Machines and old silk are not friends — at the tailor's
Fabric words in real hands: silk, cotton, thread, stitch — and the gentle voice of careful work.
New core words in this lesson
cordcottondelicatedesigndetailedgeelasticfoldleatherlinenmaterialneedlepinscissorssilkstitchstockingthreadtwistwool
Read the sentences below, then practice the whole lesson with audio.
- 1Come in, come in — what have we got here?
- 2It's my mother's dress, from the day she got married.
- 3My, this is delicate work — feel that material.
- 4The outside is silk, and the inside is soft cotton.
- 5This edge is coming away — see where the old thread has given way?
- 6Now, my scissors — one clean cut, and the old stitching comes off.
- 7Pins first, thirty of them, then one needle and two hours of quiet.
- 8Every stitch by hand — machines and old silk are not friends.
- 9Fold here, a twist of cord there, and the dress comes in just right.
- 10The design is from a different time — look at the detail on these flowers.
- 11Wool inside the arms? No question she was warm in it.
- 12The band needs to be elastic, so it moves when you move.
- 13White linen under it all, and new stockings — you'll have the full picture.
- 14A leather band with this dress? No, no — soft white silk.
- 15Come back Friday — she'll be ready, and your mother will cry.
FAQ
- How does this dictation practice work?
- Play a sentence, type exactly what you hear, then press check — Dictation Trainer shows word-level feedback: which words you misheard, misspelled, confused for a homophone, or missed.
- Do I need an account, and is it free?
- You can read the sentences here without signing up. To practice with audio and save progress, create a free account — practice runs on Echoes you earn for free, starting with 100.
- What level is this lesson?
- This lesson is graded B1 on the CEFR scale and has 15 sentences. Dictation Trainer lessons start at A1 and climb as the library grows.