An ideal worktop companion for home sewers, The Home Sewer's Guide to Practical Stitches is a complete and illustrated resource of hand and machine stitches. What's the best stitch to hand set a zipper? When should you use a diagonal basting stitch? What are other uses of a blind hem stitch? Whether sewing clothes from published patterns, designing your own sewing projects, or executing simple repairs, The Home Sewer's Guide to Practical Stitches is the most comprehensive and ready reference consolidating all the most useful and practical information sewers need to choose and use every kind of sewing stitch. While sewing patterns come with instructions on what stitches to use, they don't actually include the instructions on how to do those stitches. With machine stitching, using these recommended stitches is contingent on that stitch being available on your sewing machine. If it isn't, would you know what would make an appropriate substitute? Now, with The Home Sewer's Guide to Practical Stitches, not only do readers have a complete resource of step-by-step techniques for every stitch, the directory style advice also arms them with all the information necessary to make their own choices according to the fabric they are using and what they wish to accomplish.