Learning to sew by machine is a difficult but achievable task. Sometimes you need someone’s help, often you can do it without. The best way is to do the right things and start in stages, for example:
1-Buy the right sewing machine.
Unless you want to sew by hand all the time, a sewing machine is necessary.
If you have an old one that your mother, grandmother or aunt left you, that’s perfect. Sewing machines of the past, if well maintained, sew beautifully.
If you have to buy it instead, you can opt for a used model, provided it is in good condition, or for a new model, provided it suits you. If you are a beginner, I recommend a simple, but at the same time solid and stable sewing machine that will accompany you for years. I would avoid toy-like pocket sewing machines, but also super-fast machines that make a thousand scribbles: for starters, a machine that does linear stitch and zig zag is more than enough to sew whatever you want .
2-Read the instruction manual carefully
I don’t know why, but it’s common for instruction manuals to almost never be looked at.
On the contrary, they are very useful, especially for those who are starting to machine sew, because they explain more things than you can imagine.
Some of them are very well done and, as well as telling you how your pattern works and what stitches it does, they often have lots of suggestions and tips for learning to sew (for example, I know some old Singer manuals are really well done: they have lots of step-by-step explanations and are full of photos).
In any case, I suggest that whatever your instruction booklet, you always keep it close at hand: you will learn how to know your machine more quickly and you will avoid damaging it through incorrect maneuvers.
3-Search for online resources
The web is full of tutorials and videos that explain how to sew and do everything from threading the machine to cleaning and maintenance, from attaching a button to making something you can wear.
If you have any doubt, do a search on the web: you will probably find what you are looking for.
5-Ask for help
If you have doubts and you are lucky enough to have someone close to you who knows how to sew, don’t be ashamed and ask them to teach you (I did this with my mother and now with my cousin).
Invite her over, treat her to coffee, and while you’re making her taste your pie, ask her, “Since you’re here… can you show me how to sew a zipper?
6-Register for a forum
If you don’t have your mother, a neighbor, or a trusted seamstress to ask for advice, join an online sewing community. There are many forums or groups on the net that you can join to get support, ask questions, share your results. The answers and encouragement you’ll receive from friends who are passionate about sewing will make everything easier and more fun, not only at first, but also when you get there.