Newbie sewing question

[QueenOfGeeks]

Hi,

I am looking at taking up sewing (have not done any since school), as I would like to be able to make some curtains for my son's bedroom.

I have an old singer 367 sewing machine that was left to me by my gran. It's been in my garage for years, but I dragged it out the other day and I think it works (Although I need to get a replacement spool pin as that is missing)

So I have 2 questions. First is this a good machine to use, or should I try to get a newer model?

Second question is what projects should I consider before I tackle the curtains? Or is that a simple enough task that I could try it straight away?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Have a try on some scrap fabric ? See how it goes without spending a lot on fabric.
My granny's old machine ran perfectly, I wish my mum had kept it.

I've just inherited my Mums old Singer (only 20 years old) so have had this conversation with my OH (sewing machine engineer) He said a good old one witll always bee better than a new basic. It may need a b it of tinkering with but should be a good sewer

As long as it sews OK, straight lines, even stitch, good tension, then it is an OK machine. A good service will sort it out usually.

The thing is homemade curtains don't actually have that much machine sewing in them. Little ones are quite easy, big curtains are a lot harder if you don't have space. Curtains need precision.

Why don't you try some fun crafty projects first so it doesn't matter if it comes out a bit wrong.

It's all about attention to detail and practice. That is why I hate BBC2 Sewing Bee.

Book it in for a service, no reason why it won't be fine for what you want :)

Maybe start with some cushion covers? Curtains aren't hard but they're big and unwieldy so something smaller would be good to start off with

what do they do in a service? oil all the relevant parts?
I have one in the attic that's not been used for a long time but was in working order last time I tried it

I think a bit more than oiling.... there are a lot of gears in a machine so all the timings would be looked at, making sure everything in in sync. A good machine mechanic is worth their weight in gold. I treasure mine

I use my (newer) machine a lot, and I get it serviced more or less annually - it always come back running more smoothly, quietly and generally beautifully behaved! My local sewing/fabric shop offers a next day servicing for sewing machines once a week. Your older machine sounds wonderful, but I would get it serviced.

Some satisfying projects to start off with: place mats, cushion covers, shopping bags, aprons are all principally straight lines without pleats or curves or too much to trip you up. You can usually download projects and patterns for free, or get a book from your library and photocopy the pattern pieces. Curtains are very achievable, but you might enjoy making them more once you've got your confidence up by finishing some smaller projects. Have fun!

Thanks all, great advice, I will definitely find somewhere to get it serviced.

I would far rather sew on my Gran's machine than mine, mine is awful I hate it so I don't sew. I am getting a new one (a decent one hopefully £250 budget if anyone has any suggestions) for my birthday though so stocking up on patterns.