Your machine

YOU WILL NEED ■ Main fabric, see instructions for size ■ Elastic, 0.5cm wide and long enough to fit around your cover ■ Ironing board padding (optional), see instructions for sizing ■ Matching sewing

This cuts through the fabric and works best when it is sharp. It is important not to put pins through your overlocker as they will dent the blade, causing it to snag your fabric. The blade should be c

Threading an overlocker can be one of the most daunting things about owning one. Unlike a sewing machine where there is only a needle to thread, there are two needles and two loopers to deal with on a

Sleeves are fun to experiment with and quick to sew up as a toile, as they have fewer pattern pieces and no darts to consider. It can be very difficult to gauge volume on a flat sleeve pattern, so I a

As with a regular sewing machine, the tension is likely to need to be adjusted for each different type of fabric used. Having good knowledge of thread tensions is important if you want to produce neat

Make a slip knot. Insert right‑hand needle into the stitch as if to knit. Wrap the yarn around the point and pull through, slipping the stitch on to the left‑hand needle. Push the point of the right‑h