Thanks for this, wish I had seen it yesterday. After my first sewing session ever yesterday I can truely say I was NOT a seamstress in a former life. I was able to hem on a small gear hammock and almost finish a double layer hammock in about 5 hours.

The hardest part for me was learning the concept of threading the machine followed closely by fold and sew vs pinning. Oh, and learning not to feed the machine but let the machine feed itself and only guide the fabric through. Beginning my next session I will sew the crud out of an old shirt for a good while before starting on my good material.

Do you iron your folds before sewing or will this hurt the fabric?

After I finish this double layer I want to get some good material and try a tarp.