Sew Me! Sewing Basics: Simple Techniques and Projects for First-Time Sewers (Design Originals) Beginner-Friendly Easy-to-Follow Directions to Learn as You Sew, from Sewing Seams to Installing Zippers

by Choly Knight

Discover a creative new hobby and learn as you sew with Sew Me! Sewing Basics : If you've never threaded a needle or touched a sewing machine before, learning to sew may seem daunting... but it doesn't have to be! With Choly Knight's friendly and easy-to-follow directions, you'll soon be sewing with confidence, making repairs, and creating new garments from scratch. Sew Me! Sewing Basics is the perfect book for anyone who wants get started in the craft, or just needs a quick refresher course on sewing. Choly starts at the very beginning, showing you how to choose your first sewing machine and introducing the most basic techniques and shortcuts. From cutting patterns and sewing seams to binding edges, gathering fabric and installing zippers, each new skill is accompanied by a quick practice exercise to try, allowing you to learn as you sew. 15 simple and straightforward projects are provided for sewing fun accessories from plushies and pincushions to placemats, hand towels, hats and more. Start enjoying a wonderful form of individual expression that will save you money and provide a terrific sense of accomplishment!

Genres: Sewing, Crafts, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strongly, strongly recommended to anyone who wants to learn how to sew! Instructions are easy to follow and to understand, and the author really introduced everything step by step. If you've never touched a sewing machine in your life, don't be dismayed! This book explained everything really well. I really LOVED the fabric chart on p. 24, it listed all the main fabrics used in sewing and separated them all in their respectful weighted groups, as well as highlighting the pros and cons of each, and their most popular usages. Definitely a chart I will want to refer to again in future!

The projects are really basic and straightforward, and more a guideline to show you what to do than an inspiration for pretty patterns (I'm a vintage-fabric-springtime-flowers-shabby-chic-and-lace-all-the-way type of gal so the projects lacked a little girly girl for me, but they're really great to get you started).

Overall a really good sewing guide, and I will probably want to check it out from the library to refer to it again!

[June Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to sewing for beginners who want to begin their sewing journey with a knowledgeable author whose warm feeling tone is encouraging and supportive!

Excellent photography and stepped-out instructions for a variety of appealing projects presented in the book.

I borrowed this book from our local public library.

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[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I didn’t go rogue on first project because I didn’t understand the instructions, I’d rated it higher. But I went rogue and after discovering that my dyspraxia doesn’t allow me to use the Machine especially when I’m frustrated, only the patterns are interesting to me, techniques not so much.

[Astrid Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent combination of explanation of sewing techniques and approachable projects to apply knowledge.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone with limited sewing experience, this was a great read. The author assumes no prior experience, so for me this was a great way to start my newest sewing project by brushing up on topics I had tried before but forgotten; I also learned a few techniques that I haven’t yet attempted. The book offers a brief introduction to sewing basics then jumps right into project activities so the reader has a chance to practice their newly learned skills. I did not do any of the suggested projects but appreciated reading through the explanations to get an idea of how the concepts worked on a real object. The projects were youthful in nature and geared towards a teenager or young adult audience—plush kitties and cuff bracelets, for instance. The only sections which left me a little disappointed were the zipper and working with knits sections, which I personally could have used much more explanation with.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is designed for first-time sewists and contains a variety of project designed to build your skills. The projects are all easily done, provided you work your way directly through the book. Color photos and slick pages make this book attractive as well as useful. Recommended.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I wish I'd had this book when I was learning to sew. It gives everything from how & why to adjust the tension on your machine to relatively complicated projects like making a wallet.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basic intro, not overwhelming. Some cute projects, and some fairly weird ones, too.

[Katie Bruell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great step-by-step directions for things other books assume you already know.