Thousands of people buy a basic sewing machine and never get it out of its box, lacking the confidence to get started and daunted by off-putting manuals. This book will change all that. Sewing machine guru and popular author, Wendy Gardiner, has written a user-friendly guide to using a basic sewing machine, with the elements you would get in a manual, naming parts, showing how to thread up, checking stitching and tension etc, followed by a section building skills as you start using a sewing machine. This is followed by 9 great projects: a Drawstring Bag, an Appliquéd Pillow, a Clutch Bag, a Pillow with Piping, Tab-Top Curtains, a Quilted Pot Holder, a Scarf, Apron and a Decorated Towel, all specially designed to build skills such as sewing seams, buttonhole sewing, adding zips, blind hems, quilting, free machine embroidery, using twin needles and making pleats, trims and pockets. There is a glossary of all the important terms, and an excellent trouble-shooting guide.