Check your machine
Before you start to sew, check the machine stitch. Your seams will not hold if the stitch is not perfect. Try your machine stitch on a double piece of cloth. Stitch on the bias and the straight. Does the stitch look the same on both sides? If not, have your leader adjust the tension while you watch to see how she does it.
For a review of what you learned about the sewing machine in your other projects, practice sewing on a sample of your fabric until you get the feel of the machine. When you can run the machine smoothly, make one of the following articles for practice—scarf, draw-string bag, apron, or swimming robe.
Cloth guide
A cloth guide on your machine will aid in making the stitching straight. Place a strip of colored scotch tape on the machine ⅝ inch, or the width desired, from the needle if a gauge is not available. Keep the edge of the cloth along the inside of the tape or guide as you sew. Watch the edge of the tape not the machine needle.
The pressure foot is a good gauge for edge stitching. It is easy to stitch close to the edge of a hem if you let the edge of the cloth follow the inside of the presser foot. A ⅛ inch seam can be made by letting the edge follow the outside of the presser foot.
Practice on an easy-to-make article
Draw-string bag
You may make a draw-string bag to review what you learned last year. This may be any size. It can be used for your sewing, swimming suit, as a hand bag, or for many other purposes.