Book Review: The Ultimate Sewing Machine Mastery by Katie Matthews

* I was sent a copy of The Ultimate Sewing Machine Mastery book by Katie Matthews for the purposes of this review - as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

Like many people I don’t often think about the mechanics of my sewing machine until I absolutely need to, and by that I mean when something’s gone wrong. Then I dig out the manuals and scratch my head a bit, or sometimes a lot and set about trying to solve whatever’s gone wrong. But actually that’s potentially not the most efficient way is it? If I had a greater understanding of my machine in the first place then perhaps I’d spot an issue early on, and I’m pretty sure I’d get more out of my machine than I do now.

That’s what this book - The Ultimate Sewing Machine Mastery by Katie Matthews - has highlighted for me, and as such having read it it will be kept close to my machine and I’m sure become an essential part of my kit. As much as my pincushion, scrap fabric and scissors, and dare I say it the stitch unpicker - though truth is I keep that close to hand to fend off stitching woes, as I know as soon as I put that away again, I’ll need it and probably won’t remember where I’ve put it.

The book takes a comprehensive look at every aspect of sewing machines - from the evolution of the domestic sewing machine, including that the Science Museum in London displays the first model taken from drawings by Thomas Saint in 1790, and how one Isaac Singer (now there’s a familiar name) patented a machine with a foot treadle for powering the needle in 1851, through to the anatomy of a sewing machine and the all important troubleshooting.

So whether or not you want to learn about your take up lever, tension discs or your stitch selector then it’s worth getting your hands on a copy of this easy to read and informative book. Katie is a sewing machine engineer and owner of K&B Sewing Machines in Hampshire and uses the knowledge and experience gained from helping customers, and her technical insight to “share the joy that comes from a well maintained sewing machine.”

And in case you’re wondering your take up lever helps feed the thread and maintain tension while a stitch forms and is at the top of the front of the machine directly above the needle; your tension dial can be along the top or on the right hand side of your machine and loosens or tightens the upper thread tension and your stitch selector is where you can open up a whole new world of fun, but more on that later.

It’s not just a book for beginners either, as I said at the start of this post not many of us learn the technical side of our machines - we just get on and start sewing, but there’s a lot to be said for knowing what sounds right for your machine. I would class myself as a ‘handy’ sewer - neither beginner, nor experienced. I know my way around a machine, and have used one on and off for a good number of years, I rarely use patterns and if I do I tend to veer off if and when I get an opportunity - though I need to get better at following patterns more closely as I’ve a stack of wearables building up that I really should get started with. For quilts I think there’s more scope to go off piste, for clothes less so - or at least until I’m more experienced at those.

But anyway I was surprised to read that when I’ve finished a sewing session I should leave the needle at its highest point - I checked my machine, it wasn’t - it is now - and was reminded that I should cover my machine to protect it. I rarely do this either, but I should get into the habit as it is a sensible thing to do.

Needles, Thread and Bobbins

There’s whole chapters on needles, thread and bobbins and bobbin cases - all of which are essential, but with the potential for so much to go wrong, and of course go right! And that’s before you even get to the chapter on Tension.

The Needles chapter includes demystifying needle sizes and types, and a tip to test if you’re using the right needle size for your thread, as well as answering the question on how frequently you should change your needle - and it’s more often than you do, I bet!

The Thread chapter explains how to choose the appropriate thread for your sewing machine, how to store it and recommends buying the best thread you can afford, while avoiding old threads as well as threading the machine and the purposes of spool caps and their correct use.

Did you know that if your bobbin is incorrectly wound or unevenly filled that it may cause you to have irregular stitches and tension problems? Katie explains why it’s crucial to use the correct bobbin in your machine - and most importantly the wrong bobbin could damage your machine and that could be frustrating, and costly.

Getting more confident with the Presser Foot Types

This is something that’s on my hit list for this year - I’m quite happy to sew in straight(ish) lines, and to even use the decorative stitches on my machine (I haven’t forgotten I promised more on this later!) but I’m less sure about using different feet. Since I went on the overlocker workshop recently I am more confident in changing the plate on my overlocker (that was a requirement for the fancier rolled and lettuce hems), but I could do with being better changing the feet on my sewing machine.

Though I was partly reassured and partly horrified to read that I’m not alone - approximately 70 percent of people don’t know how to use the specialised presser feet for zips and buttonholes, which I’m pleased to be reassured simplifies these otherwise tricky tasks - it’s definitely time to get braver and take the plunge, rather than continue to choose patterns without zips!

Stitches, straight and otherwise

An explanation of how a stitch is formed and the straight stitch might seem the obvious place to start, but many of us take the former for granted and rely on the latter, sometimes veering into a triple straight stitch or even a zigzag. But our sewing machines can do so much more, even the basic ones - and unless we ‘play and learn’ we’ll never get outside of our comfort zone, and it’s really worth doing, and doing more if you do some already.

