Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #431504 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.com Review
Sewing garments and home-decor items does not have to be mutually exclusive; there are certain skills and fields of knowledge peculiar to each, and there are some areas of overlap. Remarkably, this extremely comprehensive, heavily illustrated volume manages to do justice to both apparel and decor techniques, from the rudiments of the sewing machine and other essential equipment to an exploration of fabric types, from taking proper measurements (of people as well as of windows and tables) to learning all the basics as well as more advanced skills for many kinds of sewing: women's wear, including tailoring; activewear, including swimsuits; babies' and children's clothes; window treatments, pillows, bed coverings, and table linens. The section on making custom alterations to store-bought patterns is especially helpful for garment sewers perpetually frustrated in trying to achieve a perfect fit. Novices will find this a very useful reference in understanding the often-cryptic instructions of commercial patterns; experienced sewers should have this guide on hand to help them achieve thoroughly professional results. --Amy Handy

From the Inside Flap
The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing is your most valuable tool for a lifetime of sewing success. Keep it handy by your sewing machine for instant answers to your sewing questions. You'll find the information you need for every step of clothing construction, from easy fitting to fine tailoring details. Sew stylish home accents for every room with the confidence of a pro. Beginner and expert alike benefit from this complete guide. From cover to cover, it is filled with the quality and expertise you recognize and trust from the editors of the Singer ( Sewing Reference Library (. Concise step-by-step directions and full-color photography show you the clear picture for every project and sewing technique.

From the Back Cover
Step-by-step sewing reference photographed in full detail. Whether you're a novice or a pro, this comprehensive sewing guide will be the one source you turn to over and over. You'll find answers to all your sewing questions for both clothing construction and home decorating. Professional advice for choosing patterns, fabrics, notions, and sewing equipment. Foolproof techniques for successful sewing, using both serger and conventional machine. Home decorating projects, including window treatments, pillows, bedding, and table decor.

Customer Reviews

This an older Singer Sewing book renamed.....
If you purchase this book, be aware that is was published under another name, "Singer Sewing Step by Step" in the early 90's. I'm glad that I checked it out of the library before purchasing, because I already own the other book...yes, it has some decent photos, but I would be cautious in recommending this to a beginner, as I was when I purchased the older version. Construction techniques are not thoroughly explained, usually only one or two pages of photos are devoted to any one technique (collars, sleeves, etc.). Personally, I was very frustrated by this. One would be better off using this as a complement to another book, such as the Readers Digest guide to sewing or the Vogue sewing book, both of which are excellent resources but lacking in photo illustrations. The book is a bit dated, too, but if you can get past that, it is not too bad.

Worth owning, but could be better.
I'm a beginning sewer (*very* beginning) and I purchased this book to help me with all the things patterns don't explain. Some sections have been extremely helpful (zippers, hems) and some are disappointing (sleeves, collars.) In general, the big problem is that a technique that needs 5-10 pictures (including the finished product!) has only 2-3 photos of critical steps. Those are useful, but I often find myself struggling to imagine what they're trying to accomplish. I'm not aware of a better illustrated guide, so I'm still glad I purchased this book. As far as I can tell sewing is a lot like writing code -- you just have to screw it up by yourself in order to learn much. Maybe if I ever master one of the trickier things in the book, I'll videotape it and put the video on the web. ;-)

This book is not complete
It is a compilation of excerpts from the other titles in the Singer Sewing Reference Library. Since I have those books, this book just repeated (exact same text & pictures) information that I already have, only, as I said, not as complete, because they're just excerpts. I highly recommend the individual books in the Singer Series, which are much more informative, but I can't recommend this rehash. Also, I feel that the description should mention somewhere that the book is excerpted from other books, because then I would have known not to buy it.