'A tapestry of strong characters and accomplished writing' Herald Scotland
It is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again. Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her.
More than a hundred years after his grandmother’s sewing machine was made, Fred discovers a treasure trove of documents. His family history is laid out before him in a patchwork of unfamiliar handwriting and colourful seams. He starts to unpick the secrets of four generations, one stitch at a time.
More information
Natalie Fergie
Natalie Fergie is a textile enthusiast, and has spent the last ten years running a one woman dyeing business, sending parcels of colourful and unique yarn and thread all over the world. Before this she had a 27 year career as nurse and latterly, as a Health Visitor.
Natalie lives near Edinburgh with her husband, and a dog called Boris. Her sons have flown the nest.
The Singer 99k which was the inspiration for novel has had at least four previous owners, possibly more. It was bought for £20 from someone who lived in Clydebank, just a stone’s throw from the site of the factory where it was made a hundred years earlier.
It’s quite possible that there are another eight sewing machines in her house.
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As you know, The Sewing Machine was published on 17th April this year. As an author, I had a vague idea about how the book was selling, but a lot of that was based on hopes and dreams, cautiously tempered with a healthy dollop of common sense. Authors not knowing how things are going is pretty normal across the publishing world, as far as I know.
There…
1st August 2017Please Vote in #NotTheBookerPrize
Hello!
I am delighted and chuffed and honoured that we, Team Sewing Machine, have been included in The Guardian's Not The Booker Prize Long List which was published on Monday. A hundred and fifty books are on it, and one of them is The Sewing Machine. The list was created from nominations from the public, so if one of those nominations came from you, THANK YOU!
You know what I am going to say…
21st April 2017Photos, reviews, book launch and a road trip
Hello,
We are published!
I'm not using the royal 'we', I mean all of us in Team Sewing Machine. WE DID IT, and you are all part of it. Your names are in the front and back of the book and although many of us have not met, I feel as though I know you.
The book is getting some great reviews on Goodreads here.
And it has some lovely amazon reviews as well.
NEWS
The paperbacks are now "in…
29th March 2017We did it!
On Tuesday, the imaginary PRINT button was pushed and my book, OUR book, yours and mine, went into production.
Today you should get an email with several download links to suit whichever device you want to read it on.
Scrumple up the weekend To Do list, bribe the children, order a takeaway and find somewhere comfortable to sit... there is a book to be read.
When it actually happened, I…
17th February 2017Final proofs
Hello!
I'm pleased to be able to say that we are almost there.
The first round of proofs have been done, and I'm just waiting for the the final page proof copy. At this stage it's really a case of:
'Has my name been spelled correctly?'
and
'Is there a full stop at the end of the book?'
The cover is being finalised as I speak and I hope to be able to show it to you very soon.
Fot those…
9th December 2016The final stage...
Exciting times!
I apologise for being quiet here in the shed, and can assure you it's because I've been working very hard to make this book the best it can possibly be.
The manuscript has been through the copy-edit stage, and has been returned to Unbound this morning to be proofread. The end is tantalisingly in sight.
I've done the acknowledgements - a surprisingly stressful experience. When…
21st October 2016The developmental edit is finished
This is a quick blogpost to let you know that the developmental edit is now finished and the manuscript has been sent off for copy editing. `
The cover is being designed as I write, and there are other secret and exciting things happening which I can't tell you about yet. Maddening, isn't it?'
We have closed off the yarn and thread options now and I have a list of the names of everyone who …
3rd October 2016Not judging a book by the cover.
Hello again.
It seems as though this stage of book publishing is like waiting for the proverbial bus. Nothing seems to happen for ages and then all the buses arrive at the same time.
My second structural edit is back and there are only minor changes to make. I've been doing a full read-through, which takes longer than you might think because I'm reading it out loud. Yes, Boris the Labrador…
28th August 2016As Adele would sing...
After spending several weeks structually editing the manuscript of The Sewing Machine, which involved more investment in the Post It note division of 3M than I would have thought possible, I have typed THE END and sent it back to Celine to look at for a second time.
Editing is a weird business.
You write a story.
You read it.
You realise that bits of it are ALL WRONG.
You…
7th July 2016The editing continues...
Hello again everyone, and a warm welcome to my new supporters - Maureen Wilkins, Sakthi Norton, Riccardo Sartori, Pamela Hilton and Janet Lees.
Things have been a bit quiet around here on the blog, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening with the book.
In the middle of May I sent the manuscript off to the person who is doing the Structural Edit and then I went on holiday for two weeks,…
11th May 2016Manuscript sent for editing!
