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    Sewing books

    Hi everyone,

    I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations on books for the beginner. I would appreciate any ideas. Thanks much!
    Anubisa

    Dedicated and devoted to Lord Anubis and Lady Bast. A follower of the path of Egyptian Wicca.


    #2
    Re: Sewing books

    I've used my "Vogue Sewing" book for years. I got it from my mom and it was published in the 1980s. You can probably find it used on Amazon, and it might still be in print. I have a bunch of other books on patternmaking, couture sewing techniques, and stuff like that, but those are more advanced skills.

    I think most of the stuff mentioned in Vogue Sewing is online, though. I write a lot about sewing and I have to provide online references for most of my work. Almost everything is online. I think your best bet is to buy a few beginner patterns (anything listed as "Easy"), follow the instructions, and Google anything that you're not sure of (sewing in zippers, making buttonholes, etc).

    If you're looking for project books, I'd say that printed patterns are much easier to work with. Most project books give you measurements for patterns, which can be tricky for beginners. With patterns, you can just cut out the pieces and pin them directly on the fabric. That's wayyyyy easier to do.

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      #3
      Re: Sewing books

      Thanks DanieMarie. I appreciate the advice. I'll look for Vogue Sewing on Amazon and definitely try some beginner patterns.
      Anubisa

      Dedicated and devoted to Lord Anubis and Lady Bast. A follower of the path of Egyptian Wicca.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Sewing books

        No problem...if it helps, this is the exact edition I have: http://www.amazon.com/Vogue-Sewing-B...s=vogue+sewing

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          #5
          Re: Sewing books

          I agree that using an easy pattern kit is the best way to learn. As much as I'm a bit of a bibliophile, I have never read a single book on sewing (stitching and spinning, yes, but not sewing). My mum taught me to sew when I was a kid and I've never had to teach myself any of the basic skills. I still consider myself a basic sewer... I've never made my own pattern or done anything particularly fancy (and no, I don't particularly count my wedding dress as 'fancy' because there wasn't really any tricksy things to do), but maybe my perspective is skewed because I grew up sewing and stitching.

          The only thing with pattern kits is if you've never had any sort of exposure to the concepts before, you might need a glossary type book or Google search. Also, NEVER cut the pattern papers at the size you are. Cut them out at the larger size, then put little nicks in the edges so that you can fold them down to your size line. That way you can use the pattern paper over and over again for different sizes, and you can also tweak the sizing if you know that you are smaller or larger in the hips or bust than what the typical size chart says you should be. Personally I think the hardest things to get right are gather stitches, sleeves that have little gathers at the top, and any sleeve cuffs that require hand sewing. Sewing is more about attention to detail than anything else... as long as you have patience and attention to detail it's really easy to pick up.

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            #6
            Re: Sewing books

            Originally posted by Rae'ya View Post
            Also, NEVER cut the pattern papers at the size you are. Cut them out at the larger size, then put little nicks in the edges so that you can fold them down to your size line. That way you can use the pattern paper over and over again for different sizes, and you can also tweak the sizing if you know that you are smaller or larger in the hips or bust than what the typical size chart says you should be.
            That's actually a really great tip! I always traced them when I wanted to keep all of the sizes, but usually I'm too lazy. The nicks are a great idea for folding them over around curves and stuff!

            I still trace, because I buy a lot of Burda Style magazines and use patterns from there (for 5,90 Euro, you get 30-40 patterns, but they all come on two large sheets of paper with the patterns printed on both sides. They're all colour coded so that you can find the pieces you need on each sheet and trace them.) But when I buy regular patterns, I get sick of tracing because it takes a long time. I do like to keep the other sizes, though. Re-sizing patterns for my own use has never been a challenge, but I occasionally make things for friends and then I need a totally different size.

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              #7
              Re: Sewing books

              Originally posted by DanieMarie View Post
              That's actually a really great tip! I always traced them when I wanted to keep all of the sizes, but usually I'm too lazy. The nicks are a great idea for folding them over around curves and stuff!

              I still trace, because I buy a lot of Burda Style magazines and use patterns from there (for 5,90 Euro, you get 30-40 patterns, but they all come on two large sheets of paper with the patterns printed on both sides. They're all colour coded so that you can find the pieces you need on each sheet and trace them.) But when I buy regular patterns, I get sick of tracing because it takes a long time. I do like to keep the other sizes, though. Re-sizing patterns for my own use has never been a challenge, but I occasionally make things for friends and then I need a totally different size.
              That's the way mum taught me to do it, because she'd often use the same pattern for my sister and I when we were kids, and we're different sizes. The curves aren't always neat this way, but you just compensate when you cut the fabric.

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                #8
                Re: Sewing books

                Honestly...if you have the money for it...trial and error.

                I do historical sewing when I sew (or cosumes and altering clothes for the kids)...and there aren't a lot of places to learn that correctly. Modern patterns, even the reproduction ones based on museum pieces, are written using modern sewing techniques that aren't the same as (depending on era) historical ones (this is a Civil War era pattern, which you would have to trace for individual pieces...and sometimes they overlap even more). Sewing books for me are diaries, Goodey's Ladies Book, and other period books, as well as historical articles on garment construction, etc. The only way to suss out what you read on paper is to try it out on cloth...and Civil War era patterns look nothing like modern patterns with all their notations, etc (plus an average work dress takes at least 6 yards of cloth, a fancy dress 10-12, and when you are working with something like (real) velvet or silk, which costs $15-20 a yard...thats a ton of money to blow because you didn't practice first). Rather than use new cloth, I use a lot of thrift store sheets to practice skirts (which I then shorten and reuse as petticoats, etc) or bodices that can be repieced for kids clothes (something that we don't do today is piecework). So...cheap cloth and trial and error before you make something that you really want to wear, is my advice, especially when you want to get to something nicer.

                ETA: Don't underestimate the power of the paper tape dressform. If you are only making clothing for yourself, this is the cheaper alternative to buying an expensive (and not always accurate to *you*) adjustable dressform. It lets you pin things up and see how they look (part of the trial and error) before you start stitching.
                Last edited by thalassa; 24 Sep 2015, 03:51.
                Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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                  #9
                  Re: Sewing books

                  Thanks everyone for the GREAT tips. My mom and dad are going to help me make an apron for my first project. I have a pattern for S-L. I'm a 3x though, but my mom and dad are experienced quilters and my mom is an experienced sewer so she can help me with the size. Thanks again everyone!
                  Anubisa

                  Dedicated and devoted to Lord Anubis and Lady Bast. A follower of the path of Egyptian Wicca.

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