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As my long time readers may be aware, I'm making improvements to the book shop. Please bear with some antique formatting in the later sections as I go about making revisions. Thanks! -Tom
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$11.75Recommended
I wrote this book, so I'm awfully biased about it. Sufficient to say, I tried to answer all the most important questions I believe you should have about buying a sewing machine, including how a sewing machine works, what all the common parts are for, and what options and accessories you might want to be interested in. I'll try to link to a review of the book after some people have got a hold of it to review it. I just received my copy, and I'm thrilled!
Recommended
Review copy source: Seen in bookstore
This is a highly informative guide to sewing, covering most (if not all) important aspects of modern home sewing. Everything is clearly diagrammed and explained. Most every technique of day-to-day importance is shown.While I slightly preferred "Singer's Complete Photo Guide To Sewing", that's only because I preferred photos to diagrams. This is an excellent book in its own right. I recommend that beginners who want their hand held a bit more should consider the Singer book, while beginners who want more thorough reference with their introduction should consider the Reader's Digest book.
Recommended
Pricing and ordering informationSinger presents a strong basic introduction to many common aspects of modern machine sewing. The book guides the reader through the learning process, discussing tools, fabrics, measuring, how to read a pattern envelope, common seams, seam finishes, and some details on fitting. It also has some information on sewing for the home, including how to make curtains and some information about notions and hardware useful for making and installing them.
Clear photos document practically everything in the book, helping it to informatively present lots of information with minimal descriptive text.
My major complaint about the book is that it doesn't seem to mention men anywhere - boys, but not men. (One wonders what the boys are supposed to wear when they grow up.) This is unfortunately common in sewing books these days. However, much of the information presented is gender nonspecific even though it is shown only on womenswear.
I recommend this book as an excellent guide for beginners who want to learn how to sew. Experienced sewingers like myself should take a look at it in person and consider purchasing it as well - in examining the book for review, I learned a few things.
Adequate
This book is well written and thoroughly diagrammed. It covers a broad range of subjects and is relatively inclusive. Its alphabetical organization makes it ideal for looking up terms from pattern instructions.Unfortunately, its alphabetical organization also means that topics are presented in order of their name, not in the order a beginner may wish to learn them in. Confronted with this book, I believe a beginner's reaction would be "where do I start?" I found no part of the book which says anything like "Ok, here's where to start, read these topics, then those..." either.
Readers may wish to consider purchasing the book for reference use. Do not, however, think that it will guide you through the learning process for sewing.
by Colette Wolff
Recommended
This book is in my personal collection.
This is by far the most comprehensive book I've ever seen on textural effects that can be made with fabric. There are very thorough chapters about fundamental methods of working with fabric, such as tucks and gathering and shirring and stuffing. Everything is carefully photographed, diagrammed, or described as necessary to make each process easily understandable. (Note, however, that the book concerns itself with producing effects rather than with equipment - don't expect long involved descriptions of how to use your sewing machine.) An endless parade of examples demonstrates for you exactly how any given effect will look. This book is not only inspired, it's inspirational - every time I look at it I want to try the things it shows. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in sewing for textural effect.
by Carole Jackson, Kalia Lulow
Recommended
Review copy source: Tom's personal collection
It's refreshing to find an entire book about menswear. It's even more refreshing to find one that's actually good. I bumbled onto my copy of this in a used bookstore and wow, am I ever glad. This is the mens version of the bestselling book, "Color Me Beautiful," which showed millions of women how to color coordinate their wardrobes. (My aunt swears by their method for choosing her makeup.) This isn't a sewing book as such, but rather is a fundamental reference on how men should dress. Its principles can be strongly applied to sewing in regard to choosing fabrics and patterns that are appropriate for the wearer. (I do, however, disagree with its advice that men shouldn't wear print fabrics.)Basically, the book begins by explaning how to place the subject into one of four color categories, named after the seasons. Then color charts are presented for each category, showing good colors for the subject to wear which can also be mixed and matched. Then the book talks in detail about how to create a basic wardrobe, and discusses in detail the elements of the basic mens business wardrobe - how to choose them, how to combine them, how to wear them. It even gives plausible advice about hairstyle. The tone is rather self-congratulatory and there are several heterocentrist remarks, which are unfortunate, but in the end I think the content more than makes up for it.
by Robbie Fanning, Tony Fanning
Not Recommended
This is one of those unfortunate cases in which I'm really interested in the subject and I had high hopes for the book and a quick skim made it look like the book would strongly meet my needs, but when I actually sat down and read it I was very disappointed.It's not that this is a bad book: it isn't. It's clear and descriptive. The thing is, the machine embroidery I was interested in doing involves filling area with color. The machine embroidery the book is interested in could be better described as "decorative topstitching." Although it does specify how to fill area with color, this is only a brief mention in a very large book. The cover photo, which depicts a beautifully embroidered peacock in shades of white, seems nonrepresentative of the content.
