Customer Reviews

Sew Everything Workshop: The Complete Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide with 25 Fabulous Original Designs, Including 10 Patterns

5 star:		(114)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a thorough introduction for the complete beginner, with a hip feel and nice photography. This would be a great book for a teenager, or for someone who wants to start sewing Etsy-like craft items. People who already sew, but are largely self-taught, might also benefit from her overview of the basics, from the properties of different fabrics to the correct use of common tools. She also teaches good habits like caring for your machine and proper pattern cutting. The text is chatty (reminiscent of Stitch n' Bitch), and her instructions are clear, linear, and non-threatening. For example, I looked in three books to learn how to insert an invisible zipper, but her explanation was the winner.

She includes a dozen-odd patterns and leads you by the hand through each project. The projects are functional and done in cute fabrics and colors, such as hobo bags, a pencil skirt, and a scarf. That said, as a curvy 36 year old woman, I didn't want to actually make any of the garments. Since they're beginner styles, they're mostly boxy (the kimono wrap) or trendy (the juniors tank top); they don't include any curved darts for fitting difficult shapes. The oilcloth sewing machine cover was darling, but after glancing at the photo I was able to figure out how to make one on my own.

I ended up returning mine after reading the front part, because I just wasn't going to use the patterns and I've moved beyond the absolute basics. Still, I would definitely recommend it for the right audience!

BEST FOR: Teens and 20s, total beginners, craft sewing, project ideas, group sew-alongs.

I am an experienced veteran sewer and am teaching my daughter (13) and my niece (11) how to sew. This is their manual, I bought it for both of them. After years of complaining about there being NO good books that teach you to sew, finally Diana Rupp has written a fantastic book that sounds like a real person (who is hip and funny) is teaching you one on one. The projects are great and her lesson progression is brilliant...you just want to keep reading. The book is geared to adults who want to learn how to sew, I will need to work with my girls on some of the stuff, but I consider this THE HOW TO SEW BOOK for the world. Don't waste your money on any other sewing book--this is the one.

I can't recall ever having written an Amazon review. I have to for this book because it really is worth purchasing.

I've been sewing about 1.5 years. I've done reconstructions, baby quilt tops, and tote bags. From easy patterns I've done a couple of skirts and baby/little girl dresses. My goal is quality, of course, but also speed. The minute I saw S.E.W. I knew I had to have it. I happened to be in a bookstore with a friend and we agreed to exchange books, on the spot, as early Christmas gifts. I got S.E.W. and am glad I did. Not only are the projects cute and fashionable, but they're the kinds of things that leave room for the maker to add his or her own personal flourishes. They're stylish, yet classic pieces. Very interpretable.

I made the wrap skirt (in one night!) in brown corduroy. It turned out so well that I'm planning 2 more. My friend, who bought the book for me, is going to make one too.

No beginning pattern book is going to teach couture sewing, that's for an expanded skill set. The magic of Diana Rupp's approach is that someone with limited sewing experience can comfortably and confidently complete a great looking piece of clothing, a household item, a toy, etc. in a reasonable amount of time and while actually enjoying, rather than becoming frustrated by, the process.

Buy this book. You should.

I just started sewing a month ago and, as an adult male, I've found it impossible to find sewing books that focus on making men's clothes. Sew Everything Workshop is no exception, but it's a great book nonetheless. It's beautifully illustrated and has an urban (as opposed to suburban) sensibility, which as a New Yorker, I can really relate to. The clothes look like something you'd actually see a stylish person wear, rather than items you'd see on the racks in Walmart. I've made the "foxy boxers" pattern three times already and only wish there were a few more patterns in the book for men -- a bathing suit or a tee shirt, for example. I find myself buying my patterns on Etsy and Ebay -- vintage 70s stuff, which are the only things I can find that have silhouettes that look contemporary (to me) and hip.

Rupp is great for the beginner. She explained exactly what I needed to get started, how to organize a sewing area, and demystified the whole sewing process. She's very straightforward and has a great sense of humor along with a whole lot of style. I also bought the classic Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, but that's really a reference book -- I can't imagine teaching myself to sew with only that. S.E.W. you can actually read from cover to cover -- in fact, I recommend it. Every time I finish a project or think about a new one, I go back and re-read a chapter, now with a better understanding of how things work.

I highly recommend this book for the beginning sewer, male or female.

Start to finish, Sew Everthing Workshop is just plain good. Diana Rupp got so much so right! There are two parts to my review: the technical aspects (novices, don't be scared!) and the projects.

First, the tech stuff. She makes the nuts and bolts (or bobbins and pins) of sewing seem less mysterious, whether this is your first time sewing, or you picked up the book as a refresher, or you're very experienced and found the projects appealing. There will be something in the front part of the book for everyone to learn, regardless of your sewing level. I love that. Ms. Rupp covers everything from hand sewing to details of a machine needle. When she addresses sewing machine bobbins, she does a pictorial how-to from a variety of ages of machines, something I found personally helpful!

The book covers equipment and tools. She gives advice about what you need to start, and what you'll need as you continue. There's information about maintenance of your tools and your sewing machine. It's especially helpful in the section about the sewing machine needles: when to change, how to recognize faulty needles, and so forth. For your interest Ms. Rupp also covers the history of sewing machines; again, don't be turned off by what could potentially be a dry topic. She's conversational and fun! It's good stuff to know, and who knows? It might just come up in a game sometime. Impress your friends! ;-)

There is a section that discusses fabric, fiber content, choosing the correct fabric for your project, how much fabric to buy if you just can't leave the store without it but don't have a project for it yet, different weave structures, woven fabric compared to knit fabric and how that affects sewing and your project. All of these things are very important to sewing, and can be SO overwhelming! But the way Ms. Rupp writes, you feel as if she's right at your side with a friendly, reassuring voice. There's no project you can't handle without the instruction from the front part of this book.

