Me and My Sewing Machine – A Beginner’s Guide by Kate Haxell
Stash Books (an imprint of C&T Publishing)
I get quite a few emails asking me for good books for the beginner sewist. I never really have a great answer, since this is a topic that I did not learn from a book myself. Because of this, I’m always on the look out for a good book to recommend, and I think I found it in this book. I’ve had my mom (a seamstress for Janzen in a former life) and friends that are new and old to sewing take a flip through the book as well, and we all agree that it is well done and a great place to start.
Kate starts with the basics, talking about a general sewing machine’s functions and design, tension and accessories, as well as equipment you’ll want to have on hand and why. Next she walks you through the basics of pinning, basting, pressing and everything else to get you set to sew.
Further chapters deal with seams, hemming, zippers and buttons, ruffles and pleats, and just a plethora of basic information needed for any sewing project. While the book does touch on patchwork and craft sewing techniques, I would say that there is a strong focus on the traditional forms of sewing needed for sewing clothing – but don’t be put off by that! It’s a great place to start even if you just want to do craft sewing (bags, pillows, etc…) because we all like to embellish with pleats and zippers.
The last chapter of the book includes some simple projects to get you started, among them a skirt, apron, pillows and bag. There are seven projects total, all basic and easy to follow and a great place to start for making it your own with all of the techniques covered in this book.
Even as someone that has sewn for 20+ years, I still find that I have to go back and reference how to do certain techniques, and this book is a great reference. I would definitely have this book on my shelf. The instructions are clear and concise and every one of them is backed up with multiple photos to help you understand what to do. I can’t recommend this book enough.
And now for the fun part – thanks to the generosity of C&T Publishing, this book could be yours! I’ll be giving away a copy of this to one lucky commenter. Nothing fancy needed, just leave a comment. If you happen to have a favorite, basic sewing book, let us know about it! I’ll be choosing one lucky winner on Sunday.
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**Edited** Forgot to add that today my guest post on motherhood is up over at Sparkle Power!
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Comments now closed! I will announce the winner in a post later tonight.
134 comments:
Count me in please! That looks like a handy reference book. :-)
I don't have a basic sewing reference book yet, and this seems to be a good one! Thanks for the chance!
this looks like a great resource to have! :)
Oh, that would help me a lot, I think. :)
I just started to sew, so i could really use a good beginner's guide :-)
i am trying to imagine a time when will stop referring to myself as a beginner.... nope, not gonna happen :)
Looks like a great book to have on hand. There is always something to learn, even after years of sewing.
this looks an amazing book!!
I have my grandma's 1950s-era Singer manual, with great instructions for making...a circle skirt!
It looks like a wonderful resource for basic information about a sewing machine. I was self-taught, so there is a lot of stuff I don't know that I'm sure I could learn about in this book.
This looks like a very good reference. I have sewn for many years (mostly self taught) but months (or years) can go by between using certain techniques. A handy, well-illustrated reference would be very nice to have on the shelf.
looks like a very handy book! i've been trying and trying to carve out some crafty time to dive in and get going on my very 1st project and this would be so helpful :-)
Thanks for the review. I do not have much experience with seams, darts, etc. so this sounds like a good resource to have.
I would love to have this cook! It looks very informative!
~Amy Jo
My Mum was a dress maker and I grew up watching her sew. My sister and I would make dolls and clothes for them out of the scrap fabrics. One day we just sat down at the sewing machine and started sewing with out lessons, just from watching Mum. Mum laughs when she sees me sew or crochet, as I don't do it "right", but I get it done. Perhaps I am in need of learning some of the techniques properly? :)
fun book! looks like a lot of great pictures, too. That is essential. My favorite book so far is still Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan, it really has a full range of projects from simple to more complicated and oh so cute! geez, I should get paid for that sort of recommendation, hehehe
I have a couple sewing guides on my shelf, but none of which really cover everything well. This one looks much more promising!
This looks awesome. I am need of learning how to really run this machine. Right now I just fake it and you can tell!