I recommend that anyone considering purchasing this book should examine it in person before purchase to ensure that it's really what they want.
by Claire B. Shaeffer
Recommended with comment
Claire Shaeffer's enthusiasm for couture shines through in this fascinating book about couture sewing techniques. It begins with a brief history of couture, and proceeds with a detailed examination of what makes couture garments so special and unique. It's filled with photos of example garments to illustrate the use of specific techniques. I found the book to be highly organized and easy to understand. I think it's one of the most interesting sewing books I own and I periodically skim through it for inspiration. While the garments presented are all womenswear, the sewing techniques shown are general.However, the interested reader should note that couture sewing is done almost entirely by hand, so the actual methods in the book concern themselves mostly with hand sewing. This is an excellent book of technique for someone interested in the highest quality hand sewing... readers who prefer to stick to their sewing machines (like me) should consider it only for curiosity value and for its historical content. (It's more than interesting enough to justify its price to satisty my curiosity, but it's up to you to decide if you're that interested in couture.)
by Norma R. Hollen
Out Of Print
Recommended with comment
Review copy source: Tom's personal collectionIf you sew for women and you can get your hands on a copy of this marvelous book about alterations in womens' clothing patterns do so immediately. With the methods in this book the reader can take a basic dress sloper and turn it into essentially any womens' garment pattern desired. One friend, for example, was particularly thrilled that the book taught her to turn a sheath dress pattern into a princess-line and vice versa. I was delighted because it's the only book I've ever seen that explains properly how to design a cowl collar. I found the instructions to be clear and easily understood and the diagrams plentiful. A must-have for anyone interested in designing womenswear by flat pattern alteration.
by Claire B. Shaeffer
Recommended with comment
This book is in my personal collection.
Claire Shaeffer once again produces a very interesting book about sewing, but unfortunately I feel that this one is overly geared toward womenswear and isn't well organized.Mostly, this is a book of techniqiues that can be applied to your garments to enhance or improve them. The techniques are good, they make for attractive garments, and the extensive photography of each process makes them very easy to understand, but the vast majority of the techniques are useless for menswear. Also, I felt that the techniques were presented without enough order, which requires me to flip through the book every time I want to find anything rather than being able to just know where that technique will be. However, I really enjoyed the frequent sidebars showing how actual fashion designers use the techniques presented.
Near the end of the book is a minimal section on flat pattern alteration which I didn't find usefully thorough.
Overall I felt this book to be both well written and interesting despite its other problems and I would recommend it for those interested in sewing womenswear with interesting construction features.
by Rita Farro
Recommended
Pricing and ordering informationThis book is a real gem for larger women interested in dressing well. In a highly humorous tone, the author guides you through an understanding of how to dress properly, carry yourself properly, and present yourself well. She clearly explaisn the needs for both proper fit and self esteem, and shows you that large does not equal bad.
As a man, this book doesn't particularly address me as its audience, but I plan to buy a copy sooner or later anyway just becaause it was so funny.
by John Marshall
Recommended
This book is in my personal collection.
This fascinating book thoroughly discusses the design, construction, wearing, and laundering of traditional Japanese garments for both genders. I found the instructions to be clear and easily understood and the diagrams to be plentiful, and I thought the commentary was extremely interesting.First the book shows how to take a lot of measurements of yourself, which will be used later in designing your customized pattern. It then discusses basic construction techniques which will be used for the garments. Then for each garment presented it provides a discussion of who wears the garment, when, and why. It then provides diagrams of mens' and womens' versions of the pattern, which allow you to draft a pattern to your own measurements. Specific instructions for the garment are then presented, referring to the prior chapters on garment construction. Lastly, drawings of alternative designs for the garment (containing alterations) are shown to help inspire the reader. At the end of the book are chapters on laundering and storage.
I felt that the book would have been improved by presentation of additional western construction techniques as possible alternatives to traditional Japanese techniques (which tend toward lots of hand sewing) and information about calculating yardage. However, I found the designs easy enough to adapt to use with my sewing machine and the yardage to be easy enough to calculate when I made myself a traditional Japanese jacket to wear to a friend's wedding, which came out well. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in Japanese clothes.
by Barbara Weiland
This book is in my personal collection.
