Basic Sewing with a Sewing Machine

Julia Reyes Retana begins by welcoming you to the course and telling you about how she decided to leave architecture to open her own sewing studio, Choccochips, in Mexico City. She shows you some of her main influences from the textile world and beyond.

Start getting to know your sewing machine, the basic controls, and each of the accessories it usually comes with. Also look at the tools, fabrics, and materials needed throughout the course.

Learn the fundamentals of sewing, starting with how to thread the machine so you can do your first stitches. Julia then walks you through the key principles of sewing that she always applies to her pieces.

Now it's time to get to work! Your first sewing project is creating a bag with a drawstring. Learn two methods to make and cut a square or rectangular pattern, then embroider it using the machine and assemble your first piece.

The second exercise is to let your creativity take over and make a patchwork cushion. Discover a very simple and effective tip for getting squares divided into triangles to make up part of the body of the cushion. Learn how to attach the zipper and join the two sides to put it all together.

In the final exercise, Julia takes the difficulty level up a notch and teaches you to create a tote bag step by step. Design your bag by working off a template. Look at how to use the pattern and identify each of the component pieces. Continue by assembling both sides of the bag, one of them with a little patchwork piece. Finally, learn to create lining for your bag with a pocket and then attach all the parts to bring it to life.