Log on to Ushasew.com and you will see that it is pretty different from most of the ‘learn how to sew’ sites you could find. First of all we offer all the lessons and projects in 9 different Indian languages. But more importantly, we have made sure that each lesson and project has been planned out carefully and has exactly the information needed to give you the right skills.
Now let’s take the first lesson. It does not get you sewing. Instead it gives you clear and simple instructions on how to set up your Usha sewing machine in the correct way. You learn how to thread your machine, how to change a needle, spool up the bobbin, adjust the thread tension and all the other little details that it takes to do the job well.

No sewing in lesson number two too!

Move on to the the next lesson and you still do not start sewing. Here you get to set you hand on the machine and get total control over it. To do this we have downloadable pdfs for you to print out. These sheets are the key to getting really skillful. Each page has a different lesson for you to practice.

The first one asks you to sew in straight lines. You do this using paper without any thread on the machine. Then you move to patterns that are more intricate. Some have corners at different angles, other have concentric circles. The point of these exercises is to show you how the needle moves, give you control and the ability to be precise with your stitches.

Recycle old sheets of paper.

Once you have been through the lessons that you have printed out you can start using any sheet of paper you find lying around. You could use old newspaper, pages from a magazine or old printouts. Just follow what you learnt from the downloads and keep practicing till you get as good as possible.

When do you shift to cloth?

Once you have practiced a lot and are confident about your skills you can move to a fabric. We suggest cotton as it is the most forgiving and also relatively cheap. You should practice on old pieces of material or even clothes that you do not wear any more.

This will give you a feel of how the needle moves through the weave of the fabric and allow you to adjust the length of the stitch, and even try out different stitch patterns.

Practice makes perfect

The trick with any craft is to keep practicing. The more you do the better control you will have over your Usha Sewing Machine. You might have seen how ‘tailor masterjis’ just know when to stop their machines so they do not waste even a single stitch. How they are so incredibly precise and neat while stitching edges.  You too can achieve this level of skill, all you need to do is first practice on paper and then move to cloth.

Make practicing a fun game.

Once you have got the basics right and are confident of moving on to the next level you can try out some simple games. Take pictures from a magazine and try to trace it out using the sewing machine. Create different shapes in all sizes. Remember to always follow the instructions you were given in the Ushasew.com lesson. You will see that the fundamentals always remain the same, it is just the application that changes.

Moving onto a project

Another tip that we’d like to share is that when you feel ready to jump into a project then follow the same method. Watch the video and then follow the instructions but instead of cloth try using paper. This will save your fabric and also help you understand what exactly each steps achieves.

Ushasew.com has designed all the lessons and projects to work together. You will find that after you have gone through a few lessons a project comes along. This project has been put there to help you use what you have just learnt while actually creating something. It allows you to give shape to interesting things like bookmarks, bags and even fashionable stuff to wear. So please be patient and go through the lessons in the correct order.

If you do make some of the wonderful projects or have decided to use your skills to create  something else  please do share it with us on any of the social networks. You will find links to the Usha Sew Social pages on the bottom of the page.