Did you get a sewing machine for Christmas? Are you wondering, “Now what?” Well you’ve come to the right place. Let me help you get started.

Did you Get a Sewing Machine for Christmas? Now What?

A white sewing machine with black screens. Text says New Sewing Machine!

Let’s start with the elephant in the room, do you think the machine that was chosen for you will work for your needs? Before opening the box, Google the machine and search the specs for things like number of stitches, accessories included, further accessories you can purchase, etc. In addition, please read reviews of that machine. If you see the same types of problems over and over, I can tell you from experience, not to ignore those reviews and think it was just user error.

I’m asking you to do this prior to opening the box, because sometimes products can’t be returned if they are not in their “original packaging.” I would rather you do a little research first, figure out if you want to keep the machine or not, and then if you need to, return the machine for something you really want instead.

Also check out my quick video here.

Using your Gift Card

Image of a red gift card with the words gift card written in gold

If your loved one took a different path and purchased a Gift Card for you instead, this is now the time to buy the machine you want. They probably bought a Gift Card because they were not sure what you wanted, and/or didn’t want to make a mistake. This is wonderful, but make sure that the Gift Card doesn’t expire. Hopefully, the person who purchased the Gift Card already determined this, if not, find out right away if the Card expires so you can make plans to purchase sooner than later if needed.

If you haven’t already figured out what machine you want, you can research a couple of different ways. Google sewing machines for new quilters or drop into your local dealer and explain that you want a machine to start quilting. They can help guide your choices. I am also hoping that your loved one bought the Gift Card from a local dealer, so this will be easier.

Congratulations on your New Machine

So you have either received a machine you loved and kept it, returned the machine that you didn’t love and bought something that you do love, or used your Gift Card to purchase a new machine. Congratulations. Now it’s time to get sewing.

Read your Manual First!

My first advice to new sewing machine owners is always the same, READ YOUR MANUAL! Seriously! Your manual contains everything you need to know about your machine. Yes, there is something called YouTube, chock full of videos on various sewing machines. However, not all machines have a large catalogue of videos. If a machine isn’t really popular or really expensive, the amount of videos will decrease. As a result, read your manual and keep it close by when you sew for easy access.

Machine Education From your Dealer

One of the main reasons I advise people to purchase their sewing machine from a sewing machine dealer is you will be taught how to use your machine, at least the basics. Dealers usually take the time to sit down with you and teach you. They’re not relying on you to read the manual, but they also don’t want repetitive phone calls as you try to figure it out yourself.

Get Sewing

3 ladies sewing on white sewing machines

So it’s time to get sewing. Let’s get your first bobbin wound, your machine threaded, and sew a sample. Refer to your manual to learn how to do this. Machines use different bobbins and can have different thread paths.

Please do not start on an heirloom project as you get started sewing. Things often can and do go wrong when you’re first starting out including: tension problems, broken thread, broken needles, etc. The only way to get good at sewing is to sew.

Stitch Out a Sample of your Decorative Stitches

sewing machine stitches stiched out on fabric. The thread is red and the fabric is white.

If your new machine came with Decorative Stitches, it is helpful to do a stitch out of these stitches. Decorative Stitches include things like alphabets and stitches like flowers, hearts, etc.

Many people will stitch out a sample of all of their Decorative Stitches so they know what they look like stitched out, and they can easily choose a Decorative Stitch for their project.

My Final Thoughts

Congratulations on your new machine. Getting started sewing can be a little daunting, but once you figure out how your machine works and sew for a while, it will seem old hat.

For more helpful quilting tips and tricks, make sure you follow me on YouTube,and Pinterest.