Recommended
If I were stuck on an island with only two sewing books of my choice, this would be the second (after Sewing Secrets from the Fashion Industry). However, if you're new at sewing, I recommed that it be a first for you. This marvelous book covers topics about modern sewing that I haven't seen anywhere else, and explains and shows things that I've been trying to figure out for some time. For example, I buy needles of types appropriate to my projects - quilting needles for quilts, metallica needles for metallic threads, etc - but I've never known exactly what the differences were between the different types of needles, physically. The book has a chart which shows greatly enlarged drawings of the tips of the different kinds of needles and explains clearly that (again, for example) quilting needles have more tapered points to go more easily through multiple layers, while metallica needles have a larger groove for the thread to enter as it is going into the hole.The beginning of the book is packed with useful reference for both the experienced and beginner sewer. It then moves on to techniques for improving or embellishing your clothing projects. Everything is shown in highly detailed drawings and explained clearly in copious text.
I highly recommend this book to everyone looking for an excellent sewing reference as a companion volume to Sewing Secrets from the Fashion Industry.
Singer Sewing Reference Library
Recommended
For everyone who wants to know how to make curtains, this is the book. It has lots of information devoted to curtains of all types. Modern methods are presented to help you make curtains with the look you want with minimal time and effort. (I've used some of the methods shown with great success in making curtains for my friends.)Follwing the section on curtains are sections on making a variety of decorative and functional pillows, sewing for the table, and for the bed.
As usual with the Singer Sewing books, everything is lavishly illustrated in lots of photographs which clearly demonstrate the techniques.
by Susan Huxley (Editor) et al
Recommended
This book is in my personal collection
If I could have only one sewing book, this would be it. This is the book that took my sewing from "I'm making things to cover myself" to "I'm making high quality garments."The book begins with an overview of tools and materials you'll need to sew garments, including the sewing machine, fabrics, and patterns. It helps you determine which pattern companies will probably make things that fit you better and shows you how to grade down the seam allowances for a more professional finish. Then comes a well organized library of sewing techniques covering practically every part of an ordinary garment. It shows not only how to do it, but in many cases how to do it better than with the ordinary techniques used in pattern company instructions. Finally, the book guides you through the construction of three common garments (blouse/shirt, pants, and skirt) and shows which techniques from the book can be applied where on each garment. After I'd read this book, I found myself disregarding pattern instruction sheets because I had learned from the book how to make things better.
Everything in the book is lavishly photographed for maximum clarity. This was a must-have for me, and the use of photos of actual construction enabled me to finally understand some techniques I'd read about in several other books but not understood (like how to make welt pockets). The book is very well organized, and after I had read through it once I found it very easy to quickly find any bit of information in it.
The authors suffer slightly from the belief that industrial methods are always superior, but their superior sewing experience shows through, and while they talk about how things are done in a factory setting, everything is presented using tools and techniques available to the home reader. There are lots of interesting sidebars about how various people in the clothing industry use the same (or similar) techniques. There is also the usual "all sewing is for women" bias but if you're making menswear, just substitute the word "shirt" every time they say "blouse" and you should be fine - the vast majority of the information presented is gender nonspecific.
I highly recommend this book for everyone interested in quality sewing. I believe beginners will find it educational and readers who already have lots of experience will find it a quality reference. If you're looking for something a little more beginner oriented (but still full of useful information for the more experienced sewer), try Secrets For Successful Sewing.
by David Page Coffin
Recommended
This book is in my personal collection.
This seems to be the definitive work on making shirts. The concentration is strongly on mens' shirts, although shirts for women are both discussed and shown as well. The book examines in detail the design and construction of a modern American mens' shirt. Mr. Coffin has a stated goal in the book - to produce custom fitted shirts with the same quality and construction details as the finest purchased mens' shirts in America, and in this he succeeds admirably. Unfortunately, I feel that in his pursuit of perfection in copying the details of ready to wear shirts, he fails to attempt to surpass them substantially. However, while I consider that a major complaint, this is such an excellent book that I'm very glad I have it anyway.
Mr. Coffin also presents his methods for shirt fitting (which basically allow you to create your own custom pattern) which are comprehensive and relatively easy. There is also a large section of pattern details which you can trace off and use in your own garments. (I use collars, plackets, and pockets from the book on my own shirts and am very pleased with them.)
Text and illustrations are clear and easily understood in almost all cases. (There's one technique I just don't understand, but one technique is trivia in such an information-packed book, and it's not an important technique anyway.) This is obviously the work of a master, and he's very good at presenting the information for his audience. I think this book is a must-have for anyone who is serious about making shirts.
