First Day of Class
Ivana Musura | Date posted: December 9th, 2010
Eek! It’s the first day of class and the students look terrified. Little do they know I, too, get first day heebie jeebies. But-shh! -don’t tell them. I have to look cool and collected and think of sewing related jokes to ease the tension in the room.
As I glance around, I soon forget about the butterflies in my tummy a few minutes ago. Some students are scrambling to free their sewing supplies out of the packaging, while others are intensely staring at [insert horror music here]: the sewing machine. Equipped with dials and buttons and levers, and only a day away from being their new BFF, the sewing machine stares right back, intimidating the heck out of my students. To end this, I start the lesson off with an introduction to the machine parts. Slowly but surely, the once terrified students start to look more comfortable with what once had their eyes peeled back in fear.
Even the students that have previously used a sewing machine (in Grade 8 Home Ec. or nana’s old-school Singer) are often puzzled by the “new” machine in front of them. I proceed to explain that sewing machines are like cars: if you know how to drive, you can drive any car. I’ll take a 1967 Cutlass Supreme Convertible, light blue with leopard upholstery and wood grain interior, thanks! Ahem…
The things is, like cars, most sewing machines are similar, and all have almost the same functions, so if you know how to use one, you will find that using another is not that much of a change. The tension dial or backstitch lever might be located in different places, but rest assured they are somewhere on the machine. It might take a little bit of getting used to, but a little practice is all you will need. Happy “driving”!
Ivana Musura
Ivana Musura has been surrounded by fashion ever since she can remember. She has been sewing since she was 10 years old and continued to boost her creativity by making custom outfits and accessories to...