The Sewing Machine

Over 100,000 copies sold 'A tapestry of strong characters and accomplished writing' Herald Scotland It is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again. Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her. More than a hundred years after his grandmother’s sewing machine was made, Fred discovers a treasure trove of documents. His family history is laid out before him in a patchwork of unfamiliar handwriting and colourful seams. He starts to unpick the secrets of four generations, one stitch at a time.

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.

Looks at the history of sewing and how it was transformed in the 1850s when an American inventor, Isaac Singer, not only invented a practical sewing machine, but also a way for everyone to afford one.