vintage supplies. She love to write in her blog about herself, her business and more...