Sewing 101: A Beginner's Guide to Sewing

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.


Before this book, I thought I'd never learn to sew   February 3, 2003
 212 out of 213 found this review helpful

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.


Learn to sew in a day...   February 28, 2005
 47 out of 48 found this review helpful

I ordered the Sewing 101 and Home Decor Sewing 101, and highly recommend both. I received a sewing machine for my birthday, had no idea how to use it, but really wanted to learn to sew. So, I ordered these two books, and let me tell you, they are wonderful! I read both books the day I received them, went and purchased fabric and notions the next day, and thanks to these books, was sewing in no time. These are great for the person who has never sewn or even seen a sewing machine up close before receiving one. I am so glad I purchased these. There are great practical home decor items in both books, which is exactly what I was wanting to learn how to make since the selection in stores is so poor. Now I can make my own custom items, and they will be much better quality than the overpriced, unattractive items I always find in the stores. If you know someone who wants to learn how to sew, but doesn't have the time to go to a store for lessons, or they don't have anyone to teach them, these would be the perfect gift!


A Big Help!   February 1, 2003
 47 out of 49 found this review helpful

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.


Essential for a novice   July 28, 2004
 33 out of 33 found this review helpful

Sewing 101 is an excellent reference for the beginner. After buying my sewing machine on Amazon last week, I was still confused as to how to get started sewing even after sorting through the machine's manual and instructional video. This book has given me the confidence to get started! This book starts with the basic concepts (needle types, threading needles, winding bobbins, adjusting tension, stitch types), explains sewing lingo (selvage, backstitch,etc.), and has lots of hints, tips, and explanations to get you sewing. Even though the first portion of the book is devoted to sewing basics, the majority of the book consists of projects to help you learn different sewing techniques. These projects become more advanced as you progress through the book. The projects are divided into projects for the home and for clothes making. Personally, I will be doing home decor sewing so this book was great...other books I perused seemed to concentrate primarily on clothes making. I would definitely recommend this book for those just starting out sewing!