There is something very cottage-friendly about a tool so well designed and suited to its intended purpose that it has remained unchanged and in demand for more than 100 years.
The optimistically named Speedy Stitcher can be found in many a barn, sporting goods shop, sailmaker’s loft, tack shop, and outdoor outfitters and, yet, few cottages are equipped with one. It’s a sewing awl that incorporates a drill-type chuck with interchangeable curved and straight needles, a hollow handle housing the thread bobbin, and internal storage for all components.
With a little practice, you will be stitching heavy duty repairs in everything from sails to sleeping bags, boat tops to tarps—even tears in old leather La-Z-Boys. The beauty of the stitcher is that you operate the awl from one side of the material, like a sewing machine, as opposed to hand-sewing, where the needle must pass from one side to the other. The needle pierces the material with a captive thread, which forms a loop as the needle is withdrawn. Pass the end of the thread through the loop and draw everything tight. The resulting lock stitch is exceptionally strong.
Use the waxed thread that’s included with the awl, or substitute sailmaker’s twine, thick dental floss, or even fishing line. Fine needles and thread are available for more delicate repairs. My cottage moccasins, another skillfully designed and unchanging product, have a new lease on life, thanks to the Speedy Stitcher.
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of Cottage Life.
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