Teach Yourself Visually: Sewing

I am very much a novice seamstress. I used to participate in a Civil WarI am very much a novice seamstress. I used to participate in a Civil War Reenactment troupe, resulting in me needing to learn how to create period-correct clothing (or pay the exorbitant fees for clothes from specialty vendors). After buying a sewing machine (see the review for my current machine here), I have primarily learned how to sew through trial and error.In an attempt to earn extra cash, I decided to make doll clothes to sell at the county fair. After breaking out my sewing machine, acquiring cloth, notions, and various embellishments, I made a doll skirt. At that point I realized just how rusty I was- I don't think I could've made a more crooked seam if I tried. I immediately logged onto Amazon and made use of my Amazon Prime membership: within two days I held my copy of Teach Yourself Visually Sewing.Allow me to explain the reason behind my purchase. I am very much a visual learner; reading a paragraph of instructions without pictures (or even minimal pictures that may not necessarily cover every step) renders me down to the learning function of a monkey attempting calculus.After reading other customer's praise for this book, I clicked the button to purchase it.I cannot begin to explain adequately just how great this book is. I learned more about sewing within a half hour of reading than I learned over the past six years.Debbie Colgrove's writing style is very informative while remaining simplistic (a sewing pun!). This is not to say that she writes as though the reader is an idiot, rather, she takes the time to explain concepts without cluttering up the book with sewing terminology. Too many other teaching books make the assumption that people know the "lingo" for their topic; Ms. Colgrove will only do this after she has defined each word she introduces.The pictures within the book are also excellent. For each lesson, there are step-by-step photographs which clearly show what you should be doing with your fabric. The accompanying sentences for each picture are concise and well-written, which enabled me to learn new sewing techniques quickly and easily.In addition to providing step-by-step instructions for various sewing techniques (basting, flat-felled seams, French seams, & etc.), Teach Yourself Visually Sewing also explains what I term your craft-specific "knowledge base". What this means is she takes the time to show the reader how to read patterns, how to properly cut cloth, the difference between types of cloth and thread, and much, much more. In short, this is like explaining the why for a what. Not only do I now know which needle to use for heavier fabrics, I also know why you need to use that needle. By teaching the reader the "why's" for everything, you will be more likely to retain what you have read.The book also includes several projects that you can attempt, ranging from a novice skill level to much more advanced. The patterns include things such as a hostess apron, pillows, a receiving blanket, a table runner, and more. Each project is also illustrated to ensure that you are completing each step successfully.The Final WordTeach Yourself Visually Sewing is an indispensable tool for any skill level. The information contained within this book will have you sewing straighter seams, cutting cleaner lines, and more, within a matter of hours. I will even go so far as to say that every sewing aficionado should have this book in their arsenal as a reference material (again with the sewing puns!); I feel that there may be no equal.This book, to my opinion, is better than even the "Idiot's Guide" and "For Dummies" line of books. With those series, there are not many pictures and simply a lot of text trying to teach you [sometimes] really complicated concepts. Teach Yourself Visually Sewing provides clear, full-color photographs and wonderful written explanations for each.In short, if you are serious about learning to sew, have sewing as a hobby, or only sew when you need to replace a button, this book is a must-have. Like me, you will find yourself consulting the book frequently to ensure that you are doing everything correctly, or to brush up on a step. This book is simply the best value for your money!

It is a book that has been proven as great learning tool for my granddaughter with her new experiences in sewing....and it is often used as a reminder of those things I already know, but with the years might not remember at the moment. I bought this in conjunction with Sewing Visual Quick Tips and would recommend both highly.

I have sewn most of my life and was hoping to pass some sewing knowledge to my daughter. Since I don't claim to be any great expert on all aspects of sewing, I thought she would benefit from a good sewing book. This book does cover many things, more so than some books, but I found some of the explanations too short for a beginner and many of the pictures are hard to see due to fabric and thread color choice. I had to reread some of the instructions more than once to understand what was being explained and I already know something about these things. Since my daughter is old enough to use this book on her own, I feel although it may be a decent reference, it is not the perfect book to learn by. I'll keep looking.

This works great for me. I can get more out of seeing what something should look rather than reading instructions. I'm thrilled to have this book, it's a real time saver and helps me remember things I learned a long time ago. Highly recommend.

Not the instruction book I hoped it would be. Hasn't helped me at all

It covers all the basics I needed for resuming the hobby of sewing after being away from it for years.

Great book for any aspiring seamstress. I purchased this so I could teach a young lady how to sew with simple instructions.

This was a gift for my daughter-in-law, who had never sewed before. The visual style of teaching was great for her and she loved the book.

Like all the books in this series the photos are too small. Worth picking up however. YMMV. Good for beginners.