I know that I’m a practical learner so I got more comfortable using decorative stitches by attending a workshop to create a rustic barn. The majority of this was done not on my machine but one provided at the class, but I finished the applique and added more detail to the barn door using my machine at home. This project provided the perfect opportunity to test out in a playful way, but learning and building confidence at the same time.

I still love how this turned out, and at the time I was looking for something useful to turn this into - in the end I settled on a cover for my sewing machine but didn’t do too much about that, though the reminder to cover my machine when I’m done may just re-ignite that idea - watch this space!

And mini-projects too

The book also includes a couple of mini-projects, I’m more keen on the one to make a stitch book than the one to reuse thread scraps - which is a surprise really as I like to reuse as much as I can, even pondering what size scrap is too small to keep (still undecided btw), but reusing thread scraps may be a step too far, even for me.

However I agree with Katie that the felt stitch book is a good way to familiarise yourself with the stitches on your machine, and to do it in a way that will be a useful reference for the future - and pretty too. It’s simple really take some plain felt (or material) and sew every stitch your machine has on a separate row - use a single colour, or multiple colours, a rainbow or tones of your favourite colour. Then once you have your pages, sew them along with the cover into your own unique stitch book.

In summary

I got a lot out of this book, and hope to get a lot more out of it going forward. Reading about this from Katie’s view with her experience from the ‘other side of the machine’ it made a lot of sense - a well maintained sewing machine will bring more consistent results and less frustrations, and much more.

I mean, we make sure other machines, such as our cars and domestic heating systems, are looked after and serviced and so it makes sense to do the same for our sewing machine too. Even if that means introducing our own regular cleaning routine, which goes beyond ‘fuffing’ out the fluff when we see it, if our budgets can’t always extend to a regular full service, though I’m sure most sewing machine engineers would advocate a full service wherever you can.

Certainly food for thought, and some new habits for me to adopt.

* With thanks to Katie and her team for providing me a copy of this book for the purposes of this review.

A bumper what I've read lately

It’s been a while since I’ve shared what I’ve been reading, and I’ve been through a phase of devouring books so there’s quite a few to catch you up on. In my last ‘what I’ve read lately’ post I was toying with the idea of keeping on with Kindle Unlimited past its trial period, and I did and it worked out well for me encouraging me to read more. The price has since gone up, like everything, and so it’s once again under review, but this time I want to finish some of the books that are on my reading list, so we’ll see.

I also shared two books which were on my started by not finished pile, one has move to the finished pile but I still have to make progress with the second - The Wilderness Cure, by Mo Wilde - and I really want to, but with everything else I’ve been reading I haven’t got back to it yet. That’s a real shame that I haven’t made it back to this book, and I should try harder, as I think it’s beautifully written and on a subject that many of us can learn from, even if we don’t take it quite to the extremes of only eating wild food for a year.

Photo by Vladimir Mokry on Unsplash

1 The Storyteller of Casablanca, Fiona Valpy

I did enjoy this one, even though it took me a while to get into it - though I think that was because the diary style and switching between timelines was similar to my previous read, and I was still suffering a small book hangover. This is a historical fiction novel set between Zoe in current times and young Josie from 1941, and we discover how their lives weave together in ways you might not expect.

2 Wilde Like Me, Louise Pentland

Louise is an Instagrammer who I dip in and out of, and so I knew some of her style and saw her debut novel so thought I’d give it a read. The book features a single parent and all that brings, the negatives of social media and trying to deal with the ‘emptiness’ and live her life. There were dates, a few mess ups which turn out well even if they aren’t your traditional happy ever after.

3 The Beach Party, Amy Sheppard

A mystery thriller so a step away from the genre I’d been reading, but it was good to have a change - and this one engaged me from the off. Two podcasters are discussing an unsolved murder from one of their hometowns, and one of their not exactly friend, but in their year group. As they look into it more they discover lies and the truth is closer to home than first thought.

4 Reminders of Him, Colleen Hoover

This is the first book I’ve read by Colleen Hoover and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I enjoyed the writing style and the plot here, even though I’ve headed back to a contemporary romance genre. It’s the story of Kenna, who after serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake returns to the town where it all went wrong. She hopes to be reunited with her daughter, but that’s not an easy task, however, well no spoilers from me, just to say this was one I couldn’t put down. And yes, I cried.

5 The Vienna Writers Circle, JC Maetis

This was another tear jerker, for many and different reasons. It’s set as you might imagine in Vienna on the brink of World War II and two members of Freud’s Circle try to keep themselves and their loved ones safe as the SS closes in. Throughout they face stark and desperate choices and their loyalties and courage are tested, but there is hope, and it’s their writing that is also their hope. For me this started slowly, but then all of a sudden I couldn’t put it down.

