Customer Reviews

Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing Book

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading a couple other sewing books and getting nowhere in my quest to teach myself to sew, this book answered all the questions I had as a beginner. I literally couldn't put it down because suddenly all the sewing, fabric and pattern jargon that had been rolling around in my brain suddenly made sense. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning reading it from cover to cover.

I've been sewing for over 30 years, & I still turn to this book as a way of either improving on old methods or simplifying them in some way. I've gotten books over the years that never seem to have my particular question. This book ALWAYS does. It is easy to understand, the illustrations are clear. It shows each method the "conventional" way AND the Overlock way. The section on fabrics is pretty good, although if you want a more comprehensive book, look for Sandra Betzina's book on Fabric Saavy. If I were learning to sew & could only have one book, I'd go with this one. I would highly recommend the Spiral binding as it lets the book lie flat--important if you're working while using it.

I used an earlier edition of this book back in school, in Home Ec class, and I used it 20 years later to teach my daughter sewing. I also used it myself, all the years in between.

I'm an advanced sewist, and I would recommend this book to anyone learning to sew, or who wants to improve their skills and knowledge. Its an excellent book, and the newer edition is just great. Its also a good reference for more experienced sewists to have on hand.

Emmy :)

I'm just learning how to sew and needed a full referenece since I haven't sewn since I was in 7th grade and forgot everything I may have learned. Lots of good pictures, explainations of techniques. Very straightforward.

I'm a 50-something male who's never sewn anything before, and I looked at many books before choosing this one. Easy reading; The text and illustrations are clear and assume the reader knows nothing. My local community college offers garment construction classes and uses this as the required textbook.
Be aware that there no longer is a coupon for a free pattern included, as indicated by other reviewers.

When my Simplicity book was on order from Amazon[.com], I went to the library and checked out the "Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing." Since I only want one basic reference on sewing, I want it to be the most comprehensive one. The Reader's Digest guide is, in my estimation, much more inclusive. I am more or less a beginner, and Readers Digest covers more techniques in better detail. It includes a fabric dictionary, in case a pattern recommends dimity and you don't know what that is. "Simplicity" seems to assume that you want to knock garments out in the least possible time, whereas I want to sew garments that have the best possible finish inside and out.
"Simplicity" does have some information that Reader's Digest does not--such as patternless projects and directions for sergers. On the other hand, the hand sewing techniques and fabric dictionary in Reader's Digest are things "Simplicity" doesn't have, and which I need. "Simplicity" is well-liked for its chatty style, but some might find that style more condescending than chatty.
My "Simplicity" book came shrink-wrapped, but did not include anything to get a free pattern.

Buy this book if you are beginner at sewing, and ONLY if you are interested in sewing clothing. Good self-teaching aide. I just expected more information on other than sewing basics, and was disapponted.

When I began sewing, I received this book and Sewing for Dummies. Over and over again I found myself turning to this book. It was much more comprehensive, where as Sewing for Dummies only included the most basic information. Even "beginners" patterns include instructions not covered in the Dummies book!

This book also has a very thorough index, something necessary in a reference book. The tone was conversational enough for you to read straight through before ever picking up a needle. In the back is a lovely section on "Easy Patternless Projects" that will help you gain confidence in your sewing and show you that your options aren't limited to the patterns available in the store. I gave it four stars rather than five because the clothing styles used throughout the book a little outdated and there could be more emphasis on non-fashion sewing, i.e. home accessories.