The reward of sewing comes from taking an understated fabric like linen or batiste, altering it with interesting stitched effects and a thought to design, and then sewing it into an object of beauty. Place a twin needle in your machine and a wonderful array of embellishments can be easily, and sometimes magically, created. Twin needles are often associated with heirloom sewing, and rightly so, but don’t think they are limited to that world-they can be used to finish sporty or tailored garments or to create wild and wacky effects on almost any fabric. Carol Laflin Ahles shows how to mix three classic techniques with imagination to create a dozen-plus surface and edge embellishments.

From Threads #107, June/July 2003.