This looks like a great, basic book! I would read it cover to cover. I still don't know how to do basic things like put in a zipper or make buttonholes.
what an awesome little book! That'd be great for me and my daughter to read through together, because I could do with learning some 'real' skills and she could do with starting from scratch!
this book looks really good! it'd be nice to have all that info in one book.
This looks like a great book for beginners. Certainly one I could benefit from.
I rely on my Singer: The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing book, but this looks great. From the pictures it seems to have a little more than my book.
I'm always on the look-out for a good, basic sewing book, too. This one sounds good, and looks nice and clear. :)
Oh I would love having this book to add to my collection!
Great looking book. I'm self-taught so I would imagine there's lots of great information to be had in a good basic sewing book!
It would be wonderful if I would win it because I'm just starting to learn how to patch with a machine. Thanks for the giveaway!
This is just what the doctor ordered!!! Count me in please. Love, Amanda xxx
I'm a beginner so this book would be a perfect resource for me!
I'm self taught and need all the reference help I can get. This looks like just the ticket!
Thanks for the book recommendation. Looks great!
Thanks fir the review! I desperately need a basic sewing book - to be unscared of zippers, buttons, etc!
So glad to know about this book!!!
Thanks!
Thanks for the chance to win Christina. I would love to own this book.
thanks for the review, I could do with a reference book on my shelf for sure.
Thanks! I've actually been looking for a good basic sewing book. I'm trying to think outside of the quilting box.
sounds like a GREAT one to have on the shelf! my sister and i were just talking about zippers and buttons and how we find them a little intimidating. i would LOVE to have a copy!
thanks for the chance to win one!
I "sew" much need this book. I don't have mom to teach me how to sew so I would love to own this book.
thanks for the reveiw and the chance to own this! i like Carol Doaks First Quilting book, Or It Should be...
Oh man! I rescued a poor machine from craigslist only to lock it away in my own basement from intimidation. I'm a very visual person so reading the manual hasn't quite helped but this book looks fantastic with all it's pictures and labels haha. What a great opportunity. Thank you.
I've been wanting to improve my sewing skills--and this books seems like it would help a lot.
This book looks great! I'll keep my fingers crossed for the giveaway (thank you for offering it, by the way) and if there's no luck I'll head straighto to Amazon right after it.
Hugs from Spain
Oh, I could definitely need this one!!
This would be great for my daughter and granddaughter! Great reference tool.
This looks like a great resource for a new sewer! I wish that there had been a book like this around when I first started sewing.
I've a couple of friends who want to learn to sew, and this could be a very good book for them to get... or for me to win and give to them! Hehe :)
Great looking book! I hope I win but even if I don't, I'm going to go out and buy it! Thanks for the heads up...
I LOVE my knew Janome sewing machine. She and I have been getting to know each other lately since I recently purchased a few Vintage toddler patterns. This book would be great to add to my library!
I don't really have a favorite book. I was lucky enough to be taught by my mom at an early age. What a great reference book to have!
This looks like a fab reference book, would love it!
i could really use this book. i have a new machine and the instructions are somewhat lacking.
I would so enjoy getting my hands on a copy of this! I'll try the free way first. :-)
Thanks for the chance to enter! =)
I want to give this to my friends who are still getting up the courage to get their sewing machines out of the box. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway.
what a great book... perfect for my sisters who have both just started to sew!
Looks like a great book. :)
That would be a fun book to have.
Thanks for the opportunity! Looks like a fun and informative book.
Laura B.
I so need that book.
20 years? Really? I'm at 2 years.
See I need it.
I bought my current sewing machine just over a year ago and it still feels so new! Probably because I still only ever use about 3 of the bazillion stitches it came with. Maybe the book will help me get to know it better?!
That looks like a brilliant book. I would love to win it so that I could give it to my sister who is just starting on the sewing road.
Jane 80)
Sounds like a really good book. It would make a great gift for my SIL who is learning to sew.
