Customer Reviews

Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing - Revised + Expanded Edition: 1200 Full-Color How-To Photos

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you purchase this book, be aware that is was published under another name, "Singer Sewing Step by Step" in the early 90's. I'm glad that I checked it out of the library before purchasing, because I already own the other book...yes, it has some decent photos, but I would be cautious in recommending this to a beginner, as I was when I purchased the older version. Construction techniques are not thoroughly explained, usually only one or two pages of photos are devoted to any one technique (collars, sleeves, etc.). Personally, I was very frustrated by this. One would be better off using this as a complement to another book, such as the Readers Digest guide to sewing or the Vogue sewing book, both of which are excellent resources but lacking in photo illustrations. The book is a bit dated, too, but if you can get past that, it is not too bad.

I'm a beginning sewer (*very* beginning) and I purchased this book to help me with all the things patterns don't explain. Some sections have been extremely helpful (zippers, hems) and some are disappointing (sleeves, collars.) In general, the big problem is that a technique that needs 5-10 pictures (including the finished product!) has only 2-3 photos of critical steps. Those are useful, but I often find myself struggling to imagine what they're trying to accomplish. I'm not aware of a better illustrated guide, so I'm still glad I purchased this book. As far as I can tell sewing is a lot like writing code -- you just have to screw it up by yourself in order to learn much. Maybe if I ever master one of the trickier things in the book, I'll videotape it and put the video on the web. ;-)

I am a sewing teacher for adults. This is the book I recommend to my students as an adjunct to the class. The photos are excellent and nearly everything is included. Several of the reviews said you can't learn to sew from the book. Learning to sew or expanding your knowledge of sewing demands guidance from an instructor or other experienced person plus good printed references, too. To me, this is the best all around basic book in print today. It can always be supplemented with specialty texts and fliers available at fabric shops. Of course, if you already own the Singer specialty books this one will be a repeat and not as good for your needs.

This book was too cool. I am one of those people that work by picture. Read the instruction's later. And does this book have picture's. They are in color and magnified. It touches on almost all aspect's of sewing. The section I needed most was constructing a tailored notched collar. Thank You Singer! It was in this book. To go with this book I also bought The Vogue Sewing book. They work great together. Buy them both.

It is a compilation of excerpts from the other titles in the Singer Sewing Reference Library. Since I have those books, this book just repeated (exact same text & pictures) information that I already have, only, as I said, not as complete, because they're just excerpts. I highly recommend the individual books in the Singer Series, which are much more informative, but I can't recommend this rehash. Also, I feel that the description should mention somewhere that the book is excerpted from other books, because then I would have known not to buy it.

I bought this book with the idea that I could actually learn to sew by reading it. Not so. The book is a fine reference book with great pictures, but it is not for those of us whose greatest sewing accomplishments to date is figuring out how to turn the sewing machine on.

I've been a beginner sewer for many years. That is, I didn't know how to build on my basic skills to make more complex projects. Now that I've read this book, I look forward to trying new techniques and expand on my skills base. The book can be used as a reference, or read all at once for solutions to problems you didn't even know you had. I highly recommend it for people who have had a few lessons, but are looking for more information that you just don't get on commercial pattern instructions.

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!

This is a great reference book whether you are a novice or experienced sewer. This book is actually a compilation of other more specific Singer Reference Library books. You can get professional results with simple techniques. It includes techniques for both, serger and conventional sewing machine. It is designed specifically for Singer equipment. You would have to adapt some of the information if you own a sewing machine of a different brand.

It includes step by step projects with pictures.

I really recommend this book as a reference and informative source.

I've played around with sewing projects in the past but never been taught proper sewing techniques. I know how to use a machine and I know how to sew a straight line, but not how to do a pleat or dart. I was hoping to find a book which would provide instructions on the basics of sewing as well as more intermediate techniques. This seemed to focus more on the intermediate.

The instructions seemed to be missing detail to me. For instance, one how-to instructs you to perform a staystitch, but I don't know what that is and it isn't covered in the book. The book does have a handy section on stitches, but it's for a serger machine. There were certainly some good hints in the book (and hopefully I'll be better equipped to use it one day), but if you are a beginner, I wouldn't recommend this book.