No sewing machine? Try hand stitching, especially for smaller projects.

[eShirl]

http://www.perestroika.ca/html2/vest/handstitching.php

HAND STITCHING
There are times when even the most dedicated machine sewer needs or wants to do some hand-work on a project, and it's useful to have a repertoire of stitches for different purposes. For the 20-minute vests, which can be sewn by hand quicker than you can thread your machine, these stitches will provide endless variations. For the seams, try a quilting thread, which is heavier than machine thread, so you need use only a single thread. If you want the stitches to be decorative, try cotton embroidery floss or a light weight knitting yarn. Use a short needle (easier for small stitches), with an eye large enough for the thread or yarn to move easily through.

(diagrams and written instructions for 11 by-hand stitches)




another link w/ diagrams from Coats and Clark: "Backstitch, whipstitch, hemming stitch, and inside blind- stitch are the four most commonly used hand stitches for sewing, joining edges or hemming."
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Sewing/Howtos/Hand+Sewing.htm