I used the New and Complete Guide to Sewing as a text book for my intro to sewing class at my univ. I liked it. It has a lot of instruction on technique, like different ways to do pockets, pleats, etc. Dont remember though if it goes into as much of the really basic of basics, as it sounds the book you're suggesting does.
This looks fabulous!
Me! Following a book seems way smarter than the way I do it (guessing and redoing the mistakes).
I love reference books! I've managed to pick up a few of the Singer sewing series books at the second hand book store lately, so good.
I flipped cover to cover of the Sewing Bible by Ruth Singer and found it to be a great reference. I am completely self-taught/taught by my mother, but still found great "official" ways to do things in this book. Sounds similar to this one, as it also had lots of pictures, techniques, and then projects at the end.
I'd love to enter for this one. Thank you!
What a great book - I will have to look out for it. I usually use my Pfaff sewing manual plus online tutorials if I need to know a particular technique.
That would be a wonderful book! I always need a little extra help.
Thanks..
I am an avid reader and seamstress......so looks like a perfect giveaway for me. Kristy in Ohio
this looks like an excellent reference book! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
I just bought my very first sewing machine. I think this would be a great resource for me!
I haven't sewed in a long time, so this would be great now that I'm trying to get back into it!
I would LOVE to read this book. Ive been trying to sew for several years all through trial and error maybe this would give me some more insight!!! FINGERS CROSSED :-)
What a neat book. I think all of us refer back to "basics" from time to time.
ginger c at gmail dot com
This book looks great! The photos and graphics look really cute, too. My go-to book (as a relative rookie) is Simplicity's beginner sewing book. It's a little cumbersome, though, and the included projects are a little dull. Thanks!
I've keep thinking about finding a beginners sewing book or taking a class and this would be perfect. Being self taught I don't know the technical terms or the "proper" way of going about things.
I think I could learn a lot from that book, it looks great. I think I should just subscribe to all the Stash books because each one I have seen I want! Thanks!
What a great giveaway. I just received my first sewing machine as a present... can't wait to get started!
Thanks so much for the recommendation, it is hard to find good basic sewing books. This sounds like a winner!
Sounds great. Who wouldn't love a sewing class that you could take from the comfort of home while wearing pajamas? :)
That would be a great reference and LEARNING book for me!
So that would be the perfect book for me. I just got my first sewing machine and have no idea - I've tried a few things but would really like the book - whether I get it from a giveaway or buy it myself! Thanks for sharing!
oh my goodness! put my name in the hat!
I would love to get my fingers on this book! Looks fantastic!
I haven't sewn in years and just recently pulled my machine out of the attic. This would be a great primer to getting back into sewing.
Ok, I will definitely be looking for this book! What a fabulous idea! I stumbled on your site from another site and wondered what on earth you were posting pics from a book for! (hee hee) I love your header pic too! Happy sewing!
Thanks for the opportunity!! Looks like a great book!
I so need this. My mother gave me a sewing machine and I have no idea where to start, thanks for the chance!!
Wow! That looks like a great book to assist any sewist! I'm not new to sewing, but I never really learned, and so I just hack my way through things or ask friends to help me. But it would be great to have a book break everything down and explain it!
Thanks! :)
This book looks so informative, even for a not so novice...would love to have it. Thanks for giving us an opportunity!
I just started sewing recentally and this would be great to help me. I had the opportunity to learn from my mom, but when I was young it was never important. Now I am interested and I live 7-8 hours away. So I am learning on my own.
I also always need a good book on hand...ive taken a couple of classes, but forget usually months later what I learned! I would love this!
I'd like some more info on general sewing as I get more brave and branch out from making quilts that involve sewing straight lines. I swear by "The Quilter's Ultimate Visual Guide" which is fantastic and generally available used on amazon. It is a must-have for any quilter - newbies to experts.
Been teaching myself to sew lately (sloooooooowwwwwly), and this would be an awesome reference book. I've been using Bend the Rules by Amy Carol as my starting point, but am in search of a good reference book (I've heard good things about the really old school ones, so off to the thrift stores I go this weekend!).
looks like a great book with lots of picture. Hope I win!
