Some machines have numbers next to the lever to tell you the number of stitches per inch. If your machine does not have such numbers, you will be able to tell the number of stitches per inch by putting a line of stitching into a piece of material, and counting the number of stitches sewn in a one-inch space.
How to practice stitching
Mark some straight and curved lines on your piece of material. (Paper may also be used but it dulls the needle; material is best.)
Roll the balance wheel to lower the needle at the end of one of the lines. Lower the presser foot and start the machine. Slowly stitch the entire line (without thread), guiding your material so the needle follows the line as much as possible. Practice stitching along a marked line without thread, going backward and forward with both small and large stitches.
When you can control the speed of the machine and stitch straight, you have learned some important secrets of mother’s sewing. Soon you will be ready to start on your first project.
How to thread the machine
Would you like to be able to thread the machine as easily as your leader threads it? Ask her to do it very slowly for you so you can learn it from her. Watch closely as she hooks the thread onto every finger of each thread guide until she finally reaches the needle. She will also show you where the bobbin hides (remember this is the flat spool in the lower part of the machine) and how you will get its thread to the top of the machine.
After you have threaded the machine be sure to have your leader check it before you try to sew. If you want the machine to “work like magic” you will have to have it threaded correctly.