Work bold flourishes and gathers into your projects with our guide to adding ruffles. Read on to learn how to make ruffles!
Author: Sophie Tarrant
Sophie Tarrant
Sophie is a Colchester-based writer and lifelong craft enthusiast with over 15 years' experience in the UK publishing industry. She worked on the launch of Let's Knit and Sew magazines, where she ran the sewing machine reviews section during her time as Deputy Editor. She gets gloriously geeky about craft tech. She loves dressmaking, embroidery and collecting way too much fabric and also worked for 6 years as Craft Editor for Hubert Burda Media, on titles including Your Home, Wedding, Wedding Flowers, Christmas Made Easy and HomeStyle magazine. You can follow her latest creations in needlework at @SeeSophieStitch on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Take on even the toughest of projects with our guide to best all-singing, all-dancing, heavy duty sewing machines. Use them to make light of work of jeans, leather jackets, quilts and more.
This nifty starter machine comes with a range of different presser feet and tools included in the box, meaning that even absolute novices can get stuck in straight away and keep on top of basic maintenance issues such as broken needles or jammed bobbins. The machine is lightweight enough to be taken on the road and can handle a wide range of different beginner’s projects, even offering twin needle and free-motion capabilities for those looking to dip into those techniques. While those using computerised machines might find the mechanical control of the E20 a little over-simplistic and time-intensive to use,…
With 160 stitches to choose from and a wide variety of intuitive time-saving features, the Husqvarna Opal 650 is a great example of a machine that uses technology to its advantage. It features a handy graphic screen with touch-button selection and comes pre-loaded with Husqvarna’s exclusive Sewing Advisor software, which evaluates the fabric you’re using and the technique you wish to work and automatically selects the best stitch style, width and length for your make. This is especially attractive for those who want to advance their sewing skills and take the next step in their stitching journey with a little…
With 60 different stitch options and a range of other handy features included as standard, Brother’s Innov-is A60 Special Edition (SE) is a reliable domestic machine that covers all bases at a surprisingly low price point. It feels robust and is quiet and steady when working, even at its top speed of 850 stitches per minute. The A60SE offers twin needle sewing and a drop feed function, alongside handy time-savers such as a start/stop button, lockstitch option and one-step automatic needle threader. The machine weighs just 6.5kg and comes with a free hard case cover included, meaning it’s ideal for…
SQUIRREL_13100815 The Brother Innov-is F420 features Brother’s innovative Square Feed Drive System, which uses a longer sewing foot and improved feed mechanism to guide fabric under the needle smoothly and evenly, whether it’s a delicate satin or a tough denim. The F420’s adjustable presser foot pressure keeps things running smoothly, meaning you can match it to each project as you go, and the built-in My Custom Stitch software allows more adventurous stitchers to create and save their own bespoke designs. In addition to this an array of time-saving features such as an automatic needle threader, thread cutter, start/stop function and…
Soft, crisp, natural linen is cool, easy to use, and drapes beautifully. Learn how to sew linen using our top tips and tricks.
Whether you choose statement or simple – stitch perfect sleeves onto every garment with our handy guide
Get to grips with the raglan sleeve, a staple seen in garment construction for hundreds of years