Hello everyone, this is where my adventure with my first sewing machine begins! This end of the year my husband asked me again what I would like to receive as a gift. I’d always liked having a sewing machine — just for minor repairs and such — so I told him so.
Looking for the right sewing machine
No sooner said than done, the next few days I diligently looked for a nice sewing machine. It could not be too expensive, but still had to be sufficiently efficient. I also definitely wanted an electronic one, not a mechanical one.
Ultimately I ended up with three models, all from Brother: theFS-20(the cheapest), theFS-40(the middle bracket) and theDS-140(a slightly more expensive successor to the FS-40). I went with the FS-40 — and it turned out to be a good choice!

Putting together my sewing kit
I immediately put together a sewing case with the most necessary materials: various feet, needles, bobbins, gold-colored scissors and some useful extras.

My first big project: crib upholstery
At the time of writing, I am about 33 weeks pregnant with a son, and I already have a 3-year-old daughter. So we didn’t have a lot of boyish bedding at home yet — the perfect occasion for a first big project: new upholstery for our crib!
For this I chose a beautiful combination of a blue fabric with a star and heart pattern and soft white fleece.

Practice first: a dress without a pattern
As an absolute novice behind the sewing machine, I was extremely afraid to just start working on my beautiful new fabrics. So I decided to practice with old clothes first: I cut up some pieces and sewed a dress for my daughter — completely without a pattern, just to learn how to use the sewing machine.

This is how I end this first post, otherwise it would be a bit too much prose at once. In the next post I’ll discuss my first big project: the crib liner!
Also read
Curious about what happened with that crib cover? Or what my sewing machine journey looks like after all these years?
- 👉My first big project: the crib cover— the direct continuation of this story
- 👉Baby sleeping bag to match the crib cover— the matching sleeping bag
- 👉From Brother FS-40 to Innov-is 4000D: my sewing machine evolution— how my machine park grew over the years
The Brother FS-40
The Brother FS-40 is still an excellent entry-level sewing machine for those who want to learn to sew: electronic, reliable and affordable. Do you want to bring it into your home yourself?
🛒Brother FS-40 on Amazon DE|Brother FS-40 on Amazon BE
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