The companion video to the Shirtmaking book features Mr. Coffin demonstrating the prominent techniques from his book. In a patient and reassuring manner, he shows, with his own equipment (which should reassure you with its remarkable ordinariness) and ordinary shirting fabrics, how to do what he writes about in his book. While the book may at times come off as being a bit stuffy and high minded, the video clearly shows that he's relaxed about and comfortable with sewing. He even demonstrates mistakes he might make and how to fix them if you make them too. We also got a good laugh from his (practically antique) iron, because it can be clearly heard in the background going "tink! tink! tink!" throughout the video. I think the video makes an excellent companion to the book, particularly if you feel a little intimidated by the techniques shown. (I don't think they're difficult, but then, I'm not a beginner any more either.) Oh, and that one technique I couldn't figure out in the book? It makes absolute sense now that I've seen the video and I may start using it myself.
Various authors
Recommended with comment
This book is in my personal collection.
This is a collection of articles which were previously published in Threads magazine. The articles are well written and interesting, but not necessarily applicable to everyone's sewing.I bought this book because I was interested in two specific articles. One tells how to draft a pattern for mens' jeans and construct them after you've cut the pieces. A friend and I did as the article suggested and successfully produced a pair of jeans, and I was pleased with the article's simplicity and accuracy. The other article that interested me was one by David Page Coffin with some information that I considered to be a good supplement to his Shirtmaking book (above).
Other articles which may be of particular interest are an article on making stretch activewear for women and an article on drafting an asymetrical closure for an upper body garment.
Readers who think the topics I've described are interesting or useful may want to buy it. If none of these particular articles interest you, I recommend you should examine the book in a bookstore to see if any of the other articles interest you.
by Annette Rich
Not Recommended
I bought this little embroidery book so I could use its simple floral patterns for free-machine-embroidery. For a machine sewer, that's about the extent of what it's good for. The techniques discussed are all intended for detailed, complicated (in my opinion) hand embroidery. The preachy tone gushes on about how it's a special Brazilian embroidery technique because it uses special thread made of... Rayon! (As if I can't buy big spools of rayon embroidery thread at any local fabric store in America.) And somehow it fails to explain how this is Brazilian given that all of the patterns presented are of Australian wildflowers. The embroidery is very pretty and most of the projects presented project quiet elegance, if you happen to want to take the time to embroider them by hand. Otherwise, the book strikes me as nothing special.
Vogue Knitting |
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Recommended I haven't bought this book yet but intend to when I have a bit more time to devote to my hand knitting. Vogue Knitting is a thorough tome with excellent information on introductory through advanced hand knitting. While there are plenty of cheaper books available that will teach you to knit, most just teach you the basic stitches and perhaps provide a pattern or two and leave you to fend for yourself. This book provides enough hand knitting information to serve at least my modest needs for life. I recommend it to everyone from the beginner interested in learning to knit through the advanced knitter looking for a good reference book. I may give my father (who has been knitting for 30 years now) a copy for Christmas one of these years. |
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Stitch 'N Bitch |
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Recommended This fun, stylish book gives simple, concise instructions for knitting and then provides several straightforward projects to knit. It's perhaps not as thorough as Vogue Knitting, yet it's cheaper, and good fun. |
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These aren't books about any specific craft - they're about fashion in general. I include them because they may be useful in planning a wardrobe and generating ideas.
by Carole Jackson, Kalia LulowIt's refreshing to find an entire book about menswear. It's even more refreshing to find one that's actually good. I bumbled onto my copy of this in a used bookstore and wow, am I ever glad. This is the mens version of the bestselling book, "Color Me Beautiful," which showed millions of women how to color coordinate their wardrobes. (My aunt swears by their method for choosing her makeup.) This isn't a sewing book as such, but rather is a fundamental reference on how men should dress. Its principles can be strongly applied to sewing in regard to choosing fabrics and patterns that are appropriate for the wearer. (I do, however, disagree with its advice that men shouldn't wear print fabrics.)
Basically, the book begins by explaning how to place the subject into one of four color categories, named after the seasons. Then color charts are presented for each category, showing good colors for the subject to wear which can also be mixed and matched. Then the book talks in detail about how to create a basic wardrobe, and discusses in detail the elements of the basic mens business wardrobe - how to choose them, how to combine them, how to wear them. It even gives plausible advice about hairstyle. The tone is rather self-congratulatory and there are several heterocentrist remarks, which are unfortunate, but in the end I think the content more than makes up for it.
These books have been requested by readers. They'll be reviewed and moved into other categories as I get my hands on them. No recommendation status is listed as I have not yet reviewed these books.
