Sears 385 - Manual (Page 25)

SECTION 2. PREPARE YOUR MACHINE FOR SEWING
Reverse Stitch Control Starting To Sew
To reverse stitch, hold down this con­
trol during sewing.
Release to sew forward again.
Now that you are familiar with the controls on your machine and with the accessories provided for the machir
you are ready to start to sew with your new Kenmore sewing machine. Below are some good habits to fotlc
each time you sit down to sew:
1. Inspect the needle. It should be straight, properly set and sharp on the point. It should be the correct»
for the fabric and thread being used. Do not be afraid to change your needle frequently. Many of the w
fabrics made of synthetic blends tend to dull the needles more easily than fabrics made of natural fibers.
2. Before placing the material on the machine, see that the ends of the threads have been drawn aboui
inches to the rear of the machine. Hold on to threads during the sewing of the first 3 or 4 stitches of i
seam.
3. Test the machine stitch on a scrap of fabric you plan to use. The fabric should be double thickness. Adji
the machine for the length of stitch and tension suitable to your fabric.
4. Fabric should be placed under the presser foot with the bulk of the material to the left of the needle a
the right edge of the material placed on the 5/8" seam marking on the needle plate when making a simp
seam.
5. Run the machine at a slow even speed. The more pressure you put on the foot control, the faster!
machine will sew.
6. Fasten each seam by back tacking at the beginning and end of the seam.
7. Always finish sewing each seam with the needle at its highest point.
8. Guide the fabric gently with your hand in front of the needle. Never pull or hold the fabric in such aw
that the normal feeding is altered.
g. When turning the hand wheel manually, always ^rn it toward you.
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