It’s not the thickness, it’s the density

...that makes a fabric appear "heavy duty" to your sewing machine. Let's not count how many decades it took me to figure that one out! 😳 But first: what do I mean by "heavy duty"? Something that requires significant punching power to get through. Like saddle leather, sail canvas, military felted wool, but also many…

Reliable chain stitch with the Jaguar adapter

This is the system found in Kenmore and Frister+Rossmann machines from 1970s. It is made in Japan by Marutzen/Jaguar for forward-facing vertical oscillators, or class 15 machines (based on the mechanism of Singer model 15). ​ It consists of a modified hook, a clip-on adapter that replaces the bobbin case, and a special needle plate,…

Sewing nanotex jersey, or the vibrating shuttle supremacy

It's the latest thing in textiles - the nanotex, or fabrics made of extremely fine fibres, finer than microfibre, hence the "nano" bit. The fabrics themselves can have a substantial body to them, the theory being that using multi-stranded extra fine fibres is closer to nature since this is what fine wool and silk are…