SewBasic: 34 Essential Skills for Sewing With Confidence

by: Editors of Thread Magazine

Topics include: nap layout, utility stitches, thread escape, directional stitching, construction thread, felled seam, overlock stitch, presser feet, heavyweight fabrics, garment section, garment seam, knife pleats, zipper tape, silk pins, garment construction, bobbin case, seam ripper, presser foot, lengthwise grain, zipper foot, zipper teeth, zipper opening, stitch length, seam allowances, curved seams

Book Description:

Editorial Reviews -- Amazon.com
From the intelligent pages of Threads come 33 articles on essential sewing skills that originally appeared in the "Basics" column of the magazine. Each section, by an expert contributor, focuses on one specific aspect, beginning with pre-sewing considerations like pattern layout and cutting, followed by the particulars of sewing notions and how to use them. The final chapter shows how to achieve success with various types of seams, insert a zipper, build darts and pleats, make bias strips, and more. Many sewing books presuppose an existing skill level; this one carefully demonstrates just how to build that skill. --Amy Handy

Book Description --
SewBasic gives readers complete and detailed information on 25 basic skills every sewer is supposed to have but often doesn’t. Experts with practical experience, ranging from home sewers to top designers, give instructions on a variety of sewing topics, including making piping, cutting out a pattern, laying out a pattern on a napped fabric, and understitching. Terms are explained and techniques are described in easy-to-follow steps, along with 75 color photos and 80 color illustrations. SewBasic assembles a wide range of practical information into one volume for quick reference.

More than 30 essential skills for sewing with confidence

Have you always wanted to sew, but felt you simply didn't know where to begin? Or has it been years since you used your sewing machine for anything other than mending and now you need a refresher on some of the fundamentals? SewBasic features more than 30 essential skills you can use to get started, from buying your fabric and thread to inserting zippers and sewing seams.

In addition to sewing instruction, SewBasic covers such topics as: choosing tools and notions
understanding your sewing machine accessories
using pressing as a sewing aid
keeping your sewing machine running smoothly with regular maintenance

A collection of "Basics" articles from Threads magazine, this handy reference is written by professionals in the field, including sewing authors and teachers Claire Shaeffer and Shirley Smith. Concise instructions, detailed drawings, and clear photos work together to create valuable, easy-to-use information ideal for beginners and veterans alike.

Even the most intricate garments began with the basics. SewBasic will put you on the right track.

Have you always wanted to sew but felt you simply didn't know where to begin? Or has it been years since you used your sewing machine for anything other than mending, and now you can't remember how to read a pattern, much less how to sew in a zipper or create pleats? Relax.
Sewing is not a mysterious art requiring great innate talent. It's a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned and enjoyed by nearly anyone. All that's required are a bit of eye-hand coordination, the ability to think logically as you follow directions, and the understanding of some basic sewing terms. To help you hone these skills is a collection of 34 articles from Threads magazine that will give you the confidence to sew nearly any project you want to undertake.
Confidence begins with feeling comfortable buying a pattern and the right fabric and supplies you need for a project and ends with a garment that looks every bit as perfect as if a professional had made it. With the basic skills included in SewBasic you can sew that perfect garment and it will fit and look better than any mass-produced garment you could buy in a department store. So, what are you waiting for? Get sewing!

Reviews:

Introduction

Before You Sew
A Trip to the Fabric Store
Grainline
Choose the Correct Pattern Size
Making a Duplicate Pattern
Tissue- and Pin-Fitting
Making Your Mark
Shrink before You Sew
Pattern Layouts
With-Nap Layout Basics
Cutting Out
Preventive Sewing-Machine Maintenance

Needle and Thread
Straight Pins
The Secrets of Machine Needles
Presser Feet
Construction Threads
Must-Have Tools

Perfect Seams
Staystitching
Sew a Perfect Seam from Beginning to End
Easing in a Seam
Directional Sewing
Trimming and Grading Seams
Clip & Notch for Smooth Curves & Sharp Corners
Understitching
Flat-Felled Seams
Pressing 101
Utility Stitches
Ripping Out Stitches
Fastening Threads
Sewing in a Zipper
Darts Build Shape into a Garment
Pleats
Great Gathering -- A Sure Thing
Bias Strips Made Easy
Perfect Piping

Contributors

Resources

Credits

Index

It's a guide for further reading -- This book contains reprints of articles on sewing. Each article is only 2 or 3 pages long, and that includes one or more photos or illustrations, so the result is not too much detail. Use this text as a guidebook--if you cannot grasp a particular skill--by reading this book--look elsewhere for more info., more detail, more illustrations--you'll know what to look for. Further, each writer is telling you how they do it. Yes, there alternatives to their way--like using a ruler and a "French Curve" when tracing patterns; you can buy some "bias tape" or you can make your own--stuff like that can only be gotten by reading everything you can get your hands on! That's if you had no one to show you how to sew.