Sewing 101

This book does a good job of breaking down the basics of sewing, and uses great pictures to demonstrate the steps.

Sure, your sewing machine retailer may offer lifetime lessons, but what about actual sewing projects? Was the last time you attempted sewing in middle school Home Ec? This book is the answer. It is very well-written with useful photos and highlights important information in a way that it becomes your working knowledge. It offers detailed instruction for window treatments including Roman shades, rodpocket, and grommet curtains, as well as a few clothing pieces. It also offers a section on reading sewing patterns, which can be intimidating to the novice. Other books I've seen have too much information, that it becomes confusing. This is perfect. If you have recently purchased your first machine OR want to do more with your sewing machine than let it collect dust but don't know where to begin, this is the book for you.

I particularly loved this book for the color photographs which accompanied the step-by-step instructions. I also appreciated the projects in the book. They were a nice change from the '60s,'70s, and '80s rejects one usually sees in these things. As a novice at the sewing machine (as in, "How do you thread this thing?!!"), I feel better prepared to face my sewing monster-er, machine.

This is a solid book recommended by the Sewing Association & after getting this I can see why. There is an intro the machine and hand sewing and then the all important hemming lessons. From there you start with t-shirts! Yes we're off and running already with garments. I was not prepared for this thinking I would be doing pillows and potholders and other nonsense, but no let's get practical. Garments like t-shirts, wrap skirts, pull on pants/shorts head the list. They tell you how to read the pattern and then guide you thru making the actual garment giving you hints and tips to making an easy & wearable piece.After garments we go home dec and do the pillows, curtains and shades. There are enough projects in here to keep you busy for about 6 months at which point you should know the basics & know where to go from there on your own. Daunting, eh? Well I was impressed and got going immediately. I got really psyched and I think a project a fortnight is doable. They recommend making more than 1 garment of each type to solidify what you know so unless you're very industrious a project a week is a rough haul. This book is easy, approachable and most importantly, inspiring, so much so instead of using my old high school one I actually bought a brand new beginning machine (A Viking Huskystar 207). If you've been thinking about sewing buy this book and take the plunge. Until I got this book I never realised how much was based on the simple t-shirt (pj's, sweats, turtlenecks). Enjoy.