Sewing machines are a great tool for doing sewing work. Any professional tailor needs to have a sewing machine for his work. But those who do sewing work as a hobby or those who need to move around, need something more portable.
For them, a portable sewing machine is a life savior. These machines work pretty much the same as a normal machine but they are smaller and easier to carry around. Here we will teach you how to use a portable sewing machine so that you can too use it without any problem.
What are the Types of Portable Sewing Machines
There are two types of portable sewing machines. One is the handheld sewing machine and the other is the mini sewing machine.
The handheld sewing machine is good for beginners who don’t want to invest in a fully-fledged sewing machine just yet. These are also good to have around the house and for casual use. These run on batteries and are fairly small.
Mini sewing machines are bigger than handheld ones. You need to place it down on a table to use it. They are more like fully-fledged sewing machines but smaller. It runs on electricity and you can even install a pedal to it to control the machine.
How to Use a Handheld Sewing Machine?
The handheld sewing machine is really easy to use. You need to follow a few steps to set up the machine. There are a few parts of a handheld sewing machine. The main parts are the power button, rotary wheel, bobbin, thread holders, fastening plate, and tension control.
These are the parts that need to be set up in order to use the machine. Here is how to set up the machine for work.
Step 1: Insert Battery
Since it operates with batteries, you need to put the battery inside. It uses four batteries and the battery compartment is located directly on the opposite side of the power button.
While inserting the battery, make sure the positive and negative side matches with the instructed side inside the compartment.
Step 2: Set up the Bobbin
Now, you need to set up the bobbin with thread. To do that, take out the bobbin holder from the side of the machine. Be careful when you take the holder out since there is also a spring inside it.
Now slide the bobbin inside it with the color of thread you want. Then put it back onto the machine with the holder and the spring. It doesn’t matter which way of the bobbin the thread comes out of. So you can set it either way.
Step 3: Guide the Thread
Now take the thread and put it through the hole that is above the bobbin. Then put it through the tension control and finally inside the needle. The number of thread guiding holes can differ from machine to machine. So just follow the holes if there are more holes in your machine.
Step 4: Ready to Sew
Now that your machine is set up, you can start sewing. Since you are using a handheld sewer, sewing a straight line can often be difficult. So make sure to draw a line if you want to sew straight.
Use the fastening plate to keep the fabrics steady and press the power button to start sewing. After completing, make sure to tie the thread so that it doesn’t come loose.
How to Use a Mini Sewing Machine?
A mini sewing machine, for the most part, works the same as a normal sewing machine. The set up also pretty much the same as the handheld one. But it has a threaded spindle which is used to thread an empty bobbin. Here is how to work with it.
Step 1: Threading the Bobbin
Put the thread inside the thread spindle that is on top of the machine. Now install the empty bobbin on the hand wheel. Then take the thread and do some spin on the bobbin manually. Make sure there is no thread inside the needle.
Now, start the machine. This will make the empty bobbin spin and gather the thread. Use one finger to pull the thread outward to make sure it doesn’t get tangled and keep a good tension when loading on the bobbin.
Step 2: Set up Bobbin and Thread
Now that you have a bobbin with thread, you need to set it up on the side. It is the same as the handheld one. Take out the bobbin spindle and put the bobbin in. Then put it back on the machine. Make sure you set up the spring as it was.
After that, take the head of the thread and put it through the hole that is directly in front of the bobbin. Then put it through the tension control and then through the rest of the holes. Finally, put the thread inside the needle.
Step 3: Load up the Bottom Bobbin
Open up the bottom bobbin compartment and put the same color thread inside that compartment.
Now, turn the hand wheel in the direction that is indicated on the wheel to hook the thread and pull it up from inside the compartment. Once it is up you can close the compartment again.
Step 4: Power up the Machine
This machine uses electricity to power itself. So, just put the power cord in and power it up by connecting it to an electrical port.
Now, there are two ways to turn the machine on. Also, there are two modes that you can use on this machine. These modes are speed control. One is normal speed and the other is high speed. You can use whatever is better for your work.
As for turning on, you can use the switches or you can connect the pedal and use your foot to press on the pedal to turn it on. You can use whatever suits your style. To use the pedal, first you need to jack it in the machine. The pedal port is directly on top of the power port.
Step 5: Time to Start Sewing
Your thread is all set up inside the machine. So you can start sewing now. Use the lever that is on top of the needle to pull up the fastening plate and put your cloth on the machine.
Now pull the lever down again to bring the fastener plate back to its place. You are ready to do your sewing. You can use either the button or the pedal to turn on the machine and start sewing.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q. Is a mini sewing machine better than a handheld one?
Ans: It depends on the situation. Both of them are good. But for a bigger project, a mini one is better than a handheld one.
Q. Which one is more portable among the mini and handheld ones?
Ans: The handheld one is more portable because of its size. You can carry it inside the traveling bag. But you need to take an extra box for the mini one.
Conclusion
Having a handheld sewing machine is always handy. It can be used on various occasions. Instead of using just a needle, using a handheld machine can save a lot of time. If you are someone who does sewing projects as a hobby then the mini sewing machine is the best for you.
Leave a Reply