Sewing for Dummies [Paperback]

Jan Saunders Maresh (Author)

Book Description

Series: --for Dummies | Publication Date: July 28, 1999

Sewing is fun, relaxing, and tremendously rewarding. It feels great when you sit down and sew something together (and are tickled with the results)! Besides the fun and satisfaction you get out of sewing, this wonderful hobby can also save you money. You can make your clothes last longer when you stitch up your own hems, repair split seams, and sew on those loose buttons. You can save even more money by making your own home décor projects, such as curtains and pillows.

Sewing For Dummies is a book for both absolute beginners and experienced sewers. If you're a stone-cold beginner, you'll find explanations of all the tools and skills necessary for beginning-level projects. If you've had some experience with sewing, you'll benefit from the tips and tricks that might otherwise take years to pick up.

Whether you're quilting, embroidering, mending, or constructing a project, you'll need to know some sewing basics to get you through your projects. Sewing For Dummies covers all the important sewing fundamentals such as:

• Mastering hand stitches and machine stitches
• Reading a sewing pattern
• Sewing sensational seams
• Hemming a variety of fabrics
• Shaping garments with darts, tucks, and pleats
• Installing zippers, buttons, and other fasteners
• Negotiating sleeves and pockets
• Working with home décor fabrics
• Adjusting projects for better fit and function

Once you've explored the basic techniques, you'll be ready to start some easy sewing projects. This friendly book will guide you through the following projects, and more, with confidence:

• Children's costumes
• Tablecloth and place mats
• Duvet cover
• Fleece scarf, hat, and jacket ensemble
• Teddy bear
• Window treatments
• Creative pillows

Fabric touches almost everything in a person's daily life. Children cuddle up with pillows and soft toys and dress up in costumes for fun. People wear clothing to be comfortable, stay warm, and to be fashionable. People also appreciate and admire handmade heirlooms. When you finish your projects, wear them with pride, play in them, admire your work, and hand them down to your loved ones.

Editorial Reviews

Review

&covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format& -- Ideal Home, February 2003

“…covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format…”(Ideal Home, February 2003)

“…covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format…”(Ideal Home, February 2003)

&covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format& -- Ideal Home, February 2003“…covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format…”(Ideal Home, February 2003) “…covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format…”

Review

&covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format& -- Ideal Home, February 2003“…covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format…”(Ideal Home, February 2003) “…covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format…”

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (July 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076455137X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764551376
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #981,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jan Saunders Maresh is a nationally known sewing instructor, educator and journalist, and has worked as the education director for Viking Sewing Machine Company and as the director of consumer education for JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts. She is the bestselling author of 13 sewing books and a frequent guest on national sewing TV shows.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

278 of 281 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Learn how to sew the easy way., June 29, 2004

By 

M. E. Volmar - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sewing for Dummies (Paperback)

Knowing nothing at all about sewing, when I first set out to master the craft I went straight to the big-name references (Singer books and the like) only to find either huge guides overloaded with incomprehensible technical information and impractical advice, or beautifully illustrated books with little or no instructions. I was about to give up the teach-yourself-idea and enroll in some very expensive classes when I chanced upon this book. Amazingly by the time it took me to finish studying it (less than a month) I had not only learned to sew, but had also completed several Halloween costumes that earned the praise and admiration of friends and family.
Written in the friendly Dummies style, illustrated with over 200 pictures, drawings, step-by-step diagrams, humorous icon guides and even hilarious cartoons, this book covers all the fundamentals of sewing from general information for beginners to tips and tricks for experienced sewers.
Through simple, yet detailed, fully cross-referenced, clearly written explanations in plain English, and using proper, well-defined terminology, this reference contains all the basics. It includes assembling a sewing kit; selecting fabrics and threads; understanding and using patterns; working with hems, sleeves, pockets, collars, and closures; sewing for the home; and making repairs and alterations. It also offers some projects to test your acquired knowledge and progress, an appendix listing wonderful sewing resources in the US and on the Web, and a very thorough index for quick check-ups and specific consultations.
Although the author could have been a bit more generous with the step-by-step diagrams, which are barely enough to get you through the instructions, and the projects could have been a bit more attractive, even if that meant sacrificing some of their simplicity, this fun to read, informative guide is still in my mind the best how-to reference available on the fundamentals of sewing, especially for those with no prior experience. The excellent instruction and practical tools and advice presented in this volume are well worth the price.
Also recommended: The Complete Book of Sewing: A Practical Step-By-Step Guide to Every Technique by Chris Jefferys.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar

159 of 165 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not very thorough, December 28, 2002

By 

Sara G. (Mamou, LA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sewing for Dummies (Paperback)

I received this book along with another, Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing Book. As I began to work on my first project, I found myself turning more and more often to the Simplicity book. My pattern called for several techniques that were not described in Sewing for Dummies at all. For instance, the section on darts only covers one kind of dart. My pattern included a curved dart, but I didn't even realize it until I consulted the Simplicity book. Also, I needed to "ease the hem." Sewing for Dummies does not describe what "ease" means, nore does it say how to do it or what the ease-stitch is.

I'm glad I had the other book to compare it too, or I may have never realized how much information is missing from this one.

135 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for beginners, December 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sewing for Dummies (Paperback)

If you are a true beginner, this book lacks sufficient pictures and diagrams. Written instructions are pretty good. This book runs the gamut from home decor, craft projects, and any type of clothing you'd ever want to wear.