The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing (Singer) (ISBN 1589232267)

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

Worth owning but could be better:
I am a middle aged male whose last sewing class was in Jr. High. I have tried my hand on very small projects (pen holder, pillow), with no instruction and some success. That said, I'd guess I'm part of the target market for this book. Some reviewers say this book assumes you know how to sew, and since I have a machine, there is a little truth to that. The problem is, how many pages should a beginner book spend covering your machine? Well, if you are truly new then you need a lot of comparative information and really that's something you can only get through dealers and seamstresses/tailor's, because a lot of your questions are probably covered by the manual and are also a matter of personal preference. This book doesn't cover a lot of this area- but I don't count that against it. I suggest new sewers do what I just outlined (see dealer or seamstress/tailor and ask), read their manual if they already own a machine or go to the library and browse the sewing section. If you go into the process entirely blind you'll unneccessarily spend money on a lesser book covering basics that may be machine or user specific. That said, I bought this book hoping to get enough from it to actually sew a garment or project after reading it. I'd say your chances of that as a new sewer are not impossible but not great. The reason is the topics seem kind of rushed over and out of context. It's as if someone assembled a bunch of articles but didn't take the time to explain how each one interrelates to the next. The pictures are nice but there could be more. All in all I was disappointed with this book. Since I've bought this book I've had a chance to look at a few other books in the same category (luckily my library has a pretty good selection). In hindsight I think the much better book is the New Complete Guide to Sewing (Readers Digest). It covers a wider range of topics and puts it all together, which is very important if you're to make heads or tails out of the vast language of sewing. Best of luck to all new sewers out there!

The Best because it shows you:
Simply put, THIS is the best sewing book. I have many, and this one continually is the one I go to for reference. The pictures are large and explanations are clear. It is a compendium of the Singer series of books, and I also have many of the single subject books like "Sewing with a Serger" and "Sewing Essentials" but this book collects the various important topics in sewing and gives you a handy paperback for reference. Sturdily made, and lasting in application. At this price you can't miss.

Sewing Hlep:
This is a great book, it was just what I needed to help me, I am new at sewing and this book is alot of help.

Looks like a great resource:
Have only skimmed through this, but am looking forward to getting back into sewing with it after a 25 year hiatus! The instructions are very clear and the pictures are great.

I'd love to review it...I'd love to receive it:
Since I still have not received this item after weeks of waiting it is impossible to review it. I can say this, however, I will not be placing any further orders with this vendor.