Action stations! It’s National Sewing Machine Day

Ah the sewing machine… it’s our trusty friend (or occasionally enemy when a needle snaps or bobbin thread runs out) and the ultimate ‘could-not-live-without’ piece of tech on our sewing tables. So given that 13th June is a day of national celebration of this cleverest of machines, surely we’re allowed to drop everything and run to our sewing desks, pronto?

If you’re thinking of using today as an excuse to treat yourself to your first ever sewing machine, take a look at our Best sewing machines for beginners guide.

And keep reading for more ways to join in with today’s festivities…

Get the party started! How to celebrate

Spring clean your machine

Let’s face it, we give them a pretty thorough workout, but when was the last time you got your machine serviced? We always suggest taking your machine to a professional for a proper service regularly, but if you can’t for any reason we’ve put together a free guide to cleaning and maintaining your machine.

Refresh your skills

Whether you’ve just invested in your first ever machine and have no idea where to start, or you’re already pretty confident with the basics but want to try some new things, we’ll have something for you! We’re creating a machine-stitching masterclass here on our website, split into bite-sized chunks so you can pick the bit you want to tackle next. Check out our How to use a sewing machine post for links to all our handy articles and step-by-step guides.

Take a free video class

From Sew Ready: Machine Basics to Machines for Sewing Knit Fabrics and Machine Savy: Tips for Creative Sewing, video course pros Craftsy have got a handy selection of free resources to boost your skills.

Get to know your needles

If you haven’t already tried out different needles for different fabrics, prepare to be amazed! Adjusting your needle choice can revolutionise how easily fabric moves through your machine and the end results. If you’re not sure where to start, check out our guide to sewing machine needle types.

Treat yourself

If all this talk of the sewists’ favourite tool has got you thinking of updating your model, or finally treating yourself, we’ve put together some tips for what to look for when buying a sewing machine here, and Best sewing machines for beginners here.

Zoe Williams

Zoe launched the craft website Gathered.how as editor in 2019. A keen crafter, quilter and sewist, she has worked with the UK’s best-selling craft magazines – from Today’s Quilter to Love Patchwork & Quilting, Simply Sewing and The World of Cross Stitching. With over a decade of craft publishing experience under her belt, she loves crafting with her kids and curling up on the sofa with a spot of hand patchwork.

Zoe has previously written for radiotimes.com, Simply Knitting and The World of Cross Stitching and was previously Deputy Editor of Papercraft inspirations magazine. She has guest-lectured at Bath Spa University.
She’s a keen quilter with 5 projects in progress at any one time and another 12 or so planned. Specialist skills include hand modelling for YouTube craft tutorials and fabric foraging (she has an inbuilt radar for local haberdasheries and community craft gatherings).

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