FIRM FAVOURITES: ADAKU PARKER

Designers share with us their top stitching essentials

SEWING MACHINE

It seems obvious, but a good sewing machine can make or break you as a sewist. My favourite one is the Janome Memory Craft 6700P. This machine runs smoother than any other machine I’ve tried.

GOOD QUALITY THREAD

Who wants to sew with a thread that breaks before you can finish sewing your project? Investing in good quality thread, whether you've just started learning how to sew or you are a seasoned professional, is imperative. My favourite brand is Gütermann. This is available in hundreds of colours, and I have used it ever since I started sewing my first projects.

GOOD QUALITY FABRIC

This sounds like a basic tip, but in general, sewing your project using good-quality fabric is always important. When I was learning how to sew, it made sense to sew on inexpensive materials - but as I slowly became be er at sewing, I also started to invest in be er-quality fabric. My favourite is African Wax Print. Only buy the good quality kind. They are a medium-weight with colour-fast properties.

When I’m sewing projects, the following items are invaluable…

SEWING PATTERN

Just because you might be able to guess the right way to build a piece of furniture, it doesn’t mean you should try without the instruction manual. That is why I always recommend sewists to use a sewing pa ern. I believe in your ability to sew without one, but why shouldn’t you make sewing a project easier and faster by following a template? Dovetailed London offers many sewing pa erns, and with them, you can a empt to sew some items of our fashion line in the comfort of your own home.

GOOD SCISSORS€

To avoid your cut ends fraying, a good pair of scissors is essential. The brand I use the most is Fiskars, and I absolutely adore them. A tip is to have scissors you only use for fabric. Tie fabric to the handles so you always know which they are.… If you have a family, hide it away from them so that they don’t use them for their arts and crafts!