Customer Reviews
Very old fashioned styles of clothes and not enough home accessories - By: P. Mowatt, 14 Apr 2008 
I was looking for a good all round sewing reference book with ideas of things to make for the home. This book has only a handful of home accessories - none of which i would want to make. The majority of the book is clothing which i found to be very dated styles. It does cover all the different sewing techniques though which is the only good thing.
Only if you need outdated outerwear - By: Sister Susie, 25 Dec 2007 
I would not recommend this book to anyone who wanted to sew modern up to date clothing. It seems to think that nobody wears underwear so simply excludes it entirely.
Dryin tone & presentation & completely lackingin inspiration & flair.
If you want to know the nuts & bolts of sewing outerwear, this is great, anything else, look elsewhere.
An excellent reference book - By: K. Turner, 18 May 2007 
Contrary to what other reviewers have said, I wouldn't recommend this book for total beginners - it assumes that you already know the basics of setting up & using a sewing machine, cutting out a pattern, pinning things together, etc. These things may sound obvious, but they certainly weren't to me at first! If you really are starting from scratch & would like a book that'll hold your hand with that sort of thing, this isn't the one for you yet. However, if you're already OK with the absolute basics (or aren't afraid to ask the internet!) & are looking to make the move from practising with cushion covers to making clothes, then this book is a must-have.
Although I can't imagine ever sitting down & reading the whole thing, I've found it absolutely invaluable for looking up particular techniques or bits of jargon when I'm dealing with less-than-clear patterns. The instructions & diagrams are clear & useful, & I particularly appreciate the alternative techniques that it suggests for certain fiddly or complicated bits. And it's not just good for sewing techniques - the book is full of other useful stuff, including a guide to different fabrics & what they are used for & a fantastic section on altering patterns to fit your shape.
Allin all, this book thoroughly deserves five stars. Admittedly, the sewing patterns that it comes with aren't much cop & you'll probably never need to use some sections, but the quality of the instructions & the thoroughness of the descriptive sections can't be beat. It's a great investment, & you'll be referring to this book for years to come.
Essential if you sew! - By: Rosie's overworked maid, 15 Jan 2007 I bought this as a reference after starting to sew again after a 15 year break. I can't rate this highly enough, it has everything beginners & more advanced dressmakers need, easy to understand & well illustated. Just perfect!
EXCELLENT - By: Mr. Mark P. Ackland, 15 Oct 2006 This complete guide is a must for any new or old sewer.
My wife was so pleased to get rid of her old book she has had for 18 years which was second hand to start off.
After 5 years gap from dress making, she has started again with the help of this book & already gainedin confidence.
Highly recommended.
