If you want to take in waists, or even create new items of clothing, it's time to get a machine. But first, how to thread a sewing machine?

The spool pin holds a thread spool on a homeowner machine but it serves as a guide on an industrial. Pass the thread through the upper hole first, from back to front (toward you).

From the outside, a sewing machine is a wonderful bit of magic. A needle shoves thread up and down, and somehow a seam is formed. Here's a little YouTube video of this: What is that thread ...

Learning how to sew opens up a world of options for making your own clothes — or transforming old ones. This guide can help you get started.