Sewing machines are just like cars – they work beautifully once you know the basics.
You took a course to learn to drive, right? Learned about flat tires and driving in snow from people who’d been there. But somehow we think we should just know everything about a sewing machine, and that it should work perfectly no matter what.
Understanding your machine gets rid of most of that stress — and it really doesn’t take much to learn what you need to know.
I’ve got two free paths to help you get there.
Which Path is Right for You?
Never touched a sewing machine? Brand new machine still in the box? Complete beginner?
→ Start with “Learn to Use Your Sewing Machine”
Know the basics but constantly frustrated by problems? Machine issues stealing your creative joy?
→ Jump to “Master Your Machine”
Path 1: Learn to Use Your Sewing Machine
From complete beginner to confident first seam
Have you never actually used a sewing machine before? Maybe you got one as a gift, inherited one, or finally bought one but it’s sitting there intimidating you?
This course is for true beginners – people who have never threaded a machine, never sewn a seam, never even turned one on. I’ll walk you through everything from the very first moment you lift it out of the box.
Perfect for you if:
- You’ve literally never used a sewing machine
- Your machine is still in the box (or might as well be)
- Threading looks like an impossible puzzle
- You have no idea where to even start
- You want to understand each step completely, not just memorize it
I haven’t started sewing yet because work has been a little busy for me and i lost some days off but the course is amazing. I particularly LOVE the sheet that you made that we can download in order to learn how to keep lines straight. It is very helpful and im going to practice that again when i finally get some free time before i move onto the next lesson
LEARN to use a sewing machine
— Monika
Thank you for a very useful course! I’ve gone through the course once. It was perfect for me! I’m one of those people who doesn’t like to drive and can only drive an automatic…
LEARN to use a sewing machine
So I had resisted – and feared – sewing machines for a long time. But your course took the fear away. I loved learning why things are the way they are, what makes a stitch, etc.
-Eva
Path 2: Master Your Machine
From basic knowledge to confident troubleshooting
You know how to thread your machine and sew a basic seam, but when something goes wrong, does your peaceful sewing session turn into frustrated panic?
Understanding why your machine behaves the way it does turns troubleshooting from a guessing game into something you can actually work through logically.
When you know what’s happening and why, problems become puzzles you can solve.
Perfect for you if:
- You can thread and operate your machine but problems throw you off
- Thread breaks, skipped stitches, or tension issues interrupt your flow
- You want to understand your machine deeply, not just follow quick fixes
- Machine maintenance feels mysterious
- You’re ready to become your machine’s partner, not its victim
What you’ll get: Deep understanding of how your machine works, why problems happen, and how to solve them.
This course is FREE. Join it inside Simple Quilting Studio on Skool, or watch it free on YouTube.
I saw your great tension YouTube and bought your course. After watching the course, I took a deep breath and went to the machine again. I brushed out dust, rethreaded, got out the manual to reinsert the needle(I think it was turned wrong) … and now IT WORKS!
MASTER YOUR MACHINE
Thank you so much!
– Ellen
Thank you for your email, courses, simple explanation and how you give people confidence. Which I majorly lack :/ I bought your course not because I had a particular problem but you know how it felt to use the machine? Like I was standing behind a horse’s ass and it was kicking me with its hind legs every.single.time. Ever since I watched your course and understood better I think the machine got some sugar (or carrot) because it is behaving.
MASTER YOUR MACHINE
– Amy
I made them free because I want you to sew, not stress.
Not sure about learning online? Here’s a review of one of my courses from a course designer. Please note: the course she reviewed, Fabric to Finished, is now free inside Simple Quilting Studio.
Looking for specific help right now? These posts dive deep into common machine challenges…
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Skipped Stitches and Broken Needles? Is it YOU?
It’s human nature to want to help things along. You see the fabric moving and you want to… assist. But every time I see someone pulling their fabric through their sewing machine, I cringe a little inside. Not because I’m judging them for “doing something wrong” — but because something is going to break eventually…
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Master Your Sewing Machine
What’s wrong now? Don’t let mysterious machine problems stop you from creating the quilts you love. You know that sinking feeling when you’re happily sewing along and suddenly… your stitches look terrible? But you have absolutely no idea what went wrong or how to fix it? Maybe you’re afraid to touch those tension dials because…
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How to buy a sewing machine
Starting to look at sewing machines? Getting overwhelmed by all those machines, features you don’t understand, and salespeople throwing around terms like “feed dogs” and “bobbin cases”? Understanding that buying a sewing machine isn’t about finding the most features or the best deal. It’s about finding a creative partner that supports your journey from stressed…
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Why needle stop up matters for your first sewing machine
The little feature that makes starting and stopping so much easier. What is is and why you want it on your sewing machine.
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7 Things no one tells you when buying a sewing machine
Go beyond the feature list and discover 7 little things that will make or break your experience with your machine.
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3 things that don’t matter on your first sewing machine
Overwhelmed shopping for your first sewing machine? All these different features – what are they? Here are three things that don’t matter on your first machine.
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Why sewing needles break
You know that scary moment when your sewing machine needle snaps and pieces fly everywhere? Understanding why this happens can transform your sewing experience from frustrating to peaceful.
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Why thread breaks
A video to explain why your sewing machine thread breaks along with a simple written explanation
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When to change your sewing machine needle
Does it seem like every six to eight hours of sewing is really excessive? I mean, how much wear can a metal needle really get poking through fabric? Rubber tires on a road, yeah, they wear out. But your needle looks fine, right?
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How to pick a sewing machine needle
When you’re in a store looking at sewing machine needles, how do you know which one to use? Does it really matter which one you use? What do all those little numbers and slashes actually mean? Why the right sewing machine needle matters There are so many needles! Is there more to consider than just…
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Sewing Machine Tension
Do you have loops or bumps on one side of your seam? Wondering if it’s the thread tension and how to fix it? Worried about screwing it up?
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How to eliminate messy starting stitches
Do you have a bunch of extra thread knotting up or bunching when you start a seam? Have you resorted to always starting on a scrap piece of fabric? Ready to just start up without a mess or extra steps? The video below explains why the mess happens and what to do so you can…
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How to sew in a straight line
If you are new to sewing you may have seams that are wavy. And wavy seams end up looking bumpy and messy on your finished project. No matter how much you struggle with your machine you just can’t seem to sew in a straight line. All those seam guides available for sale like these seem…
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How to Use a Sewing Machine
Got a brand new sewing machine? Ready to take it out of the box and sew up a storm but no one has ever actually shown you how to use one? Here are the basics: How to thread a sewing machine Threading a sewing machine correctly is so so important! I help people with their…
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Sewing machine feet needed to make a quilt
If you are a beginner sewer and want to make a quilt, you have likely seen references to needing a special presser feet to make a quilt. And when you went looking at the store or online there were so so many. Do you really need all those special feet to make a quilt?
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8 Tips to Prevent Back Pain While Sewing
If you’ve ever finished a marathon quilt piecing session and wondered if your back and shoulders will ever feel relaxed again, I understand. I learned to sew as a kid – and you know how kids just adapt to whatever position they are in? Well, it finally caught up with me as an adult. So…
Complete beginner course from unboxing your machine to sewing your first confident seam, plus two bonus projects.
READ BEFORE YOU BUY!!
This course (Learn to Use a Sewing Machine) will be releasing as a free (with ads) course on YouTube in mid December 2025. If you buy it now, you will get it without ads or distraction for at least 90 days on the ad free platform. My other courses (like the one below) will still be paid, and will be moved to another platform. If you’d like to wait and be notified when the change happens, please sign up for my email newsletter above to the right. My newsletter peeps hear everything first 🙂