Sewing help

On a forum that I belong to, a lady asked about some sewing help. Long story short, she visited on Monday with sewing machine and what bits and bobs she had. Now she had said that her hubby had bought her an embroidery machine eight years ago but she had never used it, I have one but it is a different brand but I hoped I could help in some way.

I had some material cut out for her to make a shopping bag. Nothing worse than sitting at a machine for a few hours and all to show for that time in several rows of stitching which do nothing. I had told her that I would help her make that and then she would get the feel of the machine and then move on to other projects when she felt comfortable.

All well and good, pinned up and ready to sew. When she said she had never used it, she was telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. She wasn't sure how to thread it and neither did I, luckily she had brought the manuals as well, four of them. twenty minute went by and yes, we think it was done right.Next was the bobbin, she remembered being shown that and so that was much quicker.

First seam looked good but it was cobbled underneath, try again and again, same. we both decided that it was probably the tension, so we read up on that, didn't make any difference. Finally I said that maybe the machine should have a service. My machine is seventeen years old, is used on a regular basis and never been serviced but all machines are not the same. Instructions did keep saying, must only use such and such cottons. Nether of us really wanted to admit defeat, after all it was only a little machine for goodness sake. J said "I might change the cotton as I dont know what brand this one is" yep i was happy to her to give it one more go.

Well blow me down, it then sewed perfectly, who would have thought a brand of cotton would make all the difference. We has spent about an hour and a half before getting a decent stitch from it. We didn't get the whole bag done as her husband called to collect her but I will go to her place next week and hopefully we will have a better outcome. At least now she can thread the machine, both top and bottom and sew with it.

For one who sews a lot and has for many years, I was unprepared for a complete novice but what J said was that she didn't use it and then she kept putting it off and it had become a bit of an elephant in the room.