This book looks great! I'm a beginning sewer and could definitely use something like it. :)
What a pretty book. Count me in too.
You can't ever have too many sewing books !
I could really use this book.
Wow, this looks like a really great resource. Thanks for sharing!
I need a book like this so badly. My machine came with the WORST manual, and all I can do so far is a straight stitch.
I was just looking at this book online and wondering if it was good or not. I am a beginner sewer and I am literally making it up as I go along with my mother-in-law's sewing machine. This would be a huge help!
Ooh, I hope that I win! I am just taking up sewing again and could REALLY use this book. I'd like to progress from craft sewing to clothing and this book sounds like just the ticket!
Thanks and Happy Sewing!
I was also lucky to have a mother who was wonderful at sewing and crafting...and a great teacher!
This book looks like fun, there's always something new to learn or another way to do something.
Thanks!
I would love to win this book. It looks awesome!
I'm guilty of just making it up as I go along, with just the odd reference to the awful manual that came with my machine. I don't have relatives / friends to ask, so it would be nice to have a good book to turn to
Looks like a good book. I may have to go out and get it if I'm not lucky enough to win it.
Just what I need...I so often stop a project before I start because I have too many unanswered questions...thanks!
If I don't win this book then I really do have to buy it. I learned to sew by the rip-out method. Oh the joy of not needing my seam ripper anymore (or at least as much.)
Would love to have this for reference for myself and my daughter- she's learning to sew!
I am so glad you did this review. I saw this book on amazon and didn't know if it would be worth buying. Thank you!
It looks like a great book! I love the Sewing Bible from Ruth Singer.
That looks like a great book that I could put into good use!
I would LOVE to have this book! The only sewing book I have now in my 1961 copy of Better Home & Gardens Sewing Book. I love it - especially the illustrations. So dainty!
I love having reference books and this books looks wonderful.
Would LOVE that book! :)
I'd love a chance to win this book as I'm a beginning sewer. I recently discovered your blog and enjoy it very much - great photos!
What a gorgeous book...please count me in. My favourite book on the quilting side of things is the Quilter's ultimate Visual Guide by Ellen Pahl.
looks like a good book!
This appears to be a useful book. Know that I need some help on using all of the sewing machine features. Please enter me in your giveaway. Thanks mlwright29 (at) hotmail (dot) com
No book to recommend but I am loving the apron that is in one of the pictures you posted....I can see me wearing that as my apron for when we have visitors...I love ric rac!
I learn so much from blogs like yours, but a handy reference book would be great too :-)
This looks like a great reference book. I'd love to receive it!
yay! looks great! Thanks for the giveaway!!
I don't have a favourite basic sewing book unless my machine manual counts . . .
thanks for the chance to win!
- donna
I would love to have this book in my hands!
thanks for finding this book! there weren't any good reference books when i started sewing so i found most of my info online from wonderful crafters. so glad this book is out now!
Wow! This book would have saved me a lot of curse words when I was trying to learn how to sew on my own LOL!
Jennifer :)
Looks like a great book! Hope to win.
I taught myself how to sew (okay, I did have a home ec class in seventh grade), and it would be great to see if there are some tricks or shortcuts I could use. Thanks for the chance to win!
Great giveaway! I've been learning lots from blogs like yours but would love all the basic info in one place :)
Oh pick me! As a beginner I found the projects in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing to be very easy to follow but it lack much in the way of explaining general techniques of sewing. Anna Maria Horner's Seams To Me has a great first section that is devoted to explaining fabric, basic techniques that I found to be quite helpful. But still haven't found THE book yet. Maybe this one's it!
What a great review of this book. My daughter-in-law is just learning to sew and this would be a wonderful gift to her since I can't always be there to help her.
I have been looking for a basic machine book, that one looks perfect. I'll run out and grab it, unless I win it here, of course!!!
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