by Tessa Evelegh
Contents
INTRODUCTION 107
enclosed seams 8
for the love of sewing no project: pyjama bottoms 12
THE SEWING BOX 113
shaping and contouring: darts 14
tools of the trade 116
project: camisole 20
notions: putting it together 24
notions: fastening it 120
gathering and easing 30
notions: trimming it 123
project: sweetest sundress 126
project: classic curtains 36
THE SECRETS OF SEWING-MACHINE SUCCESS 38
sewing-machine anatomy 129
fastenings 42
starting off 134
project: washbag 140
project: tailored cushion 44
STITCH CRAFT 149
project: drawstring bag 46
essential stitches 152
trimmings 50
THE PAPER PATTERN 156
project: bolster 52
the envelope inside and out 162
project: customized t-shirt 54
taking measurements 164
project: vintage apron 56
using the pattern 169
project: pretty cushion 62
pattern marking 172
embellishments 64
FABRIC CHOICES 174
project: evening purse 66
a buyer’s guide 70
fabric construction 177
applique 72
pattern 179
project: child’s craft apron 74
cotton 76
linen 184
the perfect finish 78
silk 188
project: bias-cut drawstring skirt 80
wool 192
project: box cushion 82
synthetic fibres and mixed-fibre fabrics 84
fabric glossary 196
mitred corners 198
project: tablecloth and napkins 88
BASIC SEWING SKILLS 200
project: tablemats 90
getting started 203
quilting 91
seams 208
project: baby quilt 95
seam finishes 98
pressing 212
patterns and templates 100
project: Swedish blind 222
index 104
project: tote bag 224
suppliers and acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION
From sewing basic seams to mastering applique methods and inserting zippers, this is the book that gives you all the information you need, in plain and simple terms, for ultimate sewing success. Even if you start out thinking you can’t sew, once you have learned the basic skills and are armed with the sewing-machine knowhow contained in these pages, you could be surprised at how quickly you will be able to whizz up something that looks very professional, from simple skirts and dresses to cushions and curtains. for the love of sewing
I always get a frisson of satisfaction when I see my chosen fabrics and trimmings folded up together at the checkout and ready to go. This is the point when I can really visualize what I am going to make and it is totally unique, totally me.
There is also great satisfaction that, by this stage, all the major design decisions have been made and I just can’t wait to get on with the making. It is the same thrill I had as a little girl, making clothes for my dolls, usually cut from my mother’s old broderie anglaise petticoats and past-it skirts and trimmed with something pretty from her button box. Nowadays, the project is more likely to be a blind, curtains or cute cushion covers to perk up the home; bridesmaids’ dresses, costumes for a school production or something gorgeous to wear.
GETTING STARTED
Sewing is immensely satisfying, doesn’t have to be difficult and, certainly when it comes to home furnishings, can save you money. Yet so many people nowadays don’t believe they can do it. Even if you have never threaded a needle and don’t know one end of a machine from another, between these pages you will find all you need to know to make almost anything. The mysteries of the workings of sewing machines will be unlocked, you will have a roadmap to help you make the best use of paper patterns and you will have all the basic sewing skills at your fingertips. These are not clogged up with how to insert every kind of sleeve or attach every cuff, because too much information can be daunting. But to do all of these things, you will need to know how to match seams, how to gather, how to ease and how to fit. These are left Almost any box with compartments can be used to house all your sewing equipment. This old mini trunk, with a removable top tray, is both pretty and practical.
A not-quite-so-pretty, but undeniably practical, alternative would be a DIY toolbox. opposite, clockwise from top left Ribbons offer plenty of scope when it comes to pretty trimmings. Thimbles make for more comfortable and speedy hand-sewing. Stripy thread can be used to hand-stitch decorative borders. Pretty vintage buttons can be reused again and again to bring an individual feel to simple garments, Pins come in several sizes – dressmaker’s pins are the most useful; bridal or lace pins are the finest.