This is an alphabetical, step-by-step guide to the sewing machine and its uses, with a lively and enthusiastic text that will encourage anyone who sews to make the most of their machine. The book includes sections on all aspects of the sewing machine, including braids, cords, cutwork, embroidery, hems, lace, patchwork, piping, quilting and many more.

A comprehensive guide to everything you need to know to create beautiful garments whether you hand sew or use a machine. Aimed at anyone who has ever wanted to create their own garment from scratch or just fix a hem, A-Z of Sewing covers machine and hand sewing techniques, with over 180 sewing techniques explained. All techniques are meticulously demonstrated with step-by-step photographs to achieve a professional outcome. Readers are encouraged to develop their own creativity with plenty of hints and tips used by professional sewers. Includes sewing machine basics, equipment and supplies, working with patterns and fabrics and troubleshooting tips.

A comprehensive guide to fine needlework techniques that imitate French hand sewing to add a special touch to children’s clothes, wedding gowns and more. The ultimate reference guides for needleworkers with amazing projects, detailed step-by-step instructions and stunning photographs. This best-selling series covering mainly embroidery but also sewing, knitting and crochet, was originally published by Country Bumpkin in Australia and has now been revamped for the modern needleworker by Search Press, with a fresh new design. Discover the delights of heirloom sewing, a collection of fine needlework techniques that imitate French hand sewing. The use of delicate fabrics trimmed with lace, entredeux, ribbon and tucks are common characteristics of this beautiful technique. Perfect for adding that extra special touch to christening gowns, children’s clothes, wedding dresses and delicate garments, this book has methods for every skill level. Filled with detailed instructions and useful hints, this reference book offers over 700 clear step-by-step photographs to help you achieve the perfect finish.

Since its early days of mass production in the 1850s, the sewing machine has been intricately connected with the global development of capitalism. Andrew Gordon traces the machine’s remarkable journey into and throughout Japan, where it not only transformed manners of dress, but also helped change patterns of daily life, class structure, and the role of women. As he explores the selling, buying, and use of the sewing machine in the early to mid-twentieth century, Gordon finds that its history is a lens through which we can examine the modern transformation of daily life in Japan. Both as a tool of production and as an object of consumer desire, the sewing machine is entwined with the emergence and ascendance of the middle class, of the female consumer, and of the professional home manager as defining elements of Japanese modernity.

Add a special touch to christening gowns, children's clothes, wedding dresses and delicate garments with this comprehensive book suitable for all skill levels.

Fabric Basics at Your Fingertips Have you ever wished you could call an expert and ask for a five-minute explanation on the particulars of a fabric you are sewing? Claire Shaeffer provides this key information for 88 of today's most popular fabrics. In this handy, easy-to-follow reference, she guides you through all the basics while providing hints, tips, and suggestions base don her 20-plus years as a college instructor, pattern designers, and author. In each concise chapter, Claire shares fabric facts, design ideas, workroom secrets, and her sewing checklist, as well as her sewability classification to advice you on the difficulty of sewing each fabric. Color photographs offer further ideas. The succeeding sections offer sewing techniques and advice on needles, threads, stabilizers, and interfacings. Claire's unique fabric/fiber dictionary cross-reference over 600 additional fabrics. An invaluable reference for any one who sews, Sew Any Fabric provides practical, clear information for novices and inspiration for more experienced sewers who are looking for new ideas and techniques.