New Complete Guide to Sewing

This is a big, thick, heavy book, and not exactly something you can tuck in a corner while you work. It's large and wide, though, and lies flat fairly easily, which helps to make it easier to look at while working. It includes an absolutely amazing amount of detail meant to get you from rank beginner through finely tailored clothing, and honestly I expect this book to still be useful to me in ten years from now. It's jam-packed with diagrams, color photos, and plenty of highly-detailed and very clear instructions. Hand-sewing tips are included, as well as instructions for using the 'essential' hand stitches. This includes full-page instructions in most cases, with multiple diagrams. Each diagram comes with both an easy-to-understand explanation and a set of step-by-step detailed instructions. Essential stitches include everything from tailor's tacks to basting, backstitching, hemming & joining (slipstitch, cross-stitch, overhand, whipstitch, etc.), finishing stitches, decorative stitches, and so on. In particular I appreciate that the explanation included with each stitch details exactly what that stitch tends to be used for and why. One of my favorite details throughout the book is the extensive cross-referencing. For example, the page that details and diagrams overedge seams provides page references to the overlock machine on page 15, zigzag stitching on page 83, and overlock stitching on p. 83. You won't have to go nuts trying to locate all the information you need. In addition, there's a side-bar at the beginning of the 'stitches and seams' section that provides a quick-reference to all provided hand stitches and their page locations. This book can start you out as a beginner and still be useful to you ten years later. It covers everything from basic stitches to fabric types to advanced tailoring techniques, in a ton of detail with precise directions and diagrams.

I wished I'd have bought this book first instead of Singer's complete photo guide to sewing. I checked out a copy from my library and realized that it was probably the best beginning sewing boook out there. The only other book I'd recommend is DK's Complete Book of Sewing. Both have their strengths and are very easy to follow but I thought Reader's was a little more thorough. As for the reviewer who was disappointed that the book didn't cover the machine well enough, I've learned that an author could fill an entire book covering the subject and still not tell you how to use the machine you own or intend to buy. But who's to say you'll immediately begin machine sewing? Perhaps you may lean toward haute couture techniques and want to know more about hand stitching, which this book does happen to cover. If you're looking for a 'complete' guide in sewing you have to make editorial choices because the subject is too vast for any single book. That said, my expectation of a good beginner book is one that covers the most important sewing topics with enough depth to enable the beginner to actually create garments, which this book does. In addition, this book points the new sewer toward making well-fitting garments (tailoring techniques) which makes it a very good buy. In all, the topic choices are logical with better coverage than most without being too vague (like Vogue Sewing at times), outdated, too shallow or disjointed (like the Singer books). Again, the only other beginning book I've found worthwhile is DK's Complete Book of Sewing, but even in it you'll find that some areas could be fuller, as you should expect with a general sewing book. So, where to start? Well, the library is a great, if not the best, place. If you have a machine, look over your manual. Seems simple/silly, but they typically give you enough to get started with a straight stitch which is often all you need. If you don't have a machine you may consider Fine Machine Sewing by Carol Laflin Ahles or All About Machine Arts. Both are great books to help get acquainted with your machine before you start tackling fabric, seams, etc. Sewing is pretty much like the ocean- there's a depth suited for every taste. You'd be amazed at how deep it goes. That said, these beginner books will get you started but you'll find there is so much more to understanding how to make a well-fitting garment- which is good and bad. It's bad because all the topics can make your head spin and you might get quite frustrated before you ever make anything that suits your taste or even fits your body. The myriad of choices are good, however, because they allow quite a bit of choices, expression and individuality to the sewer. You can spend a lot of time and a fortune learning everything there is to creating garments/fabric decor, but before you spend all your money in one place it will pay to research what different directions and concepts all fall into play for something as common and seemingly simple as the clo

I'm a great fan of Reader's Digest How-to books. I have found that they usually are the beginner's friend. Like all the Reader's Digest books I own, this one gives clear directions that a beginner can understand. The illustrations are easy to understand and usually give critical information. You can (and I have) teach yourself to sew with this book. It gives the very specific information you need to start from knowing nothing. Things like how to read a pattern, how to pin and cut fabric, etc. However, it also moves toward the kind of general and abstract information that you need to have later, in order to be able to be more creative. Things like how to recognize different types of fabric, different ways to finish seams, different ways to hem garments, how to modify fit, how to modify a pattern, etc. With those types of information at your fingertips, you can master making almost anything.

I read reviews and did my research before putting money into this book and it was by far the most informative and reasonably priced out there. This is also used as a text book for many sewing classes. I doubt anyone who is passionate about sewing will be disappointed with their purchase.

I am an experienced professional sewer and have an older edition of this book. I refer back to it often. If you need basic instruction - get this book! It covers patterns, fabrics, fitting, contruction, finishing, tailoring and much, much more!