Couching wool with a sewing machine

Couching is an embroidery technique of sewing a cord onto canvas with a fine thread so that the cord appears to simply lie on the fabric, frozen in time. In sewing machine parlance it is often called "cording", and there's a cording foot to guide the cord while zig-zagging over it. But this is really…

The book that will change you forever

...or at least your sewing. One of my all-time favourite books on sewing technique and embroidery, no sewing machine required: ​ The subtitle reads: "The creative guide for dressmakers and needlecrafters that takes your work to a new level." True! All true. This is a sewing guide where all the sewing is done by hand.…

On darts, hems, ruffles and lace

Singer sewing books are among the best out there, we know that. So when Singer brought out zig-zag machines, they were keen to show what this exciting new piece of kit could do for you. So they included 55 pages of sewing technique into the manual for model 319! Start reading on page 56. I…

The underbraider

It was a part of a standard Singer accessories set that came with every machine, until some time in 1930s. Then it was no longer required as the fashions have changed. This is what it is for: to make braided designs. The underbraider makes it as easy as stitching along a dotted line (not necessarily…

Sewing on ribbon: the edger and the quilter

Having made the chiffon volant for my dress, I have attached it to the edge of the hem, and now I want to finish it off with a narrow satin ribbon. ​ The ribbon is only 5mm wide, and it should sit with one side on the skirt and with the other side on the…