6 Seven Sisters, Lucinda Riley

I devoured this book so quickly! I couldn’t put it down and found myself snatching moments to continue reading whenever I could so you can imagine how pleased I was to discover that this was the first of a series of seven books. As you’ve probably guessed the book features seven sisters, well there’s six and a missing one. The six daughters have been adopted by Pa Salt who passes away suddenly. Each of the six daughters are named after Pleiades, in Greek mythology, the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione - and also coincidentally the name of a netball club I played for many years ago.

When he passes Pa Salt leaves each of them a letter and a clue about their true heritage, and in this book the eldest Maia follows the clues uncovering her past and discovering her future. The book ends with an introduction link to the next sister in line and her story.

7 Storm Sister, Lucinda Riley

The next sister in line is Ally and her destiny is in the “eye of the storm” and throughout this book we follow her journey as a world class sailor, her loves and losses and how she also flourished through her love of music and a complicated birth family. I read this one equally as quickly, only briefly pondering how both sisters we’d met so far were such high achievers in almost everything they do - the beauty of fiction, I’m sure! That said I was keen to learn and follow the story of the third sister.

8 Shadow Sister, Lucinda Riley

Thankfully there’s a change of tone in this book, I’m not sure I could have read, or believed, if all the sisters were go-getting, high achievers. In this book, Star, the next sister in line steps out of the shadows to learn about her past, and to manage the present with the fourth sister, CeCe. These sisters who appear to be closer in age, but have opposite personality traits, seemed to come as a pair as they grew up with their own language and one talking for the other. I enjoyed this book as much, and was keen to read just as much as the other two books so far.

When I finished the third book, I raced back to my Kindle Unlimited subscription to discover that the fourth book is not yet available there - that threw me! I thought about buying the book, but I’m sure that I’ll want to buy five, six and seven too and that’s kind of the point of having the Kindle Unlimited subscription, to reduce my spending on books. So I’m waiting, patiently, and checking - waiting for this one, and the subsequent ones to become available.

And if you’re reading these too, then I also learnt that a seventh book is due out in May, so it looks like I’ll be dipping back into and out of these for a while yet.

9 Rock Bottoms Up, Nita Pearl

After the previous three books, I fancied a writing style change but I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Well, I do know, I wanted to read book four! In the end I selected this book which while I enjoyed it - and would read any sequels - it wasn’t one that had me as hooked as previous reads, so I’m not sure if this suffered because I’d been so engrossed in those.

This story is set in New York and covers the horrors of dating during the pandemic and then when things start opening up again. So a much more modern timeframe with a lovable heroine who has what can only be described as some questionable choices, and some really amusing adventures. A good light-hearted read which I’m sure many of us will find more than one element we can relate to!

10 Regretting You, Colleen Hoover

Having enjoyed my first novel by this author I dipped my toe back in for a second book and I wasn’t disappointed. This is primarily the story between mother and daughter and how they navigate their relationship after loss, the assumptions, the guilt, and the secrets. But there’s so much more than that too - the mother and her sister and their childhood sweethearts, and how their lives are knowingly - and unknowingly - more interconnected than they ever thought possible. Definitely recommend this one.

11 A Postcard from Italy, Alex Brown

A heartwarming read with twists and turns and great characters who I really connected with. Grace works for a storage company in Greenwich, which as you’ll know is just down the road from me and throughout the story there’s local landmarks woven in, and clearly with a local’s knowledge. Grace also lives with and cares for her quite demanding mum, without too much practical input or help from her siblings. At the storage company there’s a unit which has been abandoned and with the company owners, Grace investigates the contents to uncover the story behind them, and why such valuable and personal pieces have been left untouched for years. During this Grace embarks on her own journey, both literal and emotionally, which changes her life. A real feel good read, which I didn’t want to end.

12 The Forgotten Village, Lorna Cook

This is another one that’s set in two different time periods, 2017 and 1943 - I seem to be drawn to them. In 1943 the world is at war and the small village of Tyneham is requisitioned by the Army and this part of the story follows the family at the big house at the time. In 2017 it’s the love story of Guy and Melissa who meet when the village has its reopening, something has Melissa hooked on the stories from the past and together they uncover the secrets of the village, and the family too. I loved this book, but as I said at the start - this seems to be my thing!

13 The Paper Girls, Alex Smith

This is my first DCI Robert Kett novel, and definitely not my last. There’s eleven books to read, and unusually for me I’ve managed to start at the beginning. I’ve hopped over into the mystery thriller genre for this one, and for a change. In this book two newspaper delivery girls have gone missing, and the clues point to a serial killer. DCI Robert Kett, whose own wife is missing and whom he’s been unable to track down, has recently moved to the area with his three young daughters and he gets involved in this case, as you do. The investigation is demanding, as is his young family but as you’d imagine it mostly works out in the end. Looking forward to reading more about DCI Kett and his cases, and hopefully he’s able to resolve the case that’s so close to home.

