May Martin’s Sewing Bible: 40 years of tips and tricks

Essential Tools 1

1. (#litres_trial_promo) Dressmaker’s shears – good for cutting fabric

2. (#litres_trial_promo) Medium sewing scissors – good for trimming seams and cutting threads.

3. (#litres_trial_promo) Small scissors – these are useful for clipping corners and cutting details

4. (#litres_trial_promo) Paper scissors

5. (#litres_trial_promo) Stitch ripper – really useful for cutting and pulling out threads

6. (#litres_trial_promo) Tape measure – 150cm (6oin)

7. (#litres_trial_promo) Double-length (soocm/120in) tape measures are now available and are really useful when cutting out curtains and blinds

8. (#litres_trial_promo) Universal ruler with inch scale

9. (#litres_trial_promo) Sewing gauge with sliding adjustergood for measuring seam allowances and hems

10. (#litres_trial_promo) Small measuring gauge – this has lots of different measurements on the sides

11. (#litres_trial_promo) Tailor’s chalk

12. (#litres_trial_promo) Tracing wheel

13. (#litres_trial_promo) Tracing or dressmaker’s carbon paper, used with a tracing wheel

14. (#litres_trial_promo) Retractable pencils – they give a fine line that can be rubbed out with a fabric eraser.

15. (#litres_trial_promo) Quilter’s 6mm (¼ in) tape – helps to guide rows of stitching

16. (#litres_trial_promo) Coloured tape – useful for putting on the arm of the sewing machine to guide you

17. (#litres_trial_promo) Pins – dressmaker’s

18. (#litres_trial_promo) Pins – glass-headed

19. (#litres_trial_promo) Metal thimble

20. (#litres_trial_promo) Leather thimble

21. (#litres_trial_promo) Selection of hand sewing needles

22. (#litres_trial_promo) Needle threader

23. (#litres_trial_promo) Corner and edge shaper

24. (#litres_trial_promo) Chopstick – used for turning out tricky corners

25. (#litres_trial_promo) Safety pins – used for threading elastic or tape into channels.

26. (#litres_trial_promo) Wrist pin cushion

Essential Tools 1

Essential Tools 2 (#litres_trial_promo)

1. (#litres_trial_promo) Seam roll

2. (#litres_trial_promo) Tailor’s ham

3. (#litres_trial_promo) Sleeve board

4. (#litres_trial_promo) Pressing muslin

5. (#litres_trial_promo) Squared pattern paper

6. (#litres_trial_promo) Curved needles

7. (#litres_trial_promo) Pinking sheers

8. (#litres_trial_promo) Awl – good for making holes in card

9. (#litres_trial_promo) Universal ruler with centimetre scale

10. (#litres_trial_promo) Flexible ruler – for measuring and marking curves

11. (#litres_trial_promo) Parcel strapping

12. (#litres_trial_promo) Chalk cartridge pencil

13. (#litres_trial_promo) Coloured refills for chalk cartridge pencil

14. (#litres_trial_promo) Brass rings attached to paper fasteners

15. (#litres_trial_promo) Chalk-filled tracing wheel

16. (#litres_trial_promo) Soluble marking pen

17. (#litres_trial_promo) Bodkin

18. (#litres_trial_promo) Expanding gauge – excellent for spacing buttonholes, pleats and more

19. (#litres_trial_promo) Button press

20. (#litres_trial_promo) Button for covering

21. (#litres_trial_promo) Fabric rubber