Customer Reviews

Sew Fast Sew Easy: All You Need to Know When You Start to Sew

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a good book for a beginner if you have no previous sewing skills and would like to get a jump start on sewing.The best part is that it comes with 3 patterns and directions for sewing them.This is mostly what the book is about.There is a section at the front about tools and fabric and also the basic parts of the sewing machine,but most of the book is directions for using the patterns included.I guess that's what all beginners need to get right in there and start sewing something/anything to get your feet wet.I really liked this book and the patterns are cute, they include an envelope pillow cover,a tote bag and a skirt.Good book

This book is designed for anyone who has NO experience in sewing. It has very basic information and 3 starter projects--a skirt in 2 lengths, a tote bag, and a pillow in 2 sizes with trim options.
I purchased this book to help teach my 20 yo daughter how to follow patterns. She has taught herself and makes items, but doesn't know traditional sewing techniques or how to use patterns. There was useful information in this book, but once you have worked through the projects, it's usefulness is limited.
This book does include the patterns, on traditional pattern tissue paper, right with it. This is extremely helpful to a beginner, who won't have to try to find patterns with features they won't even know. The instruction is useful, with minimal places of confusion. Better explanation of the type of materials that would work for each project might have been useful too.
In other reviews there were comments about the accuracy of the instruction. One person commented about the stitch length. I own 5 sewing machines, and there seems to be two different numerical scales used on them for determining this. This book points out what seems to be used on more of the newer machines. There are a couple of other things like this in the book--it would have been nice to explain both ways. A beginner, I would assume, would might be confused by this.
Otherwise, a great book with projects that aren't out dated. Just remember, this probably won't be useful as a reference book a year from now.
All in all, I do think this is a great book for good beginner projects. If you have any useful sewing experience, you might think this book is too basic.

I bought this book for my daughter and she has taken to sewing extremely fast. She's so proud of what she makes. Her enthusiasm for sewing now is almost too much for me to keep up with. This book was was easy for her to understand and the illustrations were very clear. She's been playing around with reconstructing her clothes so I'm thinking of getting her the Rip It book as well. I'm happy to see her involved in a positive hobby that she truly enjoys and gets satisfaction from.

I'm new to sewing and bought this book based on the reviews. The problem with this book is that there's no real photographs of the finished product. As a novice, a real picture of the end result would help to understand what I am making.

This was the first book that I owned as a beginning sewer. I made the throw pillows twice and was surprised at how small they were. I would need two on each end of the couch to achieve a balanced look.

I thought that the instructions could have been more detailed - I had trouble applying the piping to the pillow based on the illustrations provided.

Of all the sewing books I've purchased since "Sew Fast, Sew Easy," I'd say that this one is one that I regret the most. I recommend S.E.W. Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp. It contains better instructions, more projects and more general information about sewing.

The only mistake that I made in purchasing this book was that I bought it after I had spent money on other, more complicated, books marketed towards the beginning sewer. If you have literally NO prior experience, cannot decipher a "selvage" from a "crosswise grain", buy this book. It is elementary in its explanation and directions, without being condescending. It is full of tips and suggestions that I found no where else, and as an added bonus-it includes 3 ready to use patterns! Trust me and buy this book FIRST! Sewing can be frustrating to the novice, and intimidating, with all of the jargon and precision that is involved. You will be very satisfied with your purchase!

very easy, simple instructions. i've been sewing with a machine for years, but never used a pattern. this book explains in depth the steps to completing your project from beginning to end using the paterns included in the book. everything came out very excellent, very pleased. NOTE: For first time pattern users/sewers ONLY... if your more experienced you might find this to be a little basic. but the sewing patterns alone are worth the price of the book, and like i said, they come out great.

My mom recently bought me a sewing machine as a gift, and I had no clue how to use it. I leafed through a lot of sewing books trying to decide which one to buy; most of them were much thicker than this one, and filled with advanced techniques that I wasn't ready for. This book actually takes you through the process of threading the machine, explains basics about fabric, tools, taking body measurements and gives you a list of essentials to buy for your sewing kit.

The best part for me was that it's goal-oriented. SFSE comes with 3 patterns for a pillow cover, tote bag and skirt. Each project has step-by-step directions and great diagrams. The projects get more difficult as you go, so you learn more and more with each project.

If you want a sewing book that will actually teach you how to sew (vs. a reference manual) this is the one. This would also make a great gift--the book design is really cute!

I am really surprised that this book has so many positive reviews because I am usually very satisfied with any product I get based to user reviews. The overall concept of the book is really great, but it doesn't give very good direction. The idea is to get your feet wet and learn all the basic sewing concepts by doing three projects, but the projects are not described very well at all. I found myself reading the instructions multiple times and as other reviewers have stated, the pictures were pretty useless. Also, the patterns that I received were not complete; they were not the same as in the pictures and that made it very difficult to determine if I was doing things correctly. Basically, for a beginner, the directions for completing the projects needed to be much more comprehensive and descriptive.

I am completely new to sewing, so new that I had no idea how to cut out a pattern. I found a few videos on YouTube that explained how to pin the pattern to the fabric and then start cutting. Anyway, the good things about the book are that it's a very quick read because it's so small, and it does cover most of the basics like getting to know your sewing machine. However, I would recommend Sewing 101 in addition to or instead of this book, as it explains how to lay out the fabric and how to cut, etc. Sewing 101 and Home Decor Sewing 101 have better photos and illustrations of the different steps in making an item, i.e. a pillow or a shower curtain or whatever, and I appreciate the detailed step-by-step illustrations that these books provide.