Getting to Know Your Sewing Machine: Making It Simple to Start

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by a sewing machine — you’re not alone. Understanding the core functions is the key to making it an accessible and powerful tool for your projects. Here’s a breakdown of the 5 key parts you’ll use most often and what they actually do 

1. The Handwheel

How it works: Turn the handwheel towards you to bring the needle up/ down.

Function: The handwheel gives you precise control over your needle’s position — perfect for when you need to start or stop your stitching exactly where you want it.

Think of it as the “manual” way to move your needle, helping you ease into or finish a seam smoothly.

2. The Foot Pedal

How it works: The foot pedal is like the accelerator of your sewing machine. Press down to start sewing forward.

Function: The Foot Pedal keeps your hands free to guide the fabric while your foot controls the needle speed.

It might take a few minutes to get the feel for it, but once you do, it becomes second nature.

3. The Presser Foot Lever

How it works: Before you start sewing, lower the presser foot lever to secure the fabric beneath the presser foot. When you’re done or need to adjust your material, raise it.

Function: This lever’s job is to press the fabric against the feed dogs (the little teeth underneath) so the fabric moves smoothly and evenly as you sew.

Forgetting to lower it is a common beginner mistake, so be very mindful as it is a safety feature too. Once you form the habit, it'll be hard to miss it again! 

4. The Reverse Button

How it works: The reverse button lets you sew backward. Hold it down while pressing the foot pedal to backstitch at the beginning & end of your seams.

Function: This “locking” technique reinforces your stitches so they don’t come undone. It’s a small step that makes a big difference to ensure your seams stay locked in in the washing machine.

5. The Upper Stitch Tension Control Dial

How it works: This dial adjusts how tightly the upper thread is pulled as you sew, which is to be adjusted according to your fabric thickness. 

• Lower number = less tension (better for lighter fabrics)

• Higher number = more tension (better for thicker fabrics)

Function: Proper tension ensures your stitches lie flat and balanced — not too loose, not too tight. You’ll usually leave it around the middle setting for most fabrics, but it’s good to know how to tweak it if your stitches start looking uneven.

Our advice ✨

Understanding these five basics gives you a huge head start in feeling confident with your sewing machine. The more you practice, the more natural it’ll feel — and soon you’ll realise that sewing isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks.

Your sewing machine is an incredible tool to the start of all mending, alterations and designs! We offer a whole bunch of techniques and more in our Starter Bundle Class that teaches you the basics of sewing. 

Find out more about our Starter Bundle class here 👉🏼 Starter Bundle Class 

We hope to see you here! 👋🏻