Whether you’ve never touched a needle and thread or, like me, have been sewing for years, everyone will find something of value in this book. I’ve been making clothes for 40+ years and found this book a valuable asset to add to my sewing library.

Most sewing/craft books read like an encyclopedia – dry facts with one way to do things. This book is written in a conversational style, almost as if Wendy is sitting with you, guiding you through the process. Her explanations were clear, accurate and understandable. She encourages the reader to start with the basics and expand, be creative. The only spot I found something disturbing was in the explanation of stitch length. According to the author, stitch length should be set around 2.5 – that may be true for her machine, but my machine has lengths at 8, 10, 12, etc. For someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, running up against this may be a bit confusing. She also states that hand stitching is the only way to secure buttons. Yes and no. It depends on the type of button but some can be done with a machine.

The book also includes three basic patterns – skirt, blouse and pants – for the reader to work with. A huge bonus for the buyer. My problem with this is the sizing. She goes from size 0 to 12 – a wide range, but unfortunately, today’s body types tend to run much larger. Perhaps in a future issue, a size or two larger could be included.

Other than these few minor glitches, I found this a well-written, well-presented book that anyone who is contemplating trying their hand at sewing should immediately pick up and put to use. This one is a definite keeper.

Reviewed by Vicky Burkholder
8/22/2006

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