Time to Start Sewing!

I need to learn how to thread my machine. We are so lucky to live in the age of information. All I needed to do was Google search “thread a Brother LS-2020,” and I found this video:

The creator was using the same machine I have, which made it feel like she was guiding me through it step by step in real time. Following along, I was able to thread the machine without any major issues.

The first step was filling the bobbin. The bobbin sits beneath the machine’s main sewing area. On most machines (including mine), there’s a small compartment that pops open to access it. Once I located the bobbin, I followed the threading instructions shown in the video and the diagram printed directly on the top of my machine. Between the visual guide and the built-in instructions, the process felt much less intimidating than I had expected. After winding the bobbin, I threaded both the bobbin case and the top thread using the same clear, methodical steps.

Now it’s time to practice sewing!

I had some leftover fabric from cutting my curtains, so I decided to start simple: sewing a straight line. Almost immediately, I ran into a small (but frustrating) issue—my spool kept falling off the machine. Instead of spiraling, I did a quick Reddit search and found a thread where someone had the exact same problem. The solution was embarrassingly simple: pull the spool holder up. That was it. Problem solved. Thank you, Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/tvakjt/my_spool_keeps_falling_off_my_machine_and_i_need/

I got the hang of the speed and the settings on the machine pretty quickly, but I ran into a new issue. You can see that my seems are not even. They look even when I start, but by the end of the seam, it’s very noticeable that my seams are not straight.

My next step will be figuring out how to keep my seams even from beginning to end. Whether that means using seam guides, marking lines beforehand, or simply practicing better control, I’m ready for the next learning curve.

For now, though, I’m proud of myself. I threaded the machine. I solved problems. I sewed actual lines. And that feels like progress.