The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sewing

Is this book about sewing a Complete guide for idiots or a Guide for complete idiots? Advertised by the author as a “basic sewing techniques… advice on making your own clothes”, the book gives nothing to help one make one’s own clothes. Don’t buy this book unless you really see a needle for the first time in your life. And if you do, then don’t expect you’ll make something more sophisticated than a mitten or a curtain :(

I am an absolute beginner, and I am so glad I found this book. I mean it, I can't say enough good things about it. First of all, the author writes with a sense of humor; it's like having a buddy sitting next to you, giving you great advice and laughing with (not at) you for your mistakes, and sharing her own early sewing disasters. Each chapter starts with a list of what will be included, and ends with a follow-up that hits all the important points. Then there are little boxes throughout, that remind the reader of definitions, recommend items to buy for a particular project, or warn of common mistakes. Ms. Wills assumes you know absolutely NOTHING about sewing, which is so great, because she explains EVERYTHING! For the beginner, this book absolutely takes the fear out of sewing! I've been keeping it right next to my new sewing machine as I tackle my first project, checking it often, and I highly, highly recommend it.Follow up: I made a shirt!! This is so cool!

Very thorough book for those of us who know absolutely nothing about sewing. The style is the traditional lighthearted Idiot's Guide format, making it a fun and easy, yet very informative, read.

As an advanced dressmaker, I found this book very informative. I teach sewing classes, and would recommend The Idiot's Guide to Sewing to my students. It is well written, and gives very comprehensive descriptions of almost everything to do with sewing. Anyone in the market for a detailed sewing book should consider this upbeat, contemporary, humorous book. It is written in the usual Idiot's style which means, it has side comments that are note-worthy, but often missing in other written formats. If you are looking to learn how to sew, begin with this book, and I can assure you, you may not need another.

This is what I've been looking for--a sewing reference book that is also fun to read! There are lots of illustrations, tons of tips, and puns to keep it fun. This is a very useful book, but not quite complete. The glossary in the back doesn't define things like welt pockets and princess seams, even though they are mentioned in the text.