I'm really chuffed to tell you that Celine Kelly is going to be editing my book.
Celine has worked at Penguin and Headline and has edited novels by Marian Keyes, Jane Green and Jane Fallon, who have between them sold more than 35 million books.
As you can imagine, I'm a bit star struck!
The novel has been read again, several times - I realised only last week that I had somehow called one character…
21st April 2016100% and counting
I'm delighted to be able to say that we have done it, you and me, and a hundred and seventy other people.
We have coaxed, shuffled and in the final hour, wheeeeeeee'd this book over the funding finish line, like a child on a bike with legs stuck out on either side as they barrel down the most exciting hill EVER.
It took 33 days from the time it went live on the Unbound website, to move it from…
31st March 2016Chapter excerpt - meet Fred.
Hello again.
Today I thought I'd introduce you to Fred. As a contemporary character, he has a very different voice in the novel.
The story of the sewing machine and the secrets it holds are woven between the past and the present. As the reader, sometimes you will discover things before Fred does, and you'll be sitting there saying "Come on, why can't you see what's going on?".
On other occasions…
24th March 2016Books are better than chocolate!
Hello again.
As I write this, above the gubbins which says "Write a new blog post", there is a green disc which shows me that we have raised more than half of the pledges needed to make this book into a published novel.
You can probably see it too.
In among the slivers which make up the dark green wedge are pledges by Unbounders, by friends and family, and by people I have only met online…
18th March 2016Welcome to the Shed
A shed is a wonderful thing - a place to shelter from the wettest of rain, or somewhere to sit and muse about the world quietly. We won't mention the weeding.
So, slip your wellies off and put them on the newspaper beside the door and draw up a chair or flop down on that sofa over there. I’ll put the kettle on for tea or coffee.
This book was launched just ten hours ago on Unbound, and I can…
Gregory Boone asked:
Is there a non Ebook edition??
Unbound replied:
Hi Gregory,
Thanks for getting in touch and for your interest in The Sewing Machine! At the moment this is only available as an ebook, but we're in discussion with a printer about publishing the book in paperback. There's nothing set in stone at the moment, but please do watch this space for news on the paperback.
Best wishes,
Caitlin - Community Manager
john kyle asked:
Hello Natalie,
Your book sounds perfect for my lovely wife, but she is old school, paper-only. Will there be a pledge or an option to buy an actual book rather than an electronic copy?
One Love,
John from Bellingen, Australia
Unbound replied:
Hi John,
Thanks for getting in touch and for your interest in The Sewing Machine! At the moment this is only available as an ebook, but we're in discussion with a printer about publishing the book in paperback. There's nothing set in stone at the moment, but please do watch this space for news on the paperback.
Best wishes,
Caitlin - Community Manager
Sarah Inman asked:
I believe I made a pledge with the Cards option. do you know when these will be available and sent out please? thank you
Natalie Fergie replied:
The cards will go out later this week, and the other pledges soon after that.
Thank you!
Sarah Inman asked:
Its me again, I'm sorry but I cant find the link to digital edition that I made a pledge to. could you let me have instructions please?
Unbound replied:
Hi Sarah, This article should help with downloading the ebook: http://help.unbound.com/unbound-for-readers/managing-your-subscriptions/how-do-i-download-the-ebook. I hope you enjoy the book!
Best wishes,
Unbound Support
Is there a non Ebook edition??
Hi Gregory, Thanks for getting in touch and for your interest in The Sewing Machine! At the moment this is only available as an ebook, but we're in discussion with a printer about publishing the book in paperback. There's nothing set in stone at the moment, but please do watch this space for news on the paperback. Best wishes, Caitlin - Community Manager
Hello Natalie, Your book sounds perfect for my lovely wife, but she is old school, paper-only. Will there be a pledge or an option to buy an actual book rather than an electronic copy? One Love, John from Bellingen, Australia
Hi John, Thanks for getting in touch and for your interest in The Sewing Machine! At the moment this is only available as an ebook, but we're in discussion with a printer about publishing the book in paperback. There's nothing set in stone at the moment, but please do watch this space for news on the paperback. Best wishes, Caitlin - Community Manager
I believe I made a pledge with the Cards option. do you know when these will be available and sent out please? thank you
The cards will go out later this week, and the other pledges soon after that. Thank you!
Its me again, I'm sorry but I cant find the link to digital edition that I made a pledge to. could you let me have instructions please?
Hi Sarah, This article should help with downloading the ebook: http://help.unbound.com/unbound-for-readers/managing-your-subscriptions/how-do-i-download-the-ebook. I hope you enjoy the book! Best wishes, Unbound Support