Singer, The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing

A guide to machine sewing covers patterns, seams, darts, gathers, hems, tailoring, and fabric selection

This is the revised and expanded edition. It just came out in January. I love this book. The photos are awesome. It helped me understand all the parts of a zipper. I didn't know how to put a zipper in until this book. And it's because of the pictures. I am constantly going to this book to look up techniques. It's a must have. I look foward to using it more and more in the future. --Pattern review dot ocm

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;This really is a *complete* guide - this book covers dozens of different topics, with large, well-thought out colour photos on every page, showing each step. The book deals exclusively with machine sewing techniques, (and assumes you have a Singer electric machine - not that this makes any difference) and has some discussion of "serger" (overlocking-machine) techniques for the really serious dressmakers. It really covers everything: the best stitches to use for different types of materials; how to understand paper patterns; a step-by-step photo guide for sewing in several different zips (I didn't know there WAS more than one type of zip!), many many different forms of seam-sewing, plus when and how to use them; tips on dealing with interfacing and the advanced forms of tailoring; why ironing helps; detailed instructions on making alterations, and how to adapt patterns to fit non-standard body types, and whole sction on tips for sewing children's clothing. Then there's a large section of 'projects' to follow, such as making complicated cushions, curtains and tie-backs, roman blinds, roll-up blinds, ruffle blinds and even table napkins. Phew! --Sewing World;It is refreshing to use a book with many clear photographic images to follow instructions - Often descriptions are good but can leave you still unsure of exactly what you are supposed to be doing - from the photographs enclosed in the book - you are completly sure and this enables you to become highly confident (in this case pictures are deffinatly better than words !)- I have only just purchased a sewing machine and this book and I am now well on the way to stitching up everything in site confident that any questions I have can quickly be remedied in this fantastic book ! Excellent !! --Sew Today--I'm an average dressmaker, with all of my skills learned the hard way by trial and error. The worst thing I find is trying to understand the text of printed dressmaking patterns - is it just me, or are there a lot of us out there who suffer from dressmaker's dyslexia? This book lives up to its title - there are photos of every technique you could ever wish to use, with step by step photos to make sure you don't get it wrong. How I wish I'd had a copy of this when I started dressmaking! --dressmaker blog

With over 300 pages, this is a truly comprehensive tome, and certain to help you through any sewing tasks you might want to tackle. It's full-colour, meaning every step is crystal clear, and it goes into detail about each subject without being overwhelming - for eaample, fabric types are fully explored, starting with checking the grain. Virtually every household task is covered form adding tailored hems to clothing to re-covering a futon. A solid introductory section will also leave you fully grounded in the basics of machine stitching. --The Essential Guide to Sewing, November, 2009

I am a sewing teacher for adults. This is the book I recommend to my students as an adjunct to the class. The photos are excellent and nearly everything is included. Several of the reviews said you can't learn to sew from the book. Learning to sew or expanding your knowledge of sewing demands guidance from an instructor or other experienced person plus good printed references, too. To me, this is the best all around basic book in print today. It can always be supplemented with specialty texts and fliers available at fabric shops. Of course, if you already own the Singer specialty books this one will be a repeat and not as good for your needs. --patternreview dot com, Oct, 2009