Sewing For Dummies

by Jan Saunders Maresh

The most complete guide to sewing basics People are always looking for ways to cut expenses and be creative and stylish at the same time. Learning to sew is a great way to arm yourself with the skills to repair and create clothing and furnishings for yourself and your family for little to no cost. But learning how to sew and how to choose the tools and supplies to begin sewing can be confusing.

Now, you can turn to this hands-on, friendly guide for the most up-to-date information, the best techniques, and fun projects for learning (or brushing up on) the art of sewing.

Easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step illustrations make it easier to learn Fresh new patterns, projects, stitches, and techniques for fashion and the home Budget-conscious tips for breathing new life into existing garments Complete with a section on common sewing mistakes and how to avoid them, Sewing For Dummies, 3rd edition gives you the confidence and know-how to sew like a pro.

Genres: Sewing, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, How To, Fashion, Self Help

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 1999

About the author

Author of many books on sewing techniques.

Earlier books published as Jan Saunders and Janice S. Saunders.

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the "dummy" books, then you will like this one. I know very little about sewing so I checked out this book from the library and I have to say I was very overwhelmed. The book is packed with a lot of infomation; almost too much for a beginner to process. If you are a beginner, I would suggest purchasing the book for future reference and only read the basics at first. A DVD would have been lovely as I prefer to watch sewing techniques, than look at hand drawn pictures.

[Beckstarr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to understand, and plenty in depth when you really want to figure out a technique. Projects are way outdated, though.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this book is more of a trusty sidekick than a sit-down read. It’s packed with so much info you kind of want to salute Jan and say “respect,” but there’s just no universe where you’re absorbing all of it in order. Still, I’m logging it, because my initial skim absolutely rescued me from a few real-time sewing crises.

I didn’t suddenly become a sewing prodigy, but I do feel slightly less like a person threatening my machine with a pair of scissors.

This one is for beginner to intermediate sewists who want something more solid than YouTube to cheer them on while they wrangle thread. Would recommend buying a physical copy for sure.

[CraftyBirdies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really does start from the basics, which is totally what I need. This is the first 'for dummies' book I have read and I have to say, I'm a fan. It starts with describing all the tools and the basics like pinning a pattern to the fabric and how to cut the material, etc. So for those of you who have been sewing for awhile, you may not appreciate this like I did. It does have some tips and warnings that you may find interesting, but probably not worth purchasing.

I, on the other hand, got this at the library and liked it so much I am going to buy it. And as a librarian, it takes a lot for me to buy a book. They have practice projects too and include various projects besides clothes including items for your home, hand made cards, etc. I like the variety and would recommend it to any starter!

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that there are no photos, just hand drawings, and not a ton of those. I looked at another book that had so many photo instructions that was helpful to see orientation of the fabric, layouts, etc. I love photos so personally I only gave it 4 stars. But still totally purchase-worthy!

[Joe Michalak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsurprisingly, given the series that this book comes from, this book provides a great overview of sewing techniques from having no skills to some fairly tactical aspects of garment making. (The book also has a whole section on sewing for home decor purposes, but admittedly I am much less interested in that part). A particularly helpful addition to each chapter is the inclusion of several basic projects to work on the skills and techniques covered in that particular chapter.

The book provides several useful hints for making some of the "fine motor skills" portions of sewing much easier. This isn't a knock against the book, but do plan to suppliment the book with lots of practice and youtube videos - or if your fine motor skills are similar to mine, classes.

That said, it is a great introduction to sewing, and provides great direction to get you up and running with ideas for practice and projects.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit that I did not read this book cover to cover. It was a great primer to get me started with sewing, and it will serve as a handy first-reference book as I continue. I did go through the first few chapters that serve as a good foundation for basic sewing. I learned a lot -- like about different fabrics, interfacing, pinking shears, parts of the sewing machine, etc. Useful and practical, though at times a bit of an overload of information for sewing newbies. The hard copy definitely would have been an easier read; the e-copy, less so, since it's more of a reference book.

[Chrissy Shea Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reference book with every detail covered, from things as simple as needles and thread to actual sewing from patterns (easy to difficult; straight line vs complicated). Practice projects and examples are included. I just need some fabric now to make something besides masks I made from old jeans! 😷

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book for beginner sewers although it could have more pictures when describing items especially components. For experienced persons, it is more of a "could of looked that up on the internet and answered that question easier". There are definitely gaps in my knowledge from learning by "hook or crook" and a one semester sewing project 50 years ago in high school home economics.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a good book for the first time sewer. The first half is devoted to the sewing basics. The second half is filled with tips and tricks for improving the look of your house and your clothing, including reaparing.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t finish. Too much writing. Not enough pictures. Also the hand drawn photos made it more confusing to understand the tutorials. Prefer photos. In fact video clips would be the best way to understand the instructions on how to sew

[Sarah Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im definitely a Dummy lol

I'm about as a beginner as a beginner can get. In fact while in girl guides, I only got my sewing badge as long as I promised to never sew ever again! But with this book, I'm actually making progress!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

[CybercrrEDU · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually a really good book for beginners. This whole series actually does a really good job at giving novice and beginner and even intermediate learners relevant information. I highly suggest this series as a starting point for any subject.

[Bree Van de Cvnt]

the author may be good in sewing but not in writing sewing for dummies. most beginners would not touch a sewing machine if they try to read this as a guide. this needed more illustrations to make sense of what the author was trying to say and less useless unfunny anecdotes.

[Nancy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative.

[Michael Romeo Talks Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first disappointment from the For Dummies series. I learned more from a handful of YouTube videos than I did from this book.

[Mac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hardly anything in this book to teach you hand sewing :(
Super disappointed

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and very informative book. It gave me a lot of helpful tips and contained easy-to-follow instructions. The book would be even better if more pictures were attached.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really great on basic techniques and terminology. Some of the how-to's for things like lengthening the rise of pants, etc are very helpful. But most of the projects are weird, tacky, 80's crap. I would have preferred less of an emphasis on sewing for home decoration purposes. That said, it's a good reference book while learning to sew.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sewing for Dummies is a typical "For Dummies" book. It has everything for the sew-er; from Beginner to Expert.

It has information on everything from how to repair a button to how to make furniture covers.

Even if you already know a lot about sewing, it's a good reference tool to have on your bookshelf.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the pictures are a little unclear at times but this books fits the bill as a good beginners book and a refresher course/reference book for people who are out of practice. I read the relevant parts but I'm sure this will be a valuable tool to me for some time.

[Hope · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love the "Dummy" books. But this one needs more illustrations to make the points clearer. Also, I am personally not that interested in garment sewing, so most of the book was irrelevant. Also, the pictures that are included in the center section seem very ... welll... dated...

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a complete beginner, I found it very helpful. Things were explained in a way I understood, and while I probably wouldn't make any of the projects, it was an immediate help on the projects I am currently working on.

[Dawn Salyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

good technical advice, maybe not as detailed as it could be for a beginner. Wanted more info on alterations.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing reference book. I consult it nearly every time I do a project.

[Amanda and tony schmidt]

I really need this book

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually a really fantastic book, and pretty much all you need (in addition to supplies) to get started sewing.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A- Really informative and useful for new sewers; however, I wish some sewing books were written by people under 95 years old.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

i learned lots about sewing from this book!!!

[Amy Senter · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book! i like the dummies books a lot better than the idiot books of their layout and starting from square one. i like that they assume you dont know a thing about the topic!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great way to start to learn the basics of sewing.