If its like a craft company (or even a college) (like JoAnn's here in the states) that's refusing to teach you. I would call corporate (or the board of directors of the college) and tell them you'll sue them if they wont teach you because your not a woman; its sexiest and wrong. Hell if you where in the states near me I would teach you myself, but your not.
But anyway you should have some paperwork with your sewing machine I know mine does. And its an old Singer in desk set up. Read that they should tell you how to use your machine.
But honestly learning to sew is a real trail and error base if you have no teach you. I had my grandma show me how to thread the machine and that's about it the rest I learned on my own.
I was planing on starting a few videos for sewing beginners, but that wasn't for another few months.
This is how I would start...
~Go to the craft store and pick a simplicity pattern, like a robe or cloak. These are easy though you have a lot of fabric to deal with.
~Pick a cheep fabric (remember this is just practice) I used fleece for my first cloak.
~Read the pattern papers and fallow what they say. Simplicity is the easiest to understand. If they say use interfacing use interfacing, if they say to machine baste.
~This isn't a race do read and fallow everything making sure your pinning the RIGHT sides of the fabric together, yes there is a right and a wrong side.
~You don't need to worry about doing a fancy stitch to start with, just use basic straight stitch. Its easier to rip out when you make mistakes (and you will trust me)
The internet (Google) is a great resource, if you don't know what a term means you can just Google it and many times like with machine baste it comes up with a youtube video for you to watch (granted not all of these are great)
List of items you will need for basic Simplicity Pattern Robe Pattern 5840
Size S- XL
5 1/2 yards (58"-60")of 1 fabric (use a ponte or fleece for your first time)
Poly all purpose thread to mach fabric
Pattern
Fabric Scissors (only use your fabric scissors for fabric)
Chalk ( I like chalk over dress makers pencil) [This is to mark your dots and darts on your fabric that are on the pattern, and to mark the wrong side of the fabric after you cut]
Silk Pins (you will need ALOT of these) [don't get the ones with the plastic heads on them, you can't iron over these]
Sewing Gauge (this will be helpful when hemming your robe)
Seam Ripper
Needles for your machine for the type of fabric you have, just read the back of the packages or ask someone at the craft store. (I have a Singer and I use 14 for everything but the really really fine fabric and the really really thick fabric)
You will also need a large flat CLEAN surface to spread your fabric out when cutting the pattern out. And...
Iron
Pressing Cloth (this can just be made out of clean white cotton, like a towel)
Ironing Board
After going to the store (try and go when there is a sale on fabric, or its not going to be cheep)
1. READ YOUR PATTERN
2. Cut the pieces you need out of your pattern DON'T LOSE ANY THING (I use a large yellow envelope with the pattern number on the front, its easier to stuff the pattern back in there than in the one it comes in, make sure you fold them up nicely, patterns are costly and you will want to take care of them)
3. Lay out your fabric like the pattern says to do. Some fabric comes in 45" wide, 58", or 60" wide how ever it comes do not unfold it from the nice fold in the middle, this will mean you are cutting on double the fabric and will have to cut less.
4. Pin your pattern pieces onto the fabric paying attention to the big arrows on the pattern, these tell you what why to lay the pattern on the fabric. Lay the arrows WITH the NAP. (Try and get them as close together as possible you want to save all the fabric you can, NEVER WASTE)
5. Reread your pattern and make sure you have all the parts pinned down the RIGHT way (right way doesn't mean ink up it just means the right way for the pattern).
6. After DOUBLE checking, go ahead and cut. Sometimes like with this pattern 5840 you will have to cut the back/front panels twice on double thickness giving you a total of 4 pieces. This means after you cut out the first set you will have to unpin the pattern from the first set and repin the pattern down to the fabric and cut another set. Leave the pattern pieaces pinned to the fabric until you are ready to sew them together.
WHEN YOU GET DONE: If it looks like a random pile of pieces DON'T WORRY. This is just a 3-D Puzzle that after you put together you can wear.
7. Fold up and save the left over fabric that you could get something out of. If its to small to be any use throw it out.
8. Read your pattern again. This time focusing on the constitution part of the pattern.
9. Fallow the pattern and pin the pieces with the RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER with the pin heads facing out away from the fabric like this
http://pad1.whstatic.com/images/thumb/1/1d/Use_sewing_machine_12.jpg/550px-Use_sewing_machine_12.jpg10. Sew
11. Now just pull the pins now that you have those pieces together and set that bit aside. And repeat the pinning and sewing.
IT WILL COME TOGETHER, just make sure you read your pattern the whole way.
IRON YOUR SEAMS LIKE THE PATTERN TELLS YOU
I hope this helps, I know I most likely forgot somethings but this will get you started anyway.
