A STEP-BY-STEP course to using a sewing machine, including 11 PROJECTS to make to put your skills into practice plus 7 full-size pull-out patterns: make cushions, curtains, clothes and more.

Many sewing machines only come with a difficult-to-understand technical manual. Here, Jane Bolsover makes up for that with a comprehensive guide for beginner stitchers on how to use a sewing machine.

You will learn how to thread your machine and wind bobbins, discover why tension is important, master which needles and fabrics to choose, and learn how to cut out material. Then follow a complete sewing course, with a simple project at the end of each chapter to consolidate the skills you have just mastered. The projects include items for the home, stylish accessories, and great clothing basics.

The book also includes two full-size pull-out paper pattern sheets with seven patterns, so you can master working with professional templates and get stitching right away, no printers needed. Sewing Machine Skills for Beginners is a fantastic new edition of Sewing Machine Basics.

Jane Bolsover is a designer and writer specialising in sewing and crafts. Previously a sewing magazine editor, she has written several books on soft furnishings and now works as a consultant for a major textile and craft show company, for whom she organises craft demonstrations, workshops and displays. She is the author of A Beginner's Guide to Sewing by Hand and Machine, also published by CICO Books. She lives in Dorking, Surrey.