The instruction compiled in the front of this book is so wonderfully comprehensive, I wish I would have had it way back when I first started sewing. I wish I would have had it in art school! Nevermind: I'm glad I have it NOW. This is a gem. I love this book. I will be contacting my former professors to recommend it as a first year textbook/handbook for Fiber majors. It really is that good.

So: the projects. To begin with, there are 25, a refreshing change from the oft-encountered 12-15 project books. Not only is she generous with the number of projects, Ms. Rupp provides 10 of the patterns with this book. (Working with and choosing patterns is also covered extensively in the front part of the book, by the way.) All of the projects are well described, easy to follow, and have both photographs and diagrams that guide the maker in executing the design. Measurements abound. There is a materials list, accompanied by a techniques list, with reference pages to the front section for help with these techniques. Also, not every project is intended for the beginner, which is a nice touch: this gives the rest of us something to do that's more on our level, but also gives the beginner something to work toward. And since these projects really are quite appealing, the beginner will want to learn all of these techniques, even if JUST to get to the point where he or she can make that Hobo Bag.

The sheer variety of projects is inspiring! It ranges from clothes (and within that category there are skirts and a pair of boxers and a nightie and a wrap sweater, among other things) to pillows to a plush toy to bags to other accessories. They are FUN projects! And the fabric, both used in the projects and scraps used as page borders, is so lush and visually yummy, it made me want to dive into my fabric stash and start measuring and cutting!

I hope whoever reads this review finds it helpful. I hope even more that, by reading Sew Everything Workshop, the maker will be helped for a lifetime of sewing.

Don't get me wrong; there is much about the Sew Everything Workshop that is worth checking out. The information is good and clearly explained, the techniques are solid and the writing style is fun. But even with all that, I felt that there was something lacking. Maybe it is me, but I'm still looking for a sewing book that really breaks down the nuts and bolts in a way that lets me put them back together into the things that I want to make. The deconstruction in this book just didn't do it for me. I'm keeping it as a desk reference, but I'll still be looking for something else.

I am 31 and never touched a sewing machine in my life. Thanks to this book I am sewing up a storm. It feels as though Diana is there with you talking you through the process. Very easy to read and full of useful information. A must read for all beginners!

I absolutely ADORE this book. It has all the desirable elements of a book for a beginning-to-novice sewer: spiral binding, clear and concise instructions on sewing basics, and patterns (ten of them!) to start you off. All this combined with Ms. Rupp's easygoing voice and approachable and fashionable projects makes S.E.W. practically required reading for any level sewer!

Not too long ago, when I lived in NYC, I took a sewing class at Ms. Rupp's Make Workshop in the Lower East Side. It was so much fun! Ms. Rupp's approachable attitude that she takes during class translates well in book form. It's like you're there in Make Workshop, hanging out and learning how to thread a machine and make a cute skirt. I'm glad that I have this book now that I have moved away from NYC and can no longer drop by the studio.

As mentioned before, the book includes about 10 patterns to start you off, ranging from easy (yoga pants) to difficult (knickers). I especially loved reading about Ms. Rupp's introduction, how she got into sewing and why she loves it. I also really appreciated the comprehensive sewing basics section, including the pictures of fabric swatches and explanations of different sewing tools. The pics of fabric swatches definitely makes it easier for me to visualize a project.

This book comes highly recommended! I know that I will be a reference book for me for a very long time. I hope that everyone else enjoys it and learns from it as much as I have.

I got my first sewing machine recently and have been trying to figure it out based on the manual, websites, and youtube how-to videos. NOTHING was detailed enough- not the drawings, the videos, or the text. People seem to assume you already know which direction a bobbin should go, or exactly where the thread is going when they say, "then through here and under here" as they thread a machine at the speed of light. I have no sewing friends and can't take a class for a few weeks, so I went to my local used bookstore to pick up a Sewing for Morons book. After sorting through all the New and Used books, I found myself poring over this one, taking notes and trying to memorize things. It was new and like 3 times more than I was planning on spending, but was SO MUCH BETTER than any other book that I realized I had get it, price be damned.

Rupp has bright color photographs, detailed diagrams, and really indepth explanations of sewing minutiae - all the stuff I'm sure I would have gotten from a class, or a crafty friend looking over my shoulder, but could not find from any book or site. After weeks of ruining cloth scraps, I happily wound bobbins, pinned cloth, and made my first little pillowcase last night! It even looks like it's supposed to. I've only had this book 24 hours, but I've already learned more than I have in the last 2 weeks. That said, I do wish I was more patient and could have gotten it from Amazon for less (it was almost 30 bucks), and the patterns it comes with look pretty lame to me (I'm not aiming to make my own clothes, and the garments she has are certainly not inspiring me), but I have not seen a better designed guide for the novice sewer than this book. So happy I have it!

My sewing experience was as a young child sitting by my grandmother's side as she would measure, pin, cut, sew and create - my mom and I had matching fabric outfits and I've pinned one of those pictures to my inspiration wall

Grandma doesn't sew anymore so I needed to find another resource and took the search very seriously, now I didn't buy this book on Amazon, I actually went to the store because I wanted to flip through the pages and see if this was the one. . .this IS the one!

Brilliantly written, enjoyable to read and my machine doesn't get here until Wednesday. Using this book I have been able to get organized, plan my first project, purchase my materials, prepare my fabric and cut my pattern. Thank you, thank you thank you Diana -

I cannot write as an experienced sewer, but as a beginner with a desire to sew and no clue where to start - Diana did the job.