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Everything we've written, in one place — beginner tutorials, honest machine and overlocker reviews, and the buying guides we wish we'd had when we started.
Tutorials & guides
- Tutorials
How to fix sewing machine tension problems
Loops on the back, thread breaking, puckered seams, a plain-English guide to sewing machine tension: what the dial really does, how to read a bad stitch, and how to balance top and bobbin tension.
- Tutorials
How to thread a sewing machine (top thread and bobbin)
Step-by-step guide to threading a sewing machine: winding and inserting the bobbin, threading the upper thread the right way, and pulling up the bobbin thread, with the small mistakes that cause most problems.
- Tutorials
Sewing with Knit and Jersey Fabrics, A Beginner's Guide
How to sew stretchy knit and jersey fabrics without a wavy hem or skipped stitches: the right needle, the stretch stitches that work on a regular machine, and how to stop seams popping.
- Tutorials
How have sewing machines changed over time?
From Thimonnier's chain stitch and Howe's lockstitch to Singer's treadle, electric motors and today's computerised machines, a clear, readable history of how the sewing machine evolved.
- Tutorials
How to Sew a Buttonhole (By Machine and By Hand)
A clear, beginner-friendly guide to sewing buttonholes: how to use the automatic buttonhole foot, how to sew one in four steps on an older machine, and how to stitch a hand-worked buttonhole that looks good.
- Tutorials
How to Hem Trousers (By Machine and By Hand)
A practical guide to hemming trousers at home: how to measure the right length, the invisible hand-sewn blind hem, a quick machine hem, and how to keep the original hem on jeans.
- Tutorials
How to Read a Sewing Pattern for Beginners
A beginner's guide to reading sewing patterns: understanding symbols, choosing the right size, laying out pattern pieces, cutting fabric, and the markings that actually matter.
- Tutorials
A beginner's guide to sewing your own clothes
Patterns, fabrics, measuring up, and the four basic skills that get you from a flat piece of cotton to a wearable garment. Written for people who've never threaded a machine before.
- Tutorials
Five sewing mistakes beginners make (and how to fix them)
Skipped stitches, puckered seams, broken needles, the five problems we see most often in beginner sewing classes, with the fixes that actually work.
Make it yourself — craft projects
- Projects
How to make a fabric bookmark
A quick, pretty fabric bookmark you can sew from scraps in fifteen minutes, a perfect first machine project and a lovely little handmade gift. Simple step-by-step beginner tutorial.
- Projects
How to make a coloured pencil roll
Sew a fabric pencil roll that keeps colouring pencils tidy and stops the leads breaking in transit. A simple beginner tutorial with a pocket-and-channel layout, measurements and a tie closure.
- Projects
How to make a simple clutch bag
Sew a lined clutch bag with a fold-over flap in an afternoon, a pretty evening bag or a thoughtful handmade gift. Beginner tutorial with measurements, lining and a popper closure.
- Projects
How to make a simple drawstring bag
An easy lined drawstring bag anyone can sew in an afternoon, perfect for shoes, toys, gifts or storage. Full step-by-step beginner tutorial with measurements and the channel-and-cord method.
- Projects
How to make a passport cover
Sew a neat fabric passport cover with an inside pocket, a quick, practical make and a great travel gift. Beginner-friendly tutorial with measurements and the fold-and-flap method.
- Projects
How to make a shoe bag
Sew a simple drawstring shoe bag to keep dirty soles away from your clothes, ideal for travel, the gym, or muddy school shoes. An easy beginner tutorial with measurements.
Reviews & buying guides
- Reviews
Best Fabric Scissors UK 2026
A UK sewer's honest comparison of fabric scissors: Fiskars, Kai, Gingher, Ernest Wright, and budget options. What to look for, what to avoid, and which scissors are worth the money in 2026.
- Reviews
Choosing your first overlocker (serger), what to look for
Differential feed, free arm, 4-thread vs 3-thread, what matters when buying your first overlocker, and three budget picks worth the money.
- Reviews
Best sewing machines for 2026, a UK buyer's guide
A side-by-side comparison of the best home sewing machines you can buy in the UK in 2026, with picks for beginners, garment makers, and budget shoppers.
Questions & answers
- Q&A
Can a regular sewing machine do embroidery?
Yes, a normal sewing machine can embroider, within limits. The difference between free-motion and true embroidery machines, what you can realistically stitch, and the kit you actually need to start.
- Q&A
Can a sewing machine overlock?
Can a regular sewing machine overlock, or do you need a separate overlocker? How to imitate an overlocked edge with an overcast foot and stitch, and when only a real overlocker will do.
- Q&A
Can sewing machine needles be sharpened?
Can you sharpen a sewing machine needle, or should you just replace it? The honest answer, why needles go blunt, how to tell, and how often to change them.