How to Stitch — Part 2

Welcome to the Sailrite^® Learning to Sew Series! We invite you to sew through this seven-part video series with us and learn some basic sewing techniques. Made with the beginner in mind, these videos will walk you through all the fundamentals from how to set up your machine to sewing basic stitches. Plus you'll learn how to install a zipper, sew piping, and you'll discover our recommended sewing tools and notions for project success.

In Part 1 of the series, we acquainted ourselves with our machines and learned how to wind a bobbin and thread the machine. If you are brand-new to sewing, or if you are a new Ultrafeed^® Sewing Machine owner, we strongly encourage you to go back and watch our Part 1 video (#200627XHT). It's important to know the very basics of how your machine operates before diving into sewing and creating stitches. The fundamentals are key to a successful sewing experience.

So, now that your machine is all set up and ready to go, let’s learn how to sew some stitches. When learning to sew, it helps to practice basic skills and work your way up from small projects to bigger ones. Be sure to practice on scrap fabric before diving right into a project. You’ll feel more comfortable sewing your nice fabric if you’ve had some practice runs first.

In this lesson you will learn:

• How to start and finish a stitch.
• How to check and adjust thread tension.
• How to backstitch to lock stitches in place.
• How to turn corners.

We are sewing on the Ultrafeed LSZ Sewing Machine. This is our industrial-strength, portable sewing machine that sews in both straight and zigzag stitch. The Ultrafeed is ideal for canvaswork, sewing sails, home and auto upholstery, outdoor patio projects, and more. If you're interested in an Ultrafeed machine, check out our blog "Why Choose an Ultrafeed?" (#300330XHT) to learn more about our powerful, proprietary sewing machines. Even if you don't own an Ultrafeed machine, these Learning to Sew lessons apply to all sewing machines.

Watch the video to start the next lesson in your sewing education journey!

After practicing different stitches on your sewing machine and feeling confident in how your stitches look, head over to Part 3 of the Learning to Sew Series: "How to Sew Basic Seams" (#200625XHT).