Well done, if you’ve made it through all of this post - I did promise a bumper edition at the start didn’t I? It wasn’t until I sat down to write this post that I realised just how much I’ve picked up to read since the last post in this series. I think more regular posts are going to be needed if I’m going to continue reading at this pace!

What’s next?

Apart from aiming to post more often, I’m also going to try harder to get back into The Wilderness Cure that I mentioned at the start of this post. I’ll also be keeping my eye out for the release of the fourth book in the Seven Sisters series on Kindle Unlimited, along with anything else that catches my eye.

Let me know if you’ve read anything recently which you think I’d enjoy, I’m always happy to add recommendations to my ever growing ‘to be read’ list!

What I've read lately

One of the things I hoped to do more of now that I have more time on my hands was to read more, and that’s starting to pick up pace. I know though, and it’s been proven again these past few weeks, is that once I get into a good book I want to devour it above anything else.

Earlier in the summer I signed up for a two month trial of Kindle Unlimited, and that is coming to a close so I also need to weigh up if I’ll continue with that. The non-trial price is £7.99 monthly (this isn’t an ad) and I’ve certainly downloaded and read a good number of books during the initial period so it’s something I’m giving serious consideration to.

But anyway, onto where I’ve been escaping to.

1 (to 3) The Raj Hotel Series, Janet Macleod Trotter

I’m starting with my most recent reads, and this series of three books had me hooked. These were the books that had me rationing the time I spent reading, or trying to. The three books are:

1. The Emerald Affair

2. The Sapphire Child

3. The Diamond Daughter.

The books are set in India, the first is set in the aftermath of the First World War and the last in 1946 post-war India. The stories tell of the main characters, Tom and Esmie and their families through this time. As you’d expect it’s not quite as simple as that - there’s marriages, adventures, plenty of emotion and all set against the historic backdrop in a way that makes you really care for the storyline. The first book focuses on Tom and Esmie, the second friends Stella and Andrew and the third Jeanie, a new character, who returns to her husband after being separated during the war. The stories are entwined throughout, and while not wanting to give the ending away, I didn’t see it all coming. Some of it, yes, but not all but that doesn’t lessen it in any way. I’m just sorry they ended, but I’m so glad I read them in the right order!

4 and 5 The Cove and The Creek, L J Ross

These books are billed as ‘a summer suspense mystery’ and they certainly were. Again the books are related but these could be read in any order, the story isn’t dependant on that. The Cove starts with Gabrielle learning that surviving is harder than being a victim. Her life is turned upside down by an incident and she struggles, so she makes a huge change moving to Cornwall and taking a new job. The book follows her journey has some romance, some suspense and some rugged Cornish scenery - again some of this one you see coming and it’s enjoyable for that.

The Creek starts with completely different main characters though gradually the links appear. There’s similarities in the storyline and I’m still wondering if they were comforting or just annoyed me. But overall I enjoyed both books, and I hope to read some more by this author to ascertain it’s not just a formulaic approach that’s been taken.

6 The Lake Palace, Ann Bennett

This one had me in tears. It’s set in both India in 1944 and then later in 1985 when Iris, a recent widow, returns to India on holiday and revisits the Lake Palace and other haunts from her earlier life. She uncovers long-buried truths from the war years when trying to discover what happened to her beau, Edward Stark. A truly emotional and heart-wrenching story, with a travelling companion who at times showed serious Hyacinth Bucket tendencies.

What’s next?

I have currently have two books on the started but not finished pile. I think I’ll finish both, but they’re taking me longer than the ones above, but I think that’s a reflection on me rather than the books themselves. They are:

• The Storyteller of Casablanca, Fiona Valpy - this one is written in a diary style that was quite similar to The Lake Palace above, and I picked it up immediately afterwards. I think I’ve not got into this one so quickly because of that, and because of how gripped I was with that.

• The Wilderness Cure, Mo Wilde - this one is a slow burn and one I want to savour, much like the author and her foraging. Again it’s another diary format, but this one documents the challenge the author set herself in 2020 to eat only wild food for a year. And as if that wasn’t challenging enough, to start that in November without overly stocking up in advance. It’s beautifully written but in a more factual and analytical way, and so isn’t one that I want to devour at the same speed - which given the subject matter seems only right.

So that’s it for now on what I’ve read and what I’m still reading, I’m hoping to make progress on the two above and with others already in my kindle library too. I’m still targeting 22 minutes a day for reading (it’s 2022 so I’ve upped my time this year), though sometimes as you can probably tell it goes way above this - and that’s perfectly fine by me most of the time!