Reddit reviews The Sewing Book: An Encyclopedic Resource of Step-by-Step Techniques
We found 9 Reddit comments about The Sewing Book: An Encyclopedic Resource of Step-by-Step Techniques. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Hard Cover - 400 pagesLanguage - EnglishBinding Type - ClothAuthor - Smith AlisonPublisher - Dk
You are giving me such good advice. I appreciate it! I'll definitely make a practice version. I feel like the dress will be fine even if the fit is a bit off after switching fabrics. This dress is not meant to be a precise fit at all, so it should be fine.
I have The Sewing Book, and it seems pretty thorough.
I have this book
https://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Book-Encyclopedic-Step-Step/dp/0756642809
It's full of sewing techniques for making clothing and it's helped me out a lot. But I don't think you need a book to do what you want to do. Adding waist darts to a dress is pretty easy and bust darts aren't too difficult either.
Heres a video on how to do bust darts https://youtu.be/d9FoVBffroo
Sewing machines - Vintage sewing machines often cost the same as brand new cheap machines and are better quality. The problem is that they require more research and legwork.
So, you will most likely want to buy new. If your girlfriend finds that she enjoys sewing and you bought a brand new starter sewing machine, just plan on getting a better sewing machine in the future. By the way, I think most are recommending the Brother sewing machine as a starter machine.
Personally, I love my 1920s Singer sewing machine (Even though my machine is almost a hundred years old, it is reliable as heck, and it will sew anything.)
Sewing kits - a few essential supplies
Avoid buying any tools made by Singer. They are poor quality and not worth the few cents it takes to buy them.
If it looks cheap, it's likely cheap.
Good companies - Fiskars, Gingher, Dritz (There are several more.)
Here's the starter sewing kit that I would want, but it's high quality. http://merchantandmills.com/products/gift/starter-set/ Geez, I still want it, and I'm not a beginner. The link is from the UK where they are located, but there are US resellers, too.
Another option is to buy each of the following sewing tools individually. Dressmaking shears (commonly known as scissors but the shape of shears makes cutting fabric easier), a package of various hand sewing needles (always good to have), thread snips or embroidery scissors, tape measure (flexible not the clunker in your tool box), some pins, and a seam ripper (essential).
A good beginner sewing book is essential and they often have beginner project instructions, too.
http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Book-Encyclopedic-Step---Step/dp/0756642809/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417205004&sr=8-1&keywords=sewing+book
Fabric - Just so she has something to sew when she opens all her boxes, buy some fabric. For example, I would buy quilting cotton 1/2 yard each of 5 different colors. There will be lots and lots of this in fabric stores.
Thread - Buy All-Purpose thread. One spool each of Black, Tan (khaki), and white.
Those are my recommendations. There are so many different ways to do this. I think your $300 price range is definitely achievable. Mostly, I'm trying to make sure that she will be able to make something after she opens all of her packages.
Last but not least, YouTube is a sewist's friend. There's been many a time that I couldn't figure something out, and finally, I check Youtube to find that someone has uploaded a video that showed me exactly how to do what I couldn't figure out.
As others have suggested you should definitely check out You-tube. I would also suggest the following books:
Beginner
More Advanced
Other Resources / Blogs
I hope this helps you get started.
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds <3
Any of these two books. I really want them, but are a bit expensive for me atm
The Sewing Book: An Encyclopedic Resource of Step-by-Step Techniques
[Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques] (http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Hairstyling-Step-Step-Techniques/dp/0981663915/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&amp;colid=3Q3B5H91EIZ85&amp;coliid=I13B0QG9NBDQ9U)
Get a book like this, some muslin or light colored fabric, dark thread and sew samples. Set zippers, sew darts, button and buttonholes, curved seams, French seams, top stitching etc. if you really want to do this it is important that you work on technique. Tailors will do dozens upon dozens of sample welt pockets before they do a real one.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sewing-Book-Step-Step/dp/0756642809
Is there anything you do consistently without thinking about it?
Is there anything you do enjoy, that you do occasionally, but you just enjoy it for the sake of doing it?
Lastly, is there something you are really attracted to, but don't do because people will judge you?
> Honestly the only way I can find enjoyment in anything is to drink a lot while I am doing it. It's the only thing I have found that turns off the constant thoughts of: "why do you even bother, you are just embarassing yourself."
Be productive when you're drinking then. I've experienced the same thing. I started drawing a little time after I tried marijuana. I tried drawing before, but that negative voice would creep into my head and I would just quit. Marijuana gave me the ability to lose my fucks. (I'm not condoning it, but it was the initial spark that got me through my post-military depression and start doing things again.)
I started out with terrible shit, but after just the ACT of putting shit out there without care for what people would think, it got easier. I kept with it, now I can draw just through the inebriated brazenness that alcohol gives me. I'm still not good, but I have a couple things that I have a tiny bit of self-pride in.
I do it for friends, I do it for a hobby. It will never be a career...but it keeps me happy. I've started a bunch of new interests since I realized I can do whatever the fuck I want: I started reading books I like, instead of the ones I think will get me a job. Early 1900s NatGeos, John Muir, classics like Aristotle, Plato...St. Thomas Aquinas, a book on the Japanese government, lol. I recently bought two books, a sewing book, and a book on fashion. I'm a guy, and very few in America expect a guy to take up sewing and fashion as a hobby...but I want to give it a try. I've always been interested in the functionality v. fashionality of the way people dress. I find a lot of fashion ridiculous, so I want to try to offer my own stuff. The books are a start.
In high school, a wise old black woman told me, "Just do it." Shortly after I got out of the military, an alcoholic sociology major with multiple businesses told me, "Just do it." After that, a deceptively smart stripper in Florida told me, "Just do it." ...sure, it might be a Nike slogan, but their advice came straight from them and they were honest about it.
Don't give a fuck whether you think you can or can't...just do it.
* The Sewing Book by Alison Smith